Posts Tagged ‘product promotions’

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The Not So Blank Page: Creativity and the Promotional Product

March 8th, 2011

You want all eyes on your brand.

You want dazzle consumers with a top-quality, on-trend promotional product.

Now if only you could figure out what that product should be…

It’s the curse of the blinking cursor: you have all the drive and none of the ideas, and you’re left with a blank page staring back at you.

We’ve been turning blinking cursors into celebrated promotional products for twenty years. Here are a few tried-and-true ways to stimulate creativity and help you start brainstorming ideas:

Dump out your bag
Chances are, you carry advertising specialty products around with you every day. What products were memorable or functional enough to make you incorporate them into your daily life? Why?

Get inspired
Think of a time when you’ve witnessed active demand for a promotional product. T-shirts tossed into the crowd at a baseball game? Branded glasses on a special night at the bar? What created that demand?

Be trend-savvy
Watch the people around you. What’s the must-have item this year? In our trend post we discussed how to capitalize on a hot pop culture trend. Which hot trend could connect with your brand?

Be your own market research subject
What grabs your attention when you’re out and about? Are you swayed by an on-pack promotion? Distracted by dealer loaders? Do you catch yourself reading the branded signs in bars or the display enhancers at stores? Imagine your logo on one of those items. What fits? What doesn’t? What would cause you to stop in your tracks?

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Posted in Event Promotion, Fundraising, Marketing, beverage promotion

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Six Reasons Promotional Products Build Brand Awareness

March 3rd, 2011

Looking for a cost effective way to get your brand or business out there? 

Here are some fun findings from the Global Advertising Specialties Impressions Study (released in 2010 by the Advertising Specialties Institute) that underscore the return on investment in promotional products.

 

#1  Affordable
At $0.005 in the United States and $0.004 in Canada, the cost per impression of promotional products was significantly less expensive than TV, National Magazines, and Spot Radio.

#2  Mindshare
83% of those surveyed indicated they could identify the advertiser on a promotional product they owned.

#3  Engagement
41% of respondents in the United States indicated that their opinion of the advertiser was more favorable after receiving a promotional product. 47% of Canadians thought more highly of the advertiser.

#4  Staying Power
The average length of time a respondent from the United States reported keeping an item was 5.4 months. Canadian respondents kept theirs slightly longer at 5.7 months.

#5  Usefulness
Respondents from the United States and Canada reported using their promotional products 18.2 times a month.

#6  Perceived Value
62% of respondent in the United States indicated that they will pass along a promotional item they do not intend to keep for themselves to others.

Still don’t buy it? Test the theory. Check your bag, cupboard, desk, or closet. Bet you discover that you have more promotional products than you knew!

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Posted in Industry News, Promotional Product Statistics

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IMC Trend Report: From Pop Culture to Promotional Products

February 24th, 2011

You don’t need to be a professional trend spotter to notice when a pop culture phenomenon has taken hold of the public’s attention. Rather than watching the craze from afar, savvy marketers become active participants in these phenomena.

Infusing your logo into a pop culture powerhouse is like an instant facelift for the brand. What brand can’t benefit from a jolt of on-trend freshness?

It’s a marketing no-brainer: When the market experiences a hot new pop culture trend, the public’s demand for the product has already been demonstrated. All a company has to do is introduce a well-conceived promotional product at the right time, through the right avenues and aimed at the right customers.

83% of people in the U.S indicated they can identify the advertiser on a promotional product they own, and 41% say their opinon of an advertiser is more favorable after receiving a promotional product.

Translating popular trends into unique advertising specialties is far from a new idea. Pop culture products have been successfully permeating the promotional marketing space for decades, and the industry’s getting better at it with every new craze.

Here are just a few examples of items with pop culture presence and promotional power:

     1997 – Beanie Babies

    1999 – Mardi Gras Beads

    2009 – Molded Silicone Bandz

    2011 – Ionic Sports Accessories

The best pop culture/promotional product crossovers don’t just grab attention; they make an indelible impression. When it comes to consumer recall rate, research shows that promotional products tower over TV, print and online advertising.

Promotional products generate a 15-50% higher consumer recall rate than TV, print and online advertising.

The key to success lies in recognizing an up-and-coming trend and knowing how to infuse your brand to maximize potential and resonate with the public. Find a skilled partner who has been through the process before and knows how to capitalize on a trend.

Why shouldn’t your brand be part of the next big trend?

