by Kirby Hasseman
When I was first introduced to selling promotional products, I met with a manager that was teaching me the finer points of value in branded merchandise. At the time, he was talking about calendars, but his words ring true with me nearly every day in the business. “The price of a calendar is not determined at the point of purchase,” he said. He waited a few beats while that statement sunk in. Then he continued. “The price of a calendar is determined at the point of use.”
I raised my eyebrow to try and understand what he meant, and he went on.
“You see, so many people make their initial purchasing decisions based simply on price. But they don’t consider the weight of the paper. If they use cheap paper the calendar will not hang properly on the wall. If the imprint does not look good, the story will not be told the way the customer wants. But if they invest in a quality calendar, then it will get used…and that is the point!”
His point was simple. “If you buy 100 calendars at $5, and all of these get hung on the wall, they have spent $5 per calendar. But if the customer ignores the quality and buys 500 $1 calendars, and then only 1 gets hung on the wall, they have purchased 1 $500 calendar!”
The price of the piece is not determined at the point of purchase, but at the point of use.
While the story I tell here has to do with calendars (and still rings true) the lesson is still true across all kinds of items in the branded merchandise industry. You can nearly always get a “cheaper t-shirt,” but is it the kind of t-shirt your customers and prospects will actually want to wear? If not, that “cheap t-shirts” might end up at Goodwill. (I talk about pricing t-shirts here). Yes, you can get a “cheap coffee mug,” but I think that is the wrong question. If you want your branding message to spread, you need to look for someone’s “favorite coffee mug.” That item will get used every day.
You get the idea.
If you want to create a meaningful promotion that has staying power, think of how your branded piece will be used. Consider what your prospect might not only like, but want to use every day. When you create their “favorite” t-shirt, calendar or coffee mug, you get branding that has the power to last a lifetime.
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by Kirby Hasseman
On August 3rd, I was sitting at my home and I was nervous. Why? Because as a board member of OPPA (Ohio Promotional Products Association), we were about to head to Kalahari to host the first in-person sales event in our industry since the pandemic. We were excited to see all of our peers. I was excited to try and get back to business. But we were all nervous. (I talk about it in this video).
We wanted to create a successful event, but we did not want to set the industry back.
Over the course of the next few days, the OPPA Board, with the support of suppliers and distributors, held the Sales Safari at Kalahari. It was an in-person event that allowed suppliers and distributors to meet face to face for the first time since March. And by all accounts, the event was a success. Not only was the attitude around the event a grateful one, but the feedback we received was that we “made everyone feel safe,” and we took the necessary precautions to be safe.
This is by no means saying that we should open the flood gates. Discretion is still the better part of valor.
But as we move toward the end of 2020, we do need to figure out how to push forward. So here are some lessons we learned, actions we took and ways you might be able to have an in-person event safely.
Choose The Right Venue
I was so impressed with the Kalahari facility. As soon as you walk up to the doors, you see signage that explains their policies on masks and social distancing. When you walk through the doors you see hand sanitizing stations and more signage. That level of communication set the tone from the beginning. They were taking this very seriously…and it helped reinforce what OPPA wanted to accomplish.
Lead By Example
If you want the people at your event to follow the rules, your team better too! There is so much mixed messaging and confusion out there already, you don’t want to contribute. The OPPA team was on board from the beginning. Everyone was great about wearing masks and taking part in the protocol, so it was easy to ask everyone else to do it too!
Communicate…Then Communicate Again
At several points during the event, our Board President Kyle McGovern stepped in front of the group to give the full info on what we were doing…and why we were doing it. Our Executive Director LaDonna Belcher did the same. Over and over, we talked about the measures we were taking, and why they were important. We also gave attendees with options on what to do if they ever felt uncomfortable. This communication was great for explaining why every step was important, but it also showed a level of transparency that is important when working through something new.
