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Promotional Products Defined
Benefits of Promotional Items
Hard Facts & Data
Top 10 Questions about Logo Creation
7 Ways to Make Your Company Larger than Life
Promotional Items often Outlive the Company
Decorating Methods & Types
Fun Promotional Ideas
Customer Loyalty Awards
Employee Recognition
Tradeshow Giveaway Tips & Tricks
Driving into Auto Promos
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| Promotional
Products Defined |
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Q: What Are
Promotional Products?
A: Promotional products—usually imprinted with a
company's name, logo or message—include useful or
decorative articles of merchandise that are utilized in
marketing and communication programs. Imprinted products
that are distributed free are called advertising
specialties. Imprinted items given as an incentive for a
specific action are known as premiums. Business gifts,
awards and commemoratives are also considered
promotional products.
Q: How Are Promotional Products Used In
Marketing?
A: Since promotional products can be used alone,
or integrated with other media, there are virtually
limitless ways to use them. Popular programs cited most
often by industry counselors (called distributors) are
business gifts, employee relations, orientation
programs, corporate communications, and, at tradeshows
to generate booth traffic. They're also effective for
dealer/distribution programs, co-op programs, company
stores, generating new customers or new accounts,
nonprofit fundraising, public awareness campaigns and
for promotion of brand awareness and brand loyalty.
Other uses include employee incentive programs, new
product or service introduction and marketing research
for survey and focus group participants. Click here to
view promotional products case studies.
Q: What Kinds Of Promotional Products Are
Available?
A: There are literally tens of thousands of
different types and styles of promotional products. In
many cases, it's even possible to obtain custom items
that aren't found in any catalog. Examples of common
items include: pens, calendars, t-shirts, caps, coffee
mugs, calculators, key chains, desk accessories and
bumper stickers.
Q: What Products Are The Most Popular?
A: Of the $17.3 billion that was spent in 2004 on
promotional products, the most popular were drinkware,
writing instruments and wearables/apparel.
Q: How Can I Use Promotional Products For My
Marketing Campaign?
A: Visit our website,
www.promosonline.com. It will provide you with
effective keys to planning a successful promotions
campaign. Hard-pressed for ideas? The award-winning case
studies can help generate ideas for your next promotion.
Q: Where Can I Find Someone In My Area To Help Me
With My Promotional Campaign?
A: Visit our website,
www.promosonline.com.
Q: How Effective Are Promotional Products?
A: Research Shows...
Promotional Products: Impact, Exposure & Influence
A survey conducted in 2004 for PPAI by LJ Market
Research reveals the power of promotional products by
measuring how end users respond to organizations that
use promotional products as part of their marketing mix.
This survey was conducted by interviewing business
travelers at DFW Airport. More than 71 percent of
travelers indicated they had received at least one
promotional product in the last 12 months. The study
also showed that respondents' ability to recall the name
of an advertiser on a promotional product they had
received (76 percent) was much better than their ability
to recall the name of an advertiser from a print
publication they had read in the past week (53.5
percent).
Promotional Products' Impact On Brand/Company Image
An experiment conducted by Georgia Southern University
shows that recipients of promotional products have a
significantly more positive image of a company than
consumers who do not receive promotional products.
Promotional Product Incentives Produce Valuable
Referrals From Satisfied Customers
A survey conducted exclusively for PPAI by the Manship
School of Mass Communication at Louisiana State
University indicated that among other findings,
accompanying a request for referrals, an offer of an
promotional product incentive, or an offer of a
promotional product incentive plus eligibility in a
sweepstakes drew as many as 500% more referrals than an
appeal letter alone.
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| Benefits of
Promotional Items |
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Imprinted promotional merchandise can be an enormous
source of revenue and advertising. Imprinted merchandise
can be sold to loyal customers who are proud to promote
your brand. Also, a visitor in a new town is likely to
purchase imprinted promotional merchandise to
commemorate his or her trip. Take advantage of every
sales opportunity by selling quality merchandise
imprinted by promosonline.com.
Customers who receive promotional products, on average,
return sooner and more frequently, and spend more money
than customers who receive coupons. In two separate
studies, SMU researchers tested whether promotional
products would outperform coupons in the area of repeat
business and sales.
FINDINGS
Study One - Food Delivery Service - 1993
* Customers who received promotional products reordered
up to 18% sooner than those who received coupons and up
to 13% sooner than those who received no promotion.
* Customers who received promotional products also
averaged up to 18% more orders than those receiving
coupons and up to 13% more than those who received
nothing.
* In summary, customers who received promotional
products reordered more quickly and ordered more often
that those who received no promotional products.
Study Two - Dry Cleaner - 1994
* Over an eight-month period, new customers that
received promotional products spent 27% more than those
who received coupons, and 139% more than those who
received only a welcome letter.
* Promotional products recipients were also 49% more
likely than coupon recipients and 75% more likely than
letter recipients to patronize the dry cleaner in each
of the eight months studied.
* In summary, new customers who received promotional
products spent more and were more regular customers than
those who did not receive promotional products.
Study details: Study one was conducted in 1993 by
Southern Methodist University, and consisted of
approximately 900 people that were divided equally into
nine groups. These nine groups were broken down by type
of customer (existing residential, new residential, and
business customer) and what they received (promotional
product, coupon, or nothing). Products and coupons were
valued at $2. Study two, also by SMU, was conducted in
1994, and tracked the activity of 300 new customers at
two locations of a dry cleaner. These customers were
randomly assigned to one of three groups, all of whom
received a welcome letter. Two of these groups received,
in addition to the letter, a promotional product or a
coupon (each valued at $5).
So you want to outlast and outperform? Let's start with
marketing. If marketing can be defined as your overall
brand strategy, you're way to transform suspects into
motivated prospects, think of the ways you can raise
your brand awareness and tempt prospects to come into
your client fold with a branded product bearing your
targeted message.
The way you recruit and train your employees, quite
frankly, is a contest. A contest between you and every
other company on the planet to find, acquire and
motivate the smartest, hardest working employees. The
way you build a team of dedicated, loyal employees is to
reward and thank your people. With promotional products
this can range from an item as informal as T-shirts for
the company picnic to esteemed awards recognizing years
of loyal service.
In sales, the never-ending questions are: "How do I
encourage top performance?" "How do I turn salespeople
who 'reach their quota' into superstars who outsell and
outperform all of their competitors?"
As with all employees, recognition plays a vital role,
but salespeople typically need more. Usually, they're
competitive and driven to succeed by many stimuli. The
promotional products world abounds with highly creative,
compelling items that can drive a salesperson to succeed
and exceed previous goals.
Client retention: How do you transform fickle customers
who are always looking for the best price into loyal
clients who rely on you as their business partner? By
differentiating yourself from your competitors. Not by
saying you care, but by showing it. A promotional
product's flexibility to accommodate any budget makes
them great solutions to positively amplify every step of
prospect, customer and client contact.
