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Mistakes

Written by: Phillip Ross

Article Overview: No one likes making mistakes, but everyone makes their share of them. Fortunately, if we are alert we can learn from the mistakes of others, and not have to make them ourselves. Here are some common promotional product mistakes that people make.

Mistakes

No one likes making mistakes, but everyone makes their share of them. Fortunately, if we are alert we can learn from the mistakes of others, and not have to make them ourselves. Here are some common promotional product mistakes that people make.

Failure to develop a specific campaign objective. Too many campaigns don't have any particular objective. People think of promotional products as "giveaways," rather than as advertisements or as investments. It is probably because promotional products are so much less expensive than broadcast advertising (newspapers, magazines, radio, TV, etc.), that people are tempted to think of them as a necessary nuisance, rather than as an effective, highly-targeted advertisement.

Whether your goal is to increase traffic at a trade show, reach new customers or clients, boost sales with current customers or clients, reinforce product or business loyalty, the first goal of any promotional product campaign is to have a goal, a purpose, a desired outcome. Promotional products are particularly effective at stimulating particular actions. Do you want to increase the number of product or service presentations? Or increase the volume of each sale? Perhaps you want to build customer loyalty, or employee effectiveness, or plant safety. Maybe you want someone to return a survey. The list of possibilities is long.

Whatever you want to do with promotional product advertising, your goal or purpose needs to be particular and measurable. Generalizations like "making people more aware of our business or business name" is okay, as long as you specify a particular group of people. Sure, Coca-Cola and Pepsi can do that for the whole world. But each of their advertising campaigns has a particular audience and purpose in mind. We all need to focus on a particular group of people for a particular purpose.

If you are not sure what your goal is, please talk to Business Specialties or someone who can help you determine a goal or purpose before you spend any money. Our consultation is without obligation. We can help as much or as little as needed.

Failure to create or implement a practical distribution plan to a specific audience. Other forms of advertising don't have to worry about distribution because their distribution is built in to the medium. Newspaper and magazine ads are delivered to homes and businesses, radio and TV are broadcast. But buying 1,000 custom imprinted pens does not put the pens in the hands of customers and/or qualified prospects. Something more is needed.

That something more is a clear, practical distribution plan. Promotional product advertising doesn't work without a distribution plan. In addition, the distribution plan will usually add to the cost of the campaign. If you mail them out, you have additional mailing costs. If you hand them out at trade shows, you have trade show expenses, etc. If you are already going to a trade show, or if you plan to give an item to customers from your store, you won't have additional costs.

Research shows that having a specific distribution plan significantly increases the effectiveness of promotional products. For instance, a mailing to qualified buyers prior to a trade show increases trade show traffic and qualified lead generation more than simply distributing items to passersby at the show.

Letting people know that you will be at the show creates the desire to stop by your exhibit. In addition, it creates a sense of familiarity and recognition when people do stop by. They know what you have and what you are doing, and are more ready to hear your presentation. It also provides a topic of initial conversation or ice breakers. "I got your mailing." Or "Did you get our mailing?"

Your distribution plan does not need to be expensive, but distribution can cost as much as the promotional items themselves. So, be prepared to succeed by including distribution in you campaign budget. Again, Business Specialties can help you plan a distribution campaign. There are even ways to share the promotional product costs with other businesses that are not in competition with you. Sometimes, your suppliers will share the cost with you. Call today for more information.

Failure to create a compelling graphic or color theme. A campaign that has no recognition value will fall flat. People should see your product, business logo or color scheme and recognize it to be yours without reading any of the details. While small to medium sized businesses often cannot afford ad campaigns whose sole purpose is brand identification, they must have a coordinated theme or easily recognizable logo that can be identified with the campaign-if not the brand or business. Branding or business identification should be built into your campaign, even when it is not the central purpose of the campaign.

Recognition and repetition are key elements in advertising, and so they must also be key elements in your promotional product advertising campaign. Of course, this is true of all advertising mediums, but it is no less true with promotional products.

Tying your logo and/or color scheme to all aspects of your business, from business cards to billing invoices-and including promotional products and product packaging-will help create an easily recognizable image.

