Since opening our doors in 2000, we’ve had the good fortune of working with thousands of clients who have engaged us to plan their promotional campaigns. We’ve also witnessed the odd promotional train wreck. After 12 years in business, we sat down and analyzed the tens of thousands of orders we have produced and identified three common mistakes that marketers  make when organizing their promotional marketing.

Problem #1/You’re Hitting the Snooze Button

You’ve spent months creating and planning a project then a week before it goes live someone asks what your giveaway is. You call “your promo guy” and tell him you need something that your customers will love and keep forever.

Oh, and you need it in three days. And, your budget is gone.

What do you get? Something small, rushed, and cheap. And it falls flat.

The Fix

Don’t let your promo be an afterthought. Sure, we’re great at coming up with stuff on the fly and getting it to you when you’re crunched for time, but that’s not how the best campaigns are run. You plan your ad spend ahead of time. You plan your events ahead of time. Why wait until the last minute to plan your promo? Bring us in early to get better ideas, a wider variety of products, and maybe even a better price.

We know it’s tempting to keep hitting snooze, but try getting up early a few times to see how much better your campaign is.

Problem #2/You’re Firing a Shotgun

You know the principle:

Marketing strategy whereby (in contrast to rifle approach) the aim is to cover as wide an area or population as possible.

This tells us that you don’t:

• know your target audience,
• have product ideas that speak to them or
• have the time to figure it out

So you go high quantity & low price and hope that your message sticks because SO many people will get it. It’s like throwing a promo hail mary. To go really wide you’re going to have to go low cost which will limit your chance to get a product that speaks to your ideal customer. You’re left handing out XL men’s shirts to an audience half-filled with women. Even if those women love your brand, those shirts will go straight into the PJ drawer.

The Fix

Understand your target audience by

• looking at the demographics
• engaging them on social media
• finding out what they like

In short, do your homework.

Be picky about who you’re giving your brand away to and focus on your core. Move your event sign-up online and ask registrants to indicate their shirt size during sign-up. Use these numbers to get a feel for your audience then order accordingly.

Problem #3/You’re missing the medium

Your boss gives you an assignment: Remind our employees that our company is a fun place to work.

You call “your promo guy” and he throws your logo on a pen or padfolio and you hand them out at meetings.

Yawn.

The Fix

Promotional marketing isn’t about putting your message on an item, it’s about making the item part of your message.

I’m actually turning into a high school english teacher as I write this, but SHOW your audience, don’t tell them.

Then add your message to it and the medium becomes your message.

	If you wan to be fun, put your brand on poppers
	If you want to capitalize on a current trend go for capsacs
	If you want to appeal to the youth market check out tuber’z

You might not commit these promo mistakes, but you probably know someone who does, so keep these tips handy in the event of a promo intervention.

Did we miss something? Or miss the mark completely? Let us know in the comments!

And, remember, Friends don’t let friends buy bad promo.

I had the pleasure of speaking at the ASI Chicago show last week to a number of advertising specialty professionals. My focus was on marketing best practices and the connections between brand leaders like Google, Zappos & Apple and the promotional products industry. This is a topic near and dear to my heart as I have always believed that business success is largely defined by the emotional connection a company has with their customers. Google, Zappos & Apple have inspired me with their approaches to marketing, branding and customer loyalty.

Many of their best practices have shown up over the years in RIGHTSLEEVE‘s approach to branding and I wanted to share some of these with you here.

My second presentation was on budget friendly marketing tips for people in the promotional products industry. If you have any additional marketing tips you wish to add, please comment below or let me know on Twitter or Google Plus.

We have been the merchandise sponsor of the Mesh conference since it started six years ago. It has been a wonderful partnership that we hope will continue for many years. We wanted to share some perspectives on the approach that was taken this year as it was particularly successful.

We have learned that a conference swag program is a success when you look around after the first day and have a “ditched to kept” swag ratio of 0 to 100. Believe me, I have been to my share of conferences where attendees conveniently “forget” their lackluster swag bag in the washroom, beside their seat, or in the hallway. Unfortunately, it’s the alarmingly high “ditched to kept” ratio at most conferences that give this industry a bad name.

Here’s what we did  to make this year’s program a success (in conjunction with the wonderful event planning firm MCC Planners and the brand aware Mesh founders).

1. Understand the target customer. We picked a bag that we knew attendees would actually use. As the target demographic was the technology community (geeky, picky, discerning swag aficionados) we knew that a bag that could serve as a grocery tote, laptop/tablet holder or even a purse for women would resonate with both genders.

2. It’s all about perceived value. The bag had high perceived value, validated by a retail price of around $50. Attendees of tech conferences are often inundated with cheap swag and many openly mock these gifts on blogs. We wanted to surprise attendees with a product they weren’t expecting.

