Posted by Chris Higgins on Thu, Jun 10, 2010 @ 08:19 AM
Sunday morning; things are quiet, people are moving slowly, sleeping in, taking a break from the just finished week of work while gearing up for the next. Many businesses are closed and almost every marketing department is off for the day, but printing continues to work 24/7 promoting your brand and embedding it into the sub conscience of consumers and buyers everywhere.
Recently I came across a unique and novel way to win the race for eyeballs on Sunday morning; package the Sunday paper in a full color custom printed package that promotes your brand and products. These days with the race for eyeballs raging everyday, getting there first is almost as important as getting there at all. When the first thing someone sees on Sunday morning is your logo and your brand you've won.
Not only do you win the race but like other forms of promotional merchandise or promotional advertising you control the audience and you can even measure the results. Like a desk pad calendar or a personalized USB you decide who receives your promotional message and you can include a direct response mechanism to measure your results.
The printed package that landed on my doorstep was a full color advertisement for mayonnaise of all things. The bag holding the paper was a full color advertisement and it included two extra compartments one for an actual product sample and the other for a bar coded discount coupon that you can bet can measure the effectiveness of the promotion down to the zip code if not the actual address.
Printing is everywhere, it can be loud and bold, or soft and discreet, but most of all it provides a way to completely control your advertising and brand promotion. Unlike TV and Radio with printing you control the audience, you decide who receives your promotion and with printing theres no limit to the way you deliver the message.
Printing is everywhere, it's one of the most versatile ways to promote your brand. Have you seen any unique and unexpected ways printing is used to grab your attention and convey a message, if so let us know we want to check it out and let everyone else know.
Posted by Jack Valentine on Wed, Jun 09, 2010 @ 08:59 PM
The printing revolution went edible years ago; We're all familiar with how our local supermarket bakeries can reproduce photographs on thin layers of sugar paper for cake decoration. But printing on pizza is a brand new phenomenon.
Who'd want a company logo slapped in the epicenter of their large extra-cheese, basil, tomato and garlic pie? Well, the NBA is betting that team-branded pizzas will be in huge demand at their concession stands, with fans eagerly coughing up an extra five bucks for a souvenir that will be inside their small instestines within minutes.
You know what advertising medium works far better than gimmicky pizza branding -- and also lasts a lot longer?
Customized desk pad calendars -- especially when they are tailored to your customers' specific industry and contain relevant job-related dates they won't want to forget.
Desk pad calendars, given away free to your most valuable clients, never get outdated. Well, they naturally do, at the end of the year (or 15 months, depending on what you choose). But when that last month is about to torn off, your customers hopefully will be expecting a replacement from you.
Featuring your logo and contact information, desk pad calendars allow you to be part of your next repeat customer's work environment 24/7. It's not annoying and aggressive advertising, like telemarketing. Desk pad calendars are patient: they say "Hey, I'm here whenever you need me."
Personally, I love to use a desk pad calendar. I'm a doodler and a scribbler and am always frantically searching for scrap paper to jot down a phone number. And at the end of the month -- WALLA! -- clean slate.
Check out some of these desk pad calendar designs for ideas on how to silently put them to work for you. There's no pressure to be sexy (these calendars by another printer are really over the top). You just need to come across as helpful.
And the best thing about desk pad calendars? Unlike printed pizza, these calendars won't burn the roof of your mouth! No calories, either.
Posted by Chris Higgins on Mon, May 24, 2010 @ 08:12 AM
In keeping with the theme of putting your brand in front of as many people as possible and keeping it there as long as possible the functional, attractive desk pad calendar is one of the best values around. How else can you keep your brand and contact information in front of your target audience 365 days a year?
Any desk pad calendar is useful but to be truly effective it should also be attractive and eye catching. Give them something nice to look at and they'll look at it over and over again, cementing your brand into their subconscious. Color and photographs are a great way to make your desk pad calendar stand out and earn a key spot front and center on your target audience's desk.
The example below shows the concept perfectly. This title company in Southern California gets a lot of referrals from real estate agents in their market area. They wanted to create a product to constantly remind those agents of their brand, in order to increase the flow of traffic to their offices. They recognized that a promotional desk pad calendar would provide the most long term exposure because people use calendars every day of the year, but they also wanted to make sure it was appealing to look at and more attractive than other alternatives.
People sitting at a desk often day dream about being somewhere else with a better view. Including photos of beautiful places won't take them there, but it's the next best thing. By incorporating their logo and brand information side by side with cool photos of their local environment they created a desk pad calendar that their target audience wants to look at and the more they look at it the more they remember the brand, that's exactly the point isn't it.
