Above all else, promotions should be functional, right? When your clients want to give their end-users a way to stay organized, you want to find something that works the way they want it. Lori Sweeney, owner of Exclusive Marketing Concepts, Holland, Mich., recalls one promotion that helped end-users stay organized.
Promo Marketing: Tell us about a promotion you thought was one of your best?
Lori Sweeney: It is always exciting when we can find the perfect product for our customer’s event. We were able to do this with the 3M Essential Journal. The 3M Essential Journal featuring Post-It Notes and Flags was the perfect product to match to a company-wide strategic planning event. The full-color appeal and the versatile functionality of the journal really matched well with the diversity needed for this event.
PM: What about this promotion made it stand out, in particular?
LS: The planning event’s theme was “Team Innovation.” Each team was going to be brainstorming six areas. In a variety of formats throughout the day, participants would be sharing their ideas. The components in the journal allowed participants to collect the thoughts that connected with them and share their thoughts with others.
PM: What did you like most about it?
LS: [I liked] working with 3M to customize the
journal with the design that fit both the function
and the enthusiasm generated for this event.
PM: Did you run into any hurdles while working on this promotion?
LS: After all of the proofs were approved, it was discovered that the color conversion of the artwork may not be an exact match, which could have changed the look of the whole design. My rep at 3M came to the rescue. She worked closely with her art department and their production team to make sure the imprint colors turned out correctly.
PM: What advice would you give distributors looking to do a similar promotion?
LS: Understanding your client and their goals for their event is key to identifying the most effective product for your client’s purpose. 3M’s involvement with the virtual proof at the beginning of the process really enhanced my sales presentation.
PM: Is there anything else you’d like to add that we haven’t asked about?
LS: One of the aspects of this process that was most meaningful to this order was the design work that 3M provided, which added value for my client and enhanced my service to them.