3. Make it colourful. Most swag is produced in black or navy in an attempt to appeal to the masses. But when you aim for the middle, the results are often average at best. When people see colour, they get excited because it’s so unusual. We printed 50% of the bags in black and 50% in vibrant colours and within hours people were looking to trade their black bags for one of the coloured bags (yes, even the guys).

4. Don’t give away all the swag away at once. When delegates arrived, they were presented with their package (agenda, speaker bios, schedule, the bag) in addition to a printed voucher which entitled  them to a “limited edition” mesh T-shirt. This voucher was redeemable at a separate merchandise table (aka pop up store). People loved this because it gave them something to do and also extended the gift experience.

5. Cater to the women! We printed 7 different colours of shirts in a full size spectrum, ranging from ladies small to men’s xl. People loved the choice of colours, but the consistent comment was that “the shirts actually fit and weren’t cut to fit like a dress” or “wow, I will actually wear this shirt out tonight!” While a tshirt printed with a 1 colour logo is quite inexpensive, they were still a success due to the fact they fit, were stylishly printed and were not constructed from your typical cardboard-like cotton.

6. Merchandise like a retailer. Conference  swag doesn’t need to be squirreled away in tattered Made in China boxes when it can be nicely merchandised out in the open. Retail stores know this tactic as it’s an effective way to entice shoppers to buy. In a promotional setting where the goods are free, it’s just as important to create that sense of excitement by having a nice presentation. After all, you are asking recipients of your merchandise to walk around advertising your brand. This is all the more reason to make the experience exciting. We had access to a fantastic (and sharply dressed) volunteer team that helped merchandise and distribute the product at the merch booth. Little things like this count.

7. Engage the online community. A big part of the success of any merchandise program is gauging people’s reactions online. People increasingly turn to Flickr, Twitter, Facebook, etc to share their views with their friends. As most people like to receive free products, they usually talk about this online. Engaging with the Mesh community online about the swag was an important component of the program (examples here, here and here). One of the most powerful ways to extend a promotional products campaign is to keep it alive online. For some more thoughts on swag and social media, click here.

At the end of the day, we wanted to elevate the product and turn it into an experience. We accomplished this by creating a sense of excitement about receiving a limited edition shirt in a separate merch area as well as giving out a bag with high utility value. This was in contrast to doing swag for the sake of giving something out as people simply expect it (and often ordering it at the last minute because it wasn’t part of the initial marketing strategy).

When people get something they like, they talk about it and share stories with their friends. In the digital age, this is amplified via Twitter and Facebook, especially at a tech conference. When a promotion goes well, this translates into a great product marketing success story which attracts plenty of eyeballs – which is the whole point, isn’t it?

Photo credit (at top) Alexa Clark

Other photos, credit Kaz Ehara

I believe that it’s the little things that count in business.

Unless you are Google or Facebook and have invented a brand new business model, most industries are defined by commoditization, noise, price pressure and utter dullness. This makes it harder to stand out more than ever these days. Offering “great service, prices and quality” no longer cuts it as a point of differentiation in today’s market. This is why the businesses that truly soar ahead of the competition have figured out that customer experience is often their secret weapon.

Let me give you an example.

I just ordered business cards from moo.com, a slick, webby operation that transacts exclusively online. While their site is what you would expect from a progressive, designed oriented startup, what really sets them apart is their packaging.

I ordered 50 cards as part of a promotion with about.me (they offered to print 50 cards of my about.me profile). I have ordered scores of business cards over the years and my decision often comes down to price simply because there are so many choices. Business card printing is even more commodity driven than the Tshirt business, something I know a lot about.

Sure, the cards were well printed, but the magic was in the packaging. This is what hooked me from the moment I opened the box. Up until a few days ago, I didn’t think it was possible to be excited about business cards. Take a look at the packaging below.

Here are some lessons I take away from this experience with moo

1. Invest in good design and copy. These are the tiny details that people remember. Successful companies like Groupon know all about the power of copywriting (see New York Times article).

2. Invest in packaging or hang tags. If you are selling a Tshirt, add a hangtag (well designed) that speaks to the customer. If you are selling business cards, do what moo.com did.

3. Make it emotional. I have not stopped talking about these business cards because I was excited to learn about the moo story. They came across as real people that really cared about my business. I want to do business with people that care about what my order means to them.

4. Have a good product. Above all, your product must be good. If your product quality stinks and your customer service is horrible, it doesn’t matter if you invest in 1-3. People will see through you pretty quickly.

There’s no question that the current business climate is demanding. Competition is particularly cutthroat in mature industries where the barriers to entry are very low. However, this also represents an incredible opportunity for businesses to introduce design-based thinking to connect with and inspire their customers. As is often the case in life, it’s usually the little things we remember.

