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Hive consumer campaign to launch with competition

07.10.11 | Lisa Campbell

Gardners will launch its consumer marketing campaign for Hive next Wednesday (October 12th) with an online competition with crime fiction author Mark Billingham.

The campaign is called "Have the Last Word", with Billingham providing the beginning of a new story and Gardners encouraging customers to go to the site and write their own endings. Those who enter stand the chance of winning £1,000 of Hive products.

Customers will vote on their favourite ending and post comments on the narratives via Facebook and Twitter before Billingham chooses a winning ending. Gardners said: "It is expected that this will drive huge amounts of traffic to the site and really expose Hive to a much larger audience."

Other marketing initiatives include increasing social media activity on Facebook and Twitter, which is being integrated onto the Hive site.

The Hive website went live on 1st June, with 350 independent retailers signed up to the scheme. For every Hive customer who chooses to have their online purchase delivered to their home, the independent with the nearest postcode will receive 5% remuneration on short discount lines, low margin offer books and 3% on e-books, DVDs and stationery in the form of a Gardners credit note. However, if customers choose to collect their Hive purchase from the shop, then the indie will receive between 10-25% on trade books, 5-15% on short discount books (such as academic titles) and 5% on stationery and DVDs.

Bob Jackson, Gardners commercial director, said: "Increasing the consumer awareness of Hive will be a focus for the company in quarter four."

• Bob Jackson
• consumer campaign
• Gardners
• hive
• Lisa Campbell
• Mark Billingham