The Promotional Idea Showcase - Winter 2002 - Updated Quarterly

Real Problems, Real Solutions

Monkey Promotion Was Warm And Fuzzy, But …

Monkey see, monkey do, right? Maybe not in this particular case.

Needing a promotional item to help heighten interest in its few-holds-barred comedy, Monkeybone, 20th Century Fox turned to counselor Greg Washer and came up with – no shocks here — a plush monkey. But unlike its counterpart in the movie, the promotional primate had to be a little more zany and off the wall.

“It was the studio’s choice to do something with the rascal, who had a penchant for wisecracks and racy antics,” says Washer. “We knew irreverent was the answer. But after some discussion we decided to have some more fun by having a sound chip inserted in the monkey.” The result? The monkey, when poked, emitted, shall we say, an “appropriate” sort of sound. Rude? Sure. But it fit the promotion’s purpose in a “twisted genius” kind of way. 

Supported by a nationwide marketing program that included TV, magazines and newspapers, over 2,000 monkeys were mailed to critics and the press via overnight mail. 

“Frankly, I think it got the idea across that this film was a little odd,” says Washer. “When we begin to promote a film, we look at the target audience and the type of film we’re promoting. I thought it was clever to use a product that, if the curious person went down there, he’d be surprised with the sound. There were many phone calls hysterical with laughter. Fox was definitely pleased with the promotion.”

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Gifts Promote Repeat Biz

Word-of-mouth is one of the most important tools bed & breakfasts have in their marketing arsenal. But BJ Fender, owner of BJ’s Prairie House Bed & Breakfast in Abilene, TX, decided to go a little further.

In 1999, when she and her husband began running the B&B, she put her marketing knowledge and counselor to work. First, they created brochures and business cards featuring a pencil drawing of the inn. Using the same imagery, they chose a few inexpensive remembrance gifts for guests, including pencils, postcards, rulers and photo-frame magnets. Guests receive them as they check out. “I always include two business cards and brochures for them to pass along to their friends,” Fender explains.

BJ’s has enjoyed a growing base of loyal customers who come back year after year.

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Pins Promote Professionalism Among Pizza People

Getting employees excited about training programs is usually a tough sell. After all, on-the-job training could mean longer shifts, unmanageable responsibilities, or frustrated candidates dashing out the door.

That’s why Round Table Pizza knew it had to build interest in nonmandatory training classes by giving a little something back to its employees. The firm contacted counselor Mari Machao to help solve the problem.

“We came up with the idea of a pizza pin,” says Machao. “Each slice would stand for a training module, and crew members would get a new pin each time they completed one. It also served another purpose; management could come into a particular store and see where each crew member was in his or her stages of training just by a visual.”

Four lapel pins were created in all, each depicting a different level of job training. Each pin was produced using a die-strike method, then sandblasted, and finally finished to a nickel plate. Full four-color silkscreening produced the pizza slices, topped by a clear epoxy overcoat. The finished product – 4,000 pieces in all – looked good and performed well.

“Round Table said it was wildly successful,” says Machao. “It did more than [they] anticipated by a long shot in terms of generating enthusiasm and interest. The pins were so cute everybody was clamoring to get them.”

In fact, she notes, patrons began asking about the pins as well: “It showed the customers that 
the company was investing in employees’ education and that it wasn’t just a minimum-wage job. It was to promote what the company stands for.”

Not a bad delivery.

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Bank Banks On Bank’s Bang

When it launched its Supersavers’ program two years ago, Commerce Bank wanted to use a promotional product related to money and children, to teach kids how to manage/save money. It selected a red plastic coin bank in the shape of Commerce’s “C” logo. The banks were presented to young customers following their completion of the Supersavers program.

But Commerce offered an additional perk that bridged several generations – a free coin-counting machine. Commerce banks were also available at each. 

The first year, over 200,000 banks were distributed; the next, over 320,000. This year, over 400,000 are projected to be given out. 

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Safety Program And Products Cut
Accidents 86%, Reduce Costs

Underscoring the importance of safety in the workplace is a lot more challenging than you might think. And that safety message is far more crucial when it’s for someplace as potentially dangerous as a steel mill. 

Counselor John Convery was approached by specialty steel manufacturer Bon L Canada Inc. for help. “After speaking to them, we found they had a very high accident rate and plant morale was extremely low,” says Convery. “What we aimed to do was reverse that.”

After an analysis of Bon L’s safety record, a three-pronged program was implemented that involved: 

  • awareness – keeping safety on the minds of all employees
  • individual incentives – rewarding those with perfect safety records
  • team incentives – to create peer pressure and get employees to work together toward in-creased safety. 

The logoed products used included keytags, screwdrivers, pens, sports bottles, pocketknives, flashlights, mugs, stress balls, ice scrapers, ruler/magnifying glass combos, refrigerator magnets, playing cards and first-aid kits. The campaign was introduced at a com-pany barbecue attended by employees, families, customers, suppliers and the local media. The items were used as gifts and prizes. 

The results were near-spectacular: Bon L’s accident rate fell 86% from the previous year, which resulted in considerable savings in injury claims and lost time. Additionally, the program enhanced employee morale and self-image, even garnering a positive reaction from government inspectors. 

The plant manager felt the program was so successful that he decided to continue it for at least another year, as well as recommend to company headquarters that it be rolled out to all branches across North America. 

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One Firm’s Product Plan: Deluge Their Desks

With so many temporary and permanent employment agencies out there, it’s not easy to stand out from the crowd. Not easy — but not impossible. Certainly not for Careers USA, which hit upon the idea of using a wide array of promotional products to ensure its name and logo remained top-of-mind with customers and prospects. The items it’s used range from mugs, pencils and can coolers to card and notepad holders, highlighters and personal grooming products like folding brushes, mirrors, emery boards and sewing kits. 

“We’ve been using items like these for 20 years now and have found they work great,” says Paul Slutsky, the firm’s national advertising director. “We give them to our salespeople, who just keep asking for more. They see them as a great way to open the door to conversation and relationships with clients.” 

Imprinted products have two basic target audiences: Roughly 90% go to clients, mainly HR directors, via sales calls; the remaining 10% go to temporary employment associates. Since it began giving them out, Careers USA has used at least 40 different products, ordering items about 10 times a year.

“We try to use as many different products as we can so we can keep our name in front of clients’ faces,” says Slutsky. “It’s like trying to litter their desks with as many different items as possible. That way we can tap into subliminal advertising — more than just a mug on a desk.”