If you're ready to look at all aspects of your business
and examine real ways you can reach your goals, you're
ready for promotional products. America's smartest
companies, after all, use promotional products to propel
and keep their companies at the top.
Using promotional products can be difficult without a
plan. Work with your promotional consultant to plan an
effective campaign that employs creative imprinted
products designed to elicit a phenomenal response.
If you sell machinery, you visit the manufacturing
department. If you sell copiers, you go to the office
manager. But try to figure out who should use
promotional products. Well, show me someone who is
growing, hiring, celebrating, changing, moving,
building, opening or launching nearly anything and I'll
show you great potential for hard-working promotional
products.
Even if you're not in a highly competitive field,
promotional products give you the ability to quickly
raise your products and service awareness at many
levels.
You hold in your hands a publication that can
continually help you build your business. Through a
detailed analysis of usage and products available, you
have been blessed with a plethora of business-building
strategies. While relatively low in circulation compared
to a Fortune or Business 2.0, this publication can be
your secret weapon in fighting the ever-growing war for
new customers, dedicated employees, motivated sales
people and loyal clients.
Use it wisely and thank the person who gave it to you.
What a magical gift it is.
There are several attractive methods for imprinting
products with your logo. The appropriate imprinting
method depends upon the type of product. Fabrics are
generally customized by screen printing (or
silk-screening) , sublimation or embroidery . Other
objects can be engraved , embossed or etched with an
insignia. Your choice of imprinting style can greatly
affect the appearance of a product by giving it a more
formal or casual look.
Imprinted promotional merchandise requires artwork that
is camera-ready. promosonline.com accepts artwork in
several formats including PDF, JPG, EPS, AI and TIFF
files. Colors should be in CMYK mode, meaning that each
color is produced by a four-color process using a
combination of cyan, magenta, yellow and black. If you
do not have a graphic artist to prepare your artwork, we
can provide you with the services of a talented
professional.
Promotional merchandise serves as a reminder of your
brand identity and a lucrative source of revenue.
T-shirts, hats, mugs and tote bags are all popular
souvenirs items to sell. Promosonline.com can add your
logo to these and many more items that will appeal to
your target customers and increase demand for your
promotional merchandise.
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| Hard Facts and
Data |
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When marketers fall into a blue funk over missed
sales goals, maybe the doctor should be prescribing
promotional products instead of Wellbutrin. Sure, the
link between the industry's products and mental health
may be a stretch, but PPAI's latest research indicates
there's nothing tenuous about how promotional items
influence customers.
Last summer, LJ Market Research, based in Irving, Texas,
orchestrated an extensive series of interviews of
passengers and other visitors at Dallas/Fort Worth
International Airport. Engaging an audience primarily of
businesspeople, the researchers elicited the attitudes
and behavior of consumers toward promotional products
and distributors' end-users who gave them the items. The
study reprises earlier investigations (some also
executed at airports) and is the latest attempt by the
PPAI Marketing Information & Research Committee to
solidify the evidence that promotional products work.
Interviewers asked more than 500 airport
visitors-travelers and others-a series of questions to
determine how and why they received promotional
products, how often they used them, how long they kept
the items and what impact the items had in establishing
a positive connection with the advertisers. Interviewees
participating in the study were those who had one or
more promotional products in their possession (meaning
on their persons, at home, at their workplace or in
their vehicles) that they had received in the previous
12 months. Naturally, almost all adults approached were
able to identify at least one item meeting these
criteria.
Many questions related to the promotional products that
respondents mentioned first, which most frequently was a
wearable. This is not surprising since this product
category accounts for almost a third of all distributor
sales. The second and third-most-mentioned items,
respectively, were writing instruments and
office/desk/business accessories. This sequence also
coincides with the industry's product category rankings.
TOP SIX CATEGORIES OF ITEMS RECEIVED:
First Items Mentioned Frequency Percentage
Apparel 93 17.4 %
Writing Instruments 77 14.4 %
Desk/Office/Business Accessories 62 11.6 %
Sporting Goods/Leisure Products/Travel Accessories 43
8.0 %
Housewares/Tools 42 7.8 %
Calendars 38 7.1 %
Categories aside, the single item most frequently
mentioned by respondents was a pen; next in order were
calendars and headwear. Some popular promotional items
such as pocketknives, letter openers, box cutters and
pipe reamers were conspicuous by their absence. Blame it
on those picky-picky TSA airport screeners charged with
keeping the friendly skies friendly.
The DFW Airport Study produced two major
accomplishments. First, the data obtained bolstered the
findings of earlier research, most of which was secured
from much smaller population samples. Second, it
affirmed distributors' claims about the effectiveness of
promotional products, which can now be based on fact
rather than wishful thinking.
For example, one of the touted strengths of imprinted
promotional merchandise is the ability to install the
advertiser in the customer's memory bank. The report of
the DFW Study states, "Consider the paradox that gives
advertisers fits: Viewers, listeners and readers rave
about the ad presentation-but when asked, they can't
remember the sponsor's name."
This issue is minimized when promotional products are
the medium of choice. When asked, slightly more than
three-fourths (76.1 percent) of the respondents in the
DFW Study correctly recalled the advertiser's name or
message on the promotional item they mentioned first as
having in their possession. (The advertiser enjoying the
best recall was State Farm Insurance-with all imprints
appearing on calendars.)
Particularly impressive is that 76.1-percent stat when
compared to other print media. The airport subjects were
also asked if they had read a newspaper or magazine in
the previous week. Sure, said 80 percent of the
respondents. But when asked to identify two advertisers
appearing in the publication they remembered best, only
25.3 percent could do it, and 53.5 percent could recall
only a single advertiser. You have to admit, the 76.1
percent-within-a-year versus 53.5 percent-within-a-week
statistic is downright annoying if you're paying
$103,000 for a non-bleed, four-color full page in
Business Week.
The remarkable recall findings for promotional products
are most likely attributable to another set of industry
assumptions involving exposure-that recipients tend to
keep promotional items for a long time and use them
frequently.
As the researchers stated, "More often than not, end
users try to pick promotional products that are likely
to be kept and used a long time. None of this
blink-and-it's-gone exposure that so limits the
advertising effectiveness of some other media." Six out
of 10 respondents at DFW (see Table 2) said they
generally keep promotional products up to two years. And
the main reason they keep them-so said 75.4 percent of
the airport subjects-is they find the items useful.
LENGTH OF TIME PROMOTIONAL PRODUCTS ARE GENERALLY KEPT:
Retention Period Frequency Percentage
Up to two years 322 60.5 %
Depends on the item 205 38.5 %
Until item wears out 5 1.0%
Total 532 100%
The absence of utilitarian value is the most likely
reason that 19 percent of the respondents said they
never use the first-mentioned item they had received.
But the four-fifths majority that did use the item
tended to do so frequently. More than a third said they
used the item at least once a day!
