TMW Ideas

With Xmas just around the corner, I'm sure many people will find themselves in the coming weeks standing in the booze isle of Tesco's (or Sainsbury's perhaps) pondering over the costs/benefits of splashing out on real Champers versus trying to dupe their unwitting guests with cheap fizzy plonk. If this sounds like you, this is one viral you might want to look out for… although Thresher's might prefer you didn't.

Download voucher here
Here's good little story on bbc.co.uk/news about how a private discount voucher available to suppliers “and their friends” for wine store Thresher's has rocketed out of control.

With no Ts & Cs in place to prevent the general public from taking advantage of the whopping 40% discount, it's been downloaded millions of times and Thresher's are now bracing themselves for a major pre-christmas margin crash.

On the upside, they'll still make a lot of money and if nothing else, have discovered just how quickly one little voucher can find it's way to millions of people - for nothing - via email and a few social networks.

The report also mentions Selfridges, Oasis and bunch of others who have also utlised the mechanic, as seen in a rash of “all agency” emails earlier this week.

Jerry's final thought? If you're going to plan a viral, make sure you plan for it going BIG, or that you have Ts & Cs in place to keep in under control.

Chin chin!