Once upon a time traditional media - TV, radio, print and outdoor billboard advertising - were regarded as the foundation for any marketing campaign. Promotional Products were simply giveaways tacked on to a media buy as an afterthought - but not any more. In a down economy, the demand for marketing dollars accountability is forcing marketers to explore nontraditional media and mediums. Promotional Products are just the answer. Promotional Products are tangible. Buyers can see what they get for their money. The more you can influence the emotions of a prospect, the better you are positioned. Promotional products do just that! They are more effective than other media because they excite the senses.
Yesterday afternoon I was on my way to the Air Canada Centre to see the Toronto Raptors play the Utah Jazz. Even though it was a Sunday I had my marketing cap on. I have to give accolades to the brand manager at Colgate who is responsible for Irish Spring. On the corner of Bay and Front Street there was an Irish Spring Street Team doing product sampling. The team members were well branded with hats, jackets and sampling bags and were handing out sample sizes of Irish Spring Body Wash.
Now on the surface this seemed like any other traditional sampling opportunity. The difference however is that Irish Spring sponsors the Raptors Dance Pak (http://www.nba.com/raptors/features/dancepak0809.html). By using the sampling opportunity as a first point of contact with the potential consumer and then reinforcing it with their involvement in the Dance Pak it only helped to better position itself in the consumer's mind. I mentioned this experience to a colleague of mine who has been to numerous Raptor games this year and she had no idea that Irish Spring was the sponsor. I bet you that if she got a sample yesterday and then went to the game she would have put two and two together.
It doesn’t take a lot of creativity to stand out in a crowded marketplace. You just have to have a well thought out comprehensive marketing plan. Do you think a billboard outside the ACC that cost 10 x as much as the uniforms and samples would have made a well informed marketer like me take notice? Doubt it...so what do you think the ROI on the billboard for the average consumer would have been??
Let me know what you think!
Scott Hulbert
Managing Director
ideavation
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