Have Zero Tolerance
Once the rules were set (and we will get to a few of those in a moment), we worked hard to stick to them. The gravity of the situation was clear. We needed to be diligent in order to keep everyone safe. The eyes of the industry were very much upon us. With that in mind, there was no room for “non-believers.” If you wanted to attend, you had to follow the rules. The end. If you don’t want to follow the protocol (or you can’t), that’s fine…but you can’t come. I think that sort of discipline is critical to keep everyone safe. If potential attendees want to shout about their “freedom,” simply explain that they have the freedom to stay at home. It’s really that simple.
Masks, Masks, Masks
Here’s a secret. No one LOVES wearing their mask. It’s an inconvenience. But to be honest, it’s a minor one. Study after study has shown that they help to keep you from spreading the virus. Please don’t send me your videos from “Doctors” who say differently. If you want to have an in-person event, everyone needs to wear a mask. It’s safer. In addition, as I have talked about on the blog before, everyone wearing a mask makes everyone feel more safe too. And that matters if you want the attendees to learn and grow from the event. Oh…and if you don’t like it…don’t come to the event.
OPPA. provided everyone that walked into the event a mask, just in case they did not have one. There are some great ones out there that can help promote the brand and the event…and you can find a few here.
Take Temperatures
And speaking of what happened when participants walked into the event, every person had their temperature taken. That way, if someone is showing symptoms, even unknowingly, you have the chance to catch them before they mingle with the rest of the attendees. My suggestion is, take temperatures each day, just to make sure something has not changed overnight. There are some great touch-less options (find a few here), and I would recommend getting several so you don’t cause a back up when people are trying to get in!
Hand Sanitizers…Everywhere
As you might expect, the final item attendees got when they walked in the door was hand sanitizer. We also had sanitation stations throughout the event. This is where it was great to partner with Kalahari, because they have them everywhere too! The end result was that it felt like anytime you wanted to sanitize your hands, you could. That helped attendees be safe AND feel safe.
Limit Social Hours
One of my favorite parts of a normal in-person event is getting together to socialize with some drinks. That’s great…but it’s a place where things can go wrong. With the best of intentions, alcohol might ease the attention to detail on following protocols. You don’t want to do “everything right” and have one overly friendly Happy Hour ruin it! It’s not about being the “fun police,” it’s just about being smart so there is not an outbreak after an otherwise stellar event!
These are just a few precautions I recommend taking if you are considering hosting an in-person event. It might seem like a lot to manage, but I can speak from experience when I say, “It was worth it.” It felt SO good to be meeting face to face with other professionals again. If you want to look at some products that might help you host an event, feel free to check out our shop here.
Congratulations to the OPPA Board for having the courage to be first…and to take the steps to do it right.
by Kirby Hasseman
When beginning nearly any conversation about branding and marketing, we would love to jump straight to the answers. We would love to know where the journey will be taking us, so we can get started right away. But answers are never the beginning. Questions are. Creating a list of questions can help guide you and your campaign to a much more effective place. I created a list of 10 questions here…to get you started.
I find this to be especially true when you are created a branded merchandise campaign.
Branded Merchandise is one of the most effective tools you can use in your marketing tool box…but only if you use it correctly. Just like any other marketing tools, if you don’t know what. you are doing, you can waste your resources. But if you are intentional, and understand exactly who you are marketing to, there is often no better media than branded merchandise to get the job done.
That’s why questions are so important with branded merchandise.
It is incredibly important to know who you are trying to reach. Branded merchandise is very targeted (or it should be). So if you are targeting the right audience, in the right place, at the right time, you have marketing gold. But how do you know how to do that? Questions.
But while the exercise of going through a list of questions can really get your juices flowing, there is one question that I think really brings this idea home. Once you go through the basic questions in order to identify your “perfect customer,” this one question really helps me know exactly what branded merchandise will help reach them. The question is simple.
Where is your perfect customer when they realize they need your product or service?
When you answer that questions, can you see how that distills what you want to give your perfect customer…and where you want them to use it? If you are a Pizza shop, you want to reach that family in their kitchen. If you are a car repair shop, how can you get your information in the car? Once you find out that perfect customer, and where they are going to realize they need you, a well thought out promotional item can reach them right there.
It’s powerful.
