Simple Marketing Tips; when choosing the Proper Promotional Item for Your Company
It’s a question that faces Marketing Officers from the largest multi-national companies in the world to the smallest owner-operated companies. From companies that are “start-up” to those that have already been established. What is the most effective way to use my marketing budget to yield the highest sustainable ROI (Return on Investment)?
There is no one real “right answer”, different companies have different needs. Much like the variety of products in the world, there are a variety of ways to market, Television, TV, Radio, Print and Promotional Items… to name a few. Tens of thousands of books have been written on these topics, for the sake of simplicity and my expertise, I will choose to stick with one sure-fire way to get your “Brand” into people’s homes and cast it in a positive light – Promotional Items.
Promo Item, is a general term that refers to items with company’s brands emblazoned on them, such as T-shirts, Pens, Notepads, Magnets, etc. For me, one item that stands above all else, in effectiveness, cost, and prolonged branding, is the Koozie, a.k.a Can Holder, Huggies, Beer Huggies, Can Koozies, Personalized Koozies, Custom Koozies, Neoprene Koozies, Cozys, Coozies, Mr. Stubbys.
For those who are unfamiliar with it, the Koozie a product that is made out of fabric (more economical) and or neoprene (material used to make wet suits). The idea of the Koozie is to be a protective insulating barrier on a cold can, or, bottled beverage. There are various styles, some that slip-on, zip up, enter from the bottom, top, etc. But all the products are successful marketing tools, regardless of which ones you choose.
Why I believe the Koozie is the most effective Promotional Item?
1. Cost v. Use – Cheap items, such as pens and notepads are effective marketing tools, nonetheless, they are extremely common and often made with poor quality; thus they quickly end up in the garbage or recycling bin. T-shirts are good products as well, nonetheless to obtain quality threads, it is expensive and the “fit” may not be what your target customer would wear, in either style or cut; thus, rendering it useless. On the other hand koozies satisfy both the cost and variables that a Marketing Exec looks for. They are much cheaper than T-shirts (albeit a little more expensive than pens or notepads) and they are “one size fits all”. Thus they service any 12 ounce can and or bottle. You would be hard pressed to find anyone that does not have at least one drink a day out of a can or bottle – thus a Koozies can be used by ALL of your potential customers.
2. Duration – Koozies literally last forever. Notepads can be used up, pens can break, T-Shirts can be worn out (or worse, just thrown away), but a koozie, has almost unlimited use. Thus, your product will stay in your client’s homes and can be used, over and over again, to keep their beverages cold.
3. The X Factor – each marketing tools has there pros and cons and what I like to call the X factor. The Koozie X factor is off the charts! You see, when people use a koozie, it is because they have a drink in their hand, often an ice cold beer. What does beer signify to a customer? A good time… But the X Factor gets stronger. Not only are they drinking a beer, they are drinking a beer covered in your brand. Think about it, they are “drinking a good time” and your brand is the one that is providing it.
I guess that is why more Koozies are printed each year in the USA than there are people!
