The perfect blend of aesthetic and effectiveness is not as easy as you might think
Often overlooked is the design aspect of a promotional product. Design is a strange thing as it can often be overlooked as it appears very easy to many people. A good design will pay dividends well into the future: an example is the Nike swoosh, of course very simple to draw, but very hard to replicate its success! Think hard about dividing up your budget so that a good amount is devoted towards getting the design right. Do not be afraid to test designs with close groups of people (preferably customers) to hone things, but remember that many people will have their own ideas, but not all can be right so it is better to focus on things like making sure the design is clear, attractive and compelling rather than the specifics of colour, size and placement etc. (there are other ways to address those aspects). Also consider that what works well for your customers may not necessarily be something you are in love with. Try and be objective, however if the two go hand in hand all the better!
An example I use to illustrate this particular facet of design is to ask you to think about some of the biggest, and most successful, Internet names out there. Chances are Google, eBay and Amazon are at, or very near, the top of your list. One could hardly say that they are also the most attractive sites though! They work and have become bigger than their competition not only because of their services, but also because their interface with their customers is simple (although Amazon is starting to look more messy!) and therefore they can be understood and used by the widest audience.
A common error, certainly one we have seen many times, is making sure your message is front and centre. Unless you are a recognised brand like Nike, CocaCola or Apple then just your logo on a promotional product is going to have limited value outside your known customer base. If you can, always include a short piece of text to explain quickly and memorably what you do. For the 6% of the population that do not know what CocaCola is just simply adding ‘a delicious, brown, carbonated beverage’ could help them take their first sip!
Once you have captured the viewer’s eye and delivered your message hopefully they will feel as if they want to read secondary information such as your highlighted products, services or maybe just your web address. If that information is not present then you are relying on them remembering to try and find out later, a risky strategy especially as there is lots of completion for everyone’s attention these days! QR codes or unique URLs can be useful here too as a means of getting an instant call to action. For instance: ‘Scan now to receive a 10% discount off of your first order.”
Also worth mentioning is to try and select a product you can offer in a number of colour ways for little or no extra cost, this will increase both uptake and longevity – like Coolaz stubby holders. This can be a double-whammy of sorts, which can often also be quite economical in volume orders, but is increasingly possible with smaller orders too with some suppliers.
Thursday, 29 March 2012
Tuesday, 27 March 2012
Promotional Stubby Holders: Competition and Saturation
Stand out from the crowd
Becoming ever more a factor in choosing the right strategy is trying to find a promotional item that stands out among the rest: commonly selected items such as keyrings, stress balls and now USB sticks are becoming so popular that you will be hard pressed to find someone that has not already got one, so you'll have to work even more harder to make sure they like your one! Occasionally a new product arrives on the market and it is important to quickly evaluate the potential of new ideas with respect to your target audience before others usurp you - stealing your thunder. A new product idea done well cannot only generate interest from the person you gave it to, but to others who see it and are curious. This is an added bonus not to be sniffed at!
A Coolaz stubby holder is a new design of beverage insulator that is sure to get attention as it does not compete with the more traditional - and ubiquitous - wetsuit type.
Sunday, 18 March 2012
Promotional Stubby Holders: Adding Value to You
How to measure your campaign's effectiveness
Once upon a time all you could use to track a campaign was ask each customer how they reached you, use a seperate PO Box or obtained a new telephone line and number. With the age of the Internet it has gotten a little easier with unique URLs and server side tracking, but you still need to make the link memorable and not clumsy. QR codes are a new marketing phenomemon that could help drive measurable traffic to wherever you want people to go!
A large proportion of the cost of a bespoke designed promotion item is the set up and artwork. Once that is done each little addition cost less and less. Even something like adding a custom QR code can improve the value of your product - sometimes for free. QR codes are becoming more and more visible and are a great way to exact a call to action to the tech savvy generation. QR codes can be used to push people to a website, deliver an electronic business card and much more. They can also be used, once people have used their code, to track the visitor and personalise content.