Posted by Chris Higgins on Thu, Apr 29, 2010 @ 09:53 AM
My son is twelve years old, we recently went on a sailing vacation, on the second day he asked "hey dad what's Lewmar, are they a company that makes a bunch of stuff for boats?" He'd never heard of Lewmar and unless you spend a lot of time around boats chances are you haven't either, now he knows the company and what they do because they engrave their name on all their products. this is one of the keys to creating a brand put your name where people will see it and remember it.
Presentation folders are an inexpensive and effective way to put your name where people will see it. These days every transaction includes lot's of documents, from instruction manuals, to spec sheets, contracts to legal documents, sales sheets to quotes and FAQ sheets, almost any kind of document you can think of. Use a presentation folder or document folder to package these documents, give them to customers and your brand continues to grow.
Retailers use this strategy all the time walk into any mall and look at the bags people are carrying around. Everyone of them is emblazoned with a retailers name and logo, ultimately the bag will end up in the trash at someone's home, but until it gets to it's final resting place it does the job of promoting the brand by keeping the name where people will see it.
It's simple really keep your name, logo, brand in front of as many people as possible and keep it there as long as possible; it will be remembered and your name recognition and brand will grow. Whether it's a presentation folder, a document holder, a desk pad calendar, or a personalized usb drive, each time you put the brand where people will see it, the brand continues to grow. If you question whether this strategy works walk into a Starbucks and ask yourself why they bother to imprint their color logo on every napkin in the store.
Posted by Jack Valentine on Thu, Apr 08, 2010 @ 05:27 AM
Imagine that your favorite clients, the ones who keep giving you repeat business, gave you permission to put a giant promotional billboard in their offices -- reminding them to call you.
Well, in many cases, you not only have permission, but your advertising will be wholeheartedly welcomed. Amazingly, you only have to pay for the billboard and not the advertising space itself!
Despite the popularity of BlackBerries and computer calendar programs, nothing keeps employees more focused than a desk pad calendar. It's more personal than a computer screen, won't crash if the power or Internet goes down, and gives you a quick visual overview of everything on your plate.
Plus, it's a giant doodle pad, giving employees a place to jot down phone numbers and password reminders (encrypted, of course) they always want to be in front of them.
This Oregon title company went one step further and gave its real estate clients a handy directory of municipal phone numbers and zip codes that are used every day. Give away a useful promotional item to your clients and they honestly won't even see it as intrusive advertising.
Handsome desk pad calendars are mounted on thick, heavy cardboard and reinforced with durable plastic corners to keep everything neat and tidy. You can customize them with 4 color printing for much less than you might think, photographs and vibrant colors will really make your desk pad calendar stand out.
So what do you want your theme to be? This same title company's California office opted to combine American patriotism with a handy chart of their rates. First American's bald eagle logo seems to be a logical fit with the Stars & Stripes.
Customizing your promotional calendar offers a wide range of creative opportunities for layout. Check out how this title company utilized the empty calendar boxes to showcase vibrant photographs.
If you are a real estate agent who specializes in luxury homes, why not fill these boxes with some of the properties you have sold over the past year? If you sell life insurance policies, these spots are perfect for family photos of grandparents and grandchildren, weddings, birthday parties and life cycle events.
Savvy marketers seize every opportunity to put their brand in front of their customers. In addition to reminding clients who their service rep is, Stewart Title also gives them a solid reason to want to keep this calendar on the desk over any other. It has convenient reminders for when the courthouses are closed and monthly deadlines for refinancing.
Customers appreciate when you cater to their specific needs and don't treat them as a generic revenue source. Customizing desk pad calendars by industry makes a lot of marketing sense.
Embracing its Florida location, this agency chose to embrace a cheery disposition. But it also good-naturedly acknowledges the disadvantages of living in the Sunshine State -- especially from an insurance perspective.
The rainy months of April, May and June include reminders to check up on flood insurance coverage and tips on preparing for Hurricane Season!
Right now is actually Calendar Buying Season as many sales staffs like to hand out brand new desk pad calendars in the fall. Often you can find early order discounts for promotional calendars, which offer a phenomenal return on investment considering they provide nonstop -- but subtle and unobtrusive -- advertising for your business.
Put desk pad calendars on customers and clients desk's today and generate business and inquiries all year long.
