5 Questions You Need To Ask Before Your Next Promotional Campaign

5 questions to ask before your promo campaign

We have all been there.  You have an event or promotion coming up, and someone in your organization runs up to you frantically and says “We need something to hand out!”

It’s the last minute!  So you scramble to find the number of people that are going to attend (hopefully) and a budget and find things that fit in that box.  You get “something” that fills the need, but frankly, does not delight. As Dr. Phil would say, “How’s that workin for ya?”

So how do you create a Promotional campaign that makes a real impact?  How do you create the campaign that has your customers talking and keeps them coming back for more?  The answer is “better questions.”   When you are starting your discussions, you need to think deeper.  Of course you want to know the budget.  Yes you need to understand that number of prospects and customers you want to reach.  And yes it would be super helpful to know the logo, the number of colors, and the messaging.  These are all good…but they are basic.

Here are 5 questions to consider if you want to take your Promo to Pro Level.

How do you want your customers/prospects to feel?

I absolutely love this question.  It really makes you consider the impact you are trying to make.  Do you want customers to feel appreciated?  Do you want them to be shocked?  Do you want them to laugh?  By getting introspective on this question you have a real opportunity to consider what premium will be the perfect item to get inside that emotion.

What action do you want your customers to take? 

Studies will tell you that adding Promotional Premiums to a campaign increases the chances that a prospect or customer will take action.  So what do you want them to do?  Does this item or items increase the chance (in your mind) that it will happen?

What is the overall theme of the event? 

This can be basic, but I am amazed at how many people ignore the theme of an event.  It can give you a place to jump off from when it comes to creative.  Or you can create a theme of your own!  What do you want customers to remember?

Who EXACTLY are you trying to reach?

Dig in here and be specific.  Maybe you don’t want to reach everyone at the event.  If not, maybe you should create a VIP gift that you only give to legitimate prospects.  Either way, do it on purpose.

Where do you envision your customers using the item? 

I find this is a great way to narrow down what is a perfect item.  If you want to reach an audience that sits at a desk all day, then picture what they see all day.  What would make their life easier or more fulfilled.  Do that. These are just a few important questions that you need to ask yourself before creating a campaign or purchasing any item.  They don’t take long to consider and they will make a huge difference in your next event!

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Written by: Kirby Hasseman

Kirby Hasseman is the CEO of Hasseman Marketing & Communications. Kirby hosts a weekly Web show called Delivering Marketing Joy where he interviews business leaders from around the country. Kirby has published four books. His most recent is “Fan of Happy.” His book, called "Delivering Marketing Joy" is about doing “promo right” and is perfect for people in the industry and customers. He also wrote “Think Big For Small Business” and “Give Your Way to Success. All are available on Amazon.