promotional products • incentives • corporate gifts • meetings • events Volume 60 / March 2011
SPONSORED BY
Targeted Media Services Inc

Click here to see other new and creative promotional products

Cover Story Promo Products – and Lance Armstrong – Garner Support for Biking Industry
Videos Promo Man Takes Flight | THE JOE SHOW
Become Our Facebook Fan Win $100 & Gain Access to Great Ideas
Case Study of the Month Blippy Finds Fun in Nail Clippers
Showcase Gift Cards
Marketing Calendar June 2011
Monthly Contest Solve This Dilemma


Cover Story
Promo Products – and Lance Armstrong – Garner Support for Biking Industry
When Lance Armstrong tweets, people listen. The cycling tour de force gave the newly created People for Bikes (PFB) group instant credibility last April when he Tweeted his over 2 million Twitter followers to sign a pledge supporting their goal to make the U.S. more bike-friendly, and spread the joy of cycling.

“Millions of Americans ride bicycles, but only very few speak up on behalf of making riding safer or more convenient,” says Tim Blumenthal, president of Bikes Belong Foundation, a bike advocacy coalition sponsored by the bike industry, which sold $5.6 billion in bikes and equipment in 2009.

The group hired Minneapolis-based ad agency Colle+McVoy (C+M), known for its work in the outdoor leisure category, to help create a “movement with clout,” says Blumenthal.

C+M essentially created PFB from scratch as a whole new brand, with the long-term goal of gathering 1 million signatures to support government legislation to improve cycling. Ultimately, they hope to capture even a sliver of a portion of the transportation budget in support of bike-friendly legislation. PFB is a friendly, unifying and inclusive campaign, intended to attract not just die-hard cyclists, but also the 70% of Americans who love to ride, but fear for their safety, according to Blumenthal. A new logo, website, posters and advertisements, and appearances at major biking events all were part of the effort.

The new logo has been an important part of the campaign. “It is popsicle patriotic,” Blumenthal says of the cheery red, white and blue color scheme. “Friendly, welcoming, inclusive … all the things we wanted our movement to be.”

The website, www.peopleforbikes.org, was designed to be very user-friendly, and is aimed at every type of cyclist. The text and information on the site is straightforward and easy to understand. It contains the pledge and information about the mission and goals of PFB, as well as testimonials, photos and stories posted from fans that have signed the pledge and are committed or passionate about biking. PFB encourages fans to sign the pledge, then Tweet or post it to Facebook to share with fans’ own social networks.

PFB was introduced to bike industry manufacturers and executives at the National Bike Summit in Washington D.C. last March, followed by a four day “celebration of cycling” consumer trade event, the Sea Otter Classic, in Monterey, CA, in April. Mike Caguin, C+M executive creative director, says the two events were major public-relations efforts, driving people to the newly created website. Over 8.9 million earned media impressions resulted from the outreach, including national press coverage in the Washington Post, Chicago Sun-Times and Fast Company, as well as cycling enthusiast blogs, says Caguin.

A life-size traveling stage, a replica of the smiling bike logo, was set up at each event, where people could get up and give filmed testimonials about their love of biking. These were edited down to a 71-second video that appears on the website touting the joy of bike riding. The video and taped testimonials were then shared among different social media channels. PFB has a Facebook page, Twitter feed and Flickr stream, and Caguin says they are looking for more ways to engage people through social media in 2011.

“We went into the Sea Otter Classic feeling optimistic,” Blumenthal says. “We got lots of signatures and people wearing swag to represent PFB. It was a key moment for us.” Logoed buttons and bumper stickers were given out, along with brochures containing stickers supporting the initiative, T-shirts and bike stickers. Branded water bottles and messenger bags were also available for sale.

“Industry support for us has been huge,” says Caguin of the successful PFB launch. “We even got Lance Armstrong to take the pledge and Tweet about it,” he says, noting that the number of signatures jumped by 5,000 immediately following Armstrong’s endorsement. In addition, Armstrong sported a PFB sticker on his bike in last year’s Tour de France.

PFB has leveraged its relationship with independent bike retailers to promote the group on their sites and in their stores. These retailers post display window clings on the premises and carry pledge forms, brochures and pins to spread the word at a local level.

