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Archive for the 'Help for Marketing Directors' Category
If traditional advertising isnt giving you the return on investment you want?
1. Who are your most important customers? Don’t try to cast your net over everyone, Find your target market and aim for it.
2. What do they care about most? Don’t assume the tie in is going to be sports related. In 1999, 850 million people contributed to charity and attended arts events.
Compare that to the 200 million people who paid to go to a minor/major league sporting event. Look at national, regional and local angles as well.
3. How can your sponsorship address clients’ needs and interests? You want to go beyond merely communicating the value of your brand and actually provide something of value. Develop a plan of action.
4. What’s your measure of success? It’s up to you to decide the sponsorship’s goal, whether it’s twenty five new customers, a 20% increase in sales, etc. By designing the measure in advance, you’ll know whether your sponsorship met or exceeded the objective and whether you should change your strategy.
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Is traditional advertising giving you the return on investment you want? No? Well then you might want to think about diverting some of those precious ad dollars to the fourth arm of marketing (alongside advertising, promotion and public relations) – a corporate sponsorship.
Think sponsorships aren’t for you? Consider this: In 1992, York International Corp. (a maker of air conditioning and refrigeration equipment) generated over $20 million in sales from a $1 million sponsorship of the Winter Olympics.
We’d call that a pretty good ROI!
And if you think that was a one time fluke, how about sneaker-maker Vans, which quadrupled its sales in just eight months after it started sponsoring skateboarding, snowboarding, and wakeboarding events.
It’s numbers like these that are making sponsorship the world’s fastest-growing form of marketing. In 2002 alone, corporations worldwide spent an estimated $9.3 billion sponsoring sports, arts, entertainment, causes and events.
And – what a coincidence – promotional products are generally part of the sponsorship package.
Good Corporate Citizenship
There are many reasons for companies to get involved with a sponsorship. If nothing else, being a sponsor of an event is a public sign of good corporate citizenship. It’s largely thanks to sponsors that youth sport leagues get uniforms, art festivals come to town, charitable events get recognition, walkathons raise money for medical research, and so on.
It’s not just community, organizations, and events that benefit from sponsorships. Sponsoring companies reap the rewards too.
Many times, consumers are more apt to buy the products and services of sponsor companies because they want to align themselves with organizations that demonstrate their concern for worthy causes.
And there’s the added advantage that companies can often claim a tax deduction for activities. After all, business is business.
Of course, there’s nothing wrong with using a sponsorship solely to increase a firm’s market exposure and sales within a specific area or to a particular consumer group – sponsorships are really just another form of marketing and advertising.
And The Sponsorship Goes To…
So how do you get started on the sponsorship super highway? Think: research. Your initial research might begin on the Internet by going to IEG’s Web site (www.sponsorship.com), where you’ll find pertinent sponsorship information, discussion groups and forums, a glossary of terms, sponsorship links, and information on upcoming conferences.
You might also try using a search engine to find organizations in search of sponsors.
Locally, check with your city’s chamber of commerce and Rotary clubs to find groups that might be seeking a sponsor. However, if you desire a relationship with a larger organization, such as a college or professional sports team, go directly to the source.
After you gather a list of potential opportunities, decide which one you’d like your firm to be associated with.
Find a good fit between an event or organization and the products and services your company offers.
A word of caution here: Selecting the most popular event or cheapest sponsorship available may not be in your company’s best interest.
Lots of times, common sense is all that’s required when choosing a sponsorship. For example, a tobacco company or liquor firm probably wouldn’t be a good choice to sponsor a children’s music festival, but these kinds of firms might be an absolutely perfect fit with a jazz, blues or rock festival.
What common sense won’t help you do, however, is narrow down the remaining range of sponsorship opportunities.
Categories include sports, arts, festivals, music, cause-related, and cultural events. Each appeals to a wide array of people who may or may not frequent other events in other categories. Can you reach them all at once? No way. It’s generally best to stick with one organization or one event.
Many times, the longer you sponsor the same event or charity, the more ingrained your involvement becomes in the public’s mind. As with the Ronald McDonald House, for instance, your company could conceivably become synonymous with a cause, celebration or annual event.
Considerations And Criteria
Here are some criteria to consider that may help you select a “good fit” sponsorship for your company:
1. Do the participants represent your target market? If you’re looking to target a specific ethnic group, seek out events that have meaning to its culture. If your products and services are age- or gender-oriented, do likewise. For instance, a new line of hair care products that appeals to younger people might sponsor Students Against Drunk Driving events or outreach programs.
2. Do the participants regularly buy your type of products and services? Athletic apparel manufacturers often sponsor 10K runs and other fitness-related events. Businesses such as dry cleaners and service stations frequently sponsor little league and high school sports teams and/or adult bowling leagues in an effort to reach out to customers in their local market.
