It shouldn’t surprise anyone that, these days, cellphones are big business. And where there’s big business, there’s a big marketing opportunity. Rachelle Boyer, senior account manager for Sunrise Identity, Bellevue, Wash., had one such opportunity, running an interesting incentives promotion for a cellphone manufacturer that was designed to motivate salespeople at its retail store partners to sell its new phone.
Promo Marketing: Could you briefly describe a promotion that you consider one of your best?
Rachelle Boyer: We are fortunate to work with a top OEM* phone device manufacturer. The challenge they run into is how do they, at a store level with the carriers, create excitement for their device? We had recently created a successful Black Friday launch kit, and the client came back to us this spring and said, “OK, we’re looking for another one.”
Our client wanted to create a fun launch kit, which would create awareness/hype around their new, fun device. We assembled 3,000 kits, which would provide key selling points of the device, tips and reminders to keep the OEM at the top of the mind of 25,000 carrier store associates (not an easy task). We created a soft-sided cooler (which doubled as a sales incentive piece). Inside the cooler, we assembled individual cinch sacks kits which included a Frisbee, luggage tag, beach ball, grip dot, microfiber cleaning cloth, along with collateral providing key selling points of the device along with some much-loved snacks.
It was a huge success. I always follow up at the associate level after a launch, and as soon as I walk in, they ask, “What’s next? That was so fun!”
PM: What’s one of the best decisions you made with the promotion, and why?
RB: Spending time at the stores asking the associates, “What works? What doesn’t work? What do you like to see and what [don’t you like to see]?”
PM: Do you have any other advice to share with a distributor attempting a similar promotion?
RB: I’d say, “Don’t assume.” Go visit the stores, actually do the footwork and the groundwork. [In this case,] the end-users were associates; they were the ones receiving the launch kits and selling the devices, and I truly wanted to know why they’d [chosen] to sell a Samsung over a Nokia over an iPhone. My best advice is to truly get to know your audience.
*OEM stands for “original equipment manufacturer.” Examples of OEM phone companies would be Apple, Nokia and Samsung.
Want to be considered for a future edition of My Best Promotion? Contact Senior Editor Michael Cornnell at (215) 238-5449 or [email protected] for a list of questions and other details.
