by Kirby Hasseman
Welcome to our awesome blog post series for Hasseman Marketing called:
“Brand-ecdotes!”
Each week we will talk to a branding all star about what makes the Promotional Product advertising media so special!
This week we talk with Dana Geiger. Dana is the Regional Relationship Manager for PPAI. She is a rock star with tons of experience and knowledge in the Promo World!
1. What is your all time favorite Promotional Product and why?
The mug. It’s not a sexy answer, I realize. But people identify with mugs. I choose a mug each morning from my overly cluttered mug cabinet that reflects my mood. I have some pretty irreverent mugs.
2. Can you name a Promo Product that you have that STILL reminds you fondly of an event, person, organization? If so, can you tell us that story?
I have a windbreaker from about 10 years ago. I know now that it is a Charles River piece that retails for about 34.99. It was given to me as an incentive prize for raising money for the Alzheimer’s Association. But it is so much more than all of that. Each dollar I raised that EARNED in pursuit of that windbreaker was another opportunity to tell people about my grandmother. As such, that windbreaker connects me to her memory. I feel happier when I wear it. And yes, I actually do wear it.
3. What is the current product you use all the time?
A silicone tech wallet. I have been through many of them (I am tough on phones). I travel fairly frequently and often find myself wanting to carry as few items as possible. The tech wallet makes this easy. I always know where to find my room key, my ID, and a credit card.
4. What is an idea/product that you think organizations UNDER use?
I think many companies underestimate how products they choose reflect upon their brand. Without sounding critical, I think many companies are lazy about the products they and more importantly, are even lazier with the messaging they put on those products. A well thought-out, clever product and message choice will not only reinforce a brand subconsciously set the company apart from others almost guaranteeing a future partnership with the consumer.
5. What do you think is the best thing about Promotional Products as an advertising media?
Promotional products are not only the most effective form of advertising, they are also the most ingratiating. Not only can marketers convey a message that lasts, but their audience will thank them for doing it. The rumors are true, they work!
And…that’s another awesome edition of Brand-ecdotes! Thanks to Dana Geiger for taking the time to jump in!
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by Kirby Hasseman
The names in this blog have been changed to avoid calling anyone out! 🙂 My wife and I are creatures of habit when it comes to lunch. We like to go to the same couple of places in in town. So often, the people that work there know our order. This is really true of a specific fast food burger joint in Coshocton. They do a tremendous job and know “just how we like it.” As I walk to the counter, the lady will greet me with a grin and say, “Your usual?” They do a great job of making us feel special each time we go in. My wife often orders something similar too. Her “regular” order comes in a box and is available only with regular fries. When this option first came out, Amy asked if she could switch it out for curly fries…but the team there was not allowed. This particular meal only came with regular fries. Ok. But here’s the cool thing. Often, the ladies will deliver the meal with a “surprise” for my wife. They will sneak in the curly fries, “just for her.” It not only makes her happy, but it inevitably makes her feel special too. And what did that cost? Exactly nothing. Recently though, they brought out her meal with an apology. “Sorry. We had to bring the regular fries. The boss is here.” Now THAT is funny. So the employees, who are rock stars, when left to their own device are willing to go above and beyond to delight the customer. But when the boss is in town, they have to stop. That is SO interesting to me. How many of us are doing that to our employees? As leaders, we sometimes set up policies and procedures to ensure that the lowest common denominator doesn’t ruin the guest experience. But how many times are those rules keeping your rock stars from improving it? Just some “food” for thought. If you want to make sure you never miss an update, make sure to sign up for our VIP newsletter here! Oh…and if you just want to shop for some sweet promo, click here.
