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Promotional needs for craft brew are changing with the return of THE CAN

March 12th, 2013

Promoting craft brew used to be as simple as a new release and a bunch of brand evangelists. No so much anymore.

According to a Mintel research report, sales of craft beer have more than doubled from 5.7 billion in 2007 to 12 billion in 2012. Expectations are that market for craft beer will be an 18 billion dollar market by 2017.

Why such growth? Perhaps it is the authenticity of the product tapping into the consumer search for “real” product. Could it be that craft has become synonymous with the consumer search for products perceived to be more organic and less highly produced? Regardless, craft brew has become a beer industry powerhouse.

Along with this growth, craft brewers have begun to adopt marketing tactics more in step with their macro brewing cousins.

All hail the return of The Can.  Marketer’s beware of cookie cutter complacency. This is not beer can as usual. Specialty shapes and sizes are showing up on shelves. Four packs versus six packs, slim versus wide – craftbrewers are seeking to differentiate themselves from the ordinary. Industry standard displays will have to be tweaked or fundamentally redesigned to serve the needs of this growing segment. Research shows that a brew’s personality is a major selling feature for target markets.

Our thoughts … Time to crack open a can of your favorite brew and hit the drawing board. Craft brew promotion needs a new flavor.

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Posted in Beer Promotions, beverage promotion, Craftbrew Promotions, Industry News, Marketing, Promotional Product Statistics, Promotional Trends

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How promotional products can help you tap into growing consumer optimism

February 26th, 2013

How Americans perceive their financial situations is a fairly accurate predictor of consumer spending habits. According to a preliminary reading from the Thomson Reuters and the University of Michigan (TR/UM) index of current conditions, Americans are feeling more positive. The index just jumped from 66.6 to 68.7 for February.

Consumers seem to be giving the signal that they are open to explore the possibility of spending again. The timing seems ripe for marketers to amp up efforts to capture mindshare. It takes multiple impressions to get a consumer to take an action. In a fast-paced world that lives on short-term content, you might want to consider adding a longer term delivery mechanism like promotional products to your campaign. Here a few good reasons why:

  1. Promotional products deliver more impressions for a longer period of time than other media. According to a recent industry study, advertising specialties are kept for an average of 5.8 months.
  2. 87% of recipients could identify the advertiser associated with the item and
  3. 31% reported a high likelihood of doing
    business with the advertiser after receiving a promotional product. With a strong ROI,     promotional products are a great addition to a multi-faceted marketing approach.

 

If you are a fact geek like me, check out the ASI study below for more detailed information.

*ASI Global Advertising Specialties Impressions Study V. 3

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Posted in Industry News, Marketing, Promotional Product Statistics

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Mardi Gras Mayhem: Super Bowl 2013 meets the humble throw bead

October 16th, 2012

Spectacular double-header this year with the Super Bowl in New Orleans during Mardi Gras! Let the good times roll indeed with two events that are institutions in their own right. Promotion in and around the events will be at a fever pitch. What better time to adopt long-established, well-loved, and sought-after Mardi Gras beads as your promotional product of choice.

This long-standing tradition began in the 1920’s when the Rex parade threw inexpensive glass strands into the crowd. Krewes continue to distribute thousands of bead necklaces from parade floats along the route. What started out in the traditional Mardi Gras colors, Purple (representing Justice,) Green (representing Faith,)and Gold (representing Power) are now limited only by the imagination of the advertiser.

Throw beads are a hallmark of the season and are an affordable way to get noticed. People will be collecting these souvenir items and taking them home. They are the perfect way to create brand awareness with a tried and true promotional track record. Bead Necklaces come in a variety of colors, shapes, and sizes. Look for football-shaped beads, football-shaped medallions, custom-built bead strands, and quick-turn decal medallions for those last minute promotional opportunities.

“Laissez les bons temps rouler!” Let the good times roll.

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Posted in Beer Promotions, beverage promotion, Collegiate Promotions, Craftbrew Promotions, Event Promotion, Fundraising, Holidays & Celebrations, Mardi Gras, Marketing, Sports Promotion

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Leveraging the “TEXT” for Promotional Marketing & Engagement

September 24th, 2012

According to the Gallup Management Journal, brands that deliver functionally and emotionally for customers result in indexed loyalty scores three times higher.

A bold statement for bold marketers. Promotional marketing is all about engagement. It is the technique of triggering an emotional connection between the customer and brand through relevant function.

