BMO has kicked off its Power of Blue perks program, which provides VIP treatment for customers who are winter sports fans by leveraging the events and properties of its sponsorship partners. The program offers a line bypass to Toronto Maple Leafs games, retail and food vouchers and a flash-and-win segment broadcast on the Air Canada Centre videoboard. BMO says it’s about getting away from traditional brand awareness and solidifying a relationship with card-carrying BMO customers instead.
BMO also hopes to expand membership by creating envy among non-BMO customers who are left out of the special treatment. ‘There is definitely a goal to get new customers,’ acknowledges Sandy Bourne, vice-president advertising, corporate sponsorship and events.
Working with Cossette, BMO is promoting the campaign in the GTA in Toronto Sun and Toronto Star newspaper ads, web banner ads on TSN.ca and mapleleafs.com and TV spots during select Leafs and Toronto Marlies games.
‘Linking in to where Leafs fans are, what publications they reading – we’ve done a lot of work in the past with the Sun and the Star and it meets that target group,’ says Bourne. ‘It’s actually a fairly broad target. Here in the GTA, going after Leafs fans is pretty easy,’ she tells MiC.
This week in Saskatoon, BMO customers will get coveted parking spots and cash prizes when shopping at the Skate Canada Boutique at the Canadian Figure Skating Championships. Promotions are mainly focused in the CUC venue and within branches.
In the future, Bourne says similar campaigns are possible with other sports like soccer or the Calgary Stampede, for instance. ‘We’re looking to link this to as many of our sponsorship properties across the country as we possibly can.’
