Experts claim the recession is receding, but business is still
a challenge for most companies. You can power your organization
forward in 2010 despite this lag with these economical ideas for
effective promotions.
 Creatively maximize marketing dollars. What regular
supplies in your business could work functionally and promotionally?
Rather than buying plain sticky
notes or pencils for your office staff, choose
imprinted versions that do double-duty as leave-behind gifts for
your customers. Retailers can substitute inexpensive
imprinted burlap totes for disposable paper bags when a customer
spends $50 or more. We can examine your everyday supply
needs and recommend ways to cost-effectively leverage them for
promotional purposes.
Stay consistent. We’ve
said it before: you
must continue to build customer relationships even when budgets
are tight. Quarterly promotions remind
customers of your company so that they’ll be ready to buy
again when times are better. Planning for a 2010 series promotion
allows us to watch for suitable supplier specials that can be
snapped up for your ongoing outreach efforts.
 Showcase successes. Now
is the time to share examples of work you’ve completed that helped save money
or improve efficiency. Consider, for example, Walmart’s campaign, “Save
Money. Live Better.” In what ways does your business provide
cost savings to your customers? A promotional product with
a clever tagline can tangibly reinforce the concept. Rulers,
piggy banks, calculators all
symbolically say that your product or service provides ROI.
 Avoid last-minute orders. Rush
charges and expedited shipping sap your budget without providing
real value. Let’s
look ahead at your calendar of events/campaigns to eliminate such
waste. (When those unavoidable 12th hour emergencies do occur,
however, our preferred suppliers have stocked, ready-to-ship merchandise
that’s reasonably priced.)
Lock-in discounts. Whenever
you plan promotions in advance, there’s the potential for quantity discounts.
For example, the item you want to hand out at this month’s
festival could also be used for next quarter’s trade show.
We can even hold and release the product for you on an as-needed
basis.
Give me a call today so that we pinpoint specific ways to make 2010
the year you replace recessionary blues with recovery green.
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