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We are on our 10th year in business and have marketed our business using many techniques. Today I want to talk about an item that can last longer than most marketing efforts and that is promotional items such as branded pens, shirts, mugs, and related items.
First, I must first credit for the idea to write this particular blog to a company named GoPromos. GoPromos very wisely got involved with social media marketing (we love this stuff) and sponsored a Podcast that I listen to called Marketing Over Coffee. (Great podcast for marketing people by the way)
During our first year in business we purchased a few promotional items that still to this day are getting use. In particular they were shirts, pens, and koozies. We had some koozies made and then gave them out to a bunch of boat owners that go to areas we know a bunch of business owners hangout on the lake at and we still see these things in use out there after 8 years! Our pens have a very similar story except for we actually have people ask us to send them more because they like the way the write! Ummm... let me think about that. Yes! You can indeed have more of our branding laying around your office and used for signing agreements!
Cross-Channel: Bridge offline with online
We are currently looking at some ways to make the promo a more cross-channel viral item by incorporating it directly into a social media campaign that has activation through the branded promo items. Using some more recent developments with mobile devices, we want to take the in-hand item to the online consumer and get a new type of client activation. Don't want to share too much of the hand, but will say that we are looking forward to activating that campaign and seeing just how long the combination of a promotional item tied to a social campaign will drive results, my guess is that it will be a long time. The metrics to see just how we engaged site traffic and social conversations will also be very interesting.
When we first got started one of our big concerns was the cost of buying several hundred items and what kind of return we would get out of the investment. Now, after seeing it last as long as the items have, we are not as concerned. Figure if you spend $500 on some promotional items and they last for 10 years your total monthly investment is just a little over four dollars. How many sales do you need to make to justify that cost? My guess is not many.
How about you?
I would love to hear your success stories and what you have found to be most successful. Would also love to hear ways you may have made them market across channels.
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