It’s time for the latest edition of Thirsty Thursday! Who’s ready? Thirsty Thursday is the award-winning piece of content from Hasseman Marketing where we take a mystery drink out of a piece of branded drinkware! It’s funny. It’s irreverent. And we show you some really cool merch as well! This week we feature the 15 oz Havana Collection. And to add just a bit more excitement, we welcome our guest-taster, Amy Crown from the Coshocton County Chamber of Commerce. Watch the latest episode below!
Each time on Thirsty Thursday, we feature a really cool piece of branded drinkware. This week we feature the 15 oz Havana Collection. You can order for your own team here.
Hasseman Marketing is your one-stop marketing shop. We work hard to “Deliver #MarketingJoy to you. If you want to make sure you never miss an update, now is a great time to become a VIP. Sign up to be “on the list” here.
It’s time for the latest edition of Thirsty Thursday! Who’s ready? Thirsty Thursday is the award-winning piece of content from Hasseman Marketing where we take a mystery drink out of a piece of branded drinkware! It’s funny. It’s irreverent. And we show you some really cool merch as well! This week we feature the Arctic Zone® Titan Thermal HP® Mug 20oz w/ FSC GB. And to add just a bit more excitement, we welcome our guest-taster, Tiffany Swigert. Watch the latest episode below!
Each time on Thirsty Thursday, we feature a really cool piece of branded drinkware. This week we feature the Thirsty Thursday: Arctic Zone® Titan THermal Hp Mug. You can order for your own team here.
About the Artic Zone Titan Thermal HP Mug
Keep your favorite beverage hot for 8 hours or cold for 24 hours with the Arctic Zone Titan Thermal HP Copper Mug 20oz. It features a cup holder compatible design with a durable metal handle which gives you a firm grip on your favorite beverage. Its double-wall stainless copper vacuum-insulated construction is designed for durability while its condensation-resistant exterior gives you a comfortable grip. This stylish thermal tumbler features a screw-on lid, slide closure, and wide opening. It suits both right-and-left-handed users. Being one of the PCNA EcoSmart collections, this Mug is a perfect eco-driven gift as it is constructed with 91% recycled stainless steel for all metal parts and packaged with the premium FSC-certified gift box. Through a partnership with 1% For The Planet, one percent of sales of EcoSmart® products are donated to environmental nonprofits.
Hasseman Marketing is your one-stop marketing shop. We work hard to “Deliver #MarketingJoy to you. If you want to make sure you never miss an update, now is a great time to become a VIP. Sign up to be “on the list” here.
Thirsty Thursday is back! What is Thirsty Thursday? Thirsty Thursday is the award-winning piece of content from Hasseman Marketing where we take a mystery drink out of a piece of branded drinkware! Be careful…it’s not for everyone. This week we feature the Thor 27 oz Stainless Steel Denali Travel Mug It’s hot right now. Watch the latest episode now!
Why You Should Consider the 27 oz Stainless Steel Denali Travel Mug
Features of the 27 oz Stainless Steel Denali Travel Mug include:
The best organizations create experiences “on purpose.” As our parents might have said, they take the time to do it right “the first time.” And in doing so, they seem different than other businesses we run into. We can sense the difference right away. The same is true with how they order branded merchandise. So in this blog, we will give you a step-by-step guide on how to purchase branded merchandise…the right away.
Let’s start with the wrong way.
The call or email we often get goes like this. “Hey! I have an event tomorrow! Can we get some crap to give away?” 🙂
We have all been in that situation where we found out about an event at the last minute. Or maybe you just forgot. I get it. We all do. And we will happily help you when this happens. But we all know this is not the best way to get premium results…right?
So let’s talk about the right way to purchase branded merchandise so you can get premium results.
Identify the Perfect Customer
Spending some time on the front end to identify who you are targeting is powerful. The superpower of branded merchandise is that it can meet your perfect customer right where they are. By investing a bit of mental energy at the beginning of the project, you can select an item that hits the target. Once you have that perfect customer, here are 3 more questions to ask. The deeper you dive on this, the more likely you will find a great piece of branded merch that will pop!
Give Yourself Time
This has always been true, but giving yourself cushion in the timeline has been doubly true over the past couple of years. Supply chain challenges, shipping issues, and labor shortages have made rush orders incredibly challenging. Even if you do make it work, you are going to stress yourself to the point of shortening your life. Add extra time in the project. Trust us.