The campaign has exceeded expectations, according to Caguin. To date, nearly 170,000 people have taken the pledge. “Our very ambitious goal in 2011 is to hit 500,000,” Caguin says. Upcoming events this year include another appearance at the National Bike Summit in March and the Sea Otter Classic in April, along with traveling road-show appearances at major biking events.

Top

VIDEOS

Promo ManPromo Man Takes Flight
There's a new superhero in town and his name is Promo Man. In his YouTube debut, "The Adventures of Promo Man: Promo Man Saves the Day," the dapper caped crusader helps a struggling businesswoman get her business off the ground by showing her how promo products beat prime-time TV, radio and print advertising as the most cost-effective advertising medium available. Along the way, he kicks a little TV butt.

Click here to watch Promo Man's first video and feel free to circulate the link. Click here to check out Promo Man's website. 

The Joe ShowTHE JOE SHOW
The Joe Show reveals some of the latest products and promotional ideas available in the market today. Click here to see a brand-new edition of The Joe Show.
Top
BECOME OUR FACEBOOK FAN
Win $100 & Gain Access to Great Ideas
Sign up now and enjoy The Joe Show, where our very own Joe Haley features cool new promotional product ideas. Access case studies in every industry that showcase the hottest new marketing campaigns. You can even submit your own case studies and be eligible to win a $100 MasterCard gift card. Plus, network with other businesspeople looking to pump up their marketing efforts. Click here to get started today.
CASE STUDY OF THE MONTH

Blippy Finds Fun in Nail Clippers
The leadership team at Blippy, a social media site where users post and follow each other’s notes about what they are buying, was looking for a fun and slightly off-kilter promotion to get people to sign up for the service. Sort of a Twitter for shopping, the site lets users help each other find good deals, so it made sense to draw people to the site with a fun freebie.

Rather than a pen, mug or luggage tag, the Blippy team decided on a more unusual, but still practical giveaway: a branded nail clipper. Users could get the metal clipper, which was emblazoned with the Blippy logo and the Web acronym “omgwtf,” by creating a Blippy account and sending in their mailing address. 

The three-month campaign dripped with snarky humor, from cofounder Philip Kaplan’s Tweet – “I’m not kidding. You think I’m kidding but I’m not.” – that included a link to the promotion’s website (www.freenailclippers.com) to the promise on the site that, “We will mail you actual nailclippers. In the mail. For your manky talons.”

“We started the promotion kind of as a joke, but it's become much bigger than we expected,” says Kaplan, who has founded several other Internet companies over the years, including AdBrite and PK Interactive. “It’s fun and a relatively inexpensive way to please our users.”

Though when asked who the clipper giveaway was targeting, Kaplan dryly says, “people with fingernails,” the tone and methods for getting the word out – through Tweets and blog posts – targeted the message to the Web-savvy people most likely to embrace Blippy.

The company, which launched at the beginning of 2010, has gotten much of its growth from public relations and word of mouth, so the free clipper fit in with Blippy’s viral strategy. The giveaway got a number of hits on tech and business news sites, and it was all the company could do to keep enough clippers on hand to fill orders.

Though Kaplan can’t put a specific number on additional users Blippy has acquired through the promotion, he jokes, “The nail clipper company probably thinks we're crazy because we keep reordering these 500-count boxes.”

SHOWCASE

Gift Cards
Provide incentives to customers, reward your employees or thank a favorite vendor by providing the ever-versatile gift card. Whether it's for sporting goods or a meal at a popular eatery, there's a card to fit every situation.

JUST DO IT Nike gift cards offer recipients the chance to get the latest in high-performance active wear, footwear and sporting equipment. asi/73000

 

BANK ON IT This prepaid debit card with the MasterCard logo can be used to recognize, motivate and reward employees, customers, clients and partners by giving them the freedom to spend at 25 million locations. asi/43824

A NEW TUNE This music download card has plenty of room for your logo and message. Give out the cards at your trade show and attendees will be singing a happy tune. asi/77966

 

CORN CARDS Show off your social consciousness by choosing biodegradable cards, made from corn. They’re the perfect item for an eco-friendly campaign. asi/42989

