I recently attended HUG 2010 a users group conference put on by inbound marketing company Hubspot. Hubspot provides software to help small and medium size companies get found on the Internet. They are all about marketing they live and breath it, their CEO just published a book "Marketing Lessons From the Grateful Dead"
Hubspot is completely focused on Inbound marketing; their entire model is about getting found online. all their primary marketing is Internet based, they focus on creating content, blogging like crazy, and doing all the things required to get found on the Internet.
These guys are pros, they know what they're doing, they understand that marketing is a continuous process; that secondary marketing, the kind that increases brand awareness and name recognition, is easy and inexpensive with promotional merchandise like promotional mugs. Thats why the minute we checked in, every attendee and there were hundreds, got a bag full of swag. Promotional mugs, Shirts, lanyards, and mini bumper stickers, why spend money on swag? Because it works.
Primary Marketing is about getting found and generating leads, secondary marketing is about maintaining brand awareness and increasing name recognition which generates referrals. Promotional merchandise is secondary marketing, itkeeps your brand in front of customers and penetrates their sub conscience. Once the brand lives in the sub conscience mind its the first thing customers think about when they hear certain key words.
The Hubspot formula for success includes Inbound marketing and secondary marketing with promotional merchandise to keep their brand "top of mind". What's your company's formula, and how can you use print and promotional merchandise to keep your brand "top of Mind"?