Set a Budget (and be willing to communicate it)
You might think this goes without saying, but it often doesn’t. Have an idea of what you want to spend. This might mean per item…but I often think you should also include the total budget number. Then be willing to communicate this to your trusted promotional supplier. Why? Because then they (and we) can help you work to stay in that budget. One of the problems with purchasing branded merchandise is all of the “extra” charges. This might mean the setup fees, proof charges or even shipping fees. If you want you want to stay on budget, you need to share what the actual budget is with your partner. When we know it, we can help!
Have Good (Vector) Art
One thing that can really slow down a project is the lack of good art. Vector art translates to any size and allows for your branded merchandise partner to manipulate your logo to meet the project needs. What is vector art? We break that down here. But suffice it to say, good art in…good art out.
Create A Plan A and B
Remember the supply chain thing we talked about earlier? It’s still a thing. So when you are selecting your branded merchandise, you might want to select a plan b as well. The fact is, even suppliers that have inventory listed on their site, can’t control everything. There are more than 25,000 distributors of branded merchandise, many with hundreds of salespeople. Even though, that “perfect” item showed it’s in stock right now, it could be gone soon. One of those other companies could swoop in with a big order and eat up that stock before our order is placed.
This is not a scare tactic. It’s just “an is.” We have seen dozens of projects get derailed over the past couple of years because the item they wanted was out of stock. So when a customer says, “So you are saying that there are not ANY XL black t-shirts in that style anywhere in the US?” We have to say, “That is correct. That is what I am saying.”
So have a plan B. It will save you time and headaches.
Request a Proof (and actually look at it)
Maybe you are thinking, “You just told me to send good art! If I send good art, then I should not need a proof.” I get that line of thinking, but humans make mistakes. Maybe you attached the wrong file. What if we sent the wrong art to the supplier? Maybe the supplier swapped the art for a totally different client. Either way, we believe it’s incredibly important to get a proof. As a matter of fact, we request one even if you don’t. It just saves time and headaches.
Oh, and if you do get a proof, take the time to look at it. Really study it and make sure it’s right. Because once you approve that proof, the imprinted products are going to be yours. I can’t tell you how often we get a frantic email or call saying that the client “didn’t really look at the proof” and now the product is wrong.
But…they approved the proof. And now they don’t want the product.
The challenge, of course, is now the product has their information on it (albeit wrong information). So someone is going to eat that cost. Whether it’s the supplier, the distributor (that’s us) or the customer…someone owns that imprinted merchandise.
So request a proof. Then actually proof it.
Think About Distribution
No branded merchandise campaign is going to be effective if it’s stuck in a closet. I see plenty of cool merch ideas go to die because no one thought about how the items were going to be distributed. Are you going to ship them out? Maybe you want your sales team to go out and visit your customers (you can do that again)! Are you going be at an event handing them out? Either way, consider how you are going to engage your prospects or customers. What are you going to say? How will you get in front of them?
Make sure you think about how this amazing new merch will get in the hands of your target audience!
Have a Theme or Message
One bonus tip is to consider creating “merch with a message.” While you may need to make sure your company logo is prominently displayed on an item (and we get that), consider what kind of merch you wear. More and more, we are seeing companies creating branded merchandise with a message that aligns with their brand values. Then they put their logo (somewhere less conspicuous) along with the message. People are more likely to wear your merch for longer, if they identify with a message.
So there you have it! There is how to purchase branded merchandise…the right way! Let us know if we can help you create a branded merchandise campaign that pops!
Hasseman Marketing is your one-stop marketing shop. We work hard to “Deliver #MarketingJoy to you. If you want to make sure you never miss an update, now is a great time to become a VIP. Sign up to be “on the list” here.
We know that life is filled with different seasons. Sometimes we live through a season where things are going well…and sometimes not so much. From an economic perspective, this feels like one of those “not so much” times. While I don’t want to over-react and start using the “R” word, I think it’s safe to say we are in an economic downturn. Inflation is a big concern across all sectors, the supply chain is still not back together, and interest rates have risen quickly.
So what do we do now? How do we market in an economic downturn?
While economic downturns are challenging, plenty of companies thrive in them. While the competition and the market panics, these companies seem to not only weather the storm but come out on the other side with a stronger boat (or umbrella…you get the metaphor). Here are some strategies to market your organization in a challenging economic time.
Keep Your Customers Close
When it comes to marketing in tough times, keeping your current clients is job 1. The best organizations take care of their customers all of the time…but especially in tough times. One simple way to do this is to show them appreciation. Studies will tell us that 69% of customers that leave you will do so because of “perceived indifference.” They leave because they don’t think you care! Creating an ongoing system of appreciation is a great way to let your top clients (you know, the top 20%) that you value them and their business.
