Since the beginning of this pandemic, we have tried to help you stay on top of what you (and your business) would need to do business safely. We all want to get back to some semblance of normal (whatever that means now), but we want to keep our employees, our customers, and our loved ones safe. We talked about what organizations needed to do to safely open back up here. And now, as the vaccines are starting to roll out and the government begins to cautiously talk about restoring normalcy, the light at the end of the tunnel is getting a bit brighter.
And seeing that light get brighter is very exciting!
While we are starting to see signs of the pandemic easing up, there are certainly lessons we won’t soon unlearn! There are likely precautions we won’t stop taking even as the restrictions ease up. And that is not a bad thing! Not only does this hopefully mean we will be smarter about spreading germs but also presents an opportunity for branding to the savvy marketer!
3 Sanitizing Products That Everyone Will Still Appreciate After the Pandemic
That’s right. Even though things are changing for the better, there are still some great marketing products that smart marketers will use well into the future. These are things that will be sought after at trade shows (yes they will come back) and appreciated as marketing gifts.
Paper Soap
Hopefully, the number one lesson we have all learned is that we need to do a better job washing our hands! I know…it still seems weird that we needed to be taught that. That being said, some locations are just not as easy to wash our hands as others. If a restroom is out of soap, you are just out of luck. But Paper Soap helps you solve this problem with soap on the go. Each packet is filled with 30 thin (citrus scented) pieces of soap. It’s useful, appropriate, and a conversation starter. We love this one! Learn more here and order here.
Hand Sanitizer
When this pandemic started, the whole world seemed to run out of hand sanitizer (and toilet paper). It makes sense, as everyone was scrambling to keep their hands clean. But supplies are back and now is still a great time to show your customers you care by giving them hand sanitizer to go. Think about every time you pump your gas, or grab a door, or (gasp) shake someone’s hand! It is nice to have a travel size of hand sanitizer handy. There are several options here.
Wireless Charger and Sanitizer Box
As I have long said, one of the most valuable marketing spaces in the world is around your customer’s phone. We have it with us all of the time. But your phone also tends to be way more “germy” than we would like to think! That is why this item is an amazing gift for any employee or top customer. It’s not cheap…but there is a reason. This is an item that will be used each day…and remembered for years.
These are just a few of the Sanitizing Products That Everyone Will Still Appreciate After the Pandemic. Learn more and order here. And if you have questions, please let us know.
I was sitting in my office yesterday editing a video. The sun was shining in my window as the signs of spring start to surface in Ohio. My laptop was sitting beside me and the email application was sitting open. It was 11 am eastern when the ads started to arrive.
Ding. Ding. Ding.
Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding.
Ad after ad after ad. All right about the same time. This went on until about 11:03 am. Then it stopped. (Actually it slowed down. Emails never really stop, do they?).
The emails dinging interrupted my concentration on the video…and got me thinking about chasing marketing shortcuts. (We can have a discussion about why I had my email open while I was trying to edit a video another time).
Chasing Marketing Shortcuts
When you are trying to tell your story or spread your message, it makes sense to look for the most optimized way to do it. We see these suggestions on social media scheduling apps. They suggest the most optimized time to post each time. You can google the best time to post to Instagram on Thursday or the best time to send your email newsletter. As you get started, it makes sense to do that research. It would be foolish not to. There is a ton of data out there that can help inform you on how to get started.
What I am saying is, don’t keep chasing that time. Once you have decided that you are going to send your email newsletter to your subscribers at 10 am on Tuesday, stick with that. Don’t be a slave to jumping around to different times, trying to find the most optimal time. The idea behind many of those metrics is to combine when most of your audience will be able to see the message with when not everyone else is posting or sending their messages.
The problem of course comes when everyone tries to be different at the same time. You know, at 11 am eastern.
The Power of Consistency
It’s better to pick a time and stick with it. This consistency helps your audience to know when you will be communicating with them. This builds anticipation and trust. It can also shape the message you send. Our newsletter is a good example. I started sending email marketing messages MANY years ago as I got into sales. I decided I wanted to take pro-active activity on Monday, so I decided to send out the message on Monday morning.
Now, if I started my email today I don’t think I would have chosen Monday morning. But I have been doing it for years…so our subscribers are not only used to it, they tell me they look forward to it. And since it is on Monday morning, I work hard to fill it full of inspirational content to help our customers start off their week on the right foot. (You can sign up to get your Monday inbox filled with inspiration here).