Business Specialties can develop such a logo and/or color theme, or we can import an existing logo or theme into the artwork needed for custom imprinting.

Failure to develop a theme message. Okay, you have a great logo and color scheme, but these alone are still not enough. A catchy, short verbal theme, message or motto will greatly enhance your success.

How does this work? Think about Coca Cola, they have a theme: Coke: the real thing. Pepsi has Pepsi: the new generation. These companies spend millions of dollars fine tuning this process and put a hundred times as much into the implementation of such programs. They believe it works, and it does! And you can use it, too-for a lot less that a million dollars (fortunately)! Names and word themes are just as important as logos and colors in advertising-probably more important because advertising intends to convey a message that will result in a behavior. Sure, you want people to recognize your product or company, but your primary goal is to get them to buy something from you. Mere recognition is not enough.

For example, a bank used the theme: "Are you tired of being treated like a small fish?" And sent fish related products as part of their promotional product campaign, emphasizing the theme in accompanying brochures and materials. Emphasis of the campaign's theme with a verbal message will solidify your company name, service, or product in the minds of your target audience. So, when they are ready to buy, they naturally think of your business or product-and they have your address, phone number, or website address in front of them.

Failure to use a promotional product that has a natural relationship to your business or campaign theme. One of the main purposes of advertising is to build mental or conceptual bridges from one thing (the ad or promotional product) to your company or product. Xerox did such a good job of it that people now say Xerox when they mean copy, as in: "Can you Xerox this?" That's branding success.

One company used a magic theme for its conference held at Disney World. Attendees received magic-related products that were tied to the theme: "Experience the magic."

You want people to make associations between your theme, your company, your product, and the promotional items that will go home with them. Then, each time they see the promotional product, they will associate it with your business or product. This mental process produces a kind of familiarity that builds trust. The more you see something, the more you get used to it, and the more you tend to accept and trust it. That is what you are doing with promotional products by putting your business name in the homes, cars, and work places of your target audience.

Business Specialties can help you put together an effective campaign that uses all of these elements-graphics, colors, verbal themes, and product coordination.

Picking an item based solely on uniqueness, price or perceived value. Too many people approach promotional product advertising by choosing items that they themselves like. This is probably the most common error, and it can quickly lead to a failed campaign and a poor experience of the effectiveness of promotional products. However, the fault does not lie with promotional products, but with the campaign plan-or lack thereof.

The actual promotional items chosen should be the last decision you make, not the first. It doesn't matter what you or I like or don't like. What matters is the success of the campaign. And that means that we must put our likes and dislikes aside, and make our decisions on the basis of the campaign goals and purpose. The likes and desires of the recipients are much more importance than ours. The choice of the items is determined by the plan and the target-audience.

Just because you found a deal on some 29¢ pens does not make such a purchase a bargain. You may have just wasted $200 dollars if they don't accomplish anything. Now this kind of thing is a real "giveaway!" You're just giving away the store.

The promotional item choice is crucial. You need the right thing for the right people at the right time. Business Specialties can assist you in making an intelligent product choice that will accomplish your goals.

Don't fall prey to the latest trends or fads-or to the lowest price. Those things are important only if they fit into your plan. It took me decades to learn that the lowest price thing you can buy doesn't usually save you money. It often ends up costing more in the long run.

The least costly and most effective promotional products are used in a coordinated, well-planned campaign.

Do everything yourself. Don't ask for help. Small business owners often think that they have to do everything themselves because it's cheaper that way. Don't get caught in that trap! It's not true. In the same way that the cheapest price for something is not always (or usually!) the least costly, so doing everything yourself can also cost more in the long run.

A good promotional products distributor can answer your questions and help you plan a successful campaign. Business Specialties will help you find unique product ideas that will accomplish your objectives. We offer creative distribution plans and can provide valuable insight about the graphic requirements for the different imprinting methods.

Yet, we will not impose our agenda on you. You are in the driver's seat. We are here to serve you. If you want our help or advice, just ask. We don't believe in high-pressure sales tactics to load you up with a bunch of stuff that you neither want nor need. We believe that your long range business success is in our best interest. So, we'll work with you however you want.

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