The study also explored the ability of promotional
products to influence buyer attitudes and willingness to
do business with the advertiser. People prefer to do
business with people they know and like-now that's an
axiom fundamental to the concept of promotional
products. So, the research findings pointing to the
effectiveness of promotional products as a change agent
of opinion do not come as much of a surprise.
• Nearly three-fourths of the respondents said they were
familiar with the advertiser before they received their
first-mentioned item. Most were already customers.
• Almost half of the respondents claimed their
impression of the advertiser was either "somewhat" or
"significantly" more favorable after they had received
the item (see Table 3).
IMPRESSION OF THE ADVERTISER AFTER RECEIVING THE ITEM:
Impression Number Percent
Significantly more favorable 116 21.9 %
Somewhat more favorable 160 30.2 %
Neutral 250 47.3 %
DK/NA 3 0.6 %
Total 529 100.0 %
• Of the respondents who had never done business with
the advertiser, about half claimed they were either
"somewhat more likely" or "significantly more likely" to
do business with the organization in the future (see
Table 4).
LIKELIHOOD OF FUTURE BUSINESS WITH THE ADVERTISER:
Prospects For Future Business Frequency Percentage
Significantly more likely 36 16.4 %
Somewhat more likely 67 30.6 %
Neutral 102 46.6 %
Somewhat less likely 2 0.9 %
DK/NA 12 5.5 %
Total 219 100.0 %
Unlike previous exposure-driven attitude/behavior
studies, the DFW research measured the attributes of
promotional items in the industry's top three product
sales categories: wearables, writing instruments and
desk/office/business accessories. These categories
account for almost half of distributors' dollar volume
as reported in the PPAI Annual Estimate of Distributor
Sales.
Product category data secured at DFW helps shed light on
questions such as these:
• Which products are most likely to produce the highest
recall of advertisers' identity? If you answered
wearables, you'd be consistent with what was learned
from DFW respondents. Some of those walking billboards
are hard to forget.
• Which items do consumers keep the longest? That would
be wearables, too.
• Which products are likely to be used most frequently?
No contest-writing instruments. Nearly six out of 10
respondents claimed they write with their pens, pencils
and markers at least once a day.
Data such as these can help distributors make judgments
keyed to product strengths.
For the enterprising distributor, the DFW data amasses
some major throw weight to explode prospect skepticism
about the merits of using promotional products to
achieve marketing and motivational objectives.
Jo Wagner, who has reviewed the DFW data, agrees. "Yes,"
says the team manager for Dallas distributor Cal-Joy
Concepts Inc. (UPIC: CALJOY), "clients want to know
their return on investment, and in marketing it can
often be a challenge. Stating high recall percentages
for name and brand lets my clients know their messages
are being heard and are top of mind with their target
audience."
It's time, then, to marshal some application tools:
• Brochures and envelope stuffers
• PowerPoint presentations to local business audiences
emphasizing that integrated marketing campaigns are only
half measures if integration doesn't include promotional
products
• Presentation folders coupling research highlights with
a plan to address a specific client's needs
"I think customers would respond well to statistics in a
table format that's easily readable, concentrating on
the highlights," opines Wagner. "Our industry needs to
present these statistics to our clients whose budgets
have tightened in recent years."
Methodology
Data for the research reported in Promotional Products:
Impact, Exposure And Influence was obtained by LJ Market
Research, based in Irving, Texas, through intercepts of
travelers and visitors at Dallas/Fort Worth
International Airport. PPAI-sponsored research tends to
favor airport settings because they offer desired
geographical representation of the U.S. population.
Interviewers administered a 22-question survey to
subjects after qualifying them as having at least one
promotional product in their possession (on their
persons, at home, at work or in their vehicles) that
they had received in the past 12 months. Respondents
were given a verbal definition and shown a photo of
representative promotional products. Although they were
asked to list up to four promotional products they had
in their possession, respondents were told most of their
answers would relate to the first item they mentioned.
The report of this study is based on 536 completed
surveys secured by interviewers.
Reprinted with permission of Promotional Products
Association International
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| Top 10
Questions About Logo Creation |
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1. Do I need a logo?
A logotype -- popularly known as a logo -- is a
company's name or initials printed in a certain style
and/or a symbol. A logo serves as a visual identity for
a firm. Remember that more than half of all people
process information primarily visually, while auditory
and kinesthetic processing come in second and third,
respectively. Visual identity has a big impact.
Coca-Cola's red-and-white script style enables you to
identify the company at a glance even if the name itself
is written in Arabic, Chinese or Cyrillic characters.
Nike's wordless "swish" symbol reminds you of the
company instantly when you see it on sneakers, T-shirts,
gear bags or billboards.
Even a small company can create this promotional payoff
with appropriate use of an effective logo. Since every
company of any significance has a logo, you mark
yourself as professional and credible when you too have
one.
A distinctive logo used proudly and extensively gives
your company a recognizable look, so that envelopes
bearing it get properly sorted by customers and mugs
imprinted with it reinforce customers' relationship with
your company during their morning coffee ritual. In
addition, the stylistic flavor of your logo -- bold,
nostalgic, warm or technological, for instance -- allows
you to communicate nonverbally some subtle
characteristics of your company.
2. Should I create my own logo?
Preferably, no. Hire a professional. Even if you have a
good idea for a logo, you'll find that a pro can take it
to a level of execution that can stand the test of time.
An inept logo gets tiresome quickly. In the worst case,
it confuses customers and fails to create the
trustworthy, positive impression you want.
3. How much does a logo cost?
Designers hate this question. It's like asking, "How
much does a vacation cost?" That depends on whether you
jet to Paris on the Concorde or go camping at the local
state park.
At one extreme, a multinational corporation merging with
another one might spend upwards of a million dollars for
a logo aptly representing both companies. At the other
extreme, you might be able to find a design student to
create a logo for you for free in exchange for being
able to use it in his or her portfolio. In the typical
case, be prepared to spend anywhere from a few hundred
dollars to a few thousand for an effective logo.
4. How can I best work with a designer on a logo?
First, collect examples of logos you like and dislike,
not necessarily in your industry. Second, compile a list
of adjectives representing qualities you'd like to
convey about your company. Third, tell the designer
about any color preferences and taboos. Fourth, describe
the ways you intend to use the logo.
Ask to see at least three rough ideas to choose from,
and expect to go through several more iterations with
minor adjustments after you choose which direction you
like best. Before you finalize anything, use the
checklist below to assess the appropriateness of what
you've ended up with.
5. Are there logo clichés to stay away from?
In the Middle Ages, when most people couldn't read,
shopkeepers used standard symbols on their signage that
told passersby that their establishment was a brewery, a
pawn shop or a tannery. Today we have a vestige of that
tradition in certain images being conventionally
associated with specific industries and professions. For
instance, scales indicate a lawyer (scales of justice),
the outline of a roof over two walls suggests real
estate and a curl of smoke coming out of a mug signifies
coffee.
