Left: Postmaster General Michael Gentles Right: Gary Dixon -contributed photos

In marketing its 'Magnum' tonic wine via a promotion, Lascelles Wines and Spirits (Lascelles) has teamed up with the Postal Corporation of Jamaica (Post Corp), in that Post Corp handles a component of the customer- response logistics.

Postmaster General Michael Gentles expects that the mutual benefits gained from this alliance with Lascelles augur well for both entities. He stated: "By supporting Lascelles in its promotional drive, we demonstrate that our capabilities extend beyond the boundaries of our core business - mail processing - and our adoption of a business-approach philosophy requires of us that we establish additional corporate partnerships. I expect that this highlights our flexibility while simultaneously boosting Lascelles' sales.

Based on the tenets of the promotion approved by the Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Commission, the Magnum project ended on Friday, May 18, as this was the last day for all entries to be deposited in boxes at post offices.

Note, however, that on Saturday, June 2, there will be a live prize drawing on IRIE FM.

A variety of prizes are offered and persons are able to enter for the top prize by completing an entry form and depositing it at post offices islandwide. The winner's photo will be published in THE STAR.

Gary Dixon, brand manager for Magnum at Lascelles Wines and Spirits, indicated: "From our research, the postal service was deemed to have the delicate 'blend' of facets necessary: islandwide locations, tremendous community reach, and steady operations. We, therefore, selected the postal service to share responsibility for aspects of this promotion, and based on the positive outcomes we are quite pleased with our decision."

Depth of community penetration

Dixon added: "From this interaction, we can recommend that companies using this same approach may benefit from discussing their plans with them (Post Corp). We value the post office's depth of community penetration, flexible operational arrangements, and its effectiveness is unquestionable. We easily reach all personsin the island via a medium which everybody knows and trusts.

"The results have been great as entries are coming in from all areas of the country, thus we are confident that we have served all our customers. Entries and branding details have been successfully handled by the Postal Corporation of Jamaica."

Gentles stated thatbased on its modernised business model, Post Corp welcomes enquiries regarding similar marketing tactics in which entries are 'dropped off' at post offices.