GAS IT UP Fuel up your promotions with this $10 gas card, redeemable at major national service stations. Recipients will be reminded of your brand whenever they're at the pump. asi/92429

 

RETAIL THRILL National-retailer gift cards are available in any denomination and redeemable at major stores and restaurants like iTunes, P.F. Chang's and GameStop. asi/73011

THE POWER OF CHOICE Digital Choice cards are a great way to attract techies and members of Generation Next. Recipients can go online to choose a range of digital entertainment options, from ringtones to photo calendars to music downloads. asi/70303

 

KEEP THEM LOYAL Convert first time-prospects to full-time customers with this loyalty card. Include an eye-catching logo so that recipients can easily find it in their wallets. asi/91743

STORE IT UP A stored-value gift card can be targeted to specific merchants and used for multiple purchases without having to refund any unspent value. Choose this card for a spontaneous thank-you or monthly awards. asi/94225

 

GREEN CARD Recycled gift cards are a cool way to help the environment. This plastic card is manufactured from 100% recycled PVC, making it perfect for any business looking to improve its green image. asi/87250


marketing calendar ••• June 2011

Effective Communications Month
Learning to listen
June is the perfect month to sharpen your corporate communications with a multi-tiered program. Begin the month by announcing special pricing, upgrades to products and services, promotions and awards won via your social networking initiative. Tweet daily, create special offers on your Facebook fan page and connect with your clients through LinkedIn. Follow that up with a mailing that includes a USB smart button that launches a special website for these clients only. In week three, hand-deliver a company newsletter that includes the firm’s mission statement – drop it off along with imprinted mugs and coffee. Finally in week four, have your call to action where you implore clients and potential clients to schedule company tours and meetings to learn everything that’s new. Contact your distributor, who can help you find the perfect product for each component of this promotion.

16
Recess at Work Day
A time to play
Study after study shows that there are huge benefits to play … and not just for the kiddies. Here’s a fun idea for an employee motivation promotion: Have a field day with team competitions and prizes for the first-, second- and third-place teams. Your distributor partner can get you customized trophies and color, logoed shirts for the teams. Increase the fun by inviting clients to take part in the festivities. It gives them an opportunity to see the company in a whole different light.

21
Baby Boomers Recognition Day
Aging with grace
As the “greatest generation” heads into its twilight years, there is a huge opportunity for a lot of industries out there. Use today as a way to market directly to this demographic using iconic images in nostalgia-theme promotions. Everything from senior centers, assisted-living facilities, 55-and-over communities, spas, gyms and restaurants can target this group, which has more free time and more disposable income at hand. Your distributor partner can help you find products that are appropriate for baby boomers.

24
Take Your Dog to Work Day
Toto the temp
People love their pets, and that’s why they spend millions of dollars on them each year. Want to be your employees’ best friend? Allow them to bring their dogs to work and provide them with an imprinted product for Fido. Fashion-forward pet couture, leashes with bling and imprinted water bowls can be given out to all good dogs. End the day with a reception for both clients and their pooches. Your distributor has a veritable chuck wagon filled with imprintable pet items.


Monthly Contest

Solve This Dilemma
Every month, Successful Promotions will launch a new contest where we ask you, our readers and Facebook fans, for your most creative ideas for solving businesses’ dilemmas. Each entry should be 50 words or less and a promotional product must be part of the solution to the weekly challenge. Send all entries to jhaley@asicentral.com by the specified deadline in order to qualify for a free gift. Winners will be randomly selected from all entries.

This Month’s Contest: Summer. Camp Tall Pines is a summer camp located in the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania. Each year the owners look for something new and different for campers, many of whom spend summer after summer at the camp. While all campers get the necessary logoed tees, hoodies, bags and caps, the camp always provides something that’s new and cool – something the campers will use year round. Shoot your best ideas to camp counselor Scooter. Don’t forget to incorporate promotional products into your award-winning campaign. Send your ideas to jhaley@asicentral.com by April 17.

Top
spacer
Successful Promotions® Trend Report™  is a trademark of the Advertising Specialty Institute. Copyright 2011, ASI. All Rights Reserved.
If you'd like us to send Successful Promotions Trend Report FREE to your colleague, click here and complete the online form.
Advertising Specialty Institute®, 4800 Street Road, Trevose, PA 19053