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.
At Hasseman Marketing, we are proud of our community. And we are proud that Coshocton County is the birthplace of the Promotional Products Industry. It’s true. The birthplace of the $25 billion industry starts with an entrepreneur from Coshocton named Jasper Meek.
“Jasper Freemont Meek was one of the earliest significant contributors to this budding industry. He owned a small newspaper in Coshocton, Ohio, and like many other small newspaper owners of the time, he supplemented his revenue by taking on job printing, which used his printing press between editions.
Seeing a child drop her schoolbooks in the dirt on Main Street spurred Meek to approach his friend, Mr. Cantwell, owner of Cantwell Shoes, with an idea about building store traffic, name recognition and ultimately increasing sales. Meek’s idea was to imprint a burlap book bag with a simple but direct advertising message, “Buy Cantwell Shoes.” Cantwell would give every child who came into his shoe store a free bag. The children would carry the bag as they walked to and from school so Cantwell’s name would be seen all over town. Mr. Meek manufactured the book bag, imprinted the advertising slogan on his printing press, and both Meek and Cantwell reaped the rewards.”
From here, the industry took off. Competitors popped up and built upon the success of each other. And soon, Coshocton became a hot bed of artists, Coca-cola trays and calendars. Jeff Shaw talks about that history in this video.
The words Coshocton and Calendars went together.
Over time, some of the calendar business left Coshocton County. Back in 2004, then JII Promotions outsourced their calendar manufacturing to Norwood in Sleepy Eye, Minnesota. And in 2018, Elliott Calendar company sold most of it’s calendar manufacturing to Drum-line. Beach Company, which has roots back to the beginning of the industry, still produces calendars today.
We are excited to carry on that proud calendar tradition.
At Hasseman Marketing, we have started to produce a limited number of custom calendar options…and the response has been tremendous. The three styles we are currently offering are the 12 Month Appointment calendar, the Year at A Glance calendar and the Custom Planner calendar. All of these can be found here. And because we believe that calendars are still foundational for great marketing, more styles will be explored soon.
We are proud to join this rich history of promotional products in Coshocton County. We look forward to producing calendars here in Coshocton for years to come. If you are interested in chatting about creating a custom calendar for your organization, let’s talk!
I was sitting at my desk, with the feet up, listening to Mike Michalowicz speaking at a recent Commonsku at Home event. Mike is one of my favorite speakers, thought leaders and authors in the business space. He has written several must read business books including The Pumpkin Plan and Profit First. When he said he is working on a new book about marketing, he had my attention. It was then that he told us about the most powerful word in marketing.
Mike’s new book (still in production) will be called Different is Better. The concept is simple. When there are thousands of options in nearly every business space, how do you stand out? It’s not just about being better (though that is great). It’s about being different. You must do something to differentiate in the customers mind.
Simple right? As we know, simple is not the same as easy.
While I am excited to dig into the book and try many of the tactics Mike discussed, there was one thing that caught my attention. One way to stand out in a sea of competitors is to use the most powerful word in marketing. What is that magic word? What simple word can you put on a piece of marketing that will wildly increase the likelihood that your customer will not only read the piece, but maybe also KEEP it? Let me give you the word…
It’s your customer’s name.
As Mike suggested, we are all attracted to our own name. If we are in a conversation with someone in a crowded room, and someone mentions our name, it will break through the noise. We will hear it. Our name is special to us. It gets our attention. It makes our customer feel important…because they are! If you want a simple way to make your marketing more effective, personalize it. It’s the marketing equivalent of listening to Beyonce and “putting a ring on it.”
The implications of this are simple and powerful. If you are going to create a direct mail piece, you are more likely to get it opened if it actually says the customer or prospect’s name rather than “current resident.” And if you are created a piece of branded merchandise to say thank you to your customers (and you should), what if you personalized that as well? If you create a vacuum tumbler with your logo on it, how much more would it mean if each customer, team member and board member had their own name on it? The effect will be powerful.
