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Sunday, February 24th, 2013Viral marketing wasn’t invented by social media
Friday, June 22nd, 2012A lot of people want you to think so, but viral marketing actually has a much longer history, going way back before web 2.0. Before web 1.0, once know simply as “the internet”. Let’s start with the definition: a method of product promotion that relies on getting customers to market an idea, product, or service on their own by telling their friends about it.
There are many other definitions to be found, but going back to the root concept, promotional products could be considered the original viral marketing. Consider the power they hold.
By carrying, wearing, or using a product branded with the name, logo, and message of your organization, a person is offering their endorsement. In the terms of today’s social media, they’re being “fans” of your brand.
They stick around a long time, often for years if they are of high quality. Not like the billboard or magazine ad that is seen (maybe) and gone.
Even when they are not kept, they often move on to another owner. A recent survey found that the average promotional pen has seven owners before it is discarded. The marketing they do is even more effective if it includes an incentive, like this example:
They are a gift, a tangible way to say “thank you.” TV commercials – uh, not so much.
The advertiser has complete control of their original target audience. Determine who receives them and how. No waste here. The pass-along audience later on is just an added bonus. With a well-conceived promotion, you can easily measure the return on the investment in promotional products.
How to boost participation in your wellness program
Tuesday, May 29th, 2012
Smart businesses are introducing wellness programs for their employees. The benefits go both directions! Healthier employees result in reduced health insurance premiums, due to fewer claims being filed. The differences may not be seen overnight, but come renewal time, the payoff will be there. But apart from this, healthier employees are more productive. They feel better, have fewer absences, and on average, are happier. What’s not to like about that?
Participation, of course, is the big challenge. Just like those New Year’s Resolutions that get forgotten come February, the resolve to focus on health tends to weaken pretty quickly. Here are some thoughts on boosting participation.
First, make sure that you create and maintain awareness. A good wellness program should have a theme, and a distinctive graphical appearance tied to that theme. Just like the company brand, the program brand should be distinctive and recognizable. Repetition is one of the tools to build that identity. Put that brand on promotional products that will be a constant reminder. Consider a monthly or quarterly promotion featuring a wellness item.
Second, encourage healthy habits and reinforce the key principles of a healthy lifestyle. Signs near the elevators encouraging people to take the stairs can be effective, especially when peer pressure kicks in. Branded water bottles can be good reminders to drink more water. Calendars with wellness tips will be seen on a daily basis.
Third, utilize incentives to build participation rates. Set goals and milestones, and offer prizes for achieving them. When employees see others winning these, it could be just the impetus they need to get on board as well. Of course, the prizes should be branded with the image of the campaign.
So what are the best promotional products for wellness programs? Actually, we get that question a lot. There are no firm answers. Our most important guideline is that they should be visible and integrated into the daily routine of the participants. Beyond that, we don’t start with a list of typical products. As always, we start with learning more about the program, and go from there. If your goals are well-defined, we’ll find the right tools to get you there.
Survey Says Everyone Steals Pens
Monday, March 5th, 2012Well, everyone who works in an office, that is. Paper Mate® (who has quite an interest in pens) commissioned a survey of 1000 people from around the US who are full time office workers. Scott Crist, global director of marketing for Paper Mate says “I am surrounded by people who have ample access to pens and still my own pens go missing.” The usual excuses come from those who claim it was a mistake or that they absent-mindedly walked off with a pen. Seventy-eight percent reported it was an accident. Twenty-two percent said they took it knowingly.
Curiously, while 70% of office workers reported they’d had pens “disappear”, every single person surveyed admitted having taken one at least once. There certainly doesn’t seem to be much guilt felt by the practitioners of this theft. In fact, a sense of entitlement might be a more apt description. In an office setting, writing utensils disappear more often than other office supplies. Seventy percent say pens vanish most, followed by pencils (55%) and highlighters (55%). A pen is about twice as likely to “be lost” as a stapler (35%), a pair of scissors (36%) or tape (38%). Paper clips and binder clips account for 43 percent of the losses, rubber bands for 38 percent.
So why does this topic get our attention as a promotional marketing company? Because writing instruments are the 2nd largest category in the promotional products world. (Apparel is number one. There’s nothing like a walking billboard.) Over $1.5 billion dollars worth of custom branded pens and pencils are sold every year. This doesn’t happen accidentally. It happens because businesses of all sizes perceive pens to be an inexpensive and effective vehicle to extend their branding far beyond their doors.
Let’s put these two things together, and you’ll see that a pen with a promotional message, already having a low cost-per-impression, actually can get up to double the mileage as it gets “borrowed” by someone in need. Advertisers sure have no problem with that. I’ve left plenty of my favorite pens lying around where they might be “found”.
But let’s not forget that what makes a pen a really effective promotional item is the message it carries. Not just a logo or company name. When a pen can be tied to a campaign or program – something that brings a benefit back to the advertiser – then you’re really doing something!
When is a mug NOT a mug?
Tuesday, February 28th, 2012We have more than 100 answers to that question! It’s explained in this video:
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