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

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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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Three last minute fundraising ideas for breast cancer awareness campaigns

September 28th, 2011

October is breast cancer awareness month. Lots of last minute activity surrounding fundraising efforts for this important cause.

Is your company hosting a fundraising activity or awareness event? Add a bit of panache — and a lot of pink — with specially designed promotional products.

 We’ve compiled three simple and memorable ideas to help you raise awareness and increase engagement with potential donars in a short timeframe. Any of these ideas can be adapted to align with your regular advertising specialty needs as well.

 Mardi Gras Beads. Branded (pink!) inline decal beads or hanging medallion beads are always attention-grabbers and are fun to wear. Plus, they are often retained long after an event or worn to subsequent events. This creates more awareness for the featured charity with residual impressions.

 QR Codes. Consider adding a Quick Response code to any promotional product. These codes can direct people to donation landing pages, creating an instant connection between awareness and action.

Peel & Win. The “Peel & Win” decal can add an extra dimension by creating an impromptu raffle. Your audience can purchase a strand or card with a Peel & Win decal sticker and pull to reveal a prize. Proceeds from strand purchase can support fundraising efforts.

 These items have two things in common: first, they can be turned around very quickly and used for last minute events or as substitutes (in some cases, turn can be as fast as 48 hours). The second thing? They are a great way to create much needed awareness and support during the month of October and long beyond.

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Posted in Fundraising, Marketing, Promotional Trends

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Promotional Products Go Scantastic with QR Codes

July 13th, 2011

The Quick Response Phenomenon is here and promotional products just went interactive!

QR: It’s short for Quick Response, and these codes are taking the marketing world by storm. QR codes are a user-friendly alternative to bar codes. They’ve been around since the mid-1990s, but the surge in camera phone usage has thrust QR codes onto center stage.

Why? Because customers can use their camera phones to quickly scan a QR code that will lead them to more information about a product or company.

QR codes are being put on everything from magazine pages to billboards. One creative restaurant even made a scanable QR code waffle. Now that’s multi-tasking at breakfast.

 What does this have to do with the advertising specialties world? The short answer: everything. QR codes are incredibly versatile and can be placed on just about any imaginable promotional product. Just imagine the possibilities: your branded item could truly communicate with your customers via quick response. This capability bridges the all-important gap between brand visibility and brand interaction.

When we say that QR codes can be placed on just about anything, we mean it. In the apparel world, you could put QR codes on tees or jersey scarves. And why not consider QR codes on beach balls for summer? Other codeable items include: Bead Medallions, Leis, Booster Banners,  Drawstring Backpacks, Pint Glasses, Shot Glasses, Coasters, … and the list goes on and on.

The possibilities are limited only by your imagination. Get ready for a quick response from your customers.

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Posted in IMC Idea Generator - Product Idea Library, Industry News, Marketing, Promotional Trends

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Top 5 Pitfalls of Promotional Product Development

June 2nd, 2011

We’ve been talking a lot about how to achieve success in the advertising specialties industry using top-notch, attention-grabbing promotional products.

But for every way to get it right, there are certainly a handful of ways to get it wrong. Let’s take a look at five of the most common mistakes:

1) Getting late to market with a trend
In the advertising specialties world, showing up late is almost as bad as never showing up at all – and in some cases, it can be worse. Trends are fickle, and while some have incredible staying power (Mardi Gras beads, anyone?), others pass the peak and are quickly regulated to the dreaded ‘out of style’ status. Only two outcomes can come from arriving to market post-peak: 1) the market is over-saturated and your product isn’t new or exciting, and 2) You risk being overtly un-cool if the trend has passed. 

2) Refusing to innovate/refresh your approach
So how do you avoid getting late to market with a trend?  You pay attention. You remain always willing to mix it up and get on board with the hot new thing as it’s heating up. Doing the same old thing will yield the same old results, so watch for those trends – or partner with people who will watch on your behalf.

3) Failing to differentiate your brand identity
I have no fewer than fifteen branded pens in my drawer. Why should I grab yours to carry around use in public, exposing both myself and others to your brand? What makes yours special? Figure it out, or risk being an also-ran.

4) Sacrificing quality
We’ve talked about quality before, but the importance it simply can’t be overstated. You’re putting your logo – your brand identity – on a promotional product and allowing that product to speak to your consumers. What do you want the message to be?

5) Not targeting your key audience
This may sound like a no-brainer, but it’s shocking how frequently companies miss the mark. Who gets excited about your brand? Who gets excited about the promotional product under consideration? Make sure those two consumer segments match up. Nobody wants to be company handing out branded beer glasses to pre-teens or offering Silly Bandz to retirees.