And as a side note during this pandemic, it’s safer. If each person has their own tumbler (or other branded piece), then there is a much lower chance of someone drinking out of the wrong tumbler and getting sick.
So now that we are in appreciation season, consider using the most powerful word in marketing to increase the value of your branded gift. Use your customer’s name and personalize your gift for even more affect!
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Hasseman Marketing is growing, and we need a solid entry level designer to help us with the work load. We’re looking for someone with experience in the Adobe Creative Suite, specifically Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign. The position will likely be part time to start but will have the possibility to grow.
Responsibilities will include:
• Creating vector art from raster image files
• Creating Mockups of Logoed merchandise to assist the Promotional Products sales team
• Basic layout and design to assist the Print Division
• Basic Logo creation for clients
• Occasionally assisting with Print and Bindery
• Other related responsibilities as they come along
This position is ideal for someone just breaking into the field that wants to gain experience with the nuts and bolts aspects of design, and develop a stronger understanding of the programs and practices of design, both for web and print.
Our company prides itself on our culture, and work hard to hire candidates that fit in well. We are happy to help the right candidate refine their skills in design, as well as the use of the tools of the trade.
For more information about us, please head here. If you are interested in submitting a resume, please email us at [email protected].
In today’s world, more than ever, we need to connect and communicate with our customers and prospects. With that in mind, Calendars are foundational branded products…and they need to be in your marketing mix.
It never ceases to amaze me the number of really smart business people who get a case of the “yeah-buts” when they talk about calendar advertising. They have created all kinds of “yeah-buts” in their mind about why this form of advertising won’t work for them. They have many (in their mind) well-reasoned arguments about it too.
Yeah-but…they are wrong.
First things first, let’s “say this out loud.” Sometimes, in business, we overthink things that are not that complicated. I think maybe calendars might be one of those things. “Saying it out loud” forces you to simplify things and decide if (or if not) they make sense. Let’s apply it here. Say this out loud.
Do I want my customers and prospects to take my basic who-what-where message and hang it on their wall all year long? Uh…of course you do!
Do I want these same customers and prospects to hang my brochure up on their wall all year? Sure! That would be ideal for any type of business.
Do I want to have this sort of exposure (did I mention it was all year?) for the cost of one radio campaign? Well-yes!
At its most basic, calendar advertising just makes sense. I call it a “foundational piece of marketing.” You are not going to use calendars alone to market your business. But it should be the base from which you build the rest of your marketing campaigns. Make sure you get your message on your clients wall (or desk, or pocket, depending on the calendar you choose) and then build from there.
One final question before I get to some of the “yeah-buts.” What is the worst thing that can happen to a calendar that you give to a client? Think about it. In reality, the worst thing that can happen is that your client looks at the calendar and then throws it away.
Right?
Guess what. That is the best thing that can happen to nearly any other form of major advertising! If a customer consumes your radio ad, notices it, and then it goes away, it’s done its job! So consider that the next time you tell someone calendars won’t work for you.
Now let’s address some of the “Yeah-Buts” and see if we can get rid of the myths.
“Yeah-But” no one uses calendars anymore!
Hogwash. Don’t get me wrong there has certainly been a shift to technology for personal calendars. I get it. But studies show that there are printed (that means promotional opportunities) calendars in nearly 80% of homes and 80% of businesses (thanks PPAI). In fact there is more than one. Homes average 3 printed calendars and offices average 2.
As a matter of fact, you hear more and more people getting excited to receive calendars because they believe that “no one” gives out calendars anymore! That presents a real opportunity for business owners to fill a need…and get a boost of advertising.
Here’s another “say it out loud” moment. That’s right. Many of your customers will be excited to get this “as a gift.” This foundational marketing tool will be valued because of its utility and will be looked forward too.
When was the last time you could say that about a cable ad?
“Yeah-But” calendars are expensive.
