We’ve all been told that it’s important to get your name out there in front of people in a variety of ways. Sales people from all advertising media are guilty of making the easy sale on this premise. We have asked many trade show participants what the benefit of their give-away is. We usually get the response that it puts their name in front of people. However, when we dig more deeply we often find it puts their name in front of the wrong people, at the bottom of a drawer somewhere, or the worst case, tossed into the trash.

The cost to truly “get your name” in front of people in this manner, often enough to positively impact your bottom line, is generally well beyond the budget of most small to medium size businesses.  In fact, the smaller the budget, the more urgent the need to target effectively. I don’t think many people would argue that putting your name in front of the best target, for the lowest price, more often, is a sound strategy for increasing your business.

Instead of simply handing out the Ad Specialty items you purchased  just to “get your name out there,” utilize them as a true Promotional Item. Make a plan that will do the following:

• Get the products into the hands of those most likely to need or want your products or service.
• Use the product to start a conversation with the prospects to gauge their need.
• Ask for something in return- contact information for example.
• Create a memory and follow-up by hooking onto that memory

A modest size plumbing company had marched in the local parade and exhibited at a booth at the local Fair for several years. They had spend a good deal of money between both events but had never seen a marked jump in business after either. A few mentions of “Oh! I have one of your pens” here and there, but nothing profound.  They continued to do both simply to “get their name out there.” Last year they produced a very inexpensive rubber duck magnet to promote their fair booth. If you brought the magnet to their booth you got a chance to pick from the duck pond and win a prize. You could upgrade your prize if you would fill out a 5 question postcard.  (Wisely, you could also pick a duck if you didn’t have a magnet but would fill out the question card.)  They gave the magnets to current clients, handed them out at Networking functions, and walked the parade route handing out many more.  Several service calls were scheduled between the events as a direct result of the magnet making it to the fridge.  The  Fair booth received many visits and a much higher than expected number of people brought their magnets in for a chance to win.   A $.30 magnet, used as part of a planned promotion, generated a lasting revenue, excellent return on investment, and made an impression that gets their brand recognized all over town now. (yes, they do now use a ducky as part of all their advertising now! He’s even on their trucks.) In addition, they had a strategy in place to track their result, sort and follow-up on their questionnaire, and promote on-going maintenance services to even out what had been a very up and down sales cycle.

Have you successfully used a Promotional Product to increase your business?  We would love to hear about it. If you haven’t yet, we’d love to work with you on budget friendly ways you can do so. Contact us today!

I am a huge fan of co-branding or Cooperative Marketing. We see a ton of really fabulous examples being done by big business. So much so that you probably barely notice it’s happening. They can be simple such as this Betty Crocker/Hershey example or much more complex such as this example of Mountain Dew teaming with a popular video game. In this example the partners not only did a co-branded beverage but also tied the promotion into a huge social media campaign complete with in-game prizes.

The benefits are many and downsides few to marketing with a partner but you’re thinking…” I don’t have Mountain Dew’s budget” right?

Co-op marketing can be done on a much smaller scale with a much smaller budget to great success.

How to utilize Co-op Marketing varies greatly from business to business, event to event, and goal to goal. To highlight the general idea let’s use this example:
A Flower Shop teams with a Candy Store for a Valentine’s Day Promotion. A free teddy bear when you spend a minimum of $25 at each shop. Both businesses hand out flyers and promote the offer through their shops, social media, current ads, newsletters, etc.  co-branding all of the above. Both shops have half the co-branded bears to hand out the day of the event and give one to each customer that qualifies. If both businesses promote the program to their clients the end result should be increased business for both and a new client base for both. In addition, you have added value to their purchase and left them with an item that will keep both shops in front of them.  Tie the whole marketing campaign together by having them sign up for a newsletter or Social Media outlet and you have also acquired a method for continued marketing to this new base of prospects.

Think of co-op marketing for trade shows, local Chamber and Network groups, Parades, Social Media, product launches or business expansions, just to name a few.