by Kirby Hasseman
I am always amused when people seem annoyed the celebrities are making money on Instagram and other social media platforms. You hear people scoff when they are told about the large sums of money that they make for taking a picture holding a product. “That’s ridiculous,” they say. They just can’t believe that influencer marketing is worth that much on social. But it is. People work hard to create and maintain an audience on social media. And when they get it, they have the ability to really impact sales on a product, a cause, or an organization. And I am not just talking about the Kardashians! I had a cool experience recently with a person who I believe is a great influencer in the marketing space, Jeff Haden. Jeff is a ghostwriter, a speaker, the author of the Motivation Myth (which I really liked) and a LinkedIn Influencer. He has also been gracious enough to be a guest on Delivering Marketing Joy (watch here). But what does he have to do with this? Well recently I posted about my book Fan of Happy on LinkedIn. I pointed out that it might be a good graduation gift. It was a shameless plug. But Jeff, who was kind enough to look at the book before I published it, was the very first person to comment on the post. He left a kind and thoughtful comment about the book and recommended it. It was a huge compliment to me. Then, because of Jeff’s influence, the post took off. An average post on LinkedIn might have 1000 views. Sure I have some with more and some with less. But that’s an average. What did this one get? 
Now I think it’s important to note that Jeff did not share it. He simply made a thoughtful comment and moved on with this day. But by just doing that, he exposed me to a huge new audience…and for that I am grateful. So the next time you doubt the power of an influencer, think again. Oh…and thanks Jeff! Make sure you never miss an update, sign up for our VIP newsletter here. And if you want to shop for some great Promo, click here!
by Kirby Hasseman
The Delivering Marketing Joy Podcast is back! Our goal here is to attack 2018 with a vengeance! The Delivering Marketing Joy Podcast will provide some inspiration, motivation and education to make it happen! Consider this your 10 minute “kick in the pants” to get your week started off right! This week on the podcast I dig into the topic of “being a Media company.” I talked about this a bit on this recent blog post. But in this podcast I tell you why it’s important…and how to “live it.” If you want to make sure you never miss an update, please sign up for our VIP newsletter here. We share content and special offers once a week. Or if you just want to shop for great promotional campaigns now, you can do that here.
by Kirby Hasseman
I absolutely love this quote from Zig Ziglar because it accurately represents a lot of people in the world. They find a problem for every solution. We all know people like that. Be careful, though, before you criticize them too much. We can all fall into this trap. It’s easy, because our brains are pre-wired for it. For thousands of years, our brains were required to constantly seek out things that might be “wrong” in order to keep us alive. It was more important to see the saber toothed tiger that was there, than to misdiagnose the one that wasn’t. It kept us from being eaten. This part of the brain doesn’t serve us as well today though. When we are constantly looking for things that are wrong in the world, we will find them. Better, I think, to train your brain to look for things that are good. The brain is train-able. So spend time each day looking for the good. When you continually tell your subconscious brain that the “good” is what you want to see, you will find it. So let me practice what I preach for a moment. I am pre-disposed to speak positively about my hometown of Coshocton, Ohio. I do actively look for it. That doesn’t mean I don’t see the potholes. I do. What it means is that I don’t ONLY see the potholes. So here are a couple of really cool things that warrant being pointed out. #1 Wine Destination: When you think of the world’s best destinations for Wine, you might think of France or Napa Valley…and they are great! But Coshocton County was recently named as one of the very top Wine Destinations in the country. Seriously. Check out the link here. New Memorial Clock: Our Town Coshocton recently installed a clock to remember Cheryl Triplitt and Cheryl Cooksey. Both women worked hard to improve Coshocton and downtown. Great stuff. Oh, and thanks to Barb Karr and the people at Our Town Coshocton for making this happen. Bancroft Park: The City of Coshocton recently installed new equipment at Bancroft Park where there was none. It was a great day for the kids in that neighborhood…and I appreciate the city for making it happen. The fact is, there are good things going on all around us (wherever we are). We just need to look for them. And frankly, it doesn’t hurt to point them out! If you want to make sure you never miss an update, please sign up for our VIP newsletter here. We share content and special offers once a week. Or if you just want to shop for great promotional campaigns now, you can do that here.