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Posted in Marketing, Production and Quality Control, Promotional Trends

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IMC’s Shane Erickson on the art of translating popular trends into promotional products

April 19th, 2011

What can we say – we love pop culture.

In this exclusive interview, IMC CEO, Shane Erickson shares his thoughts on the role of trends in promotional product development and how it all got started.  ___________________________________________________________________________________

What would you say is the number one factor that has kept IMC ahead of the game when it comes to promotional products and advertising specialties?
For us, it’s been our ability to continually come up with fresh ideas. We never get complacent and we’re always looking for the next product and the next trend. We are always on the lookout for things we think are cool. We spend a lot of time just brainstorming around the office about how we could translate things into a usable promotional product.

 How have pop culture trends affected your business?
We’ve been involved with trends since the start. When we started it was baseball cards or Beanie Babies or Pokémon, and tomorrow it’ll be something else. We’ve become good at identifying unique trends and turning them into effective tools for the promotional products industry. For example: Someone on the team came in wearing a molded silicone band that their kid was crazy about.  I looked at it and thought to myself “Hey, this could be big if we take it promotional.” My whole team got involved. We wanted to do something more – make a product that our client could really own.  It evolved into the fully custom solution we offer today.

What has been the biggest surprise for IMC over the last 20 years?
I’d say the sports-shaped and customized Mardi Gras beads. We’ve really become known for them. When they first came out we thought the trend would last perhaps one or two years, but they have lasted over 12 years. Today, we’re still known as “The Bead Guys.” We are proud of that. It goes to show how important translating a trend can be in the advertising specialties industry. When you put the time and energy into truly capturing the spirit of a trend, you can end up with a product that stands up to the test of time. I think that is what differentiates IMC from its competitors.

 What’s the hot trend right now?
The newest item is the ionic necklace. The ionic trend has been around for a while, but the necklace is a fresh new twist. You see quite a few people wearing them these days, including professional athletes and college players. Staying true to our mission, we wanted to do more than bring team color to promotional. We offer a completely customized product – from the imprinted decorative knobs to the logo imprinted directly on the strand. It is not enough for us to hop on a trend in a superficial way. We want to create a promotional product that is true to the trend. It brings an authenticity to the process that clients and end users appreciate.

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Posted in Industry News, Marketing, Team IMC Events

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IMC’s Shane Erickson reflects on 20 years of developing great promotional products

April 14th, 2011

We have been unearthing cool stuff since 1991 and now we’ve hit 20 years – two decades in the business! Time flies, and we’re having fun. We’re celebrating this anniversary by spilling all our secrets to success. In this exclusive interview, IMC CEO Shane Erickson shares how we’ve come this far and what lies ahead. 

_____________________________________________________________________________________

How has IMC established a place in the market?
We don’t try to be everything to everybody. We focus our energy and attention on the areas we know best (sports, beverage, and casino promotions,) and that concerted effort allows us to be exceptional in those areas.

What has been the biggest change in the industry?
Definitely importing. A lot of people in the promotional products and advertising specialties field are now going direct overseas. Some execute better than others. There is a definite learning curve. Experience counts when developing promotional products abroad. There are a lot of nuances in the process. Our sourcing team is well seasoned and has great relationships. We started importing ten years ago and have learned a lot in a decade. We will continue to help our clients by bringing them the best possible value.

What’s the key to staying relevant and competitive in the future?
For us it’s staying true to our markets and understanding our clients better and better. Our clients are who we talk to every day – the people in the sports, beverage, and casino industries. We talk to them about how and why they use the products.  It gives us better insight to develop the right promotional product for them. We want to see positive results for our clients. We are highly interested how the products worked (or didn’t work) so we can source more strategically. We strive to bring them something that they want with a twist that will deliver more. This can mean a lot of customized development – a strong point for us. It’s really about an exchange of ideas and constantly moving forward. We’re always asking our customers, “What’s new for you guys?” or bringing them new ideas we come across to the table.

 When it comes down to it, we stay true to our passion – unearthing cool stuff to create a better promotional product for our clients.

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Posted in Industry News, Marketing, Team IMC Events

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Where did you get that? Promotional Products for Unique Contest Delivery

April 6th, 2011

“Where did you get that?” Those five words are music to the ears of anyone involved with promotional products or advertising specialties. Especially when the response leads interested consumers to YOUR booth or display so they can check out the eye catching promotional item for themselves.

What’s the only thing better than being able to reach consumers? Getting them to come to you. And stick around. And get excited about your brand.