3. Is the event located in an area where you want to increase or maintain sales? If you want to bump up your sales in Los Angeles, for example, you’re not going to sponsor an event in San Francisco. If your reach is in fact more national, then events with high-visibility and larger scope would make more sense.
What Will It Cost?
Small organizations (e.g., check your local Boys and Girls Club) can charge anywhere from $125 to $175 for sponsorships of its soccer and baseball leagues. Sponsors get their names placed on the back of team jerseys and a plaque of appreciation to hang on their wall.
On a larger scale, a title sponsorship of a national event like a college football bowl game can cost upwards of $1 million. However, the sponsor’s name becomes a key part of the event; consider the FedEx Orange Bowl, Tostitos Fiesta Bowl and Southwestern Bell Cotton Bowl complete with logos on the 50-yard line.
Today, sports arenas have sponsors for practically everything. At the First Union Center in Philadelphia, for example, “fan-a-vision” replays are sponsored by local radio stations and cable companies, and PECO Energy sponsors the Philadelphia Flyers’ “power plays.”
There may be other opportunities and costs associated with a sponsorship. For example, if you participate in trade shows, ask about sponsoring the exhibitors’ lounge or an educational event.
This can give you a chance to showcase your company literature –and have specially chosen imprinted products for visitors to take with them.
Some Are FAN Tastic
Right now, the biggest area of sponsorships is within sporting events. Sports take in 68% of all sponsorship dollars, and more and more companies are looking to get on board.
Take Chick-Fil-A as an example. The company spent about a half-million dollars upfront for the privilege of having the event called Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl.
The exposure Chick-Fil-A received was tremendous. Every mention from the pre-game hype to the telecast to post-game media coverage included Chick-Fil-A’s name.
Not only that, but a special bowl logo, incorporating the Chic-Fil-A name, was created. It appeared not only at mid-field, but also on a commemorative patch on each player’s jersey. Merchandising prior to the game and during the event was a major part of the hoopla.
NASCAR is another example of merchandising gone wild. Look no further than the decals and logos of the various Fortune 500 companies that adorn everything from the tracks to the cars to the drivers’ and pit crews’ uniforms.
NASCAR fans have deep pockets and are extremely brand loyal, so it’s truly a winning situation for everyone involved. Participating companies are finding it more effective than other sports because they get to put their name right on the racing product.
NASCAR has done wonders for other types of activities riding its coattails. The popularity of NASCAR is allowing other motor sports to come in, which means more opportunity for sponsorships and partnerships.
Support Your Local . . .
Gone are the days when sponsoring an event was limited to an ad in a program. In the 21st Century, the abundance of ad messages vying for peoples’ attention requires an additional step: participation.
The feeling is that if you’re spending the money to sponsor an event or organization, you should promote your involvement as well. You have to go out and support that effort. But how?
Use special letterhead and imprinted products to promote your sponsorship to your customers and vendors. Just to advertise on a sign or have a program ad isn’t going to be enough to get you noticed.
If you’re going to effectively maximize the sponsorship opportunity, it’s going to include some type of promotional usage outside of the setting.
Get the word out about your sponsorship through signage, in-store displays, pre-event marketing opportunities, hospitality suites, invitations, merchandise tents, etc. Promotional products run the gamut from balloons to bumper stickers to beanbag animals to sports bottles. Logoed wearables are also a popular choice.
Entire sponsorships can be centered on promotional products. Circle K, for example, routinely offers people the chance to buy coffee and soft in a Detroit Red Wings-logoed mug. They were able to increase their coffee sales and traffic because of that,” Brenner says.
Some groups depend on sponsorship money for survival, while others appreciate and use product donations. Many times, you can place your firm’s logo on the products.
Recently, an association raised money and donated 500 beanbag bears to a local charity that assists families in crisis. The bears will be used to comfort traumatized children. Close communication with the organization you’ve chosen to sponsor will help determine the best type of sponsorship support you can offer.
Taking Action
Sound interesting?
Here are some things to keep in mind as you proceed:
• Pinpoint and target events that work for your organization. For instance, if your company is small and reaches a limited amount of customers, look for sponsorship opportunities in and around your community.
• Decide how much money your company can spend. Not every organization has thousands (or millions) of dollars to put into sponsorships. Decide how much you’re willing to leverage, then sit down with your counselor and work out a program that’s cost-effective. But be careful not to pick an event or organization based solely on the fact that it’s affordable.
• Pick an organization that provides the best vehicle for your sponsorship. A manufacturer of camping gear shouldn’t sponsor a tennis tournament. Put your money with an event or organization that targets your audience or ties into your firm’s business.
