I can’t tell you how often we get clients contacting us without a plan on how or even why they are going to use the promotional products they want to order. They just know they need them to help expose their brand. Below you will find four great case studies to help stimulate your thought process before your next promotional purchase.
Product Number: 137
Description: Phone Stand
Industry: Tradeshow
Use: A tech supplier was in need of giveaways for an industry tradeshow. They needed something inexpensive yet useful to their audience.
How was it distributed: The phone holders were handed out at the booth, and folks from around the exhibit hall came around just to find out what these things were.
Result or ROI: They were very impressed! Best of all they drew in the right people to the booth and gave a chance to give them the “pitch”. Great idea!
Product Number: 7039
Description: Auto Safety Kit
Industry: Banking
Use: A gift that was not gender specific and was useful and could be branded and had a high-perception of value.
How was it distributed: A Distributor was working with a bank who asked them to bring to them ideas for an incentive gift. The bank wanted to set-up an incentive gift to give to new depositors who opened a new account at the bank for over $1,000.00. They were looking for an item that would be useful and a gift that would have a high perceived value. The gift had to be one that would work for both men and women. The bank had established a budget of $20.00 per item. The bank projected that over a 2 month period they would set a goal of 200 new accounts. Obviously, this item would need to have the bank logo on it, so it would need to be branded.
The distributor came to HIT Promotional Products for ideas and they decided on HIT Item no. 7039, Auto Safety Kit. This product addressed all the parameters that had been set-forth by the bank. A gift that was not gender specific and was useful and could be branded and had a high-perception of value.
Result or ROI: The bank was able to achieve their goal of 200 new depositors in less than the 2 month time period they had targeted.
Product Number: 132
Description: Rubberized LED Flashlight with Clip
Industry: Credit Union
Use: A credit union needed something to hand out at a college campus for a promotion of student loans. They needed something that would be useful to students and would stay with them wherever they went. An item on a key ring would help with ongoing visibility, and flashlights could be useful for students who find themselves out at night more often. The style of the 132 had strong potential to appeal to college students.
How was it distributed: The 132s were handed out on campus during the credit union’s visit. Students were invited to come to the credit union’s table and hear a quick pitch about student loans, followed by a free flashlight key tag gift with the credit union’s brand.
Result or ROI: Over 1,000 flashlights were handed out to students, which went on many students’ key rings, keeping the credit union’s brand fresh in their minds.
Product Number: 1200
Description: Plush Big Paw Bear with Shirt
Industry: Insurance
Use: Insurance is a product/Service that most end users or targets do not like to talk about. It is a necessary evil for most people. To most people this means that they need to spend money for insurance on what they may never get a return on their investment.
In general, Plush is an instant gratification category. Give someone a teddy bear and you will see that it puts a smile on anyone’s face immediately. OR, long enough to break the ice to chat about the service, in this case insurance, that a company is trying to sell to customers.
How was it distributed: The referral process is huge in the insurance agency. So this top 5 Insurance Company gives away a set of teddy bears on the day of signing the documents for whatever insurance plan that a family signs up for.
Walk into any branch location, sign up for the New Homeowner’s policy and receive a free teddy bear, hence softening the perception of insurance and most importantly putting a smile on the face of the new policy holder.
Result or ROI: The Franchisee offices continue to reorder the teddy bear because insurance is a very tough sell in today’s world, and new customers are walking out with a smile on their face. The gifts have enabled the agents to build a rapport and work on future referrals. Now they are not just the insurance agent, but leave customers with a positive image and a feeling of friendship.
When purchasing promotional items you need to put together a plan and track your results to ensure your marketing dollars are working toward your goals.
Tim Somers
Bizarre Marketing
Leave a Reply