We’ve learned that contests are a great way to attract, delight and engage consumers, but you should never underestimate the power of the delivery mechanism. How you deliver the contest should be as engaging as the contest itself. Why not create buzz and draw them in with a snazzy, attention grabbing promotional product?

The possibilities are endless. Customize a device that’s just right for your contest and your brand. Consider the following options:

Instant Win Contests
Peel & Win, Scratch & Win, or Peel-to-Reveal type contests can be part of direct mail campaigns to drive traffic to a particular location, or used on-site to facilitate prize allocation. The excitement surrounding instant gratification and the ability to create buzz when administered on site, are tried and true, evergreen promotions. 

 

New Technology Contest Delivery
QR Codes are the newest delivery method out there and are changing the way we explore our world. Drive customers to customized contest landing pages via smart phone technology. Customers must have the reader app downloaded on their phone. Codes can be delivered in printed format on paper items, apparel, mugs – virtually on any kind of promotional product.

Contest Delivery via Unique Products
Blinking pins are a great way to draw attention and create excitement around contests. When they blink you either win, or with multi-timer units you go the next stage of the contest. Used to keep people on premise (like in a casino or bar.)

Magic 8 Balls are another unique way of using a retro-toy to deliver your contest results. They also provide the end user with a fun momento of your event.

Edible Contest Items
YUM! Delivery methods like food afford a great way to administer your contest AND provide a sweet treat. Fortune cookies, chocolate bars, or prize inside carmel coated popcorn are fun AND tasty ways to engage your audience!

Excited consumers are valuable assets. When promotional products generate excitement, your consumers just amplify the buzz. They might do this by crowding around to see the results of the contest, or simply by carrying the promotional product around the event.

After all, it’s that kind of visibility that generates that magic question: “Where did you get that?”

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Posted in Marketing, Product Updates, products

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The Art of Competition: Are we hard-wired for engagement?

March 30th, 2011

There’s a plate of cookies on your kitchen table. Your son and daughter notice the cookies, and they both ask for one.

Your response . . . only one of them can have a cookie, and there will be a contest to determine who gets it.

Wait — you would never do that, right? Because you know what will happen. By turning the cookie into a potentially unattainable prize instead of a simple giveaway, you’ve created a dramatically increased demand for the cookie. Suddenly, that cookie is the hottest thing since molded silicone bandz.

In the world of sibling rivalry, this scenario is a nightmare. In the world of branding, advertising specialties, or promotional products, it’s a gold mine.

The desire to win and be rewarded with a prize: it’s part of human nature. We’re hard-wired for competition.

Contests don’t just create buzz; they facilitate engagement. Branded promotional products can make your logo and your brand part of that engagement.

According to a 2010 study by the Advertising Specialties Institute
- People in the U.S. own nearly 10 promotional products on average
- Promotional products are kept for an average of 5.6 months.
- 41% of those who have received a promotional product indicate their opinion of the advertiser was more favorable after receiving a promotional product.

Just think what happens to that favorable impression when there’s all the lasting buzz of a contest involved. The fun and spirit of competition combined with focused, engaged attention on your brand: now that’s even sweeter than a plate of cookies.

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Posted in Marketing, Promotional Product Statistics

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Reusable Bag Alternatives: A Growing Promotional Opportunity

March 23rd, 2011

So goes California, so usually goes the nation.

California has been a leading force in pushing forward environment-based legislation. The most recent  is a ban on plastic shopping bags that will be impacting supermarkets, convenience and liquor stores, and pharmacies by the city of Santa Monica beginning September 1, 2011. Fines for ignoring the new ban – $75 per violation, with criminal prosecution possible for repeat offenders. Ouch!

Why should marketers care? Three communities in California and one in Texas have passed plastic bag bans this year. Nationwide, 19 plastic bag bans have been enacted or approved overall, beginning with San Francisco in 2007.

What about paper? In some places they are still offered for free, with a discount going to those who reuse them. Some stores are now charging for them. As grocery prices soar, one can only think that saavy stores may even consider discontinuing them as well another way of preserving margin and keeping product cost low.

Some statistical tidbits from the 2010 Global Advertising Specialties Impressions Study, conducted by the Advertising Specialties Institute are as follows:

-  Impression rate leader: Average of 1078 impressions per month
-  Kept for an average of 6.7 months
-  One of the lowest per impression costs at .001 cents per impression

Never has the reusable tote had such opportunity to gain in popularity. With a large live area for messaging, high impression rates, ability to spur favorable attitudes toward advertisers, the bag is a promotional item poised for growth.

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Posted in Marketing, Promotional Product Statistics, products

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