By capturing the QR code below with an app enabled phone (iNigma is a very popular one for both iPhone and Android) the embedded URL can tell me that you came from this article and I can store the date and time you visited, find out how long you visited for, where you went in my website, your ISPs location and even the operating system on your phone!
This QR code can easily printed on Coolaz Stubby Holders - and we can even make up a different one for each one we print! This variable information encoded into QR codes (i.e. each product has a unique code) can be used to further enhance the experience and are an immensely powerful marketing tool whose scope is still being explored.
Once upon a time all you could use to track a campaign was ask each customer how they reached you, use a seperate PO Box or obtained a new telephone line and number. With the age of the Internet it has gotten a little easier with unique URLs and server side tracking, but you still need to make the link memorable and not clumsy. QR codes are a new marketing phenomemon that could help drive measurable traffic to wherever you want people to go!
A large proportion of the cost of a bespoke designed promotion item is the set up and artwork. Once that is done each little addition cost less and less. Even something like adding a custom QR code can improve the value of your product - sometimes for free. QR codes are becoming more and more visible and are a great way to exact a call to action to the tech savvy generation. QR codes can be used to push people to a website, deliver an electronic business card and much more. They can also be used, once people have used their code, to track the visitor and personalise content.
By capturing the QR code below with an app enabled phone (iNigma is a very popular one for both iPhone and Android) the embedded URL can tell me that you came from this article and I can store the date and time you visited, find out how long you visited for, where you went in my website, your ISPs location and even the operating system on your phone!
This QR code can easily printed on Coolaz Stubby Holders - and we can even make up a different one for each one we print! This variable information encoded into QR codes (i.e. each product has a unique code) can be used to further enhance the experience and are an immensely powerful marketing tool whose scope is still being explored.
Thursday, 15 March 2012
Promotional Stubby Holders: Adding value to your customers
There are lots of ways to add value to your promotional stubby holders!
With some promotional products even more value to the target audience can be added for little cost, especially those that are made by the much more flexible digital printing processes. Something as simple as a consecutive number can become a valuable offering when it becomes a perhaps a lottery entry or perhaps a means to get a discount, both of which will undoubtedly increase the lifetime of the item as it retained until redemption. Some digital processes also now allow you to add more complex variable information such as names, numbers and addresses. What easier way to make sure your gift sweeps all its competition away and to also impress your recipient as you have taken the time to personalise their gift with their first name!
An ideal addition is one that evokes a subsequent interaction with your website or makes ordering simple and easy - possibly even including a login code that unlocks discounts or specials. A simple QR Code printed on your promotional stubby holder can do this by encoding a unique URL that visitors are pushed to.
Due to the fact they are printed digitally, Coolaz Stubby Holders can also be used as lottery or entrance tickets.
With some promotional products even more value to the target audience can be added for little cost, especially those that are made by the much more flexible digital printing processes. Something as simple as a consecutive number can become a valuable offering when it becomes a perhaps a lottery entry or perhaps a means to get a discount, both of which will undoubtedly increase the lifetime of the item as it retained until redemption. Some digital processes also now allow you to add more complex variable information such as names, numbers and addresses. What easier way to make sure your gift sweeps all its competition away and to also impress your recipient as you have taken the time to personalise their gift with their first name!
An ideal addition is one that evokes a subsequent interaction with your website or makes ordering simple and easy - possibly even including a login code that unlocks discounts or specials. A simple QR Code printed on your promotional stubby holder can do this by encoding a unique URL that visitors are pushed to.
Due to the fact they are printed digitally, Coolaz Stubby Holders can also be used as lottery or entrance tickets.