A skilled designer can incorporate these conventional
associations into a logo in a subtle manner, but as a
rule try for fresher ideas than such stock symbols.
6. What about logo colors?
Good question, since colors often have a profound impact
on viewers. Psychologists agree that red and orange
produce excitation, dark blue comfort and relaxation,
and so on. To choose appropriate colors, think about the
personality you want to convey for your business.
Primary colors are wrong for most high-priced
professionals, while silver and black wouldn't fit the
fun image you want for a kids' gym.
In addition, consider how you might extend the color
scheme of the logo beyond the original context (usually,
at first, stationery and business cards). Might you want
to use the logo on clothing, stenciled on a van or
stamped onto calculators or clocks? Certain colors
(yellow, pink) a lot of people don't wear well, while
other colors (light blue, gray) don't stand out well
from a distance. Bright neon hues might not match the
black/silver/beige of technology objects.
Selecting familiar colors and no more than two of them
(including black as one color) will keep costs down
wherever you use the logo.
7. How should I choose the best logo
candidate?
Get opinions from people in your target market instead
of merely relying on your own intuition and taste. Also,
use this checklist to avoid common problems with logos:
- Does it communicate in black and white as well as in
color? Some logos become incomprehensible when
reproduced in newspaper ads or when sent through a fax
machine. Keep in mind too that something like 10 million
American men and a few women are at least partially
color blind.
- Does it resize well? Try blowing it up and reducing
the logo to determine its readability at different
sizes.
- If the logo uses words or letters, are they
recognizable? You shouldn't have to explain or decipher
the logo for people.
- Is the design consistent with the personality and tone
you wish to convey about your business? A high-tech
enterprise should look futuristic and speedy rather than
fuzzy or flowery.
- Is it distinctive? A logo that looks like someone
else's isn't worth your investment in it.
- Does it arouse any unwanted associations? What you
intended as stepping stones might come across to others
as looking like animal droppings. If you get this kind
of honest feedback, pay attention.
- Do you and others in your company like it enough to
use it enthusiastically? If not, return to the drawing
board.
8. How often should I change my logo?
Jay Conrad Levinson, author of the "Guerrilla Marketing"
books, says you should plan to use a logo for at least
twenty years. If that seems excessively long, note that
you'll probably get tired of your company look much more
quickly than anyone else.
Drastic change of a logo can wipe out brand equity built
up at great cost over the years. This is a decision to
make only with strong reasons, such as when the current
logo no longer fits the business (for instance, the
image of a slide rule when everyone now uses calculators
and computers), when you want to emphasize new
directions or when the logo was ill-chosen to begin with
and you can now afford to remedy the problem.
In many cases, a designer can update a logo without
producing a complete break from the current version. The
continuity then maintains the recognizability you've had
in the past.
9. Can I legally protect my logo?
Certainly. Talk to an intellectual property attorney
about protecting your logo through a trademark. Such an
attorney can also help you make sure your logo doesn't
unwittingly infringe on someone else's trademark, which
could produce a situation where you had to change your
logo after using it.
10. What should I do with my logo?
Use it like crazy! Don't merely put it on stationery and
business cards -- put it on T-shirts, mouse pads,
self-stick notes, umbrellas, tote bags, pens and more.
Did you know you can even get your logo onto chocolate
bars and private-label bottled water? Any time one of
those items gets used, it's increasing the credibility,
visibility and mind share of your company.
Boston-based marketing and publicity consultant Marcia
Yudkin helps business owners around the world creatively
spread the word about their offerings. She's also a
syndicated columnist through ParadigmTSA, a public radio
commentator and the author of nine books, including Six
Steps to Free Publicity and Persuading on Paper. In
addition, Marcia Yudkin delivers eye-opening,
content-rich, motivating seminars on publicity and
marketing to business and professional groups
nationwide.
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| 7 Ways to Make
Your Company Logo Larger than Life |
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Alan Weiss isn't a household name, but
you can't argue with his success. President of the
Summit Consulting Group in East Greenwich, Rhode Island,
he consults for Fortune 500 companies, speaks around the
world, publishes books like Million Dollar Consulting
and isn't shy about letting you know he drives a
Ferrari. Having interviewed him several times and seen
him spinning stories on the platform, I assumed he must
have a large, well-oiled office operation backing him
up. I was shocked to learn that his office consists of
just him and his wife. No employed staff!
Whether or not you've achieved Weiss's material success,
you can create the impression of a large establishment
by positioning the light so that it casts an enormous
shadow. If you have a five-truck delivery business,
people will assume you have hundreds, and that in turn
positions your company to grow. Or, like Weiss, you can
simply enjoy the extra profits derived from keeping
overhead low but your image large.
You'll seem bigger and more important than you really
are if you follow at least several of the following
guidelines.
1. Company name. Make sure the name of your
business suggests solidity and size, and get opinions on
this from people you can trust to be honest. Many naive
entrepreneurs try to get this effect by calling
themselves "___ Enterprises" or using their initials in
a company name. Perhaps because these tactics are too
obvious, they don't do the job. Trust the intuitions of
seasoned business folks on this, because prospective
customers make snap judgments from factors like the name
of your business.
2. Phone numbers. Did you know that you can get
local phone numbers in a city where you have no physical
presence at all? One Boston entrepreneur I know created
the impression of a bicoastal operation because her
business card also listed a Los Angeles phone number
(which rang into voice mail). Look in the Yellow Pages
under "voice mail services" for companies that will make
these kinds of arrangements for you.
If the Yellow Pages represent a prime source of business
for you, people deciding who to call sometimes make
judgments from the telephone exchange. You can seem to
have a slew of branches by establishing phone numbers
linked to several different towns and having them all
actually ring at your one office. Bell Atlantic calls
this "remote call forwarding" and charges less than $20
a month per line plus a few cents per call.
Likewise people assume you're a more settled, larger
business if you have an 800-number.
3. Telephone answering. If you have a home-based
business, how you answer the phone is especially
crucial. Don't allow crying babies, whining kids or
barking dogs within earshot of the phone, and get into
the habit of answering with your company name and/or
your own instead of just a "Hello." Other no-no's: busy
signals (what, you can't afford voice mail?), no way to
leave a message or send a fax after office hours.
You'll know that your telephone setup is sending the
right signals when callers act surprised that they've
really gotten you on the phone.
4. Location. During the 1990 recession, my
business partner and I rented a small office in a very
well-known building for next to nothing. Most long-time
Boston residents recognized the building's name or
address and didn't know one floor had been turned into
an "incubator" arrangement, where small companies shared
one receptionist. We had access to a beautifully
appointed conference room whenever clients wanted to
meet with us. In the Yellow Pages, you can find similar
incubator offices listed under "Office & Desk Space
Rental Services."
I know others who've created the impression of a larger
company through office sharing -- renting one small room
and secretarial services within a bustling office.