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[i] Visnevsky, Jennifer “Promo Products Rule ROI” Advantages February, 2011 [http://advantages-digital.com/publication/?i=58573&p=109]

[ii] PPAI research via http://www.ppai.org/research and http://www.youtube.com/user/PPAIHeadquarters#p/u/29/8yjZF0d1Wny

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

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The High Cost of Low Price Promotional Products

February 8th, 2011

If there’s a more ubiquitous buzzword than branding, we don’t know it. There’s a good reason for this: Customers know you through your promotional products.

Visibility is a key component of a brand. But what about when a brand is being represented on the glasses at a bar in Austin, or the backpacks at a baseball game in Boston? Brand integrity hinges not just on exposure, but also on quality and consistency.

You can’t be everywhere your brand is, nor should you be. What can you do? You can take steps to ensure that your company’s brand integrity is both protected and enhanced by each impression from Boston to Austin — and everywhere in between.

Simply put, best price does not always equate to best choice. Here are some drawbacks of cut-rate deals when it comes to promotional products:

Quality Issues

Poor design. Cheap construction. Ineffective placement. Promotional products with any of those drawbacks have less staying power and therefore are less visible. Instead of a positive impression, you may create a negative impression, and those have notorious staying power.

On the production side, cut-rate equates to materials substitution, assembly shortcuts, and production delays. Profitability is a concern for everyone – including the factories. Increases in materials and labor continue to drive up cost and negatively impact margin. Something has to give in the equation. Quality at some level is sacrificed.

Production Issues

The reality is that manufacturing is based on a repeatable process. Substitution or short-cuts outside of the normal process can create a variety of issues. These include things like skipping quality control steps, use of untried and proven materials or delays and errors in retraining the line.

The road to hell is paved with the best of intentions. This old adage proves itself true when it comes to cutting price to the bone. Attempting to get a “deal” can lead to the worst of outcomes when price is king. Watch your assets. Protect yourself and your brand’s bottom-line. In the end, if your brand is represented on an inferior product, it doesn’t matter if you scored a cheap deal. You will end up holding the bill for damages which is far greater than what you may have saved up front.

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Posted in Production and Quality Control, Supply Chain, products

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From Performance Technology to Collectibles – New Promotional Trends in Silicone Bands

August 13th, 2010

The silicone wristband (remember Lance Armstrong) has split its evolutionary path.

From the serious to the silly – silicone wristbands are hot again. Check out these two new trends from opposite ends of the spectrum. Both are great promotional items and are an innovative twist on this popular ad specialties product.

YankeesTexasPerformance Technology

These bands tout the ability to give you better balance or increase strength and flexibility. Pro athletes are wearing them across a wide variety of sports disciplines. In terms of promotion, these are great tie-ins to promote organizational stability, flexibility, and strength. The novelty factor infuses an underlying message of innovation, out-of-the-box thinking and cutting-edge awareness.

One of our graphics team brought one out with him one night for some night life field testing. The wristband was designed to help with physical balance. Results showed that, indeed, it was harder to push someone off balance when wearing one. Fun and functional, this item is interactive and creates a lot of buzz.

Bands on WristSilly and Successful

Who would have thought that the molded silicone version of a rubber band would be an overnight collectible. Kids across the nation are colleting these and wearing them by the dozens. Numbers, letters, objects, animal and people sillhouetes in bright colors adorn the wrists like spongey gauntlets.

 

espBandzThis collectible craze is not only limited to children. The all important adult demographic has been spotted sporting these super cool wristbands. Once only available in stock shapes, the silicone wristband is now available to promotional marketers as a custom molded product. Custom packaging solutions are also offered to further underscore brand messaging.

Who knew such a silly idea would end up as a promotional powerhouse?

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Posted in IMC Idea Generator - Product Idea Library

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IMC Idea Generator | SOCCER SCARVES

July 16th, 2010

The world cup has garnered more attention this year in the United States than ever before. The other football sport has a rich history of promoting fan loyalty in the form of the scarf. Part rally towel, part banner, part fashion statement – the soccer scarf is ripe to join the ranks of the cap or jersey in demonstrating team affiliation.

seattle-scarves

Scarves come in all shapes and sizes including, knitting, tatting, and sateen applique. The promotional applications are possible with the growing sophistication of knitting technique. Great item for sponsorships too!

acrylic-carflag-single

We found this cool little innovation that is perfect for an American pasttime – tailgating. Check out The Car Scarf! Suction cups adhere to car windows giving you a huge live area to display your brandmark or team logo.

Who knew a winter accessory could be so versitile? 

