The phrase “silver linings” is a shortened version of “every cloud has a silver lining.”
Well, Michelle Sarra was certainly facing some legitimate storm clouds in her Florida town: Hurricane Ivan. But in a twist in line with the saying, the massive storm created business opportunities for Sarra and the team she leads as founder and CEO of The Marketing Bar (asi/258231). Here, she tells the story of her company’s post-Ivan transformation and offers a specific case study that’s sure to inspire.
How long have you been selling print and promo together?
Michelle Sarra: The Marketing Bar has been in the event production and promotional marketing world for 22 years. We always outsourced our print and signage to other distributors. After Hurricane Ivan decimated our hometown of Pensacola, we were forced to find new sources of income, so we began the journey to become a distributor ourselves. We started buying directly from suppliers and had instant success. We soon after rebranded the company and pulled in apparel too.
Using both print and promo is great for business because we can act as the project manager for more complicated projects, which allows us to expedite the activations faster than agencies, who outsource each piece. This increases our margins as well.
What’s a promotion you’ve done that blended print (packaging, boxes, etc.) and hard goods that stands out as especially memorable?
MS: After COVID, we did a multi-piece project for a telecom company. Their goal was to convince certain employees to come back to work in the office. So, we designed a fun campaign with the messaging “The sooner you come back, the sooner you get a free vacation.” Everyone was rewarded on some level if they returned at least part-time. The people returning full-time received vacation vouchers. Others returning part-time received a promotional gift shipped in custom packaging. This campaign included three direct mail pieces, digital landing pages and digital retargeting ads, along with a pop-up shop where they could choose from a variety of luxury promotional items and branded gift cards.
How did you select the products?
MS: We suggested high-end luxury gifts. The client wanted exclusive products that wouldn’t normally be included in any promo. We had a selection of Citizen watches, Kashwere robes, Cuisinart products, Tumi luggage, Waterman pens and other items.
Did you run into any roadblocks?
MS: Yes, more of a miscalculation than a roadblock – we thought we were clever by designing one of the direct mail pieces to be a custom die-cut piece. It ended up costing us more to mail it due to the size and shape, so we took a hit on the postage that wasn’t expected. You live and learn, though. We certainly did.
What advice would you give distributors looking to do something similar?
MS: Be creative, but stay cohesive and on message when designing all the pieces.
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