Similarly, I was impressed when two kids barely out of
college who were starting a new company handed me a
business card with a Rowe's Wharf (Boston harbor,
expensive, mostly law firms) address. "My mother's
apartment," one of them confessed.
5. Visibility. Consider why radio stations
perennially run contests where they give away prizes to
cars sporting their bumper sticker. When people see
evidence of you everywhere, they think you rank up there
with big-name organizations. Depending on your business,
visibility might take any form from brightly painted,
can't-miss trucks to your ads appearing month after
month in a certain spot of a newspaper or magazine.
Speaking engagements around town, articles by or about
you in the local business paper all add weight to your
business identity.
6. Generosity. When I received unannounced
bonuses of note pads and an insulated mug with shipments
from the online bookseller Amazon.com, I thought, "Boy,
they're doing so well they're giving away free stuff."
In fact it works the other way around: exceeding
expectations by giving away useful objects helps cement
customer loyalty. The imprinting of these useful objects
with the company name and logo powerfully reinforces the
customer's appreciation of your unexpected gift.
7. Reliability. I think one reason I assumed Alan
Weiss had to have a big organization was that in all my
contacts with him, he did as he promised. His voice-mail
message said someone would get back to me within two
hours, and he did. I told him what kind of information I
needed, and he promptly delivered it. Similarly I've
reaped thanks when I've returned calls promptly and sent
out material right away. In many people's minds,
reliable implies reputable and well-established.
Now if you're thinking that large companies don't
necessarily deliver as promised any more, you're right.
And if you seize it, there lies a competitive advantage
for your small company with a powerfully huge image.
Boston-based marketing and publicity consultant Marcia
Yudkin helps business owners around the world creatively
spread the word about their offerings. She's also a
syndicated columnist through ParadigmTSA, a public radio
commentator and the author of nine books, including Six
Steps to Free Publicity and Persuading on Paper. In
addition, Marcia Yudkin delivers eye-opening,
content-rich, motivating seminars on publicity and
marketing to business and professional groups
nationwide.
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| Promotional
Items often Outlive the Company |
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When Gwen Davis, of Fair Hill, Md., sits down for
breakfast with her husband, Jim, her Delaware Trust coffee mug is
filled as much with meaning as with café au lait.
The venerable institution -- whose name vanished in 1996 -- was
where the couple met in 1968. Jim Davis spent his career with the
bank and several of its successors.
"I was going to save the mug for my children," Gwen Davis said. "And
then I decided to use it because it won't have the same meaning for
anybody else."
The name of MBNA Corp., Delaware's largest private employer, has
already begun to fade in the wake of its takeover by Charlotte,
N.C.-based Bank of America. Davis urged MBNA employees to preserve
some keepsake of their time with the company. Bank founder Charles
M. Cawley said he's looking for an original MBNA sign.
You don't have to be a former CEO to be nostalgic when your
company's name disappears. Delawareans report cherishing all sorts
of trinkets emblazoned with the name of a former employer.
Some treasured items were given out only to insiders, such as lapel
pins for employees. Others items -- like golf balls -- were created
as promotional items in an effort to build brand loyalty. Yet, such
trinkets, originally handed out for a strictly business purpose, can
become imbued with priceless memories.
"I have my old uniform in the blue and peach colors," said Robin
Chew of the Howard Johnson Restaurant and Ice Cream Shop work
clothes she wore until it became the Hollywood Grill in 2003. "I'll
keep it forever for the memories."
Roger Bellamy, who joined the Strawbridge & Clothier company in 1960
as a 21-year-old shoe salesman at the Merchandise Mart (now
Merchants Square) in Fox Point, still has his pin recognizing 25
years of service. The company name was changed to Strawbridge's in
1996 when the retailer was sold to May Department Stores Co.
Bellamy, who met his wife at the store, also has a company
anniversary mug he doesn't use.
"I want to save it," said Bellamy, an area sales manager with
Strawbridge's.
Those who treasure momentos from their vanished companies actually
are engaging in a form of self-therapy, psychologists said.
"The items evoke warm and fuzzy memories -- and that's important to
people's equilibrium. Analysts charge $100 an hour to help you feel
better. For less than $100, you can look around your living room and
see the glass with the decal on it and feel better," said Arthur B.
Shostak, a professor emeritus of sociology at Drexel University.
Alice D. Domar, a psychologist and assistant professor at Harvard
Medical School, said the need to hang on to a tangible item is a
byproduct of the rapidly changing business world.
"In the past, a blacksmith was a blacksmith his whole life," she
said. Even in the post-World War II period, many people expected to
join a company out of high school or college -- and stay there until
retirement.
Contrast that with the experience of those at the tail end of the
baby boom. The group born from 1957 to 1964 held an average of 10
jobs from age 18 to 38, according to a 2004 survey by the Bureau of
Labor Statistics.
"Change is stressful. Even stuff that's good is hard to adapt to,"
Domar said. "We tend to want to keep things around us that remind us
of things that are familiar and comfortable."
Workers also tend to idealize their employment at a company once it
disappears, Shostak said. That too, is a healthy response because 90
percent of the success in moving on is in positively framing your
past, he said. "A memory glow is a way of bolstering one's own
mental health," he said.
Unique rewards from investment:
Though corporate souvenirs were created for a commercial purpose,
they take on almost a magical quality once a company disappears,
Shostak said.
Kurt M. Landgraf, former CEO of the DuPont Merck Pharmaceutical Co.
in Wilmington, said he still drinks coffee out of a DuPont Merck mug
daily because it makes him feel good. The DuPont Merck name died in
1998 when it became DuPont Pharmaceuticals. That name was jettisoned
after the pharmaceutical company sold in 2001.
"Almost 10 years later, why do I still drink my coffee out of a
DuPont Merck mug? I've moved on in my life," said Landgraf, CEO of
Educational Testing Service in Princeton, N.J. "It's because it
brings back great memories. There are actually times I just sit and
stare at that logo."
Pat Williams of New Castle, a waitress with Hollywood Grill who
spent about 20 years with Howard Johnson Restaurant, said it always
makes her happy to see her name badge in her jewelry box. "Once in a
while I take it out and look at it. It does make you feel good," she
said.
Calvert A. Morgan Jr., who was chairman and CEO of Bank of Delaware,
an institution whose name changed to PNC Bank Delaware in 1994,
still has a piggy bank given out in 1970, the same year he joined
the bank as a management trainee. It's is in the shape of the
company's headquarters building.
Harold L. Slatcher, CEO of County Bank in Rehoboth Beach, saved all
his service awards -- pins, tie clips and rings -- from his 26 years
at Sussex Trust Co. He started at the bank in 1963 as a head teller
in the Laurel branch. The Sussex Trust name vanished in 1992 when it
was acquired by Wilmington Trust Co. "It was a fun place to be,"
Slatcher said.