Find appropriate promotional products to use with your sponsorship. Picking appropriate items means considering the recipients’ age, gender, culture, and interests. For example, baseball caps might not be the best giveaway for a charity event that sponsors the arts.
• Work the PR wire. Send out press releases that announce your sponsorship. This gets the word out to people who might not otherwise attend the event.
• Remember there are sponsorships at various levels, from smaller community organizations to highly visible national events. If you’re a local pizza shop that wants to build business, sponsoring a local youth sports team can often be the way to go. It’s cost-effective, you get your establishment’s name in front of the buying public and they see you as doing something useful for the community.
If traditional advertising isnt giving you the return on investment you want?
Well then you might want to think about diverting some of those precious ad dollars to the fourth arm of marketing (alongside advertising, promotion and public relations) – a corporate sponsorship.
Call me so I can help
Warm Reguards
Nye
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"If traditional advertising isnt giving you the return on investment you want?"
How to Differentiate Your Strategic Sales Efforts And Eliminate Cold Calling Forever
I’ve got a really great article for you today that takes you on the inside of what it feels like to have a powerful promotion.
Once you read through this article mixed in with an actual example — you’ll be able to call me to get your own amazing promotion going!
So if you’re ready, let’s start…
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An Analysis of A Winning Promotion
That’s why I want to take you behind the scenes of a successful promotion I wrote and illustrate the thinking that goes into creating an amazing promotion that generated a healthy 190% ROI. This promotion solved one of the key issues we all face today.
How to differentiate our sales people and our sales organization from the rest of our competitors in the market place. And how to simply get sought after and invited in by the desision makers as an expert with out making cold calls and leaving voice mails that dont get returned.
After spending the bulk of my career in the trenches of sales and management, I recognized several fundamental problems with traditional sales approaches, starting with the fact that customers dont want to be pushed, probed, or pressured by a salesperson.
But people love to to make wise purchase decisions, but no one wants to be sold.
Especially in the current business climate, how you choose to position your company and products is important, but whats even more important is your ability to effectively position your sales people.
We have reached a defining moment where companies will be handsomely rewarded by partnering with their sales teams to leverage the current appetite for change to your advantage.
Identifying what to do and how to do it more effectively, should dominate your strategic focus moving forward.
Having a cohesive sales and marketing strategy that the entire team can rally around, and then seeing perceptible results, is going to be the key to your success.
The good news is, most sales people will respond very favorably if you can just light a fire under their competitive spirit and position them as the experts.
At the end of the day, a hungry sales organization combined with a proven methodology for positioning and differentiating your strategic sales efforts, will create the competitive advantage demanded by todays market.
In todays competive marketplace its about boosting your sales effectiveness, plain and simple.
Imagine if your sales people were just out visiting clients after they were invited in as an expert instead of makeing cold calls to get in.
Here it is I have created some of the most amazing campaigns that were created and tested to get your sales people invited in as the experts in your industry.
For now, let me ask you: Have you ever wished you could just flip a switch, sit back and get all the business you ever wanted?
Wouldn’t that be wonderful?
Well, I don’t have a magic wand, but I’m going to give you the next best thing…
Introducing the New
Instant Marketing System™
Wait until you hear about this - you’ll love it!
With the Instant Marketing System™ you’ll get new “ready-to-use case studies”, “get-out-the-door” and “start-making-money” using proven marketing promotions.
Of course I don’t have to tell you that things are different right now. No doubt about it, we are living in difficult times.
Business owners everywhere are pulling back and cutting down on their marketing - hoping and praying things will get better.
Despite what you may have heard, the way to not only survive — but actually THRIVE during these rough economic times is by consistently and constantly marketing.
No, I’m not talking about recklessly spending money like some drunken sailor on leave. I mean using proven direct response marketing promotions that bring in $2, $5 even up to $25 dollars for every dollar you invest in marketing.
The problem is most organizations have trouble finding the time and energy to create more marketing materials.
You have too many fires to put out in a typical business day. That’s why the Instant Marketing System is so valuable – I have taken the work and sweat out of doing more marketing. I’ll make it easy to grow your business
Also as a bonus we will be showing you how to track your results. Most people have no idea what advertising or marketing is bringing in business.
By using this system you’ll know to the penny what your marketing is bringing in and we do it for you free in real time and give you 24 hr access.
