IKEA Sponsors "Improve Your World" Sweepstakes Cable Promotion:

Furniture World Magazine

National Cable Communications announced today the creation of the "Improve Your World" promotion designed to support an eight market, multi-million dollar spot cable advertising deal with IKEA home furnishings stores. The promotion partners IKEA with The Discovery Channel and benefits The Campaign to End Childhood Hunger (CTECH) and runs from April 12-April 25. IKEA customers will have a chance to "improve their world" through a sweepstakes in the twelve participating IKEA stores throughout the country. "This gives IKEA the ability to promote itself with a pro-social tie-in and co-brand with one of cable television's most recognizable networks," said E.B. Moss, Director of Sales Promotions for NCC. "Cause-related marketing overlays are a huge success. They create awareness, attract customers and positively position clients. This is a win-win situation for everyone involved - consumers, clients and cable affiliates," adds Moss. NCC's promotion department designed the sweepstakes. Each of the twelve participating IKEA stores will award a Grand Prize of Discovery merchandise and a $1,000 IKEA gift certificate to improve the winner's world at home. IKEA will also make a contribution in each winner's name to a CTECH-affiliated community shelter or food bank to "improve the world around them." Throughout the run of the promotion consumers may also contribute to CTECH via coin collection cans, provided by NCC, at each store register. Deutsch Inc., IKEA's advertising agency, is thrilled to play a role in this promotion on behalf of their client and applauds the ideas and contributions of all parties involved. "This partnership with NCC and Discovery gives IKEA the opportunity for a cross channel, TV-based, traffic building promotion. We are very enthusiastic about this program being consistent across all of our markets and providing the local community with a much needed service," said Cynthia Seebeck, Vice President, Broadcast Director at Deutsch Inc. IKEA, The Discovery Channel and CTECH will be co-branded on all materials including in-store displays, over one million IKEA catalogs and cross-channel sweepstakes spots on major cable networks. Promotions such as this give NCC the opportunity to benefit local cable interconnect and system affiliates by attracting new business and offering viewers in their communities compelling local events. National Cable Communications is a partnership owned equally by Comcast Cable Communications, Inc., Cox Communications, Inc., Katz Media Group, Media One, TCI Media Services and Time Warner Cable. NCC's client list reaches over 53 million cable households in the United States.