Creating camaraderie:
Memorabilia can also unite people in a shared, feel-good moment,
experts said.
Fred C. Sears II, CEO of the Delaware Community Foundation in
Wilmington, kept an umbrella decorated with Beneficial National
Bank, the name of the institution he worked at until it was acquired
in 1998. The umbrellas were given out at the Beneficial tent at the
Point-to-Point event at Winterthur.
"When I see people on the street carrying the umbrella, they give me
the 'hi' sign by pumping them up and down. They yell: I'm still
carrying it," Sears said.
Frank "Skip" Pennella, director of external affairs with CAI, an
information technology company in Wilmington, keeps a crystal jar on
his desk from the days when he headed Marine Midland Bank Delaware.
Marine Midland's name was dissolved in the late 1990s.
"It's a cool logo with a ship on it. People ask: What's that? For
me, it's a conversation piece," Pennella said.
Elizabeth A. Browning, CEO of LLuminari Inc., a media company in
Wilmington, said her husband gave his son a DuPont Merck pen he
found in the house as a Christmas present. Browning's stepson had
worked for DuPont Merck.
"It brought a big smile to his face," said Browning, who also worked
for DuPont Merck.
Sign of success:
Heidelore Rowan, corporate brand manager with the DuPont Co., calls
the promotional items "leave-behinds." The purpose is strictly to
keep the brand fresh in people's minds, she said.
The fact that people want to save something shows the brand was
"successful beyond their wildest dreams," Pretell said. "In a sense,
people don't want it to die."
This could explain why some people regret not picking up a souvenir
when a company changes names. Others find themselves buying mementos
at yard sales or in resale shops.
"I wish I had saved something from Howard Johnson. I worked there
for 30 years," said Margit Dawson of Wilmington, a cashier at
Hollywood Grill.
MBNA items have already taken on collectible value, said Linda
Marvel, owner of Grandmas' Treasures in Holly Oak. As soon at the
news hit that the name would be changed, dealers went on the hunt to
find MBNA items at low prices, she said.
Some MBNA items, primarily NASCAR-related goods, are available on
eBay, as are items related to former state companies, such as
Farmers Bank of the State of Delaware.
"Very rarely do people want to buy them until a company name
disappears. It doesn't have the memory value until it's gone,"
Marvel said.
By Maureen Milford, The News Journal, 01/08/2006
Reprinted with permission from The News Journal of Wilmington,
Delaware.
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| Decorating
Methods & Types |
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Screen Printing / Silk-Screening:
An image is transferred to the printed surface by ink, which is
pressed through a stenciled screen and treated with a
light-sensitive emulsion. Film positives are put in contact with the
screens and exposed to light, hardening the emulsion not covered by
film and leaving a soft area on the screen for the squeegee to press
ink through. You must create a different screen for every color you
are going to print and screen each color separately allowing drying
time in between.
Embroidery
A design is stitched into fabric through the use of high-speed,
computer-controlled sewing machines. Artwork must first be
"digitized;" the specialized process of converting two-dimensional
artwork into stitches or thread. Certain formats of art, such as a
jpeg, tif, eps or bmp cannot be converted into an embroidery tape.
The digitizer must actually recreate the artwork using stitches. It
then programs the sewing machine to sew a specific design in a
specific color with a specific type of stitch. This is the process
known as digitizing.
Debossing:
The depression of an image into a material's surface so causing the
image to sit below the product surface is a deboss.
Embossing:
We Impress an image in relief to achieve a raised surface.
Hot Stamping:
Setting a design on a metal relief die or plate, which is then
heated and pressed onto the printing surface to achieve a deboss.
Etching:
A process in which an item is covered with a protective coating that
resists acid to create the artwork. This leaves a bare surface and a
protected surface. It is then exposed to acid. The acid attacks only
the exposed surface leaving the image etched onto the surface.
Laser or Foil Stamp:
Applying metallic or colored foil imprints to vinyl, leather or
paper surfaces. Usually used on a deboss.
Die-casting:
Injecting molten metal into the cavity of a carved die (or a mold).
Die-striking:
Production of emblems and other flat promotional products by
striking a blank metal sheet with a hammer that holds the die.
Colorfill:
Screen printing an image and debossing it onto a surface.
Pad Printing:
A recessed surface is covered with ink. The plate is wiped clean,
leaving ink in the recessed areas. A silicone pad is then pressed
against the plate, pulling the ink out of the recesses and pressing
it directly onto the product.
4-color Process/Full Color:
A color image is separated into 4 different color values using
filters and screens (usually digital). The result is a color
separation of 4 images. When transferred to printing plates and
printed on a printing press with the colored inks, cyan (blue),
magenta (red), yellow and black, reproduces the original color
image. These four colors can be combined to create thousands of
colors just as your computer printer does.
Laser (Engraving):
Art or lettering is cut into a material by a laser beam that
vaporizes the portion exposed through openings in a template.
Sublimation:
Dye transfer process where the image consists of a colored dye
permanently embedded into the pores of the material surface. Used to
imprint messages, graphics and photographs on a variety of items,
primarily mouse pads, mugs, T-shirts, caps and trophy medals.
Decal:
Artwork is produced on a transparent decal and applied to the
product.
Offset Printing:
The transfer of ink from a metal printing plate to a rubber-covered
cylinder is used on more complex artwork and for higher quantity
runs.
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| Fun
Promotional Ideas |
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Promotional items can really boost your company's
profile. High-quality products that proudly display your company
name and logo can make hundreds of potential customers aware of your
business--especially if the items are novelties or games . At
promosonline.com, we have dozens of fun promotional ideas that can
help brand your business with entertainment and creativity!
Take, for example, the humble deck of playing cards . Poker has shot
to the forefront of popular culture. There are shows about it on TV,
and online poker is increasingly popular. Still, internet gambling
cannot equal the fun and camaraderie of a "poker night" with close
friends. Promosonline.com has a selection of playing cards that can
be customized with your business's logo and catch phrase. Every time
your potential customer hosts a game, each player in the group will
be exposed to your brand.
We have fun promotional ideas for your employees, too. Your workers
may be stressed out and over worked. How about putting up a
customized dart board in the employee lunch room? After all, the
team that plays together stays together! Your employees can blow off
steam and engage in a little healthy competition. For those with
little hand-eye coordination, our online catalog offers chess boards
, as well as cribbage and tic tac toe .
Creating a recognizable brand name for your company doesn't have to
be all work and no play. After all, people like to have a good time
and associating your name with fun is a good thing!
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| Customer
Loyalty Awards |
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Loyal customers keep every successful business
afloat. Repeat business provides a valuable base flow of revenue.
Keep this revenue stream flowing strong by establishing a loyalty
awards program. Customized products from promosonline.com are an
excellent motivator to promote customer loyalty.
