THERE’S NO OTHER industry that appeals to and satisfies the five senses quite like the promotional products industry. If a treat is needed
to sweeten a business deal, there is no shortage of companies offering up the right confections. If a tune is required to spread good will, a selection of suppliers can be found on the playlist. The five senses of sight, hearing, touch, taste and smell battle for equal airtime in an industry that’s all about getting customers’ names out there. Following, industry suppliers offering products representa-tive of each sensory category share their take on why their items are the most “sense-ible” promotional choice.
With sight-based promotional products— particularly lighted ones—it’s the “wow factor” that makes them ideal for marketing and branding, according to Laura Bayless, marketing director at Buztronics, Indianapolis. All of the company’s products incorporate L.E.D.’s in some way to “enhance the appearance through the extra pop of light,” Bayless said.
So, what makes lighted products so desirable as a promotional or branding medium? Linda Gillette, Buztronics’ ASI sales manager, swears by
the products’ unforgettable nature. “Look around at products in the market and tell me the name on a mug or pen you used last; but I will bet you can remember the name on the light-up plastic ware you received from your last trip to the Rainforest Cafe,” she challenged.
“Lighted products naturally catch the eye, drawing extra attention to the item, and to the branding that is imprinted on the item,” added
Bayless. And like Gillette, she said the products lend themselves well to memory retention. “People tend to remember the light-up items
and company or person they received them from more often than a standard, non-lit item,” she affirmed.
Both Bayless and Gillette agreed the items are most useful for trade shows to generate booth traffic and at events that involve low-lighting, such as parties, wedding receptions, night clubs, concerts and ball games.
LOUD AND CLEAR
They say music is a universal language, and by default, it has reached the promotional products industry. In 1986, Joel Schaffer, president/owner of Sound Line, Randolph, N.J., launched Downtime Broadcasting Co., the forerunner of today’s Sound Line, which produced an audiocassette magazine titled Specialty Tracks. “It …featured two announcers reading educational materials on how to sell and how [promotional products] are made,” Schaffer explained. Although the magazine was initially created as a benefit for distributors, who could listen to the pre-recorded messages from a Walkman or while traveling in a car, Downtime Broadcasting Co. eventually began producing custom audio magazines for major businesses, such as Duracell. “It was a very early incantation of podcasting,” Schaffer said.
But it wasn’t until a year later, in 1987, when the company launched its first line of audio cassettes featuring music that the category
as a promotional medium was fully realized. Christmas music quickly became Sound Line’s signature sound.
To make his case for sound as the most useful branding source, Schaffer said: “People remember more of what they have heard, than what they have seen.” A stark contradiction to Buztronics’ stance, but Schaffer insisted and cited some real-world examples to back up his claim. He said the medium is frequently used as a health aid as well as a boon to retailers. “To set a mood for a shopper to buy, to lower body temperature, blood pressure and pulse rates, music triggers a response,” he said. In fact, Schaffer said hospitals use his
product Mozart Effect to stimulate embryos. “A few years ago, the governors of Georgia and Florida sent all pregnant women (below a certain income) a CD of Mozart,” he said.
To further prove his point of the efficacy of music for branding and marketing purposes, Schaffer challenged: “Ask yourself how many songs you can sing that are associated with a brand.” He pointed to the “The California Raisin Song” or a Coca-Cola jingle as popular examples.
It is true—there is just no escaping music or sound, for that matter. “Web sites are talking and singing. Mailings are singing and ringing. Calling attention to your brand and message is
vital,” Schaffer said.
The kinds of promotions that work best with sound include travel (everyone thinks of Bob Marley’s soulful reggae tunes when they think
of Jamaica); corporate celebrations; reinforcements; gift with purchase; Christmas; safety; and memberships.
THE SOFTER SIDE OF BUSINESS
For more than 23 years, his business has been to promote businesses through the sense of touch. Mark Holland, vice president of marketing at It’s All Greek to Me, Simi Valley, Calif., said the use of plush products as part of a company’s overall branding efforts is a “unique way” to “guarantee a memorable promotion.”
But, plush products shouldn’t be used without first putting some serious thought into their placement. Holland said the items are best
utilized in conjunction with a theme. “A lot of companies, for instance, use a lion to represent pride or a dog to indicate loyalty,” he said. “These themes can be used as part of a thank-you gift for loyal customers or for representing a company through trade-show handouts or other giveaways.”
When asked how important the sense of touch is when it comes to branding, Holland said it is “incredibly” important. “You want your promotional product to always be in the hands of their recipients—it guarantees [large-scale] exposure to your company’s logo,” he explained.
