Rias’s sponsorships

Rias is a specialist 50-plus insurance company that has about 900,000 customers in the UK.

Over the past couple of months it has announced a couple of interesting promotional partnerships. Firstly, there was the deal with Odeon (a chain of cinemas) whereby RIAS provided the over-50s with access to reduced-price cinema screenings on weekday mornings.

This week RIAS announced a one-year partnership with the National Trust. This is the organisation that runs/owns the UK’s heritage land and buildings (stately homes and that sort of stuff).

The partnership will create a Rias/National Trust Walking Campaign to encourage the over-50s to explore the National Trust's walks and attractions.

Rias will be the sole partner of the campaign which will feature an online searchable database and a special range of walking guides available from the National Trust website.

OK, so this might not be the most exciting sponsorship deals but it shows that RIAS is thinking hard about how to engage with its target audience. Dick Stroud

Forget Helen Mirren meet Jeanne Stawiecki

I decided to climb the highest peak and run marathons on all seven continents and by the way I am 56 years old.

This is what Jeanne Stawiecki said to me last year when she was in contact about finding sponsors for this phenomenal feat of endurance and courage.

Well she has just completed the last of the marathons (Antarctic). That just leaves the trivial part of the exercise – Everest.

Jeanne, I do hope you found your sponsors. Reading about her achievements has made me even more convinced that I must blog less and exercise more. Dick Stroud