A good loyalty reward program begins with the customer. First,
identify the type of customer that qualifies as exceptional. Perhaps
this customer has been loyal for a number of years. This customer
may not visit as frequently as some, but he or she is always
reliable. On the other hand, you may qualify a customer who devotes
a good deal of resources to the company on a regular basis. Whatever
the qualifications, it's important to identify and recognize loyal
customers to encourage this type of business.
Once loyal customers are identified, reward these customers with a
free promotional item and public recognition. Even a small
promotional product can be rewarding. Let others know of your
giveaways by announcing the loyalty program. The positive public
recognition may increase sales. Meanwhile, the customer who is
acknowledged will feel special for being recognized as exceptionally
loyal.
Customer loyalty awards can translate into long-term stability for
the company. It doesn't take an enormous amount of resources to
maintain the continued loyalty of a customer. What is does require
is a little extra effort to set you apart from your competition.
Just a small gesture to show the customer that loyalty is truly
appreciated.
The loyalty business is booming, garnering almost as much attention
and excitement as it did in the heydays of S&H trading stamps, when
housewives feverishly collected and traded Green Stamps for matching
casserole dishes and umbrella stands.
Loyalty has become the mantra of marketers, moving strategies far
beyond the one-time purchase, the sample or the sweeps. It's all
about getting to know that customer, earning and keeping their
business and staying in touch.
In one of the most compelling examples, Coca-Cola North America
launched My Coke Rewards earlier this year, a consumer rewards
program covering its entire brand portfolio. The program includes 4
billion unique redemption codes worth a cumulative $50 million,
making it the company's largest reward program ever. A
Spanish-language version marks the company's first fully bilingual,
Internet-based initiative. The program plays on a tactic Coke uses
in some of its most successful promotions, hiding a code
under-the-cap. Players then register online to redeem rewards.
Truly understanding the loyal consumer is a top priority. To get at
these often elusive characteristics, marketers are surveying a cross
section of consumers — both loyal and new — and then drilling down
to get a clearer profile of what makes their most loyal customers
loyal. The data is then used to generate look-a-like acquisition
programs to bring other great customers into the fold.
“You can get a better picture of the consumer and then be able to
communicate with them in a more relevant way,” says Carlos Dunlap,
VP-strategic consulting with Maritz Loyalty Marketing, St. Louis,
MO.
Loyalty has also taken hold in the sports world.
In February 2005, NASCAR debuted its first-ever loyalty club, The
Official NASCAR Members Club, in an effort to target and unite the
sport's 75 million fans. NASCAR hoped to attract the 40 million
people it considers its die-hard fans. And last March, Major League
Baseball launched its first loyalty club. Platinum Club members get
access to city-by-city, year round special events where they can
interact directly with players. Members get invites to player
parties, meet and greets, cruises and camps and lots of other
benefits.
And loyal customers are certain to add to a company's bottom line.
Harrah's Entertainment saw its 2005 revenues rise 56.3% to $7.1
billion, due in part to increased gambling activity by members of
its Total Rewards loyalty club. A nationwide “Winning Will Find You”
campaign last year sparked growth in the program. Under the program,
consumers who enrolled on-site got a 12-pack of Coca-Cola and a free
movie rental from Blockbuster. One of 38 cans got the enrollee a
trip to Atlantic City and an entry in a drawing for $1 million.
Loyalty “programs” have even begun to creep into the corporate world
as employee incentives. Just like a frequent flyer can build points
to redeem for merchandise or an airline flight, employees can now
earn points based on a variety of job performance criteria to redeem
for life-style experiences, gift cards or merchandise. The programs
keep employees engaged, focused on performance and dedicated,
hopefully for the long haul, says Karen Renk, the executive director
of the Incentive Marketing Association.
“This is just one application of an incentive program to meet an
ever widening series of corporate goals,” she says.
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| Employee
Recognition |
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Employee recognition translates into increased
productivity and a more pleasant working environment. Promotional
products make great awards for hardworking employees. They show that
quality work and productivity is greatly appreciated. A little extra
effort from your most productive employees can make a huge
difference to the overall performance of your company.
Healthy competition in the workplace can be highly productive.
Establish a reasonable goal for your employees and offer a
promotional product as a reward for achieving that goal. High-end
luxury items are great motivators. Promosonline.com can customize
products like leather jackets , briefcases , Ipod’s, CD players and
more. In addition to the customized product, an employee who earns a
sought-after performance reward earns priceless bragging rights.
If your team falls short of a goal, it can still be worthwhile to
reward employee efforts. Sometimes a desired outcome is not achieved
for reasons that are uncontrollable. This does not make the effort
to succeed less significant. Show your appreciation to a hardworking
staff for making a valiant effort. A token of appreciation from the
company will motivate employees to improve performance.
Recognizing employees is about giving back to the company. Even a
very simple gesture can mean a lot, particularly for employees who
hold low-profile positions in a company. Any person who feels
appreciated for his or her talents and drive is likely to work even
harder to achieve. Invest in your employees and you invest in the
long-term success of the company.
Internal branding is driving the creation of major budgets earmarked
to market the company's benefits, products and services to its
employees just as vigorously as it does to its customers. The effort
helps ensure that employees are engaged and happy. Recent studies
have found a direct link between employee satisfaction — including
those that have no direct contact with customers — customer
satisfaction and improved financial performance.
“Companies are realizing that their bottom line is impacted by how
satisfied and productive their employees are,” says Karen Renk,
executive director of the Incentive Marketing Association (IMA).
“Though organizations have said that our most important asset is our
people, that isn't necessarily the way they responded to budget
demands. Now we see corporations really investing in their
employees. So, rather than being seen as cost centers, there is a
paradigm shift where employees are being seen as the profit centers.
If an employee is engaged and productive and invested in the
company's success, they are going to in turn ensure customer
satisfaction.”
That focus is bolstered by a 2005 study by Fortune magazine that
found that the stocks of companies on its annual list of the “100
best places to work” collectively beat the broader market by more
than 300%. Those companies earned 176% compared with the Russell
3000's 42% return and the S&P 500's 39%, the study found.
Internal branding has become a major component in employee incentive
and recognition programs, rewarding employees for a job well done
and enticing top talent to stay on board.
The IMA projected that spending on products and services used for
incentive programs reached $28 billion last year, up from $26
billion in 2000.
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| Tradeshow
Giveaway Tips & Tricks |
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Trade shows are your best opportunity to meet face
to face with your industry - your prospects, customers and
competition. Although they are costly, you can make sure they pay
off with the right combination of promotional products and logo
apparel. While everyone is familiar with trade show giveaways, We’ve
worked with thousands of trade show exhibitors and our proven
strategy goes beyond the simple giveaway item. When
www.promosonline.com works
on your trade show promotion, we think BIG: Bait, Image and Gifts:
Bait: At trade shows, time is limited and you're competing for
people's attention. A great tool for driving traffic to your booth
is what we call "bait" - inexpensive branded giveaways. The right
bait will create a commotion around your booth, and get everyone at
the show talking about you. Bait can bring crowds to less than ideal
booth locations and ensure passing traffic steps into your booth
Great Bait ideas are, Buttons and Lanyards, Walking Winders, Tote
Bags, Stress Balls.
