Landing an order with one of your favorite companies can make for an awesome moment, both personally and professionally. Jay Hoffman, account manager for Quality Logo Products, Aurora, Ill., described one promotion that for him was just that.
Promo Marketing: Could you briefly describe a promotion that you consider one of your best?
Jay Hoffman: I once cold called my favorite brewery (Lagunitas Brewing Company) after a friend went to a soft opening for industry people at their new location and came home with a plastic mug from one of our manufacturers. The next day, I emailed everyone I could find on the net with an email address from that company, then a month or so later I got a funny email back along with a quote request for 10,000 beer steins! They’re a craft beer brewer from Northern California that just recently opened a facility in Chicago, so the mugs were kind of a commemorative giveaway for their public grand opening, which is actually a literal “Beer Circus!” Not only was it a nice sale, I got six free tickets and got to have a beer or two with my contact and the owner of the business (Dave and Tony)! We’ve done orders for them ever since, and they’ve given me a couple referrals as well.
PM: What did you like about the promotion, and why?
JH: From a personal perspective, it was really cool to wait in line to get in to be greeted by incredibly friendly people who said, “Go over there and grab a mug!” when it was one of the 10,000 I sold them. It was also kind of surreal to see thousands of people walking around with them too. Honestly, I would have attended this event anyway, but being a part of it was the icing on the cake.
PM: What was the best decision you made with the promotion? What made it so important?
JH: The best decision I made was the supplier. The mugs came out great and were delivered on time, which wasn’t easy seeing as how they needed so many in such a short time frame.
PM: Did you run into any problems or hurdles with the promotion?
JH: I can’t say I did! It was a pretty smooth process. It’s just a little nerve-racking to acquire a customer based on your fandom for them and then having to live up to that expectation. The team at QLP and our supplier made it very easy, and Lagunitas was happy with how smoothly everything happened and how quickly we were able to print 10,000
Want to be considered for a future edition of My Best Promotion? Contact Executive Editor Michael Cornnell at (215) 238-5449 or [email protected] for a list of questions and other details.