As with most marketing products and ideas there are never ending ideas for creating successful promotions. We stand ready to help you come up with one that will work for yourself and your partner business.

]]> http://generatellc.com/2012/04/04/cooperative-marketing-half-the-budget-twice-the-reach/feed/ 0 http://generatellc.com/2011/05/04/facebook-pen-giveaway/ http://generatellc.com/2011/05/04/facebook-pen-giveaway/#comments Wed, 04 May 2011 20:02:47 +0000 Lisa Gapen http://generatellc.com/?p=295 Q2 sees the start of our first Facebook Pen Giveaway-

To enter:

• post a picture of any product you have purchased from Generate. You and your colleagues or clients  in the photo would be wonderful but not mandatory.
• Let us know both on Facebook AND in the comment section below how you used the item in your marketing efforts, how your clients like the item, or any other details on your experience working with Generate.
• You may enter multiple times provided the picture is of a different product purchased from us. Be sure to comment separately both here and on Facebook for multiple chances to win.
• Please assure there is a product name (“pen” or etc will suffice) so we can easily link the picture and comments on Facebook to your comments here on the blog.
• We will use a random comment selector to pick a winner July 1st and again at the end of each quarter this year.
• The winner will receive 500 pens selected from 3 different models with your choice of color and imprint.*

We look forward to seeing your posts and promoting you through our Fan Page and Blog.   Good Luck and don’t forget to enter after each completed order!

* Included in the imprint will be “This promo powered by generatellc.com”  You will be able to select from 2-3 layouts. We reserve the right to limit the amount of information imprinted to assure the quality of the imprint but promise to also ensure it will be a great marketing tool for you!

Here are a couple of  ideas that work great to get (and keep) those fans!

• Be sure to include your Facebook page on all ads, business cards, and other marketing materials.
• Use a postcard or business card to offer a discount or free gift for those who “like” your page.
• Give additional gifts or rewards to those who get their friends to like you or share their experiences, pictures of your products, etc. on Facebook.
• Don’t forget to add value and good reason for being your fan. Update, educate, offer, and encourage with your page!

With a little creativity you can tie almost any promotional item in to your Facebook campaign. Some work easier than others and of course will vary with your business.

Determine first how you are going to get the item into the hands of your new (or existing) fans. If you need to mail the item we would select something easy and inexpensive to send. On the other hand, if you’re offer includes the need to stop in for the item or visit you at an event, etc. we don’t need to consider that factor.

Here are a couple of my favorites:

Drinkware remains a perpetual favorite promotion. The items are usable, shared with friends, and keep your imprint in front of your fans. Get creative with catchy phrases, fun art, and practical design to make the piece one your fans will reach for.

We love the Budget Mug at only $2.00 and the X-one for Travel.  X-one even has it’s own Fan page so you can share branded images of your item with their many fans.

Give this promotion a Whirl! A cool little tie in that says “Thanks.” Suitable for any industry, this little fan could be tied in even more effectively for a cooling or A/C company. We love this idea and so will your customers.

For easy to mail solutions, how about a Cell Phone Screen Cleaner? This item is usable on most cell phone models. It clings on and off easily with no sticky residue. Clean your screen and then stick it back into place. The cleaning pads work great, are full color, and always with your Fan. Offer a discount every time they show it and everyone who is nearby will want to now how to get their own! A great way to build fans.

There are as many ideas for the use of powerful promotions to use along side Facebook as their are Facebook users! Don’t wait to harness the power of social media in your marketing efforts.  We’re waiting to create the perfect Facebook promotion to boost your business- Call your Generate Rep today!!

We found a product at the ASI show this year that would assure that type of win for your business in virtually every case.

The physical product is a simple, laminated card that is fully branded with your logo, tag line, and any additional information you may want included. However, the real value is in the VIP service the card entitles your client to receive.

With activation of their card your client receives access to highly trained, phone based VIP Concierge Service. The service can be used for anything from weather updates and directions to trivia answers and Consumer Reports. Your personal concierge can schedule Tee Times, provide price comparisons, gift suggestions, or even emergency assistance. Worried you’ll sleep through that key appointment next week? The service can schedule reminders  through a call, text, or e-mail. Most important to you as a business owner or account executive is that this service is always custom branded to your company.