Image: You've paid for the chance to meet face to face with your
industry, so project the best image possible. The right logo apparel
reinforces your brand, underscores your professionalism and helps
interested prospects identify your staff. From polo shirts to
button-downs, we can make sure your team looks great and feels
comfortable. With minimums as low as twelve pieces, there's no
excuse not to. Perfect Image ideas are Logo Apparel, Golf and Polo
Shirts, Button Down Shirts, T-shirts and Caps & Hats.
Gifts: Use gifts to make sure the prospects you meet remember you
after the show. Having a higher value gift for qualified prospects
sets the stage for your post-show follow-up. These also make a great
"thank you" gift for existing customers. Some companies also use
these more desirable items as incentives to attend product
presentations or schedule a sales visit. Great gift ideas are
Executive Pens, Keychains, Golf and Cigar Accessories and Dress
Watches.
Now you're on your way to more successful trade shows. In this
section we have included top items from our BIG categories, as well
as links to product collections that may be applicable to your
industry or the location of your trade show. Take a look around, but
remember, the best way to find the perfect product for your needs is
to call one of our promotions specialists: 1-800-789-4340.
Also, keep in mind the idea is to attract a range of good quality
conference attendees to your trade show booth? Don't just hand out
promotional products to the masses without asking them some
questions in return. If you take this strategic approach to
promotional product giveaways you'll find a far better reception
awaits you and a far better return on your marketing investment.
First up, why not go to the next trade show or conference and do
some basic research? Once you're there this is what you'll most
likely see: trade show tote bags and screenprinted T-shirts, key
rings, keychains and branded promotional pens, coffee mugs and lapel
pins. Don't forget beer-can stubby coolers, USB flash drives, fridge
magnets, sports drink bottles, visors and a wide rage of conference
bags. Of course there are also promotional stress balls by the
thousand. Don’t forget to mention mousepads.
Unfortunately, this is what you'll also see at most trade shows:
hordes of attendees with glints in their eyes, shoveling your
carefully considered promotional products into very large bags to
take them home of the kids and the dog to play with. Often
overlooked in the feeding frenzy is the marketing rationale behind
those items, the most efficient use of the products and how you
ultimately make your investment in conference giveaways pay off.
Too often we see a lazy approach to the use of promotional products
at trade shows. Sometimes promotional products - when used in the
wrong way - tend to attract the wrong person to your stand at a
conference - people more interested in scamming you for a cheap
novelty than having any genuine interest in your product range.
Everything you do at a promotional trade show or sales conference
should be focused on qualifying attendees, and having conversations
with people you hope will eventually do business with you.
The traditional use of promotional products at trade shows is to
boost traffic to your stand or booth. In addition to offering
attention grabbing objects as colorful lures, conference promotional
gifts also are integral to booth-located games and involving events,
where an activity like spinning a wheel to win a prize is an
interactive way to attract visitors and reinforce your sales or
corporate message.
Make sure you match the promotional product you're using with the
marketing message as much as possible given the restrictions of
budget and space you are faced with. If your product is power tools,
a possible prize might be a good quality tool box. The promotional
item doesn't necessarily have to be something directly connected to
the product you're selling, but if at all possible it should be tied
to the overall message you're promoting.
Experts stress that products should be useful, that recipients are
more apt to hang on to the items and therefore obviously view the
logo and marketing message on the item as often as possible. This
sort of consistent message in front of a prospect is a proven method
of building awareness of your band and message.
Products given out at industry trade shows will ideally have
long-term impact after the event is finished. Rule of thumb research
over the years suggests that 75% of trade show attendees remembered
the company that gave them a worthwhile promotional product while
retaining a more favorable impression of that company than of other
competitors who didn't come through with the goods. Sending out
invitations to attend to your clients or prospects packaged with a
pre-show gift is statistically a better traffic draw than sending an
invitation alone. And an invitation that also offers a promotional
gift at the booth draws a crowd best of all. Clever promotional
conference gifts and giveaways tend not only to draw traffic, but
also to hang about for years to come.
What about the hoarders, curious time wasters and bag fillers who
have no desire to do business with you? Trade show giveaways have a
role in converting them to prospects. By keeping a supply of cheap
promotional products on hand at your next trade show or conference
you will be able to quickly pay off an annoying visitor and
therefore move on to spend your time profitably with a better class
of attendee.
Some regular users of promotional conference and trade show items
advise always keeping the promotional products hidden from view. A
cheaper product can be retrieved as a disengagement technique, while
the upscale, impressive gift of genuine value can be handed over
following a productive conversation with a senior-level
decision-maker.
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| Driving into
Auto Promos |
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Nothing defines our image as much as the car we
drive. Since image is so important to the automotive customer, it's
crucial to your business. Whether you're a dealership, repair shop,
or auto parts store, a professional image will maximize your appeal
and your sales. In a competitive marketplace, promotional products
can give you the edge by improving your image, increasing brand
recognition, and creating a lasting bond with your customers.
Whether you have a marketing department or not, promosonline.com can
help you implement comprehensive plan to make the most of your
brand. You business depends on it!
Look Sharp - Be Professional: When your customer or prospect walks
through your door, what do they see? The right combination of
branded products and logo apparel tells your customer you're
professional, successful, and reputable. From the business card
holder on your salesman's desk to the individually branded mints in
your reception area, little things do make a difference.
Your customers are making a major purchase or trusting you with one
of their prized possessions, and a consistent, well-branded image
inspires confidence. Think about the great impression you'll make
with matching logo shirts and jackets for your staff and branded
clipboards for your technicians. You can't buy professionalism, but
you can buy a professional image, and that's an expense that always
pays for itself
Get Your Message Out: No prospect or customer should ever leave your
place of business empty handed. If they do you missing an
opportunity to build goodwill and advertise. There are tons of
great, inexpensive promotional items that can boost your brand, put
your phone number where it needs to be, and introduce your services
to potential customers. Let promosonline.com help you find a product
that is ideal for your particular business, like a message pen with
a window that displays a different message each time it is clicked -
a perfect promotion for a multi-line dealership. Patriotic items add
an extra punch to a Fourth of July sales event, and beach balls,
water bottles, and sunglasses make great giveaways all summer long.
A Little Thanks Goes a Long Way: Your customer should leave with
more than just their car. Never underestimate the power of last
impressions: show them you appreciate their business and they'll be
back. Auto accessories make great customer gifts. An emergency kit
can remind a customer that your dealership also offers auto service.
Travel mugs, ice scrapers, and other car accessories keep your phone
number in the right place when they need parts or service. And, of
course, never hand back their keys without adding your shiny new
logo'd keychain. |
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