The Promotional Idea Showcase - Fall 2002 - Updated Quarterly

Real Problems, Real Solutions

Magnetic Promo Attracts More Surveys

People always like to get something for their efforts. With that in mind, when Bicycling magazine wanted to boost response rates on a survey testing an idea to host a nationwide series of cycling-gear swap meets, its staff hand-delivered 1,000 magnetic poetry kits to bike shop owners at the Interbike trade show as an incentive to fill out the questionnaire. 

The promotion was centered around the show where the cycling industry congregates each October, but the magazine’s ad-sales reps were given some kits as well, with encouragement to give them to clients as gifts through the end of the year.

The kits were simple and straightforward – they featured over 100 words, each on a separate magnetic strip. The catch: The words were specifically relevant to cycling and the feeling of a bike ride – terms like “draft,” “hardtail,” “chainring,” “hammer” and “headwind.” Biking enthusiasts could arrange them any way they wished and use their own poetic license to get psyched for an upcoming race or remember a great ride. The kits were packaged in a clear plastic container with the largest magnet – which featured the Bicycling magazine logo – on top. 

“It was an effective incentive to get bike shops to share valuable insights about [the] swap meets; [they] helped us conduct a very targeted survey at the trade show,” says Courtney Matthews, Bicycling’s marketing director. “They were also a memorable gift that our clients and prospects will associate with Bicycling and cycling adventures.”

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Hotel Guests Get Geared For Golf

In addition to all else, September 11 made many reluctant to travel. Obviously, this affected many hotels, among them Crowne Plaza Hotels and Resorts. But the chain found an incentive to persuade people to come. 

The hotel’s “Great Golf Giveaway” began with a dozen logoed golf balls, given for two stays at any Crowne Plaza in North America. The gifts were were chosen with business travelers in mind. 
Other rewards included a Top-Flite wedge (four stays); a round of golf or $50 gift certificate (six stays); and a set of irons in a logoed golf bag (10 stays).

With over 21,000 enrolling, the program was a huge success. Crowne’s’ stays increased more than 100% over last year, with room nights and revenue up as well. 

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Gas Station Promotion Hits Its Target

Convincing retailers to sign up for three different promotional campaigns in one year at over $500 a pop isn’t easy. Many of them are undereducated regarding promotions (often not considering variables such as consumer demand and research), and as a result, often unconvinced of a campaign’s potential power and punch. 

A couple of years ago, Barrett Group Inc., a West coast sales promotion agency, wanted to change this mindset and get gas station convenience store operators to make the investment. It knew that in order to succeed the promotion had to be educational as well as interesting and fun. 

After developing a theme of “Promotions hit the target,” an announcement was mailed in October to all 76 Gasoline dealers nationwide asking them to sign up for the promotion by December 15. The package included a round silkscreened fabric target with promotional copy, some Velcro-covered “76” antenna balls to play the game and a 12-inch version of the target. This was mailed to each operator along with a brochure and sign-up form. All items and strategies were supplied by counselor Sharon Biernat.

The target was a visible, interactive reinforcement of the message. The copy within its rings noted various consumer and operator expectations, such as “Meaningful prizes,” “More value,” “Easy to execute” and “More customer visits.” Throwing a ball and hitting both consumer and operator needs would result in a bullseye, reiterating the reason for the promo – to “hit the target.”

Communication strategy was successful. Even though operator sign-ups were expected to be down from previous years, the objective – to educate operators and show that past problems with promotions had been overcome – was met. Over 1,200 operators signed up for the three programs.

“Overall, the creative theme was not only a fun way to communicate the message, but immediately addressed the concerns of the operators,” Biernat says. “Every aspect of the sell-in package – including the graphic elements, copy and even the tangible element of the premium – reinforced this message.”

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FoxNews Generates Loyalty With Mug

In today’s news-hungry society, cable TV news seems to be more popular than ever. But with three major news networks – CNN, FoxNews and MSNBC – there’s still lots of competition for viewers.

To maintain viewers, FoxNews rolled out a campaign to cement its bond with its audience. “We wanted to reward and recognize a core group of viewers,” says Jason Ehrich, manager of community marketing.

The answer? A fan club on the FoxNews Web site. It encouraged visitors to interact with FoxNews online and on TV, and offered a discount on logoed merchandise at the online store. Further, everyone signing up for the club got a travel mug with the FoxNews logo.

In the promotion’s four-year run, about 500,000 people joined the club and received a mug. “It accomplished our mission,” Ehrich says.

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Logos Help JB&B Hit The Big Time, Radio Style

People’s radio loyalties run deep, but they often need to be reminded. To celebrate its 20th anniversary on-air, the Charlotte, NC-based Big Show started a fan club for its listeners. The show, hosted by DJs John Boy and Billy (“JB&B”), had grown over the last two decades to a listenership of 1.9 million households across 26 states and 108 markets.

As an incentive to join the premier version of the club, which involved a fee, JB&B offered a membership kit and other perks. Premiere members got a 10% discount on all JB&B promotional merchandise, a quarterly newsletter, special offers, monthly drawings for prizes worth at least $300 and the chance to buy Big Show CDs before their official release.

In addition, upon signing for the premiere club, members received an overnight mailing that contained a limited-edition JB&B T-shirt and poster. The bright yellow mailer was also a sound tube, and featured the JB&B logo along with some of their catch phrases. When the tube was opened, recipients were greeted with a welcome message recorded by the DJs. “The tube was chosen to enable us to use the actual voices of John Boy and Billy, since it’s through their voices their fans identify with them,” explains counselor Fred Parker, who worked on the promotion. 

Since its inception, the club has stayed popular with Big Show listeners. Membership was still growing a year after its launch, and over 56,000 have signed up for the club, 10,000 for the premium version. In addition, the show has learned more about its audience and how to better communicate with it. 

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Phils Use Pez To Thank Fans

Promotional gifts are nothing new to pro sports. Teams nationwide give attending fans logoed products that generate goodwill and tout the team and player. But with so many things given out each year, finding something different can be tough.

The Philadelphia Phillies baseball team uses several products throughout the year. But for its annual Fan Appreciation Day, it turned to a familiar favorite: Pez. “Pez dispensers are something everyone knows, and we thought it would be cool to brand our logo with it,” says Scott Brandreth, Phillies merchandise manager.

Initially, the team wanted a dispenser of its mascot, the Phillie Phanatic. But, Brandreth explains, minimums for custom pieces were too high. A generic boy wearing a Phillies hat was then considered, but Pez itself suggested a dispenser topped by a baseball — the first it had ever done. “We thought that was a no-brainer,” Brandreth says.

In addition to the dispenser, game attendees also received a refrigerator magnet imprinted with the 2002 Phillies’ schedule; helping to ensure high off-season visibility. They also had a chance to win other prizes, including autographed items, game-worn caps and jerseys, gift certificates, etc.

The dispenser helped walk-up attendance and Brandreth considers the campaign a success. “I was at the gates and people were happy,” he says. “People talked about it and we got calls about it.”

But the best thing? The Phillies were down 5-4 against the Florida Marlins, with two outs in the ninth. First baseman Travis Lee hit a homer to tie it up, then catcher Johnny Estrada hit the winning homer.

All in all, a good day to be a Phillies fan.