Call me today to find out more or drop me an e-mail
Warm Regards
Nye Ohrberg
888-778-7135
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"How to Differentiate Your Strategic Sales Efforts And Eliminate Cold Calling Forever"
| Company Name | American General Annuity |
| Award Level | Silver |
| Industry Category | Financial Institutions |
| Industry Name | Finance Companies |
| Award Year | 2000 |
| Promotion Amount | $10 or More |
| Promotional Objective(s) |
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| Objective | To increase awareness and sales of a new American General Annuity product by 100 percent.1 |
| Strategy Execution | Targeting 2,000 agents in one of its selected banking institutions, American General Annuity launched the highly effective “Race To Success” campaign. The auto race theme was supported by a series of scheduled mailings consisting of items such as a race car tumbler, a race car inkbed and sticky notes with racing graphics. The mailings also displayed several messages using racetrack terms and clever wordplays to explain the annuity product and its features. The first mailing contained coupons that could be redeemed for the first and fifth sales of the product. The first sale coupon was redeemed for a 13-piece tool kit featuring the “Race To Success” imprint. The fifth sale coupon earned the holder a mini-maglite with racing graphics. |
| Results | The program, lasting only two months, generated enough interest in the product to increase sales 250 percent-well above the anticipated goal. |
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"Opening New Accounts “Race To Success”"
| Company Name | 3M Promotional Markets |
| Award Level | Bronze |
| Industry Category | Services |
| Industry Name | Marketing and Advertising |
| Award Year | 2002 |
| Promotion Amount | $10 or More |
| Promotional Objective(s) | |
| Objective | To increase the number of authorized distributors attending the 3M booth at the January 2001 PPAI Expo. |
| Strategy Execution | Adopting a “Late Show With David Letterman” theme, 3M sent postcards to authorized distributors six weeks prior to the trade show. The postcards listed the “Top Ten Reasons” to visit the 3M booth. Upon their arrival at the booth, the distributor attendees participated in a five-station presentation and received a Polaroid photo frame of themselves posed with a Letterman look-alike in front of a New York backdrop. They also received a 3M Promotional Products personal organizer containing a list of “Top Ten” sales ideas. Emphasizing the notion of promoting 3M product applications as opposed to simply selling product, 3M sales reps were also invited to watch a satellite TV broadcast training session that explained how to present the sales applications of 3M products. Upon returning home, all show attendees received a full-color reproduction of the “Top Ten” sales ideas as a thank-you for coming. |
| Results | At the same show one year earlier, 20 percent of the booth attendees were authorized sales distributors. Thanks to the Letterman promotion, this number rose to 80 percent and the overall attendance by qualified distributors was up 60 percent. |
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"Opening New Accounts “Top Ten Reasons”"
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| Objective: | While keeping its maternity center open during remodeling, the advertiser wanted to alleviate patient stress; attract new patients; thank staff who served during renovation; bring people to an open house; and attract media coverage of renovated facilities |
| Strategy Execution: | The 500-bed acute care hospital elected to keep its maternity center functioning during a renovation and creation of a women’s wellness center. The target audience of 3,000 included patients, medical staff, hospital board and administrators and ultimately, the local media and community. “Celebrate Life” was the theme, and patients during renovation were issued terry-cloth robes for their stay along with radios with earphones. When the new family member arrived, buttons and yard signs reading, “It’s a Boy (Girl)” were distributed, with stickers reading, “I am a big brother (sister)” given to siblings. The babies were given T-shirts. Shopping bags containing safety plugs, baby sitter memo magnets and other specialties were set out in a cradle for new parents to take. An unexpected highlight was the 90-foot plywood temporary wall over the construction area - new parents were invited to sign the wall, then began to add baby footprints, original art and birth announcements. When the renovation was completed, art from “The Wall” was used on hospital literature, open house invitations and news releases. Coasters constituted the invitation, four-mug sets with wall art were given to parents whose art was used, and maternity wing nurses received coaster/ mug sets. The media were invited with yard signs, coasters and mugs festooned with balloons. All pieces emphasized the “wall that didn’t divide.” |
| Results: | The target for the open house was 200, and more than 600 attended. Two of three television stations and the leading local newspaper covered the event. |
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"Opening New Accounts “Celebrate Life”"
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| Objective: | To change the 80-year old company’s business direction from product orientation to problem solving or program emphasis. |
