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 There’s probably no better way to understand the power of food than by watching the film Big Night. It’s the story of two brothers who struggle to keep their restaurant from closing. One runs the business – dealing with creditors, employees and assorted daily hassles – while the other is a gifted cook. The third starring role, uncredited, is played by the food. Central to the story, its near-mystical importance is best summed up by the cook, who says, “To eat good food is to be close to God.”
Pretty tall statement, right? But if you think about it, no matter what your religious affiliation, there’s a certain ethereal appeal to food that can’t be denied. Food is central to many gatherings – usually with friends and family. But it’s also big in business settings (power lunches, meetings, receptions). Maybe that’s why the act of sharing it – at a conference where you don’t know anyone at your luncheon table, for instance – often creates a sense of fellowship; a kind of mini-celebration of life each time we partake. Breaking bread with others helps us grow close and develop kinships. Given all this, food would be a great fit for your next promotion.
Customized Cuisine
The variety of food available as promotional products today is enough to make your mouth water. Perennial favorites include chocolate, popcorn, hard candy, mints, cookies and coffee, but newcomers like sauces, salad dressings, and sodas
are quickly gaining ground. Likewise, edibles such as fruit, ham, wine, beer, steak, cheese and pizza that were once considered only for special occasions (or not at all) have recently entered the mainstream.
With so many choices, it’s tough to remember that the main consideration is the goal of the promotion. In other words, don’t let your own taste buds get the better of you. But once you’ve established your objective, feel free to get creative. The truth is, you can (with a little brainstorming) adapt just about any food item to your promotional theme.
Food can be used for everything from employee recognition and customer thank-you gifts to new logo announcements and merger celebrations. But perhaps the place it’s used most often in marketing efforts is at trade shows. Using food as a traffic-builder is almost a must. Give popcorn, candy, a drink or anything else to an attendee, and he’ll not only remember you but will likely be asked again and again where he got the food – ultimately driving more people to your booth.
Another effective way to use food is on sales calls. Salespeople can and do hand out lots of different products as a token of appreciation for a client’s time. But there’s no reason food can’t serve the same purpose. Mixed nuts given out on sales calls makes the visit snack time. An imprinted apothecary jar can be refilled with new treats each time a salesperson stops in. Chocolates might help you get past the gatekeeper (and ensure future calls get put through just a little faster).
Food clubs are another way to take advantage of the power of food. They allow you to take a customer out to lunch every month, even when you’re not around. Clubs can thank customers for their continued support and keep your company’s name in front of them throughout the year. Remember that most clubs will customize orders to satisfy different tastes.
And of course there’s food in its most traditional promotional form – as a holiday gift. Even here it can have tremendous impact. In an exclusive Imprint reader survey, food was listed as the top holiday gift by 61% of respondents; the next closest product category only garnered 20%. Many companies consider it a tradition and spare no expense. For the smaller firms that can’t afford an ongoing self-promotion campaign during the rest of the year, it may be the only time they engage in an elaborate promotion.
The good thing about a holiday food gift is that it gets an added emotional kick from the warm, nostalgic feelings most people associate with that time of year. That can be a strong motivator. Consider your own response if a yearly holiday tradition suddenly disappeared.
The Right Choice
With so much out there to choose from, how do you make the right food selection? As always, discuss the following questions with your counselor:
- What’s the event?
- Where and when will it take place?
- Will the food be used right away or stored for later?
- Is there a theme?
- What do you want the promotion to accomplish?
It’s recommended that you stick with what’s popular. Usually, it’s great to be different, but you also want to appeal to the broadest possible audience. One organization in Connecticut used nutmeg-flavored coffee to tie in with the state plant. Despite the counselor’s suggestion to go with a more popular flavor, the firm pressed ahead and the results were dismal – nobody liked the coffee. The promotion, needless to say, wasn’t exactly a runaway success.
Price is another factor that should be considered. Salesman always like to stress quality over price when talking up their goods, but in the case of food it could be the difference between the sweet smell of success and the bitter taste of defeat. Tom Riordan, a promotional consultant, says that any food purchase is similar to having your best friend over for dinner; you wouldn’t ask the butcher for the cheapest cut of meat or pick up withered vegetables or day-old bread. The same principle applies to food gifts.
Tasteful Tips
One thing to remember when it comes to using food in a promotion: It’s not as much trouble as you’d think. In fact, it’s pretty much the same as using anything else. But somewhere along the way myths have formed about the troubles and difficulties involved. Many assume a long list of problems: food will spoil, it’s hard to ship, it’s too expensive, the cost-per-impression is too great, it’s only for holidays, etc. But what it really comes down to is basic marketing common sense.
For many, the key to successfully using food in a promotion is knowledge of the event, the product and the way the product’s being used. Remember, using food promotionally is part of your counselor’s business, so she’ll make it a point to ensure your promo will get there on time and unspoiled. In fact, many offer guarantees.
Another misconception is that food is too temporary to be an effective promotional product. This is understandable; food’s fate is to be consumed. Unlike the exposure your logo gets on a pen, mug, T-shirt, etc., which are seen repeatedly and generate familiarity, food’s biggest impact comes from the recipient’s experience and mental association. In many cases, this can account for a lot more recognition and remembrance of the giver.
And you can’t beat food for mass appeal. Try to imagine another product that’s
equally valued by CEOs and the people in the mailroom. The appeal of food cuts across age, gender and economic lines. It never goes out of style, and it’s almost always welcome.
What it really comes down to, as noted earlier, is that food creates fellowship. While some promotional products are successful at communicating a message or creating a sense of appreciation on a one-on-one basis, food can be instantly shared, providing a much wider and more immediate reach.
Just a little food for thought.
Matt Histand is assistant editor of Imprint.
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