——————

ps. This post was inspired in part by my good friend Bobby Lehew’s article on Delight and Surprise.

I was invited to speak at the ASI San Diego show this past week on low cost/low hanging fruit marketing tactics. It was a fast paced session, delivered in 60 minutes (yes, 60 divided by 20 = 3 minutes per topic). I enjoyed the format as it allowed me to set up the topic in a snappy “why/how much/where” type format.

A copy of the presentation can be found below

I am asked a lot about the presentation tool I use for my sessions. I switched over to Prezi from PowerPoint about 6 months ago and I have not looked back. Prezi is an acquired taste and, admittedly, is not the easiest platform to move to if you are a dyed-in-the-wool PowerPoint veteran (as I was for years). However, once you get the hang of it, Prezi is an elegant presentation tool that gives you much more flexibility than PowerPoint’s rigid templates.

We’re excited to be supporting TwestivalTO again this year. For the uninitiated, Twestival is the world’s largest grassroots social media fundraising initiative. We’re involved in the Toronto event as that’s our home turf.

We will producing 100 limited edition T-shirts for this year’s event on March 24 at The Fifth. If you are one of the lucky first 100 people through the door, you will be the proud owner of one of these shirts.

To make these shirts really special, we need your help. We are asking that you tweet @RIGHTSLEEVE what #TwestivalTO means to you and we’ll take the best and print your handle and tweet on the back of the shirts. You will be part of history

Interested? We need your tweet by March 18 at 10am so we have enough time to design and print the shirts.

Here’s a little video to get you in the mood.

ps. in order to get your hands on one of these limited edition beauties, you actually need to be one of the first 100 people in the door at TwestivalTO (whether you tweeted at us or not).

I came across this question on Quora and it resonated with me as I’m often asked at social gatherings about “the latest and greatest swag”. After 13 years in this industry, I admittedly cringe when asked this because it’s a tough question to answer. Why? Because it depends on the audience.

For everyone’s benefit, I wanted to post my answer. I love this topic as so many people have differing opinions. Please share your thoughts below as I’d love to know about the most effective swag you have ever distributed.

Question: What are the most creative word-of-mouth swags that you’ve ever received?

Getting swag right can be a tricky thing.

On one hand, you can hand out the latest and greatest swag – the stuff that everyone is talking about (and inevitably gets copied by everyone else and you start seeing it at trade shows and conferences everywhere). Examples of this include: USB keys, hand sanitizers, “I’m not a paper cup” knockoff mugs … even mouse pads in their day were red hot. There is nothing wrong with these items, but they lose their “uniqueness” fast.

On the other hand, you can stick to enduring products that stand the test of time. Let’s consider the humble T-shirt. Everyone gives away T-shirts, yet most people still love T-shirts and will loyally wear them provided the design is tasteful. The key here is presentation and design. Our experience has demonstrated that most people would prefer a well designed T-shirt than a cheesy flashing bauble that loses its utility after a few uses. Take a look at WordPress’s excellent online merchandise store (not a client) and you will see quality, tried and true styles vs logo toasters and the latest “it swag” bandied about by the swagerati.

This is not to say that everyone should make T-shirts at the expense of other promotional items. The main point is that sometimes the best swag is the stuff that has the most utility and is well designed and presented to the end consumer.

“If you’re not boring, people will talk about your stuff.”

These are the sage words of advice from Ramon DeLeon, one of the most charismatic SMB’s I have ever met (and definitely the most flamboyant pizza franchise owner out there). I heard Ramon speak at Toronto’s Mesh Marketing conference yesterday and I was struck by how this one man has created a thriving business within an industry that most people would define as commoditized and unexceptional. He has done this by using social media properly.

Ramon is the operating partner of a six store Domino’s franchise in Chicago. He arms himself with a video camera and smart phone so he can stay in touch with his customer base in real time via Twitter, Facebook and Vimeo. He responds to customer issues online and is quick to remedy the problem with a free pizza or an amusing video response. He takes liberties with his various promotions to drive business. He sends video messages to customers on Twitter thanking them for their business. Who does this sort of thing? This ain’t your normal pizza guy.

Ramon is a purple cow, to use a term coined by Seth Godin. Ramon stands out amongst a sea of unexceptional businesses in his industry. When is the last time you went to your local chain pizza shop and really cared about the experience? Sure, there are always exceptions, but I suspect most people would count their relationship with their pizza shop as fairly standard. Ramon’s use of social media is brilliant because he has used the medium to connect on a personal level with his constituents. This drives loyalty, referrals and repeat business (even blog posts like this).