| Strategy Execution: | After bringing key salespeople to the PPAI Winter Show in Dallas, where they realized that they were already creating many programs as exciting as some of the award-winning Golden Pyramid entries, account executives were challenged in a “Pyramid Power” program. The program, introduced in all nine offices of the company, was developed to maintain awareness of the need to be creative in formulating solutions for clients. The very best of the programs would be picked by the company to be submitted to PPAI’s Golden Pyramid competition. To launch the program, a folder stamped with the “Pyramid Power” theme was given to each salesperson. Inside was information on the Pyramid competition with a cover letter explaining the campaign. Entries were due at the end of each quarter, so reminders were sent in the form of an imprinted pyramid-shaped Tri-Liter. When an entry was selected, it was photographed and a miniature Lucite pyramid was given to the account executive to display. Imprinted mylar bags were given to the executive to collect the promotional products used in the campaigns to submission to PPAI. The executive also earned points toward attending the Dallas Show. |
| Results: | A third of the executives submitted entries. While the company had only one entry in the previous year’s Pyramid Competition, after this promotion, it had 13 entries |
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"Opening New Accounts “Pyramid Power”"
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| Objective: | To education existing clients, to build sales and credibility of promotional products, to encourage clients to meet the company’s staff and to allow clients to meet manufacturers of promotional products. |
| Strategy Execution: | From the company’s 2,000 customer list, 300 targeted clients were invited to go on a bus trip to Philadelphia to the Promotional Products Showcase-an end-user show produced by the regional association in the area. Since an exclusive art exhibit of Cezanne works was being shown in Philadelphia at the same time, the company’s art department created their own art exhibit, subtly incorporating a golf ball, clock, pen, key fob and travel mug into a Cezanne painting and titling it “The Art of Promotion.” A custom invitation was designed that read like it was an invitation to a special exhibit of promotional products. As they were leaving, guests were given a canvas bag, imprinted with the campaign logo, and containing a T-shirt and mousepad. On the bus trip, senior company officials introduced staff and presented a program about the industry-pricing, artwork, imprinting methods, etc.-a classroom on wheels. |
| Results: | More than one-third of the invited guests made the trip, the highest attendance ever. An unbudgeted, additional $122,000 in sales was directly attributed to the trip and new business has totaled more than $800,000. Three clients have asked the company to come up with similar promotions for them |
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"Opeing New Accounts “The Art of Promotion”"
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| Objective: | To increase business by educating clients on the uses of promotional products. |
| Strategy Execution: | Booker Promotions staged a “Magic of Promotional Products” case history seminar. They teased the event with a wide variety of magic themed products and invitations, such as a top hat stick fan and magic wand pencil. During the seminar, slight-of-hand tricks introduced the discussion of product case histories. Attendees completing the seminar received a thank you CD and a mug with the message, “I learned to promote at Booker Promotions Ad-Expo.” |
| Results: | Originally expecting a possible turn out of around 35 attendees, Booker Promotion reported a total show attendance of 185. |
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"Opening New Accounts “Magic of Promotional Products”"
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| Objective: | To raise funds for school equipment and programs. |
| Strategy Execution: | While the cost of educating children continues to increase, financial support has declined in many districts, moving responsibility for fund-raising to local schools. The Dutch Creek Elementary School Parent-Teacher-Student Association sought a way to increase school spirit and raise funds without having children go door-to-door, which can sometimes be dangerous. The specialty advertising counselor developed a Run-A-Thon program involving students getting pledges for their laps during gym class or on school property. The “Spirit Runner” logo was developed and imprinted on buttons, pencils and stickers in the school colors for the kick-off assembly meeting. The program included a notebook for leaders with instructions, sample pledge forms, letters, etc. Based on pledge amounts, students could earn prizes such as “Spirit Runner” mugs, T-shirts, sweatshirts, sweatpants and barrel bags. These prizes were awarded to students during classroom award ceremonies. |
| Results: | An increase of 24 percent over the previous fundraiser netted an additional $4,000 for the school. Pledge money was collected by 58 percent of the student body, an increase of 152 percent over participation in the previous program. |
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"Opening New Accounts “Freeeeze!”"