So spend the time. Ask the questions. And if you need help going through this exercise. We can help.
by Kirby Hasseman
When facing times of retraction, the businesses and organizations that are willing to change are the ones that often grow and thrive. Well we are certainly living in a time of change. We must all be willing to look at what “we have always done” and re-evaluate. We are doing that with Hasseman Marketing MasterClass.
But let’s start with the bad news.
We have made the difficult decision to not have the in-person Hasseman Marketing End User show that we have had for over 15 years in Coshocton. It’s an event we love (and we hope you did too) so it was a tough choice. But when you factor in the safety of our team and our customers, we just felt it was the right thing to do. We are bummed…but have decided to make a shift that we are excited about.
Now let’s get to the good news.
We are VERY excited to announce that on Thursday October 15th, we will be hosting our very own Online Marketing Conference that we are calling Hasseman Marketing MasterClass. The event will feature amazing speakers, targeted breakout sessions, an Expo area for meeting with our suppliers and more!
We are using a platform called Hopin that allows us have engaging content that keeps moving fast. This is not just another zoom meeting and we are creating content with you in mind.
But wait there’s more.
There is a very small fee to attend the event (just $10), but we hope the value will far outweigh the cost. In addition, the first 100 registered will received a box with some sweet branded merchandise to get them ready to learn.
For more information and to register, please head here. We will be adding more information on sessions and speakers soon, but wanted to have you “save the date” and get in line for your sweet box of swag!
Thanks for your consideration, we hope to see you on October 15th!
by Kirby Hasseman
If you work in the world of Finance, you know that marketing to your clients can be different. Whether you are marketing a bank, a credit union, or another organization in the financial world, the issue is real. You probably have experienced both successes and failures in promoting your organization. So we have enlisted our Financial Marketing specialist Kelly Bowe for a few things to consider when creating branded merchandise for banks and credit unions.
Choose a Signature pen that is just “YOURS.”
Select a pen that no other financial institution in the area uses and stick with it. Eventually the customer won’t even need to read the imprint, they know this pen is yours. Customers come to count on receiving your “signature” pen when they see you at an expo or outing.
Our most recent popular pens are the Antibacterial pens. They have an additive applied in the production cycle to ensure safety. The stylus pen also allows the customers to use the stylus for touching credit card machines, pushing button on elevators and more.
An executive style pen is also appreciated when your customers sign loans or contracts. The executive pen you choose will need to offer blue ink for signing official forms. Formal vinyl envelopes can be a nice touch when presenting your customer with their closing documents.
A Calendar Is Functional and (Still) Valuable
One of the most popular and appreciated gifts you can give your customer is a calendar. Some people will say that they have their calendar on their phones; however, they still have a wall calendar, desk calendar or pocket calendar they refer to for appointments and references. A calendar provides 12 months of exposure to your brand and is always valued by your customers. If you are not convinced, just remember that your customers are heading to the mall and buying calendars each year in November and December. You have the ability to provide that value AND promote your brand on their wall if you choose.
Don’t Forget the VIP’s
Having a few high-level gifts on hand is essential. These nice gifts can be used in place of flowers for an employee family funeral, a retirement, a get well soon message or given as an on-board gift for a new employee. Wind chimes are a thoughtful and treasured gift. They have a magical sound and high perceived value. You could create a universal message for the wind catcher that can be used for all occasions. These wind chimes are tuned by masters to produce 6 distinct, rich notes. They are finished with a black powder-coating to prevent rust.
Regardless of the specific high end gift (and we can help you decide) we are believers in creating a high perceived value and choosing something that is very functional. That not only makes your customer understand that they are really valued and they see the item and branding over and over.
Let’s Talk about Kiddos!
Let’s not forget the children. Think about one of the simple McDonald’s marketing strategies behind the Happy Meal. Take care of the children, and the parents will follow. A reading book, coloring book or piggy bank will excite the children every time. The best part about marketing your services to children is you have the chance to help them create good saving and spending habits that will follow them throughout their lives!
If you are in the financial market and need ideas to help promote your brand, please let us know. We would love to help! Learn more here.