Texting has evolved into a mainstream behavior. Ease of use combined with instant gratification has made it more popular than ever. Mobile-based promotion has evolved as well. Enter mobile decoder marketing.

Mobile decoder marketing is basically short code on steroids. It delivers on both the functional and emotional levels by combining popular technology, advertising, and the thrill of a “chance to win”.

The other side of engagement for marketers is data capture. Most promotional products have the ability to engage but do not have the capacity to collect feedback from customers, much less measure the level of engagement. Use of modern communications technology can deliver for marketers too. Optional feedback mechanisms along with measurable statistics make mobile decoder marketing a texting win-win for everyone.

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Posted in Beer Promotions, beverage promotion, Collegiate Promotions, Craftbrew Promotions, Event Promotion, Fundraising, IMC Idea Generator - Product Idea Library, Interactive Promotions, Marketing, Product Updates, products, Promotional Product Statistics, Promotional Trends, Sports Promotion, Uncategorized

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Interactive Direct Mail: Tapping our inner human through Decoder Technology

August 20th, 2012

Human beings are social by nature. We crave interaction, looking for ways to stimulate our natural sense of curiosity. We also love being entertained. Advertising has seen a progression from the simple hand-printed sign to interactive advertising using the full power of today’s technology.  

The goal of advertising has always been to alter behavior and to create a forum for interaction with a brand or product. Direct mail has been a stalwart and proven tactic for marketers for decades. With all the emphasis on sexier social outreach, direct mail has been relegated by some as an outmoded technique for promoting products and securing customer engagement.

 Enter Decoder Marketing. It is the use of a proprietary print technology to deliver a hidden message that can be decoded using on-site verifiers. How effective is this at changing consumer behavior? As it turns out…very effective .

IMC recently sent out a campaign to important clients we wanted to connect with at an event. The direct mail piece was imprinted with a hidden message that could be revealed at our booth location. Clients simply had to bring the card with them to the show. The results speak for themselves. Traditional direct mail has an industry standard response rate of around 1%. The addition of Decoder Marketing technology resulted in a response rate of 38%. Yes, you read that correctly – 38%. Results vary but decoder technology response rates hover around 30%.

The moral of this story: Dust off your direct mail program, have faith in human nature, and give yourself a lift.

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Posted in IMC Idea Generator - Product Idea Library, Interactive Promotions, Marketing, products, Promotional Product Statistics, Promotional Trends, Stories from the "Real World"

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Top five ways to use promotional products as incentives

May 4th, 2012

The Advertising Specialties Institute (ASI) has published their most recent study analyzing channel belief versus customer needs. In a world of massive changes in communications technology and how brands go to market, the promotional product is still an effective way to motivate and influence behavior in end-users.

In a previous post (about a year ago), I centered on the number of products and how long people hold on to thier advertising specialties. I challenged you to look in your purse, desk, closets to underscore the point. Today, I am happy to report that promotional products are alive and doing well in the marketplace. People will take action to acquire them. People covet them. People steal them (yep, that data is included in the study too!) End-users still love them.

The following is a list of the top five ways promotional products can, and do, influence the way end-users behave:

1. 82% will take a survey to gain a promotional product.

2. 70.6% of end-users will go to a booth at a tradeshow

3. 41.8% will “LIKE” a company on Facebook or post a Tweet on Twitter

4. 33.2% will buy the “gift” with purchase

5. 27.7% will make a positive post about the company on a social networking site

As a marketer in a sea of new technologies for engagement, it is comforting to know that some things never change.

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Posted in Industry News, Marketing, Promotional Product Statistics, Promotional Trends

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Five successful wine tactics for marketing your craft brew

April 3rd, 2012

Looking for a growing segment in the beverage category? Craft beer is gaining in popularity, and market share. Facing competion from macro brewers and the ever expanding craft selection, how will new brews break through growing competition in the cold case?

The growing assortment of craft brews at retail give consumers more choice than ever. Craft brewers are looking to new ways to get their product to stand out on-premise and on retail shelves. Tap handles, coasters, bar mats, and tacker signs are great ways to expand awareness – but is it enough to stand out in today’s crowded market?

With an emphasis on food pairings, aromas, and how to cook with it, the craftbrew conversation seems to more akin to wine than its macro brewing cousins. Perhaps craftbrewers should take inspiration from promotional products developed for wines.

1. The Recipie Pen
A great way to pass on great recipies, food pairings, or tasting notes. The retractable banner is a unique spin on a popular promotional product.