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| Objective: | To secure sponsors for major league baseball broadcasts. |
| Strategy Execution: | The Los Angeles radio station, broadcaster of the Dodger games, mailed a plastic, jersey-shaped key-tag to 1,500 selected advertising agencies and their clients. An accompanying card proclaimed “L.A.’s turning blue” (the Dodger color), and promised an equipment bag would follow. The bag containing a miniature baseball cap, bat and chocolate balls, a Dodger schedule, plus a razor, shampoo and other practical travel items, was received a week later. A handy article case for “road trips,” the bag was intended to serve as a reminder of the team and the station. |
| Results: | According to the station’s creative director, KABC’s sales division got an enthusiastic reaction from more than 100 major advertisers, making it “the winningest season” from the standpoint of sales. |
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"Opening New Accounts “L.A.’s turning blue”"
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| Objective: | To secure appointments from hard-to-reach prospects. |
| Strategy Execution: | Discouraged by unproductive telemarketing, the corporate events producer was looking for a can’t-miss method of drawing prospects’ attention. A Coleman cooler turned out to be the answer. The firm directed the promotion to 75 human resources directors in Southern California. Imprinted “James Productions for Cooler Picnics,” the coolers were tied with large green bows and delivered to their reception lobbies. An attached romance card beckoned, “If you want to see something refreshing from the leader in company picnic services, look inside.” Inside was a bed of ice and a letter explaining that James Productions had “some very cool ideas” but noted that refreshments were missing from the cooler. “I’ll bring some soft drinks for you and your staff to enjoy during our presentation meeting,” the message continued. “Let’s get together before the ice melts.” |
| Results: | From this audience that was unlikely to return phone calls, the company was able to schedule 50 appointments, resulting in 15 new accounts. |
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"promotional products”some very cool ideas”"
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| Objective: | To secure appointments from unresponsive prospects. |
| Strategy Execution: | The payroll processor chose an exercise theme to communicate its flexibility and broad range of services to human resources officers of prospective major accounts. A jump rope encased in custom packaging was sent to the target audience. Copy encouraged recipients to obtain further information from ADP reps. If an appointment was secured, the reps presented an exercise kit when they came calling. |
| Results: | Appointments were obtained from 41.2 percent of the targeted human resources personnel, ultimately resulting in $4 million in contracts. |
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"Promotional Products “secure appointment’s”"
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| Objective: | To increase new accounts and deposits while building the bank’s image as the civic hometown bank. |
| Strategy Execution: | Adding a “civic touch” to their marketing program, “Places in the Heart of Collierville,” the bank offered a miniature, lighted replica of a local historical building on the town square. The bank sold the miniatures for $35 each and gave part of the proceeds to the local church, which was the model for the miniature. As an incentive to new depositors, the model building was offered for certain levels of deposits. The tag line used on all printed materials was “Where they have their branches, we have our roots.” |
| Results: | The initial order was for 300 miniatures to attract a projected 25 new depositors. With reorders totaling 700 more replicas, a total of 55 new accounts were opened with $500,000 in deposits. $10 or More,000 was raised for the church, as well. |
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"Promotional Products “Giving back Will Help you Move Forward”"
Promotional Products being Creative while Securing your New Appointments
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| Objective: | To secure appointments for salespeople |
| Strategy Execution: | A promotional products-direct mail blitz was planned to give prospects an inkling of the distributor’s creativity and a reason why they should see the company’s salespeople. The prospect list was qualified by spending potential, with the A list getting four “hits,” the C list two. The items selected for the entire audience were a fish-topped ballpoint and a squeeze ball. Copy accompanying the fish pen declared, “RMG has so many promotional marketing solutions it will make your pen swim,” and the ball, embossed as a globe, proclaimed “There’s a world of difference between RMG and the competition.” Best prospects also received a plush monkey with a banana-shaped pen (copy: “A bunch of ideas people go bananas over”) and a head-shaped plant with the suggestion, “Just add water & RMG.” |
| Results: | The distributor’s customary appointment rate, produced by phone call and follow-up letter, was 60 percent. The promotion-inspired appointment rate rose to 85 percent |
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"Promotional Products being Creative while Securing your New Appointments"
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| Objective: | To generate appointment with potential buyers in two new markets. |
| Strategy Execution: | A delayed fulfillment program via direct mail was designed to create visibility in the offices of 100 top builders and cabinet shops. A custom desk organizer shaped like a train was created. Targeting two-three prospects per month, the advertiser first mailed the track-imprinted base, the wooden caboose and two imprinted pencils with a brochure headlined: “We put this in first because you always have the last word.” The next day, a logging car (to hold business cards) and a second theme brochure were sent followed by the coal car with brass paper clips and a brochure that hinted, “All that remains is the part that makes the whole thing go. And he’ll be calling you soon.” The advertiser’s salesperson delivered the engine in person. Each piece was an example of one of the advertiser’s wood products. |
| Results: | Of the prospects contacted to date, 75 percent have been quoted and 50 percent have made purchases |
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"Promotional Products How to get New appointments"
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| Objective: | To cause independent businesses to install a standby generator and to contact a specific company distributor to obtain greater detail on products, applications, and pricing |