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Posted in IMC Idea Generator - Product Idea Library, Sports Promotion

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Hillbilly Christmas in July – Wristbands make inroads promoting charities

July 16th, 2010

wrist_bandThe 2010 Hillbilly Christmas in July “Do it for the Kids” is an annual event, with proceeds benefitting the Shriners Hospital for Children in Lexington, Kentucky.

One event involves a motorcycle parade around Pikeville. Part of their awareness building campaign was a terry cloth wristband give-away.

Kudos to event organizers for coming up with such a perfect promotional idea for the event. Choosing a product that reflects the spirit of the event will drive engagement with the brand.

What can spur higher levels of engagement?
    – Pride in belonging to a group, organization, or cause
    – Novelty in the way that pride is expressed (the coolness factor)
    – Usefulness to the recipient

HCIJRideAdCropAbility to achieve the sponsor’s objectives is the end game of any promotional outreach. Just throwing something out there with a brand label on it does not always serve the greater purpose. Thoughtful reflection can make a whole lot of difference in the return on your promotional investment.

For more information regarding this event, visit the website at hillbillychristmasinjuly.org.

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Posted in Event Promotion, Fundraising, Stories from the "Real World"

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More Industry Statistics on Promotional Products

March 3rd, 2010

Another stats video from PPAI. Crazy busy this week. Will try to post more original content next time. There are some good statistics in this piece regarding retention rates for advertising specialties.

They really do tend to cut through clutter. I was at a Science Fair (yes, I am geeky) this weekend and was pleasantly surprised at the number of promotional products at the event. People were beside themselves to sign up for a variety of give-away items. The assortment went from jersey’s and plush, on down to small items like pens and magnets.

Too bad I forgot my flip video camera. It would have made a great “real life” interview opportunity. Instead you will have to make due with my second hand account of happy people glorying in thier good fortune of obtaining another promotional product.

I have to say, I was quite disappointed that I left empty handed and I am in this business. Oh well. Maybe next time.

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Posted in Industry News, Stories from the "Real World"

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Study results from PPAI on Promo Products

February 24th, 2010

Thought that this was an entertaining way to present dry statistical material. Great job by PPAI!

Retention rates for promotional products are very high and people do use them in everyday life. See my previous blog post for some real life “open your purse” moments underscoring the power of promotional products.

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Posted in Industry News, Uncategorized

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State of Innovation

October 16th, 2008

In these days of turmoil and uncertainty it seems more vital than ever that we become more in touch with the creative process. Marketers are often challenged with coming up with “innovative” solutions. But what is innovation and how is it defined?

 “Innovation is all about staying relevant. That’s all it is.“
Stephen Berkov, Audi

“When you live in times of rapid change, growth is going to come from innovation because growth is all about fashion.”
Seth Godin, Squidoo

For me (ad hoc industry guru) innovation is the ability to drive connections that change perception and alter behavior. If we take this to be true, the promotional products industry is incredibly innovative. Take into consideration the sheer volume of new products introduced. We make connections and alter behavior daily. The enormity of the effect is staggering. We operate from within an industry that generates around 18 billion dollars a year. Statistical data gathered from a study conducted by Wayne State University supports the conclusion that our products and services are powerful influencers of behavior.

76% of people in a Dallas Fort Worth airport study were able to recall the name of an advertiser who gave them a promotional product.

73% of those who used the promotional product used it at least once a week.

55% kept their promotional products for more than a year.

Messaging attached to and item of value certainly is relevant, fashionable and changes behavior by the simple fact that the recipient chooses to use it. The change in perception lies within the connection to purchasing behavior – demonstrated in this 2004 study by L.J Market Research.

52% reported having a more favorable impression of the advertiser since receiving the item.

52% did business with the advertiser after receiving the product.

 We live and work in a veritable petri dish of innovation – a public pool in which all of us can swim. The Hub article asks a roundtable of experts the following questions:

  • How do you encourage people to be innovative?
  • What are some of the greatest barriers to innovation?
  • Is innovation always critical to brand success?
  • What is the best way to get at consumer insights?
  • Where do you see the greatest opportunities for innovation today?

The gurus also take a good poke at the institutionalized structure of work environment and its effect on creative thinking. They give great insight on how to encourage global participation in an organization.

For the full article click on this link
 
Where’s the Big Idea?
The Hub January/February 2007
 
IMC Marketer – Promotional Products – Promotional Product Consulting -  www.imcsuccess.com

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Posted in Marketing

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