So while it’s important to understand the basics of when to post or send an email, it can be fools gold to chase marketing shortcuts. Your messaging and your message will be all over the place.
We really would love to have you on our list of VIPs that get a message each Monday morning. Please sign up for our VIP list and we will email you once a week with all of our latest content.
And while it seems the news is improving (with vaccine roll-out and lower numbers), we are not there quite yet. So we wanted to give you a few hot branded products that will help you show appreciation to your team right now, and reach your customers right where they are.
So here our list of the Best Branded Tech Products for February.
Many organizations are making the decision to work from home permanently. And while we certainly got a real taste of it, many people are still trying to get all the tools to make it productive. This LED lamp and charger is the perfect addition to your home work space. It has an adjustable light with 3 levels and a wireless charger to make sure you can keep productive, even when on the move.
Functional and cool. This is a great item to give your team (and your best clients) as it will be appreciated nearly every day. Wireless earbuds housed in a 400 mAh recharger case, these can be use to better concentrate at work, listen to music on the work out or to communicate on calls. When it comes to your brand, functional and cool seems like a message worth sending.
Living in the world we live in today, this might be the most functional of all. The idea is simple. Put your phone into the box and have it cleaned with a blue light to make sure you are not putting unwanted germs on your hands and face! When you are done, place the phone on top and use it as a wireless charger. Oh…and you can use it for more than phones! You can use it to sterilize glasses, watches, jewelry, smartwatches, fitness trackers, ear buds, credit cards, keys, small personal grooming tools, and other small objects.
The past year has taught us a lot. We have learned to sell from home, groom ourselves, and Zoom. And while there are some things that have been surprisingly positive, most people I know miss being able to attend events in person. There is just something about the energy and the ability to interact face to face that is hard to replace. I know I can’t wait to get back to this level of “normal.”
But when will in-person events come back?
One thing I learned quickly in 2020 was, “don’t make predictions!” It seemed like, starting in March of last year, situations were changing so fast that there was no way to predict the future. We just needed to deal with what was in front of us. But as we look forward, I am getting a little more comfortable breaking this rule.
So here is my prediction…look for small and medium shows to come back in the 3rd quarter.
With the vaccine rollout going forward, more and more people are getting inoculated every day. The more people that have the vaccine, the more people will be comfortable heading to in-person events. The fact is, some smaller events have already started. I talk about a recent show I attended here. Look for more of that to continue. My sincere hope is that it will be closer to summer. But giving event organizers time to get ready, 3rd quarter seems more likely and more realistic.
What Does This Mean For You?
While I don’t see the mega shows coming back right away, this means that many businesses will be able to go to market at these small and medium-sized shows. If you are planning events, you can start to get these events back on the calendar. We have actually made that decision. Our annual Customer Appreciation Show (canceled last year) is back on the calendar for October 14th (more on that soon).
If you are an attendee at this style of event, it’s time to get ready! Most of us have not taken our signage and display information out of the boxes in a year! It’s time to take a look at that material. Is it still accurate? I mean, a lot has changed since last year this time! I often joke that last March seems like 5 years ago! Do you have new messaging? Is it time for an update? Have mice decided to move into the boxes and eat your display? These are questions you want to ask now…not a week before your show!
An Amazing Virtual Showroom
So let’s assume for just a moment that your signage needs help. Where do you go from here. As always, we would be happy to help. Click here and we can schedule a time to talk. But in the meantime, I want to share this super cool new tool for you to check out for yourself. Our partners at Showdown Displays have created this amazing virtual showroom. You have to see it to believe it. It’s their 7000-foot showroom at their facility with nearly all of the products they sell. You can “walk” through the showroom using your arrow keys. Then when you come to a product you are interested in, just hover on the purple dot for information on the product. You can click on it to get more information and pricing. I think this is so cool!
So there you have it. I think there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Events will be coming back soon. Will you be ready? We would be happy to help!
At Hasseman Marketing, we welcomed in the New Year with a (gasp) in person trade show. The OPPA (Ohio Promotional Professionals Association) held it’s annual road show in Columbus and Cleveland this past week. While the event looks a little different, the response was really great. Both suppliers and distributors were excited to get back on the road, and get back to business.
And don’t worry…safety protocols were in place. Temperature checks were in place to everyone that came into the event. Masks were required and there was hand sanitizer everywhere. We have talked about how to host an in person event safely here…and all of the boxes where checked!