| Strategy Execution: | Targeted to operations managers, owners and principals of manufacturing facilities, broadcast stations and large retailers, hospitals, etc., this one-month direct mail specialty advertising promotion told 125 prospects “You’re Wired In.” Promotional products packaged in boxes bearing theme copy delivered a telephone base, receiver, 12-foot cord, cord untangler, glow-in-the-dark faceplate, note holder, pen and holder and business card file. By the time the eighth package arrived, the recipient had a complete telephone and a coordinated set of desktop aids. Along with copy inside the package identifying each specialty gift, copy listed seven reasons “you’re wired in with MagneTek.” Names of local distributors were included for future contact. |
| Results: | The advertiser reported sales increased seven percent in the four weeks following the promotion. Twenty-one persons were identified as potential customers within the next six months. |
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Lead Generation Using Promotional Products to Get FREE Media Coverage
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| Objective: | To educate consumers and policymakers about the environmental friendliness of the advertiser’s Simple Green cleaning products and to increase overall market share. |
| Strategy Execution: | Through various avenues including the advertiser’s EGBAR (Everything’s Gonna Be All Right) Foundation, whose objective is to help people clean up the world, a variety of imprinted promotional products communicated the products’ environmental advantages. Trade shows, beaches, ball parks, military bases, government facilities, toxic waste sites, retail grand openings and neighborhood clean-up sites were among areas targeted. To remind the advertiser’s sales personnel of occasions where their support would be needed throughout the year, a large imprinted desk calendar pad (made from recycled paper) was sent via UPS. The EGBAR mascot was used on most of the specialty items and promotional products including imprinted pins worn by volunteers and given with Promotional product samples at public gatherings. At trade shows, a booth game labeled the Envirotoss asked participants to toss bean bags at holes labeled with product features (e.g., non-toxic) to win custom imprinted folding nylon Custom imprinted totes, imprinted tree-growing kits and other promotional products. |
| Results: | Many of the clean-up efforts and the advertiser received media coverage, and overall sales of the Simple Green line were up 21 percent over the previous 12-month period. |
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| Objective: | To increase the number of cardholders by 200 for the year, while emphasizing library services to Hispanic residents new to the community. |
| Strategy Execution: | June 6 was designated “Discovery Day,” a day targeted to the entire community to encourage use of the Lamont Branch Library. Special emphasis on the migrant Hispanic youth and adult population was promoted with a bi-lingual theme, “Leer! Saber! Vivir!” (”To Read! To Know! To Live!”). Banners were hung in the library and in schools, and the program staff spoke in classrooms and passed out imprinted balloons, bookmarks and pencils to promote the Discovery Day open house. Public service announcements were made on English and Spanish language stations, and a direct mail flyer served as an invitation as well as a map to the library. Imprinted bookbags containing frisbees, drink bottles, yoyos and pencils were distributed at the circulation desk to those applying for new cards. Logo-imprinted T-shirts and candid photographs were awarded in prize drawings which also served as incentives to return to the library to claim the items. |
| Results: | A reported 169 new library cards were issued on “Discovery Day,” with 147 to the Hispanic target audience, meaning more than 85 percent of the annual cardholder goal was met. A waiting line had formed for the library’s 10 a.m. opening the day of the promotion. |
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Direct Mail
That’s right direct mail. Even with a first class stamp increased recently to .42c it can still be one of the most cost effective ways to market, reach and deliver to your target audience. Sure there are quicker, sexier, faster ways to reach your target, but in a world of advertising literally everywhere and with unwanted email stacking up at everyone’s desks, direct personalized mail can be a very effective and very overlooked advertising medium.
There are other mediums like email and faxing that can be targeted and even personalized to your target audience. These should also not be overlooked as great ways to stay in front of your existing customers and get your message to relatively small groups.
Publications like trade magazines in your prospects industry can also be a great way to keep your advertising dollars focused on a targeted group.
However, while I like all of these targeted, rifle-like types of marketing, let me tell you about my favorite…
This industry boasts half a million varieties, has at least a dozen different reasons to use it and recipients say THANK YOU when they receive it.
This medium is so effective in crossing genders, audiences and such wide appeal that I personally chose to build my entire business around this one specific medium.
The medium?
Promotional Products
You may have heard them called giveaways, promos, tchochkies, premiums, freemiums, grabbers, and yes, my favorite: Trinkets and Trash.
But before you discount this medium as the types of products you use when times are good but should be cut back in tougher economic times, let’s take a closer look at the world of promotional products.
Last year the promotional products industry grew to 17 billion dollars in annual sales. It has grown by double digits for the past 14 years. During the same time it has been the fastest growing advertising medium of all.
Even in 2001, which saw huge decreases in every advertising sector, the promotional products industry grew by 3% (Source; Advertising Specialty Institute). Why in the midst of a recession, huge stock market losses, record bankruptcies taking their toll in nearly every industry and all advertising medias showing record losses, has promotional products gone nearly unaffected?
Smart companies have realized that it’s targeted, rifle approach can be even more effective in tough economic times tan ever before.
Instead of gambling valuable advertising and marketing dollars on shotgun approach, broad-based campaigns, these smart companies realized they could not afford to stop doing the right things to make their business successful.
They can drastically reduce their marketing expenses while still thanking, motivating and rewarding their most important partners (customers, employees and prospects) with real, tangible advertising that not only creates awareness about you and your message but delivers value, says thank you and stays around to do it over and over again!