Posted by Jack Valentine on Wed, Mar 17, 2010 @ 04:57 PM
The Boston Globe just documented why the Boston Red Sox are not only talented on the field, but happen to be some of the savviest marketers in the sports and entertainment business.
If you happen to live in New England, you know that Red Sox tickets are nearly impossible to buy at face value. Unless you get lucky with occasional Website lotteries, you absolutely have to know somebody or know somebody who knows somebody to even have the opportunity to purchase overpriced box seats.
So if Fenway Park sells out every night, why are the Red Sox bothering to advertise at all -- let alone turn a mundane moving van into a marketing/branding billboard on wheels?
The reason is that you can't rest on your laurels. Every opportunity needs to be maximized as a marketing opportunity. The Red Sox, with scouts in Korea, Japan and throughout the Carribbean, are a global brand with a global fan base. Every motorist who lays eyes on that truck -- from Boston to Florida -- ia a potential customer of Sox hats, jerseys, sweatpants, etc.
The Red Sox, heavily pushing a sponsorship deal with Jet Blue, also went crazy with promotional giveaway items such as these foam sports fan #1 fingers:
If you want to give away a fun souvenir at your marketing event, context is everything. At a sports event, foam fingers make all the sense in the world. People will naturally be drawn to them and won't need any prodding to use them and get your branding message out there.
On the beach, opt for printing your logo and slogan on a personalized umbrella and watch the mobs scramble for shade under your marketing pitch. At a computer or biotech trade show, potential clients will gobble up promotional USB flash drives.
At a seminar where participants are being bombarded with documents and paperwork, perhaps a branded presentation folder or accordion folder will make you somewhat of an organizational hero.
Remember to brand yourself the Red Sox way. Even the most mundane events, such as a truck moving equipment from point A to point B, can present itself as a tremendous marketing opportunity!
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Photo credits: The Boston Globe's "Red Sox Truck Day" Slideshow
Posted by Jack Valentine on Fri, Feb 26, 2010 @ 10:36 AM
Two months ago, many of you may not have ever heard of Scott Brown. Now the new U.S. Senator from Massachusetts has his own action figure, has been spoofed on Saturday Night Live (for his good looks and sex appeal), and is even making political appearances in Arizona to boost the re-election bid of Sen. John McCain.
Now, we're going to deftly stay out of politics on this blog. As long they are pro-America, we frankly don't care what ideology our customers subscribe to! But the recent Scott Brown election carries branding and advertising lessons that go way beyond the Democrat-Republican divide.
With the rare exception of the governor's office, Republicans seldom win in Massachusetts. The state Senate now only has FOUR Republicans. It likely is the most lopsided government body in America. Consequently, any Republican running for statewide or national office in the Bay State is not only an underdog, but a Rocky Balboa kind of of underdog.
Having front row seats for this past election, the most amazing thing about Brown's comeback against favorite Martha Coakley, was the heavy focus on printing to promote his brand, specifically his lawn signs. Talk radio was flooded with calls from people saying that the campaign had run out of signs. Official campaign bumper stickers were heavily sought-after merchandise, too.
As the Scott Brown campaign experienced the utopian feeling of having supporter demand outstrip their supply, Massachusetts voters made their own homemade signs with markers and posterboard. The media always uses political lawn signs and bumper stickers as a barometer of grassroots support, but in this election even more so. The pundits kept citing the dramatic imbalance of posted lawn signs and stickers as evidence that the Brown campaign was gaining momentum and might be much stronger than any of the "experts" gave them credit for.
For us, aside from regrets that we weren't one of the printing vendors for the Scott Brown campaign, this historic election was an exciting indicator that old-fashioned printing still wields massive branding power in the Internet Age. Before the Revolutionary War, patriot Thomas Paine relied on the printing press to challenge British tyranny with his "Common Sense" newspaper.
And three centuries later, we're still using printing to promote our ideas and challenge our competition.
The great thing is that you need not be a revolutionary to harness the power of printing. Maybe your big battle is to modestly become the most dominant real estate agent or insurance agent in your region. Branding your document folders and custom presentation folders with your logo and slogan serves the same purpose as a political lawn sign.
Everytime your prospective client glances at their documents, they'll think of you!
Oh, one more thing, it looks like Scott Brown is a huge fan of promotional merchandise. Everytime you sit on your tush, you'll think of him:
Posted by Jack Valentine on Mon, Jan 11, 2010 @ 11:42 AM
With the possible exception of Google relying on brochure printing to advertise Google Ads, you don't get more ironic than this...