Tuesday, 13 March 2012
Improve your promotional product’s impact and persistence: Functionality
Generally a promotional item should appeal to the widest demographic possible (although sometimes it can pay to narrow your audience) otherwise the attrition rate is going to be higher. Let’s work through the example of keyring bottle openers: these commonly used items clearly appeal to drinkers, but only those that drink bottled beer, and then only to those of them that prefer premium style beers that do not commonly have a screw cap. So what was wide group has now been whittled down to a fraction that will find the gift useful. The Venn diagram below shows this concept quite nicely:
So while many other people will also accept the gift, only a percentage will see their item often, and most will be put on the spare keys, or worse, the kitchen draw! With keyring bottle openers, and many similar promotional items, adding a further complication is the fact that the group that are going to be most interested in your promotional gift are those most likely to already have an alternative already, thus increasing your competition!
By increasing the functional base of your chosen item you can obviously spread your message much wider and by making it suit the needs of a wider percentage of that audience you can increase awareness further. Using products that are adjustable or have a one-size-fits all aspect are clearly more valuable in these circumstances.
Why not try Coolaz's adjustable stubby holders for you next promotional campaign?
Next > Adding value to the customer
So while many other people will also accept the gift, only a percentage will see their item often, and most will be put on the spare keys, or worse, the kitchen draw! With keyring bottle openers, and many similar promotional items, adding a further complication is the fact that the group that are going to be most interested in your promotional gift are those most likely to already have an alternative already, thus increasing your competition!
By increasing the functional base of your chosen item you can obviously spread your message much wider and by making it suit the needs of a wider percentage of that audience you can increase awareness further. Using products that are adjustable or have a one-size-fits all aspect are clearly more valuable in these circumstances.
Why not try Coolaz's adjustable stubby holders for you next promotional campaign?
Next > Adding value to the customer
Thursday, 8 March 2012
Choosing a promotional product for your marketing campaign: how to improve your promotional product’s impact and persistence
If you type in ‘promotional products’ into Google it gives 51m results, it is easy then to imagine how many promotional gifts, products, premiums and giveaway options are out there! That number of results also tells us that in some way they must work, all those businesses must be addressing a continuous demand. The trick of course is to make sure that when you do use promotional products as part of a marketing exercise that you make the most of your budget. This article aims to give you some hints, tips and thoughts as to how to improve the impact of your promotional product campaign.
Cost
The number one question asked is ‘how much should I spend (per person) on my promotional product’. This is going to depend on a few important considerations including your target demographic, the competition for their attention and perhaps the type of products or services you are promoting. With that in mind it is worth remembering that if 50% of your recipients are going to ignore the item it might arguably be worth paying twice as much to make sure 100% of half the number of targets keeps a better product around for even longer. A great example of this is direct mailing campaigns where the cost is very low, but success can be as little as a 0.5% to 1% take up. Working it through using 1000 flyers at $200 as an example, each response can actually cost more than $20 each! Could a $2 gift to 100 people, or even a $20 gift to 10, give a better return than that? What is certain is that a promotional gift is much more likely to hang around longer than flyers and mailshots and therefore stand a much better chance of being to hand when the customer needs your product or service and also garnering repeat exposures to your message. Supporting that argument are fridge magnets, which are making significant in-roads into areas where direct mail has traditionally dominated. This is especially true for local businesses advertising their services.
In general it is easy to get lured into more is better when it comes to promotional giveaways, but it is often not applicable so take time to plan your campaign in advance. Think about who are you sending it too: what are they interested in? What do they use every day? How can you make things easier for them to interact with you? If you can address these questions then it is just a matter of working out the cheapest option that fits the bill.
Next Post > Functionality
Cost
The number one question asked is ‘how much should I spend (per person) on my promotional product’. This is going to depend on a few important considerations including your target demographic, the competition for their attention and perhaps the type of products or services you are promoting. With that in mind it is worth remembering that if 50% of your recipients are going to ignore the item it might arguably be worth paying twice as much to make sure 100% of half the number of targets keeps a better product around for even longer. A great example of this is direct mailing campaigns where the cost is very low, but success can be as little as a 0.5% to 1% take up. Working it through using 1000 flyers at $200 as an example, each response can actually cost more than $20 each! Could a $2 gift to 100 people, or even a $20 gift to 10, give a better return than that? What is certain is that a promotional gift is much more likely to hang around longer than flyers and mailshots and therefore stand a much better chance of being to hand when the customer needs your product or service and also garnering repeat exposures to your message. Supporting that argument are fridge magnets, which are making significant in-roads into areas where direct mail has traditionally dominated. This is especially true for local businesses advertising their services.
