Promo Products as a complement to your digital strategy

We all want more clicks, likes and traffic.  Companies have invested heavily in to the digital marketplace to build brand ambassadors and drive revenue to the extent that traditional Ad spending - T.V., print, etc - has been pushed aside for digital content and social media responses.

I would contest that digital-centric marketing can be pushed to higher levels by mixing in message builders such as promotional products to help drive business.  Look to bloggers as a perfect example of how brands have leveraged branded items to push recognition through blog programs.  My wife is the epitome of this, her website www.missinformationblog.com was built as a recipe/DIY site that made recommendations and reviews of certain things.

Brands would send branded merchandise to her as a thank you gift or an invitation to check out their products - and drive viewers back to their sites.  Recommendation selling in the consumer products industry has increased due to mixing promo with digital to increase sales.

Want to blow up a hashtag - try a T-Shirt, you get a walking billboard for your brand and it's message.  Better yet, post to Instagram someone wearing your hashtag shirt in public, then you have something cool.

Don't forget branded items folks - remember that you can't keep a banner advertisement on someone's desk every day to remind them of your awesomeness!  For more info, check out this article in Forbes on Promo Items:

Small Biz ideas to promote your brand - hint, this is one of em!

Small business has it rough, let's face it.  Usually it's a skeleton crew - usually one person - who wears ALL the hats trying to get that ball rolling downhill.  I know, it's not easy, heck I'm pushing that sucker myself.

It's especially difficult when small businesses are trying to get a little publication online to drive traffic.  Here are a few ideas that I have also implemented (hence my typing here) which have helped traffic and local notoriety for my business - and can for you this year.

25 ways to promote your Brand

Remember to start locally to grow in your SEO and PR efforts. And always include branded items to extend your reach through Whiteboard Promotions!

Can a promo product define a movement?

Yes, I know, weird question right.  Of course not, there has to be a brand message and a campaign to spread that message dummy.

All of that is true, however I would argue that the right promotional product can bring a personal element to a movement to such an extent, that the product is the driver of the message.  People forget that promotional products have a large impression ratio - think. about walking billboards, i.e. T-shirts as a prime example of wearing your brand out.

Live Strong

Lance Armstrong created this non-profit in 1997 to support people affected by cancer.  Armstrong, a cancer survivor and professional cyclist worked with Nike in 2004 to raise money and brand awareness for cancer patients.

A simple silicone bracelet went on to sell through 80 million bracelets, and Live Strong has become synonymous with healthy living and personal strength.  The simple bracelet has gone on to raise funds for hundreds of organizations and causes - as a symbol of strength, perseverance and in my case, a reminder to Pay It Forward.

MAGA

As some say, don't hate the player, hate the game.  Well, when it comes to the 45th President of the United States, that statement doesn't often hold water as he is the most controversial President in our lifetime.  That doesn't discount that he took a simple phrase, Make America Great Again in to a marketing powerhouse - all driven by a simple, red hat.  The hat quickly became an iconic promo product for Trump supporters, and the visual symbol of his entire campaign.  A simple red cap that literally was picked because it fit the President's head the best, defined his campaign and now his administration.

Your brand can be personalized by the right promotional item, let Whiteboard Promotions extend your brand's reach through branded items that define your brand.

Tale of two Brand Pimps

Giving your brand a personality is an important aspect of your marketing mix.  A brand has to be able to relate on a human level to establish trust and long-term value with your customer base.  Big brands such as Coca-Cola, McDonald's, Budweiser and Disney have excelled in extending their brand to  a personal level.  Whether it's what you ask for in the South when wanting soda, Ronald and Mickey, or the beloved Clydesdales, brands that achieve a personality are winning the game.

However, there are some Brands where it may be better if the stuck to product development than going over the top with brand personalization.  Lately, two individuals have been pimping their brands in colorful - and in one case outrageous - ways.

LaVar Ball and the Big Baller Brand

Let's face it, we all have the ability to be that Soccer Mom or loud Sports Dad - I am well aware of my reputation with both of my boys!  But LaVar Ball makes me look like a saint when it comes to his boys and the Big Baller Brand.

He's brash, loud, obnoxious, completely loyal to his sons, and an outspoken Brand ambassador.  He should be, he created it!  Unfortunately, the Big Baller Brand is basically that, a tagline brand as their products - basketball shoes and sportswear - have been underwhelming and the company has been given an F by the Better Business Bureau.  Don't say that to LaVar though, as he stays true to his brand better than anyone - just that he should have paid more attention to the product line and delivery instead of pimping his company and his sons' basketball skills.

John Legere and T-Mobile

As opposed to the BBB legend LaVar Ball, John Legere is colorful in his own way, literally.  The T-Mobile CEO bleeds his company's Magenta brand color with everything that he has.  He has mastered the ability to blend promo products in to marketing mix, leveraging magenta-colored branded items in his social media posts, using promo products as motivators to employees and gifts to customers for loyalty.  He has created a persona that typifies T-Mobile's mission as a wireless disruptor - and its CEO is the epitome of that personality.  He's brash, exciting, apparently a cook, and all-in on brand extension - fun to watch and follow online

The lesson is that you can be an asset to your Brand's messaging as John Legere continues to do, or with your personality traits, tarnish an aspiring brand with an over-the-top and abrasive style.  Stay true to your message and utilize promo products to extend your reach on a one-to-one basis with your customers, employees and stakeholders. 

For more ideas about how to implement promo items in to your branding programs, go to Whiteboard Promotions.

Uh oh, we got a trade show coming up?

It's trade show season and we all know how crazy this time of year can be.  Brands are anxious to show off the latest and greatest gizmo or service that they have for 2018, and build all their collateral, digital content and trade show booths to be the stars of the show.

But what about the other stuff, you know the giveaways?  I hate to say it, but that's usually the last thing on the to-do lists of event managers.  I know what people say, it's just junk to give away.... wrong. 

Traffic Builders

Remember, promotional items, custom apparel, even the lanyards, these are all extensions of your Brand and make a lasting impression with end users.  Look at your desk, dollars to donuts you have a favorite pen or tumbler with somebody's logo on it.  Extend your brand's reach by seriously looking at new and exciting branded items which will drive traffic to your booth AND extend your brand beyond the few minutes at your booth. 

We've come up with some creative ideas to help extend that reach Here!