It’s All Greek To Me offers a line of interactive animals called Pully Pals, which require a demonstration to illustrate their operation. “It’s amazing how many people stop in their tracks when they see the Pully Pals in action,” he exclaimed. Along those lines, Holland said end-users are generally interested in functional plush products as well as those that may have sentimental meaning to the recepient. “We offer a Giraffe Growth
Chart that’s used by a lot of hospitals, either as a gift for new mothers or as a product in their gift shops,” he said. “This is an example of a product that is associated with a special time—it becomes a keepsake to remember the birth of [a] child.”
Despite their many pluses, Holland admits there are some negatives in promoting with plush products. “Plush is an item that a lot of end-users have to see and feel in person before they’re willing to purchase it,” he said. So, making a sales call armed only with catalogs full of snapshots of the items likely will be fruitless.
Holland also said plush items carry the stigma of being “childlike,” an idea that is difficult for companies in more serious industries to come to terms with. “These obstacles can be overcome by providing samples of the items while proposing a theme for your customers’ promotion,” he suggested.
Nonetheless, Holland predicts a bright future for plush products in the industry. “Plush is a win-win-win situation for the end-user, the
distributor and the supplier,” he said. “It’s the perfect promotional product.”
IN GOOD TASTE
Its benefits are reported to run the gamut from aphrodisiac to that of heart-healthy food. Yes— sweet, divine chocolate.
It should come as no surprise, then, that chocolate—and food items in general—would find its way into an industry all about feel-good
memories. “Chocolate causes a reaction in the body that is equivalent to the feeling you get when you are in love; it makes you happy,”
explained David Miller, president of Freeport, New York-based Chocolate Inn, the first company to offer molded chocolate to the trade.
“Food is very sensory,” Miller continued. “When other promotional products are long forgotten, food stays remembered.” That’s why, he
said, it’s important his company’s chocolate make an impact. And to do that, he said Chocolate Inn uses only premium Swiss chocolate in its products and can custom design chocolate in every shape and size imaginable.
Miller further expressed concern that end-users are not very well-educated about his favorite treat. He said there are misconceptions about appropriate storage temperatures and the shelf life of chocolate. “Chocolate has a shelf life of one year and only has to be stored at room temperature,” he explained. When the temperature rises above 75 degrees, Miller said the company ships the chocolate in an insulated container, “which keeps it cool for up to two days.” The impact of food on American bottoms has been substantial; and the niche is poised to be a major contender in American business bottom lines, Miller said. “Distributors and their customers are going to look more toward food suppliers in the future,” he predicted. “Food products are generally manufactured in the U.S., which reduces production time and ensures a quality product.”
And to help distributors give their clients a taste of the good life, Chocolate Inn offers free spec and random samples. “It is important for distributors to order these samples so they may be presented to the customers for consideration,” Miller advised. “Since chocolate is a sensory product, a sample provides an opportunity to smell and taste the chocolate.”
WAITING TO INHALE
Kathy Vichakchon, a trained fragrance evaluator and national account manager at Leashables by Oralabs, Parker, Colo., knows a thing or two
about scent. She has trained in fragrance development/evaluation at International Flavors & Fragrances since 2001. Today, she helps “develop, improve and search for new scents and [lip balm] flavors” for Leashables.
The idea of scent branding—the means of creating another layer of reinforced branding through smell—is fairly new to the promotional
products industry, noted Vichakchon, but not in retail. “Scents are used in products to create impulse [purchases],” she explained. “Once the consumer likes it, they will expect it to be the same over and over, thus creating a connection to product performance and brand recognition.” She used the popular detergent Tide as an example. “Tide hasn’t changed [its] scent in over 10 years, and they only make minor changes to match their ‘new and improved’ claim,” she said.
So, what makes scent so desirable as a promotional medium? “If smell is our strongest memory and we connect a scent to a product or brand, we will always remember the logo that goes with it,” Vichakchon explained. “In other words, it reinforces the experience with that product and thus to the brand connected to it.”
Typically, scent-based promotions are a good fit for beverage, personal-care, household and cleaning companies. However, Vichakchon
advised against others. “I can’t imagine a garbage disposal company using a matching scent to promote their business,” she exclaimed.
Distributors can effectively sell scent-related promotions by first identifying a customer’s needs and looking at the function of the product. Vichakchon suggested asking the following questions: Is it a personal-care product? Will it be used on the body? Is it an aromatherapy product? “A big, floral-bouquet scent is most likely not appropriate in a stress-relieving lotion,” she said.
There is tremendous opportunity for the growth of scent-branding in the industry “if it’s done right,” Vichakchon noted. “It’s certainly a
new concept for the promotional products industry and a wonderful place to showcase its power,” she concluded.