In general it is easy to get lured into more is better when it comes to promotional giveaways, but it is often not applicable so take time to plan your campaign in advance. Think about who are you sending it too: what are they interested in? What do they use every day? How can you make things easier for them to interact with you? If you can address these questions then it is just a matter of working out the cheapest option that fits the bill.
Next Post > Functionality
Tuesday, 6 March 2012
March 2012 – Labour Day, St Patrick's Day and The Melbourne Grand Prix
March 2012 What's On...
Labour Day
Australia celebrates Labour Day or Eight Hours Day, every March this annual public holiday commends the economic and social achievements of workers.
Labour Day has its origins in the labour union movement, specifically the eight-hour day movement, which advocated eight hours for work, eight hours for recreation, and eight hours for rest. So enjoy the long weekend!
St Patrick's Day
St Patricks Day is also celebrated this month - a cultural and religious holiday celebrated internationally on 17 March. It commemorates Saint Patrick, the most commonly recognised of the patron saints of Ireland.
Saint Patrick's Day was made an official feast day in the early seventeenth century, and has gradually become a worldly celebration of Irish culture in general. The day is generally characterised by the attendance of church services, Irish symbols and the wearing of green attire- although this is a bit of a misconception, as the phrase "the wearing of the green," meant to wear a shamrock - St. Patrick used the three-leaved plant to explain the Trinity of the Christian religion.
The day also celebrates the lifting of Lent restrictions on eating and drinking alcohol, however, Irish pubs used to be closed on two days of the year: Good Friday and St. Patrick's Day - So ironically enough, in Ireland until recently, on St. Patrick's Day you couldn't actually get a drink!
Today, St. Patrick's Day is probably the most widely celebrated saint's day in the world and with Irish Pubs in abundance in Australia I am sure that you will find the perfect way to celebrate this year!
Here are some of our design ideas to help you with your celebration this year...
Grand Prix 2012
You may also be aware that the Melbourne Grand Prix 2012 is taking place on Sunday 18th March 2012... Drivers take to the Albert Park street circuit for the first Formula 1 race of the 2012 season.
With two Australians on the grid for the first time - Mark Webber and Daniel Ricciardo - and a host of young guns competing, the roar from the stands will equal the roar from the cars.
Check out a Couple of stylish Grand Prix themed ideas to keep your beer cold this year, even if you're watching it from the comfort of your lounge:
Enjoy :-)
Labour Day
Australia celebrates Labour Day or Eight Hours Day, every March this annual public holiday commends the economic and social achievements of workers.
Labour Day has its origins in the labour union movement, specifically the eight-hour day movement, which advocated eight hours for work, eight hours for recreation, and eight hours for rest. So enjoy the long weekend!
St Patrick's Day
St Patricks Day is also celebrated this month - a cultural and religious holiday celebrated internationally on 17 March. It commemorates Saint Patrick, the most commonly recognised of the patron saints of Ireland.
Saint Patrick's Day was made an official feast day in the early seventeenth century, and has gradually become a worldly celebration of Irish culture in general. The day is generally characterised by the attendance of church services, Irish symbols and the wearing of green attire- although this is a bit of a misconception, as the phrase "the wearing of the green," meant to wear a shamrock - St. Patrick used the three-leaved plant to explain the Trinity of the Christian religion.
The day also celebrates the lifting of Lent restrictions on eating and drinking alcohol, however, Irish pubs used to be closed on two days of the year: Good Friday and St. Patrick's Day - So ironically enough, in Ireland until recently, on St. Patrick's Day you couldn't actually get a drink!
Today, St. Patrick's Day is probably the most widely celebrated saint's day in the world and with Irish Pubs in abundance in Australia I am sure that you will find the perfect way to celebrate this year!