In the meantime, there were also some great products that you might want to know about as you plan to market your organization this year.
Here are 7 products that stuck out at the TOM Show.
#1 Paper Soap from Webb Collection: If you are looking for a low cost promotional item that is useful and timely, this might be your answer! I mean…who is NOT looking for that combination in a branded piece right now? http://www.webbcompany.com/product-detail/Citrus-Scented-Paper-Soap/148
#2 Big-Un Camp Chair (holds up to 400#) from Brentwood: The great thing about camp chairs is they have a high perceived value. People love to get them. But when you go cheap on them, it shows. This piece will hold a more “juicy” individual and still have room to spare. And when you combine that with a big imprint area, this is a great piece! https://www.brentwoodline.com/products/cpxr
#3 Speckled Finish Double Wall Stainless Steel Tumbler from Moderne Glass (Glass America): We love our drinkware, and this is a new style that might get you feeling “campy.” This speckled style is like the camp style mugs, but in a tumbler. https://glassamerica.com/#!/product/18820?color=black
#5 2 OZ Gel Hand Sanitizer (IN STOCK) with full color process die cut label from Galactic Line: On the other hand, sometimes it’s just great to get a good deal on hand sanitizer. Here is one for only $.99. It might be time to stock up. http://www.galaxyballoon.com/pl/2-oz-GEL-Hand-Sanitizer-Imported/181
And this was just the tip of the iceberg. Special thanks to Kelly Bowe for attending the show and helping me put this list together. We are excited to jump in and help you make 2021 a great year!
Since the beginning of the pandemic, leaders have been trying to find a way to communicate the steps to take to slow the spread of the virus. As we all know, in March, most of the country shut down in order to “flatten the curve.” That worked to slow the spread, but it shut down the economy as well. Now that we are nearing the end of 2020, the predicted ramp up of cases is upon us…and leaders all over the country (and the world) are working to slow down the spread.
That goal is what led Ohio Governor Mike DeWine to meet with local officials in Coshocton County via Zoom. He implored our local leaders to get creative and do what they can to help communicate the message that we need to be safe. After the meeting, officials from the City of Coshocton and Coshocton Regional Medical Center reached to us to help spread the word. We discussed creating a video, including many local officials, entrepreneurs and healthcare leaders to send a unified message to our community. The theme became simple.
We need to “Step up…and Mask up!”
The work on that script and video began immediately and I am proud of what we created. But it was important to us to create something that sustains the message after the initial bump. So rather than just create a video, we worked to create a campaign. Next up, we reached out to government officials to step up as well. We sent out script (that I will include below) and the first person who recorded his version of the video was Ohio Governor Mike DeWine. He applauded the efforts of Coshocton County and encouraged everyone to “Step up…and Mask Up!”
Excited about this participation, we worked to keep the momentum going. We will continue to share the message from leaders and government officials, but we also wanted to add something tangible to the mix. So what better way to encourage people to “mask up” than to provide masks with the message? We agree. The design was created (as you see in the video) and the masks are ordered and are on their way. In addition, we have created re-positionable stickers that are being printed and will be given to businesses that want to promote the message.
We are excited about the positive momentum that has been created so far…and are happy to use our powers for good. So how can we keep this momentum going? Here are a couple of ideas. First, if you are in our area and you want to participate, let us know. While we think these items will go quickly, we can try to get you a sticker and a few masks to help spread the word. We know that some people find this message divisive (I don’t get that and I talk about it here), but we feel it’s the right thing to do.
If you are not in our area, maybe you can create a campaign like ours in your community. In the interest of helping, here is the script we created that you can modify and use.
Step Up…Mask Up Script
In Coshocton County, we are proud.
We take care of one another, and look out for our neighbors.
We believe in supporting small businesses.
And we celebrate our heroes in healthcare.
We are kind…and we are proud to give back.
That is why we want to urge you to “mask up.”
Wearing a mask is not a weakness…it’s kindness. Mask up.
Wash your hands. Keep your distance. And mask up.
Step up…and Mask up.
(Multiple Leaders on screen). Step up and Mask Up
Let’s all do our part. Be kind. Support small business. Help keep each other safe.
That is who we are Coshocton County.
Let’s step up…and mask up.
Special thanks to our local leaders for not only wanting to do what’s right…but stepping up and working together to make it happen.
Here’s to keeping each other safe. Step Up. Mask Up.