2. The Bottle Necker
On-pack promotion can get you noticed in or out of the cold case. Insert literature or small items like lapel pins.

3. Chill Bags
Nothing is better than a perfectly chilled bottle of beer. Except maybe receiving a perfectly chilled bottle of beer. What better way to brand your product, stimulate trial, create buzz, and deliver a memorable impression.

4. Shelf Talkers
Communicate your passion! Move more off the shelf by sharing your vision, your experience, your tasting notes with this time honored promotional tradition.

5. Custom Gift Bags
Treat hand-crafted specialty brews like high-end champagne. Offering a gift bag with purchase treats special brews with the status they so richly deserve.

Go beyond traditional brewing for ideas to get your brand noticed. Translate successful promotional ideas used by the grandiose grape to the humble hop and see what happens.

Innovative Marketing Consultants is a proud member of the Brewers Association. CLICK to view the entire press Brewers Association release.

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Posted in Beer Promotions, beverage promotion, Craftbrew Promotions, IMC Idea Generator - Product Idea Library, Marketing, Promotional Trends

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Developing the “Right” Promotional Product – Who are you speaking to?

February 24th, 2012

As we move forward, the audience we promote to is ever-changing. What makes them tick is important to know when developing a successful promotional product, particularly with younger audiences.

The growth of mobile communications and application consumption is on the rise. Developing promotional products that address both online and offline marketing efforts is becoming more important as the population ages. Below is a brief overview of generational cohorts and behaviors that you may want to take into consideration when developing your next promotional product or premium.

Generational descriptions derived from Wikipedia.

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Posted in Marketing, Promotional Trends

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Create a more engaging promotional experience with QR Codes

February 1st, 2012

Recently, we received a nice nod from ASI Advantages Magazine in regard to our business card design. Our card features two QR codes that direct people to either our website or to the LinkedIn profile of the card holder.

The business card is probably one of the oldest, most popular promotional products on the planet. Richly enscribed calling cards were the hallmark of the elite for centuries, each specifically designed to convey the personality of the owner. While they are now a mainstream item, their basic purpose has not really changed over time – but communications technology has.

Taking advantage of these changes can be the difference between good and great response. QR codes can be an integral part of a well-designed promotional program.

When you design your promotional campaigns, are you thinking about how to:

Drive recipients to an online destination to get more information?

Create a greater level of engagement with your brand?

Encourage someone to purchase your product or service?

Extend the reach of your original campaign?

Here are a couple of great resources and one shameless self-promotion that I have come across/written that talk about how best to integrate QR into your promotional endeavors. They also include cautionary advice of how a good idea can go bad.

MarketingProfs:
Five Tips for Implementing a Successful QR Code Campaign

ASI Advantages Magazine:
Build a Better Business Card

IMC Promotional Products Blog:
Three Tips on Integrating QR Codes and Promotional Products

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Posted in beverage promotion, Collegiate Promotions, Event Promotion, Fundraising, IMC Idea Generator - Product Idea Library, Marketing, Promotional Trends

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Groundhog comes out of hiding to announce 2012 Mardi Gras promotional strategies

January 9th, 2012

The Groundhog spokesperson (who asked to remain anonymous,) reported that Fat Tuesday or Shrove Tuesday falls on February 21 of 2012. When asked why Groundhogs would emerge uncharacteristically early with this announcement, he issued the following statement:

“We might not look like a bunch of party animals, but we see real opportunity in promoting ourselves around this celebration. Granted, we didn’t really think of this in the most timely manner, but there are vendors that can meet our last minute Mardi Gras beads needs, including full-color decal medallions to customize our message.”

When asked how they were intending to capitalize on the use of throw beads, the Groundhog provided us with a short list of creative ways to promote with Mardi Gras beads.

  1. Sponsor a Mardi Gras Night event as a way to create brand awareness.
  2. Look for opportunities surrounding corporate, stadium, or tradeshow events around Mardi Gras to provide a memorable give-away item.
  3. Make fundraising festive! Makes a unique direct mail outreach. Add a QR Code on the decal to direct people to online donation URL’s.

When asked why throw beads were their choice over other items, he replied that they were cool, quick to produce, and people love them.

“They keep Mardi Gras beads around long after the event is over. The residual impression rate helps us out during periods of hibernation . . .  Laissez les bons temps rouler!”  Let the good times roll . . .

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Posted in Holidays & Celebrations, Mardi Gras, Marketing

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