Case Studies
3M Electrical Products
Class: Sales Incentive Programs
Type: More Than $10 Per Recipient
Objective: To encourage distribution and to promote the client's products throughout the year via sampling.
Strategy and Execution: Typically, electrical products manufacturers have assigned product promotions to their distributors at the beginning of the year assuming they would be used in an effort to market their products during the year. In this campaign, five specific Promotions-In-A-Box were designed for specific markets, and the applications of electrical products were tailored to those markets. Distributors were encouraged to order the kits frequently to conduct their own local promotions. Sampling was accomplished through the use of relevant, quality premiums that were included in the kits. The premiums included coolers, tackle boxes, travel mugs, rain ponchos, aprons and work gloves.
Results: Sales through distributors showed an increase of 18 percent.
The Coca-Cola Company
Class: Goodwill Programs
Type: More Than $10 Per Recipient
Objective: To position a company product as an essential part of sports training and competition.
Strategy and Execution: Coca-Cola, wanting to maximize the POWERaDE beverage link with Olympic athletes, provided every athlete attending the 1996 Olympic Games with POWERaDE gear. Athlete-relevant merchandise, created to be highly visible to spectators, media and viewers, were placed in 17,000 gift bags presented to each athlete. The bags contained fannypack/backpacks, T-shirts and six panel caps all imprinted with the POWERaDE or Coca-Cola logos. Additional items, contributed by other sponsors for the gift bags, included nose strips, sports bottles, folding umbrellas, shampoo/soap, toothbrush/toothpaste and sunscreen.
Results: Athletes all over Atlanta, on television interviews and at Olympic events were seen with the POWERaDE gear and the client received numerous requests for the items. Coca-Cola viewed the promotion as a great success.
GEICO Insurance
Class: Sales Incentive Programs
Type: More Than $10 Per Recipient
Objective: To motivate a sales force to increase sales of auto insurance policies.
Strategy and Execution: Promotional products and a sweepstakes were the major elements of the company's "Sales Grand Slam" contest for 1,000 sales counselors. The baseball-theme contest was introduced at a series of "spring training" rallies at regional offices. At the rallies, counselors received a stadium cushion and a six-pack cooler bag. Divided into teams, counselors played a baseball quiz relating to questions about the company and underwriting. Winners won prizes such as a baseball-themed embroidered shirt, bat-shaped ball-points and stadium cups. Regions decorated their "club houses" for the rallies to compete for free barbecue lunches. The winning club house featured handouts of peanuts and cracker jacks, an organ and a soloist to sing the National Anthem before the "first-pitch." During the two-month contest, scratch-off cards were awarded for each new auto policy sold. The more policies sold, the more opportunities to win instant cash and prizes and the more cards that went into a baseball cap for the Grand Slam drawing - a trip for two to Cancun and spending money.
Results: GEICO's sales promotion manager reported "telephone sales were 104% of plan during the contest."
Pfizer Animal Health
Class: Business-to-Business Promotions
Type: More Than $10 Per Recipient
Objective: To introduce a line extension and secure store display.
Strategy and Execution: As a marketer of a well-known pest spray for animals and cats, the company wanted to make retailers and consumers aware that its Adams brand now offered a fly spray for horses.
To secure in-store display of the product, Pfizer offered a dealer premium to 1,500 feed depot and store managers and other buyers. The item was a blanket embroidered with a horse and western theme announcing "We've got you covered." They were delivered in person by field marketing reps.
Results: The roll-out promotion achieved sales that were 12% over forecast.
Pallas Records
Class: Business-to-Business Promotions
Type: Under $10 Per Recipient
Objective: To introduce a new musical group and their first record.
Strategy and Execution: The new group Crucial Conflict put out a record called "Hay" in which a line said, " . . . smokin' on the hay in the middle of the barn." With this in mind, a barn-shaped box was filled with hay and contained a corn cob pipe and box matches imprinted with the bands name, along with the band's CD and biography. To introduce the band and encourage play, the boxes were sent to radio and video program directors along with record label executives, all considered decision-makers in the music industry.
Results: The group's record moved to the top of the charts and went gold within two months.
American Mobile Satellite Corporation
Class: Sales Incentive Programs
Type: More Than $10 Per Recipient
Objective: To create a goodwill package to welcome new and prospective dealers to sign on as representatives of a new wireless telecommunications service.
Strategy and Execution: Approximately 250 potential dealers and resellers throughout the United States, Canada, and the Caribbean comprised the target audience. Each was sent four separate mailings in customized goodwill packages containing promotional products imprinted with the company's new division logo, Skycell. These "authorized dealer kits" included such items as baseball caps, window stickers, plaques, Lucite displays, keyfobs and polo shirts, all designed to give the prospective dealers a sense of belonging to a team. Company information literature accompanied each kit.
Results: Of the original 250 potential solicited dealers, all were signed up. A second group of 250 dealers were also signed up.
Long Distance/USA Sprint
Class: Goodwill Programs
Type: More Than $10 Per Recipient
Objective: To reinforce the company's position with the Hawaii hotel industry.
Strategy and Execution: At the Hawaii Hotel Association's Quarterly Meeting at the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel which is known for it's beautiful, clear night skies, the client hosted an event called "Starry, Starry Nights." To promote the theme, telescopes were placed outside banquet rooms so attendees could gaze at the stars, and local astronomers were on hand to answer questions. When attendees returned to their rooms, they each found a custom-embroidered blanket, a constellation chart, and a bottle of wine with a card from Sprint which expressed the hope that guests had enjoyed the evening and that the gifts would be used to make future starry nights equally pleasant.
Results: More than 50 percent of the meeting attendees wrote letters to the advertiser expressing their appreciation for the gifts which would always remind them of Sprint.
The Denver Broncos Football Club
Class: Other Programs
Type: More Than $10 Per Recipient
Objective: To provide a creative "thank you" to a professional football team's board of directors and VIPs and to National Football League executives, sports celebrities and media.
Strategy and Execution: A miniature Denver Broncos football helmet was created for personalizing and mounting on an oak stand. To be used as a desktop display, the helmet was issued to board members and VIPs of the Denver team. The second gift item created was a football-shaped sausage, complete with laces. This was placed on a cutting board "branded" with the Bronco logo. The football sausage was surrounded by blocks of cheese, crackers and gourmet mints. This package was presented to League executives, celebrities and media
Results: A Broncos spokesperson reported the gifts were "winners" and well received by the target audience.
Few Others
- A large software company used our Techno CD Case imprinted with their logo to announce the new release of their software. The patented case design stood out more than a standard CD case and the press and media contacts that received the promotion recognized it as a new and innovative product.
- Toshiba wanted a fun and innovative way to celebrate the release of their new color screen Vi Prismo handheld. They also wanted to promote product recognition by using an item that was shaped like the handheld device. They chose the Black Beauty, which was then decorated with the Handspring logo accompanied by the tag line "We are now in color". The items were distributed as a trade show give away and substantially increased booth traffic and recognition of their new color product.
- Intel wanted to promote their networking division among their reseller base. They imprinted "Clean up with Intel Networking" on the mini cleaner and sent one out with confetti to each of their resellers.
- A company wanted a unisex gift for their annual sales conference that both golfers and non-golfers could enjoy. They decided to use our valuables bag for the event. When attendees came to check in, they were given the valuables bag personalized with a name tag. Inside were various travel accessories and their room key. The bags were color coded by the sales persons annual sales volume. Golfers enjoyed the item to hold their valuables whiled they golfed and non-golfers used it as a ditty bag.