Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Stretching the Envelope


Do you know your services have value to a company, but can't get past an assistant? Is your direct mail going straight to the recycling bin?  Time to get creative with attention grabbers and free stuff!

It's called object marketing and it's all about capturing attention.  Consumers are more likely to open a direct mail piece that looks interesting, especially with the promise of a free gift. This type of direct mail creates curiosity (which gets your package opened and read) and creativity (which reflects positively on the sender).

We break it down by "lumpy mail" and "dimensional mail":

Lumpy mail is a standard business envelope with lumps. Popular freebies include pens, seed packets, calendars, magnets, or paper pads - really any inexpensive promotional item that can be mailed in traditional envelopes. Avoid any items that could be crushed or that have sharp edges or points that could tear the packaging.  A good direct mail envelope should include a return address, teaser, offer and curiosity. Make it interesting enough to stay in the "keep" pile.
       

Puzzle Postcard $.64 ea.      Pen Postcard $1.21 ea.             Key Card $.56 ea.

Dimensional mail involves the WOW factor of special packaging (padded envelopes, tubes, boxes, bags, etc.).  You can send a sample of your product, or something that makes noise or plays music. While dimensional mail draws the greatest attention, it costs more to execute. You'll have to pick a reasonable number of your best prospects and carefully qualify them prior to mailing.

        
Mailing Tube $1.48 ea.        Sound Mailing Tube $9.79 ea.    Pic Changer Card $3.89 ea.

General tips on direct mail letters:
  • Make your point in the first couple of lines and keep it to one page.
  • Sell the value to the reader.
  • Be demanding -- make it absolutely clear what you want your prospect to do with a strong and obvious call to action:  visit a website, call for an appointment, email a sales associate, etc. Make sure there is a deadline.
  • Consider using real testimonials in the letter.
  • Offer a guarantee.
  • Be a person, not a corporation - use "I" and "You"; sign in blue ink
  • Include a P.S. with a quick summary of the offer.
  • Above all, be unique - make receiving a piece of mail so compelling that it screams "I dare you not to open it."
  • Follow Up: Within a few days after the mailing, follow up with a phone call. This concept is a very effective way to rekindle a relationship or get your foot in the door for a new customer. (Bonus - it's success rate is highly measurable!)

Cool Ideas
  • Send one part of a two-part promotional product by direct mail and require redemption of the second part.
  • Use a promotional product as an incentive to respond to your direct mail piece (maybe only offer is to the first x amount of responders.)
  • Send a gift a few weeks before a customer renewal date or next service date.  
  • Use promotional products as part of your direct mail campaign as a pre-tradeshow incentive. Send our postcards before a trade show and tell the recipient to bring the card to your booth to receive a cool prize.
  • A unique invitation can create buzz prior to an event. People will start talking about you, your company and your event.  Use the power of word-of-mouth to attract attendees.
                              
Traffic Builder $.59 ea.                        Tag and Win $.67 ea.              Movie Box $2.60 ea.

Including a promotional product with your direct mail piece increases the response rate by 50% on average.  Not only does this reduce the cost per response, it just makes sense from a marketing stand point. Using promotional products in your direct mail campaigns will definitely lead to higher success rates .. . call us for the most effective ways to pair direct mail with promotional product!

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Why Promotional Products Have An Edge Over Other Forms of Marketing . . .


By using branded promotional products instead of (or in addition to) other forms of marketing, such as television, internet, and print ads, you already have the upper hand over your competitors who don't use promotional products. Why? Promotional products appeal to all five senses and provide your customers with items that are engaging and have a long lasting appeal. Studies have shown that by appealing to one or more of the five senses (sight, sound, smell, taste and touch) brands become more memorable and recallable!


Sight
If you want someone to see your logo or your message, why not do it with promotional products, in a way that engages your audience? Give people something stimulating, like a custom printed Rubik's cube or light up buttons.

Blinking Button $2.09 ea.      Glow Sticks $1.00 ea.          Video Lanyard Badge $49.50 ea.



Sound
Make the most of sound to grab attention -- get your message out there, but do it in a way that's more enjoyable and memorable to your target audience than, say, a radio commercial. And you're doing it over and over at no additional cost.
            
Talking Key Chain $4.59 ea.    Sound Card $6.49 ea.             Hand Clacker $.73 ea.

Smell
It's a proven fact that of all the five senses, smell is the one that creates the most powerful impression in your brain. A particular scent can trigger memories from decades ago. By using scented promotional products, you can rest assured you're making a powerful impression.
     
Scented Pens $.93 ea.     Tin Candle $2.85 ea.       Scented Krazy Cube $2.47 ea.

Taste
Most people don't think of advertising by using food, but it's actually a very effective method of getting your message to your target audience. When a potential customer enjoys a tasty treat imprinted with your logo, you're creating a memorable experience you're simply not going to get with traditional advertising.
            
Candy Tin $1.75 ea.                 Caramel Corn $2.30 ea.        Chocolate Bar $1.50 ea.

Touch Promotional products are tangible. You can hold them in your hands, feel them, use them, play with them. Who can resist picking up a stress reliever or toy on your desk?

          

Tangle $3.85 ea.                   Stress Reliever $.99              Brain Teaser $2.68 ea.


Oh, yeah - promotional products not only hit your sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch - they hit a sixth sense - emotion. Promotional products have been proven to elicit a feeling or emotion, creating a memory from the experience.


So give us a call for ideas to appeal to all the senses and stand out in your marketing!

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Cause Marketing with Promotional Products

Whether you are with a non-profit organization out to make the world a better place or a company that is focusing on corporate responsibility, promotional products can deliver your message of awareness, encourage action and call many others to your cause (think yellow LiveSTRONG bracelets and pink ribbons for breast cancer).
Companies that show support for a charity or a particular cause establish the perception of caring and show an effort to make an impact on social issues. "Cause Marketing" helps to gain credibly, provide customer loyalty, create brand awareness, and to ultimately improve the social issue you support.

When choosing promotional products to spread awareness, there are several considerations you must take. First, it has to have mass appeal. Second, although inexpensive promo items are the ideal choice for this purpose, be sure that the item is worth keeping. Functionality plays a big role in the success of your awareness promotional product. Aside from having walking ads for your campaign, you are also building a base of supporters. The more people see others wearing it, the more they would feel like it's a cause worthy of their support.
It is for these reasons that ribbons and silicone bracelets are popular choices for cause marketing. They're inexpensive and they work for almost all market segments. Pens, bumper stickers, stickers, magnets, buttons, t-shirts, water bottles and key chains are also great items for this purpose.
Many organizations sell awareness items for profit. By buying promotional products in bulk, you can save on the items - and then sell them for a higher price and use the profit to further your cause.
We have a huge variety of products that boast large imprint areas that can accommodate information and artwork for your cause. Consider imprinting help hotlines, motivational quotes and links to ways to donate.
Give us a call at 1-800-264-4294 for more ideas!