Here are some of our design ideas to help you with your celebration this year...
Grand Prix 2012
You may also be aware that the Melbourne Grand Prix 2012 is taking place on Sunday 18th March 2012... Drivers take to the Albert Park street circuit for the first Formula 1 race of the 2012 season.
With two Australians on the grid for the first time - Mark Webber and Daniel Ricciardo - and a host of young guns competing, the roar from the stands will equal the roar from the cars.
Check out a Couple of stylish Grand Prix themed ideas to keep your beer cold this year, even if you're watching it from the comfort of your lounge:
Enjoy :-)
Sunday, 4 March 2012
Car and Limo Ideas For Your Wedding!
Our Top Ten Car Suggestions for your Wedding!
When planning your wedding there are so many details to factor in, the dress, the location, and probably the most important thing to arrange is how you will get there?!
Here are some Coolaz Ideas for how to get to your wedding in style and on time!!
Cadillac Limousine
The Classic Cadillac Limousine is the ultimate in luxury, and give a stylish and sleek start to your big day, dressed with purple ribbons to match the wedding colours!
Cadillac Convertible
Not only will this convertible give you an unforgettable arrival but will look stunning in your wedding pics!! If you have some red in your theme this will be simply perfect!
We hope that you find the perfect Wedding Car for your Special Day!
When planning your wedding there are so many details to factor in, the dress, the location, and probably the most important thing to arrange is how you will get there?!
Here are some Coolaz Ideas for how to get to your wedding in style and on time!!
Cadillac Limousine
The Classic Cadillac Limousine is the ultimate in luxury, and give a stylish and sleek start to your big day, dressed with purple ribbons to match the wedding colours!
- Classic Cadillac Limo
- Purple Coolaz Cooler Design
Not only will this convertible give you an unforgettable arrival but will look stunning in your wedding pics!! If you have some red in your theme this will be simply perfect!
- Cadillac Convertible Red
- Red Design Stubby Holder
Bentley
This
classy silver Bentley dressed with satin ribbons and driven by a
smartly uniformed chauffeur will surely get your wedding day off to the
perfect start.
- Bentley Classic Wedding Car
- Bentley Stubby Holder Design
BMW
Dress
your shiny BMW wedding car with flowers to match your bouquet and the
colour scheme of your day … a great way to get the celebration started.
- BMW Wedding Car
- BMW Wedding Car Design
Chrysler Stretch Limo
A
stylish ride to get the whole wedding party there in one hit! This
white stretch limo has a fresh, clean and sleek design – a fantastic
match for a white wedding and a beautiful orchid design of Coolaz Drink Holder too!
- Chrysler Stretch Limo
- Chrysler Match Stubby Holder Design
Hummer Limousine
Why
not go all out and get the bride & bridesmaids to the wedding in
true girly style! If you are having a pink princess style wedding then
this will suit your day …!
- Pink Hummer Wedding Car
- Pink Stubby Holder Design
Volkswagen Beetle
This
super sleek Gold Beetle adds style with a modern twist, dressed with a
beautiful flower arrangement this car will have heads turning from the
start of your special day!
- Volkswagen Beetle Wedding Car
- Volkswagen Beetle Stubby Design
Jaguar
This
trendy looking Jaguar is the perfect ‘something blue’ for your special
day! Dressed with a pretty pink bow to really top off the wedding theme!
- Blue Wedding Car Jaguar XJ8
- Jag Blue Stubby Holder Design
Rolls Royce
Your vintage style wedding deserves a Vintage Rolls Royce to complete your stunning album photographs!
- Vintage Rolls Royce
- Yellow Flower Vintage Design
Horse and Cart - Wedding Carriage
For
a really special arrival that will stay a fond memory forever! A
fairy-tale start to your wedding and a wonderful way to leave the
ceremony as a married couple – this magical wedding carriage has been
dressed for the occasion…!
- Wedding Carriage
- Wedding Carriage Red Design
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