In other words, when you call in to the personal VIP service I have provided you the trained assistant will answer on behalf of Generate Sales & Marketing as well as opening or closing the call with a script I provide.

WoW Cards provide some nice additional features to assure you get your money’s worth as well. I am very impressed with the quality of the operators. They are courteous, well spoken, and highly skilled at anticipating additional needs to assure your client gets the most out of the service. In addition, there is no worry that your clients will be interrupted in mid call should their minutes run out. They are not only allowed to finish their call, but when they call in the next time they are alerted that their minutes are actually all used but still given this final call as a courtesy. As an added bonus they are encouraged to phone your company to see about the possibility of gaining additional minutes.

It is a new and exciting product that manages to make your clients feel special. They also want to share their VIP status and “show off” using the service which is obviously a great way to get your company name in front of even more potential clients and begin a dialogue between your top clients and their associates about your business.

We’re pretty excited about the vast array of uses this product has. Customer loyalty, purchase incentive, referral thank you, corporate giving… I could go on- but I won’t! I would rather you see for yourself what the service can do and start getting excited about the possible applications this card could have for you.

We are offering you several  sample this service.

• Be among the first qualified  business associates to sign up for our e-mail specials (see the link on the right side of this page) or contact us for a free price quote and ideas on how to make WoW your most successful campaign to date and we’ll provide you with a free trial account of your own.
• Click this to go directly to a demo site for more information.
• View a Powerpoint we put on SlideShare by clicking this link
• Or give us a personal shout and we’ll be happy to show you just how it works. 219.433.8544

We have more great products from the show to share with you in the coming days so be sure to sign up for the feed or follow/fan us!

The industry suffered a bit with the economy but seems to have decided it’s time to aggressively market once again. They showed that they practice what we preach in regard to not cutting back marketing budgets when times get lean. Having said that, they also understand that value and ROI have become more important than ever and seem to be helping out the small to medium businesses with quality items at lower minimums and lower price points.

In the coming days I will be taking some time to share a few of the products with you about which we are most excited. Stay tuned to hear about Complimentary Concierge Assistance,  the Epxobox, and a Pen that doubles as a super advertiser.

If you have not yet done so please sign up for our RSS feed or register to receive our e-mails. We will be passing on some fabulous show specials to our subscribers- don’t miss out!

Wishing you Brand Power and Successful Promotions!  Lisa Gapen

Welcome to the on-line home of  Generate Sales and Marketing Solutions.  We are your source for innovative solutions to the marketing challenges your face.  Our focus is on cost effective, track able, and profitable plans to take your business or organization from where you are currently to where you ultimately want to be.

We specialize in unique promotions, “out of the box” marketing campaigns, and creative design and branding to help bring in new clients and assure the loyalty of current customers. We take advantage of the creative use of promotional marketing products to drive and enhance your marketing strategies.

Generate has the full power of the Advertising Specialty Industry behind us and can therefore offer you access to over 800,000 unique marketing and promotional products. Whatever size your budget, we can help you plan your marketing or fund raising campaign,  create or clean up you logo and image, and help you find ways to get that image out into the marketing place and on the minds of your target audience.

From team and school spiritwear programs to trade show campaigns and corporate apparel, Generate has the knowledge and creativity to assure you stand out and make an impact.  Give us a call today and give us the chance to show you what we can do for your bottom line.

Check out some of the items we offer by browsing our newly launched, full search able web based showroom. You can preview items, pricing, and imprint as well as placing your order right here through the site. Browse and generate a few great ideas of you own!  As always,  be sure to call if you have questions, need samples, or for some added guidance. We are happy to be of assistance, encouragement, and inspiration.

Plan to succeed! Let Generate help.

Sincerely,

Lisa A. Gapen

Owner/Senior Sales & Marketing consultant

Generate@comcast.net

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