Let’s take a closer look at why these products have been and remain to be so successful.
Just like the football team we previously referred to, has to concentrate only on what wins games, in tougher times we need to concentrate our time, money and resources on what is important.
Spending money on marketing campaigns to keep up our image or stimulate brand awareness would be like our football team’s coach buying new uniforms for the players or hiring new cheerleaders in hope somehow that new, shiny image will immediately get them winning again. Our football team will concentrate only on what is important to win and we must do the same.
So how will promotional products help us win with what is most important. Let’s take a closer look at what is important to our business.
Although the order of importance may vary depending upon your specific business, these mantras will no doubt be very high on your list of successful “must do’s”
- Keep Current Customers Happy and Loyal (Solidify existing revenue stream)
- Develop new business from these existing customers (More revenue from same customer base)
- Get more customers (more revenue from new people)
- Get employees to do more with less (cuts in payroll and personnel create new issues like higher turn-over, drop in morale, attitude problems, etc.)
At the risk of saying promotional products is the ‘end all’, I must say that they offer very practical solutions to every one of these issues and when implemented along with good business sense, can be extremely powerful recession fighters.
Why?
Because unlike other advertising mediums, promotional products actually represent multiple facets. The pages on this blog will show you black-and-white, easy-to-use, and inexpensive ways to beat the tough economy while continuing to profitably build your business.
KEEP CURRENT CUSTOMERS HAPPY AND LOYAL (and Profitable…)
While some people think clients are something to keep, they are so, so much more. With the use of strategically placed promo products you can virtually double the amount of business that is coming from them. And after maximizing the business they give you are you done?
No Way!
Save your valuable advertising dollars by having your existing clients do your advertising for you. Turn your current clients into RRMs!
That’s right.
Rapid Referral Machines!
Their word-of-mouth marketing is not only much more valuable than any other kind, IT’S FREE. How about that for recession proof marketing!
Challenge: Client Retention (i.e., keeping the customers you have)
Solution: Regular Logo Thank You Gifts.
Saying “Thank You” is still one of the most important things we can do to show appreciation. We were taught it from birth yet, still take for granted those who make us successful. Don’t just say Thank You -
How about a program where you consistently show appreciation to your existing clients for their first order, reorders, anniversaries, end of year/holidays of doing business with you or just a THANK YOU at any time and for no specific reason other than to say THANK YOU for their continued patronage?
What are you doing now to keep the hungry competitor wolves away from your client’s doors?
Too expensive? Can’t afford it?
Don’t EVEN go there.
First of all, since your customers are the entire reason you are in business, you can’t afford NOT TO SAY THANK YOU. Not to mention the thank you does not have to be expensive. Our Thank You gifts start at under $1.00 each. We all know that even a note or card can be a very appreciated sentiment.
But how about if you combine that with a small token of your appreciation that is not only a useful keepsake for your customer but also carries your name to constantly remind them of who gave them this gift.
Not sure how much you can afford to spend? We can help you calculate the value of each customer and how much you can afford to spend to acquire each new custome ror lead. Give me a call in the office i can help you get started with this,
But as you will see as you continue to read this blog, it is not just about keeping your customers, it’s about maximizing their value (i.e., increase the amount of business you are receiving from them).
Nye. O.
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This bulletin was about advertising in a tough economy using direct mail and promotional products. Next post will be about how to use my special T.I.P. to boost business in any economic climate. See you then… If in the meantime, we can help bring fun and excitement to your next show, event, promotion or offer, click the link below and fill out the form. We’ve got some great ideas we’d love to show you!
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"Advertising in Tough Economic Times Part II"
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| Objective: | To motivate a sales force through a contest offering quick redemption of prizes. |
| Strategy Execution: | Eager to achieve its 13th consecutive quarter of growth, the insurer needed to perk up summer sales, traditionally the slow period for the out-in-the-heat door-to-door agents. Hence, the “Summer Fireworks!” contest. Agents were told in the kick-off video, “The long hot days of summer are your window of opportunity to sell and reach new heights.” The company’s 5,000 agents were issued a scratch-off card for every application they wrote. At the weekly sales meetings, the agents ceremoniously scratched their cards one at a time to build excitement. Winners were verified and prizes such as auto dashboard noteholders, six-pack coolers, caps, vinyl bags, watches and calculators were awarded at the next meeting. Each ticket was entered into a weekly sweepstakes that offered a Cancun vacation, a cruise and various merchandise prizes. At the end of the contest, there was a grand prize drawing for a $10,000 car voucher. |
| Results: | With new applications averaging 500 a week, American General obtained $1.25 million in new premium income and attained its historic 13th quarter of growth. |
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