Twitter addicts are now choosing to permanently immortalize their tweets in an old-fashioned coffee table book. The publisher, TweetBookz.com, will capture your last 200 Twitter messages in the $30 hardcover books -- melodramatically including one Tweet per page as if it were a haiku or poetry book.
Emails, texting and Twitter have pretty much collectively slaughtered the art of the handwritten note. Meanwhile, the media is going bonkers over the Amazon Kindle, the so-called electronic book. Yet, people are seemingly yearning for the simplicity of a letter and the comfortable feel of a real book.
The TweetBookz make the Twitter feeds feel permanent because they are constantly visible, not shuffled away by the next infusion of Twittering babble.
The same principle applies to marketing and advertising your business. A snazzy, handsome printed brochure may sit on someone's desk for months, serving as a reminder to call you.
A branded desk pad calendar never stops subconsciously marketing 24/7/365. A branded presentation folder or document folder -- which serve a practical role of keeping your paperwork organized for the client -- will get stared at far longer than a Web site ad.
And get stared at much much longer than a fleeting Tweet!
Posted by Chris Higgins on Thu, Dec 31, 2009 @ 11:15 AM
I went to Autozone the other day to get some new wiper blades, while there picked up a five gallon bucket for $4.99. A few days later I was carrying the bucket to my local service station when I realized that I'd become a walking billboard for Autozone. The Autozone logo is printed around the entire outside of the bucket in their bright orange color, every person I pass carrying that bucket is exposed to the Autozone brand. The beauty of it for Autozone is that instead of paying me to market their product, I actually paid them.
We recently published an article about Jason Sadler and his company IWearYourShirt.com. He created the ideal job for himself, he gets company's to pay him for wearing a T shirt that promotes their brand. Granted he does a bit more than just wear the T shirt, he also blogs and tweets about the brand while wearing the T shirt, but the bottom line is they pay him to wear a T shirt and become a walking billboard. Autozone does the same thing with their five gallon buckets, the difference is I paid them to promote their brand.
I didn't think about it at the time, I needed a bucket and they had one. Marketing, advertising, and branding are about exposure and multiple impressions that create name recognition. What better way to create multiple impressions than to put your brand on products people use every day, and if you can actually get customers to pay for those products you might be able to change marketing from an expense to a profit center.
This is the beauty of promotional merchandise, promotional products, and printing for that matter, they are great ways to promote your brand and get your message in front of a targeted audience. If you give a customer a promotional mug, a personalized mouse pad, or even a well designed pocket folder, not only do you give them something they can and will use, but you're also promoting your brand to everyone they come in contact with.
Promoting your brand with everyday products that people actually use is like free advertising. You expose your message to everyone they come in contact with, and the longer your promotional merchandise is used the longer your message stays alive.
Posted by Jack Valentine on Wed, Dec 16, 2009 @ 08:45 PM
The above souvenir postcard is from the Classical Gardens of Suzhou, China, which is a United Nations World Heritage site. But take a closer look. It's not just a postcard.
The detachable yellow portion is an admission ticket.
The Chinese tourism bureau is a savvy marketing and branding machine.
Not only are they giving you a stylish souvenir for your vacation album, which will no doubt be shared with countless family and friends, but they are also making it easy for you -- tempting even -- to suggest this location to the next potential tourist.
Postcards are the ultimate promotional printing vehicle because people keep them FOREVER. Take a look at the collectible postcard listings on eBay. The most fascinating aspect is the desirability of advertising postcards -- ones that make no effort to camouflage themselves as collectible souvenirs.
Who would ever have imagined that a Texaco oil change postcard would last for almost 60 YEARS?!
A good advertising postcard only needs two elements:
1. An uncluttered, attractive image; and
2. A Call To Action.
The Chinese tourist postcard screams COME VISIT ME! And if it is sent from a friend, it has more word-of-mouth power than a billion brochures. The Texaco card, in a funny cartoon, reminds people they need to take care of their cars in the cold weather.
Using either a funny image or a gorgeous tourist picture (if your town or city has even a semi-famous attraction) can guarantee that your promotional postcard doesn't immediately wind up in the trash.
And using the Chinese garden model, if you attach a ticket/coupon, or include a discount offer printed on the back, you have your Call To Action.
These same principles apply to pocket folders and mini pocket folders used to give your customers information or their receipts. Give people a reason to keep your promotional business printing and they WILL keep it and they WILL think of you the next time they need your goods or services.
Now, back to the Texaco card, does anyone out there manufacture sweaters for cars? Seems like another golden business opportunity!