Scratch and Win cards to entice shoppers to spend

Staff Reporter A Christmas scratch card campaign entitled Rasca y gana (Scratch and Win), will hand out 90'000 euros in prizes to the clients of small businesses in the Balearics. The initiative is being launched by the business organisatons of Pimeco, Afedeco and Pimeef. These small business associations are working with a budget of 205'700 euros, 75 percent of which is financed by the Balearic government. The strategy aims to encourage Christmas trading in smaller shops and enterprises between now and 6 January in the New Year. According to Pere Ferrer, the president of the IBI-Comerc Foundation, the campaign is “a display of appreciation” aimed at the local consumer and guarantees two prizes of 3'000 euros each, eight of 1'000, six of 600 and 26 of 300. The awards will be presented in the form of an “Easy Purchase” card, credited with the amount of the prize money. Demetrio Peña, the president of Pimeco, highlighted the fact that this card will offer winners an extensive range of shops to spend their prize money in because it is recognised by three small business federations and the savings bank Sa Nostra. “The holder can't use it in department stores” meaning that winners have to spend their prize money in ordinary shops which form part of the small business associations. Consumers can obtain the prizes described after scratching a “lucky dip” card, specially designed for the promotion, which will be handed out by the 2'000 commercial outlets subscribed to the campaign. Apart from the prizes listed above, the promotional cards will permit consumers to win 10'500 instant prizes of six euros each. This sum will be discounted from the purchase already made or from a new acquisition. There will be additional prizes to the value of 2'520 euros, which will be awarded after a draw on 27th January. Francesc Tutzó, a local government Commerce director, explained that the Balearic government is in favour of collaborating in these campaigns in order to “bring business closer to the client” and to “encourage a lively buying atmosphere among customers”. The “challenge” for future editions of “Scratch and Win” is, says the president of Afedeco, Paul Bellinfante, to get it going “at the end of October”, an objective that this year hasn't been possible owing to the change of the team at the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy, he reported. Bellinfante stressed, however, that the promotion of the scratchcard game has become an institution in its own right because the project has now been launched under regional governments of different political persuasions. The game is supported by a publicity campaign through advertisements in the media and promotional pamphlets. Its main features are described alongside the slogan: “our business is always near at hand”. In addition to the Scratch and Win campaign, the city council has organised street entertainment to lure shoppers into the centre.