I totally disagree. It’s all relative folks. As I mentioned earlier, done right you can get a year’s worth of exposure for the cost of one mass-media campaign. Whether it’s with radio, TV or even (to a lesser degree) print ads, small businesses will spend thousands of dollars on campaigns that come and go in the blink of an eye. But then these same marketers will balk at spending that on a year’s worth of exposure directly in the office of the customer they are trying to reach. This argument just doesn’t make sense.
Now it’s worth mentioning there are multiple ways to create a calendar campaign. You can use a stock calendar with great pictures and a basic area for imprint. Or you can create a completely custom calendar with your own pictures and information. Each of these options has real merit…depending on the target you want to reach.
As a rule, stock calendars can be less expensive. So if cost is a real concern for you, this might be a better option. But the cost of custom calendars has come down with digital printing, so you might be surprised with the cost-effectiveness of this option. You simply need to decide what you want to accomplish and then move toward that option. We will discuss that more later.
The basic point is calendar advertising is an extremely cost effective way to promote your business or organization. It is less than pennies per exposure. And I think most importantly, it is not wasted. Your message is reaching directly into the homes, offices, desks and minds of your target market.
“Yeah-But” calendars are passé.
Maybe it’s because calendar advertising has been around for 100 years. Maybe it’s because some business marketers are always chasing the new “shiny” thing. But sometimes the “yeah-but” comes because they think calendars are an old way to go to market. Maybe you think that.
Remember that “say it out loud” thing? Let’s do that again. I want you to say:
“I don’t want to use an advertising and marketing tool because it has worked for 100 years for thousands of companies.”
Sounds dumb, doesn’t it?
Calendar advertising is NOT passé. It is proven. Hundreds of thousands of companies have utilized this tool in the tool box to promote and grow their business. Nothing is around in the business world this long if it doesn’t work.
Period.
“Yeah-But” I get lots of calendars and I throw them away.
Congrats! You are super popular. But here’s the thing; you are the exception. Many people actually go to the mall during the holiday season and buy themselves a calendar. If that is your client, you just missed a huge opportunity.
The other problem with that argument is this you might throw a few away, but most people keep their favorite. So the issue is not that you get too many calendars. The issue is you get too few that move your excitement meter. I always tell people that the cost of a calendar is not determined at the point of purchase. It’s determined at the point of hanging.
If you spend $.50 each on 1000 crappy calendars and
only 1 of them is put on a wall, then that was one damn expensive calendar.
The rule is the same for mugs, mouse pads and calendars. Yes, most people have one. But if you give them one they like better, they will use yours. So don’t always go cheap on the calendar. It might be a very expensive mistake.
So now I have addressed just a few of the “yeah-buts.” You either believe me or you don’t. My guess is, if you are still reading, you do! So let’s talk about some options for calendars…and which might make sense for you.
Stock Calendars
There are tons of shapes and sizes and themes when it comes to “stock” calendars. Basically a stock calendar is simply a calendar that is mass-produced that has a specific space for you to put your business information on. Some examples of stock calendars include:
Appointment Style Wall Calendars: These wall calendars are the most popular style of promotional calendar. They often come with pictures ranging from scenic to puppies and kittens to motivation and thousands of others. These can be a great inexpensive way to reach customers in their home or cubicle.
Executive Style Wall Calendars: These are generally larger, grander calendars that are meant to be displayed in an executive office or board room.
Year At A Glance Wall Calendars: The name says it all. These calendars show the entire year on one page and are perfect
for planning.
Desk Planners: These calendars are used all over the world to plan hair appointments, schedule vacations, and
massages. Though some people believe that calendars are only being done on the computer, this type of calendar is still very popular.
Desk Pad: A great calendar to be able to have right on the desk to display appointments.
And there are lots and lots of other stock styles as well. What you need to do as a business marketer is simply decide where you should best try to reach your customer. Then choose the style of calendar best suited for that location.
A big advantage of a stock calendar is you can purchase a small quantity without breaking the bank. You have less flexibility on what you can put on them. But stock calendars can be extremely effective when done right!
