O2 has successfully developed its sponsorship of the former Millennium Dome - now operating as The O2 entertainment venue - into a powerful way to improve customer relations.
Its Priority scheme, which follows O2's brand ethos of putting its customers first, is an impressive loyalty programme that offers tangible benefits.
By registering for Priority, customers can buy tickets for events at the venue 48 hours before they go on general sale. This is a valuable perk, as The O2 is one of the world's most frequented music venues, and concerts often sell out.
Once at The O2, customers receive fast-track entry and access to exclusive zones.
While this has proved popular, the mobile network also recognised a need to extend its offering to music fans elsewhere in the UK.
To achieve this, O2 relaunched the former Carling Academies venues as O2 Academies, to appeal to 'fun-loving socialisers' - younger trendsetters who are high-value customers and crucial influencers in the market. The customer benefits have been built around delivering a unique experience that brings audiences closer to the artists.
The scheme continues to expand, as last year the mobile operator's shirt sponsorship of the England rugby union team became an intrinsic part of Priority. O2 created a new way of watching the sport through 3D cinema screenings, which marked the first time a sports event had been broadcast live in 3D in the UK.
Priority has had a significant impact on brand loyalty. There are now more than 1.5m Priority customers, with whom O2 has regular contact based on something they find engaging. There is also a direct correlation between membership of the scheme and customer satisfaction, which has had the effect of reducing churn significantly.
While the scheme is designed for existing O2 customers, it has also had the knock-on effect of improving acquisition.
Econometric modelling demonstrated that during the quarters when Priority featured in O2's above-the-line advert- ising, nearly 12% of new customer connections came about as a result of the communications.
By December 2009, the programme had contributed £279m to O2's profits: an ROI of 6.3:1.
The judges said: 'As a loyalty programme, this is just head and shoulders above others.'
Also shortlisted for Customer relationship marketing: Barclaycard Freedom, CRM; British Airways, Permission to market; Sainsbury's/Catalina UK, Coupon at till