I say ongoing because it’s not just a one-time thing! Customers are hit with thousands of advertising images a day. By showing appreciation consistently, your organization is able to fight through that clutter and create real relationships that stand the test of time. One way to help customers become a strong member of the tribe is to provide them with quality branded merchandise. The immediate impact is powerful and long-lasting.
Action Step: Create a quarterly appreciation program to consistently thank your top 20% of clients.
Grow With Those Clients
Studies will tell you that it’s easier to get a current client to buy from you than a new one. They already trust you. And yet so many organizations spend all of their time and resources on mining for new customers. New customers are vital of course (and we will get to that), offering your product to your current client base is often the best way to spur sales. Make sure you create campaigns with current clients in mind…especially in tough times.
Action Step: Create a VIP deal for your current clients. Not only will it make them feel special, but it will likely drive sales as well!
Make Your Prospects Targeted
If you want to grow your business, you will need new customers. But during an economic downturn is not the time to do a shotgun blast approach. “If everyone is your customer, no one is your customer.” Now is the time to get hyper-focused on who you want to serve. This will allow you to be more creative and more valuable to your partners during this time. This doesn’t mean you need to get rid of your current customers! It just means that when you are using marketing dollars and resources, you are crafting them to a much narrower audience.
Action Step: Create a niche that you want to target and serve in your marketing and start to create a plan to tell your story to them.
Focus On “Owned” Media
When it comes to marketing your organization, you can rent media or you can own it. Most of us are familiar (and comfortable) with rented media. The radio station “owns” the audience. We pay them for access to that audience for a brief window in time. We rent that media. The same is true for all traditional media. And make no mistake, the same is true for social media. They own those audiences. Even if Facebook makes it feel like the followers are ours, they are not. That is still rented media.
Owned media is the audience that has opted in to hear from us. This is your email or text list. These people have raised their hand and signed up for a newsletter, downloaded a book, or joined your tribe on purpose. You “own” this audience and you get to decide what and when you send them communications. This list is incredibly valuable to your organization and is a powerful tool for marketing during a challenging time.
Pro-tip: Make sure you are adding value through your list…not just barraging them with ads. Remember, they can unsubscribe!
Action Step: Start to create new ways for people to join your “list.” Once you have an “owned audience,” create a schedule of regular communications you send out that adds them value and communicates your value.
Create Content That Adds Value
Adding value is always a great strategy, but especially now. One powerful way to add value to your prospects and customers (and drive traffic to your website) is to create content. This is a wonderful time to create a blog, video series, or podcast that is hosted on your website. We certainly do our best to do that. One of the best ways to get started is to simply create content around what your clients are already asking you. Make a list of the top 5 or 10 questions you (and your team) get asked every day. Now…create a piece of content that thoroughly answers that. This is a great way to add value, drive traffic to your site, and ask them to join your tribe. You can join our tribe here by the way.
Action Step: Start (or re-start) to create content that serves your client.
See The People
Some of the best sales advice I ever got was very early in my career. “When in doubt, go and see the people.” In sales, it is incredibly easy to sit behind your desk and wait for the phone to ring. And when times are rocking, this seems to work. But in an economic downturn, you have to be proactive. You can’t just sit back and wait for customers to come to you. This is the time to go on offense. It might mean upping your social media game, attending conferences where your customers go (read this if you are going to do that), or even just getting out of the office and going to physically “see” your customers.
Action Step: Create a strategy to get out of the office and go to where your customers are.
Increase Your Marketing
Of course, the marketing guy says this, right?
But here’s the thing. During economic squeezes, most people react in fear and retract. The boldest companies dare to do the opposite. Now is a time to invest and look to gain market share while your competitors are afraid to stick their heads out and see their shadow. This doesn’t mean throwing money around irresponsibly. That’s why this is the last tip. If you follow the advice of creating value, focusing on a targeted market, and growing your current client base, you can do this effectively.
At a recent conference, I listened to Dean Graziosi talk about the economic downturn and his advice was simple. “Whatever you planned to spend on marketing this year…double it.”
Action Tip: While your competitors cut back, look for ways to wisely increase your efforts.
Bonus: Invest In Your Team
“Nothing kills a bad business faster than good marketing.” For real. There is no sense in investing in a great marketing campaign in order to send your prospect or customer to a frustrated employee. The experience will do nothing but chase a good lead away forever.
Action Tip: Create internal branded merchandise that the team actually wants to wear! It doesn’t need to have a logo on the front. Connect it to the mission!
These are just a few tips on how to market your organization in an economic downturn. If you want to join our tribe, feel free to sign up here. And if you want help creating a plan to help your organization not only survive but thrive, let us know!