Custom Calendars
As the name suggests, a custom calendar can be created from scratch to fulfill any of the above styles…but with your company’s pictures, styles, information and more. I always tell my clients that they are starting with a blank piece of paper. So within reason, you can do pretty much whatever you want to do on a custom calendar.
The custom calendar is fantastic because you go from putting your “who-what-where” message on the wall (which is great) to putting your entire company brochure on the wall. You can showcase products, services, case studies, success stories and more. You really have a chance to go all out and “story tell” on a custom calendar.
What it boils down to is, you should be incorporating calendar advertising into your marketing budget. Create a calendar campaign that you can be excited about and then build the rest of your advertising the rest of the year on top of it. Once you create the solid “foundation” you will find a great year can be built with ease!
If you want more foundational marketing tips on how to use branded merchandise to grow your organization, here are some things you can do. First, check out our blog page. We have lots of information like this there. You can sign up for our VIP newsletter. We send out one email per week with our content. Finally, you can check out the book this was originally written in Delivering Marketing Joy.
So here we are in 2020. A lot has been made about the “unprecedented times” we are living. But here we are. As I have said before, we need to stop talking about things getting “back to normal.” The reality is, we don’t know when that might happen. We do need to take an honest look at where we are…and start working to succeed from here.
We need businesses to get rolling again. I mean, we NEED it. But you might be asking “how do I market our business in 2020?” Times have changed. People have changed. We need to consider that as we tell our organizations’s story today. So here are some things I see working (right now) to market your business in the world we live in.
Direct Mail
In a world where people are less likely to leave their home, direct mail has become more effective. Yes, it’s a bit old school, but it’s a low cost way to reach the masses right where they are. And if you can create a creative, valuable offer, you have a real chance to stand out in a mailbox full of bills.
Email
One of my favorite things that Joe Pulizzi says is that we are very comfortable ( as marketers) with “rented lists.” The radio, tv station or Facebook owns the list…and we just rent access. But a real, vetted email list of people who have subscribed to what you have to say is a list that you own. You get to decide when you send it, what they see, and who gets to see it. You have to provide value, or that audience can opt out. But there is real power in owning the list. And I am not sure how long it will last, but email open rates have actually gone up during this pandemic. Give value through your email list and you can make an impact in 2020.
Postive Content on Social
In this 2020 world of arguing politics, racial divides, mean spirited debates and complaining, your organization has a chance to stand out. Just create content that is nice! Regardless of the content platform, most of us are starved for something that provides us joy and inspiration. If you and your organization can show up like that (consistently), you have the chance to gain a real audience and a real following.
Branded Merchandise Kits
You don’t need me to tell you, but the traditional way we see our customers and employees has changed right now. Many events have been cancelled. Trade shows have been put on hold. Heck, even the idea of going to work has shifted (it’s hard to believe March was only like 4 months ago). With that in mind, Branded Merchandise kits can be an EXTREMELY powerful tool to reach your target audience. When done right, branded merchandise kits can improve brand affinity, affect behavior, help company culture, and yes, get people to pick up the phone. I talk about one of my clients using branded merch to replace an event they were holding here. If you have your team working from home, there is a kit for that. What if your team is coming back to work? You can create kit to (safely) welcome them back. What about creating an online conference and mailing attendees some cool swag to get them fired up? The possibilities are limitless.
Online Learning
I have been a believer is providing value first in marketing for a long time. Heck, I wrote a whole book about it! Well 2020 is a great time to do just that. Create online learning to provide value to your clients. Our friends at Commonsku created an amazing online conference to do that for their clients and over 800 people attended. It was awesome. That is the inspiration for us creating Hasseman U. We also spent some time creating a FREE 5 Day Marketing Course for anyone that wants to take it. The idea is to provide value for your clients in a new way. When you do that during this time, you have the chance to build real trust with customers and prospects, and come out stronger on the other side.
Those are just 5 ways that I see companies successfully marketing in 2020. I hope this gets your wheels turning! While these are not necessarily prescriptive for your business, what I will say is, now is not the time for business as usual. It’s a great time to really consider how you want to tell your story moving forward.