We know a lot about being in an industry (promotional products) that largely competes on price. When starting RIGHTSLEEVE, we viewed this as an opportunity to do something different and borrow from the playbooks of companies like Zappos that placed a premium on customer experience vs competing solely on price. We are inspired by entrepreneurs like Ramon as he’s paving the way for other businesses in competitive, commoditized spaces to stand out using tools that did not exist 5 years ago.

What do you think? What businesses do you know that are making waves using social media today? What do you think of Ramon’s tactics?

ps. next time you’re in Chicago, tweet Ramon and he’ll set you up with a free pizza (tell him I sent you)!

I’ve always been fascinated by the difference between mediocre products/services and ones that truly connect with customers. Carmine Gallo has a new book out called The Innovation Secrets of Steve Jobs where he focuses on 7 things that have defined Jobs’ leadership as Apple’s CEO.

Regardless of your line of work, adopting some/all of these principles can often make the difference between being part of the crowd and standing out.

1. Do What You Love.
Think differently about your career.

2. Put a Dent in the Universe.
Think differently about your vision.

3. Kick Start Your Brain.
Think differently about how you think.

4. Sell Dreams, Not Products.
Think differently about your customers.

5. Say No to 1,000 Things.
Think differently about design.

6. Create Insanely Great Experiences.
Think differently about your brand experience.

7. Master the Message.
Think differently about your story.

Every year, we sit down and think about swag and its applications in the real world.  What trends are influencing the ways people are using promotional items? What do users of promotional media gravitate towards in terms of fashion and function?

Well, we have debated these topics tirelessly over the past few weeks and have synthesized the findings into the Top Ten below.

1. “Re-thinking Products: Form & Function”

When does a to-go mug go from trash to re-usable?

Current promotional product trends look at re-thinking the way we use everyday objects and making them useful and eco-friendly – especially with the current push of carbon footprint and social responsibility in the media. Adding a bit of creative flair to the design also makes it appealing to those looking to stand out and differentiate their brand identity.

2. “What’s old is new – Retro Inspired”

An emotional connection with swag is one way of capturing attention.

It paints a story for the client as they would be familiar with the product from their own experience. It’s also a step back from regular promo gear and allows the receiver to have more fun with it – who doesn’t like a pair of neon sunglasses?

3. “Social Media and Mobile”

Infolust on the go

Smart phones, PDA, laptops – whichever piece of technology available out there, someone has got theirs hands on it so why not have your brand in their hands too.  By choosing products that relate to the current trend, it gets your message out there and becomes practical.

4. “Colors”

No more corporate colors – Red, Black, Navy.

A lot of employees are looking for exciting options for their corporate uniforms to wear at work and also for recreational use. With casual dress codes becoming more common in the workplace, the color palette is starting to change and heading more towards the seasonal colors that comes with fashion: orange, green, pink (or salmon), etc.

5. “Retail look”

Patterns, materials and details you would see at a store, are making their way into work wear. It gives the apparel a bit more personality to the person who wears it.

6. “Small Promo/Big Impact”

Good things come in small packages!

Cell phones/PDA/laptops; these are everyday items that are carried by work professionals as part of their gear. Why not have your brand be visible daily and useful at the same time, instead of sitting in another swag closet never to be seen again? Useful as a mailer as well, with little costs to ship directly to your clients. Even with a small budget, you can still have the biggest impact; it’s all how you present it.

7. “Girl Power!”

Crossovers – no more one size fits all golf shirts that wear like a dress.

Women have always been the main consumer for households. The same goes for ordering branded apparel in a corporate setting.  A lot of them are leaning toward the styles that have crossovers to suit both male/female employees. There is also a push towards more female-oriented products in the market. Patterns, Fit and cut is important and makes it appealing to the female demographic. Choose styles that differentiate between men and women’s apparel.

8. “Eco but cheap”

Eco-friendly products have become more standard with products these days.  Not everyone has the budget to spend on organic cotton tees or bamboo woven bags. But that doesn’t mean that you should be left out of the mix. Useful everyday items are getting the eco makeover while helping stick with your bottom line.

9. “Custom made Easy”

Want your self-promo to stand out from the rest? Don’t have the time or quantities needed?

There are new product lines that allow for full customization without the long timeline and higher minimums.  Sometimes there just aren’t enough hours in the day – but that doesn’t mean you should sacrifice quality of your brand with the same old 1 color/1 location.

10. “New Materials”

Bamboo, coconut, recycled tires, kraft paper, neoprene, jute and poo!

Using non-traditional materials is another differentiating factor in rethinking products: form and function (trend#1). New materials/textiles are making their way into the industry and create interesting stories within the products themselves – promoting organic solutions (bio-energy), why not hand out a journal made from elephant poop?

It will definitely get people talking and take you to the next level with your client.