Perhaps this seems like the wrong time to write an article on marketing, with the turmoil in the financial industry. But if the whole world doesn’t shake down into something absolutely new, then good businesses will outlast the shaking and need to be positioned to reap the harvest. And customers will need to know where to go. That’s why marketing is important during shaky times.
Last week I received a “We Are Going To Survive This” letter from a mortgage company. They announced that not a single one of their customers is in default on their loans. After such an amazing pronouncement, they explained that because of their personal relationship with their customers--how well they know their loans and their customers—that none of their customers got into loans they didn’t understand, and that is why they have a spotless record. I thought the letter was fabulous marketing. Especially their ending sentences, “We’re destined to survive. Would you like to join us?”
A well-written letter can be a good marketing strategy. Their ideas can be remembered and hopefully the company name gets remembered as well. But letters tend to get thrown away after they are read. When a well-written letter is paired with a carefully selected promotional item, then the marketing strategy can ripen into excellence. And a “We’re Surviving” marketing plan has many good promotional products to support it. Here’s two:
I love imprinted first aid wallets for a survival marketing theme. They’re inexpensive, small, 4"W x 2-1/2"H when closed, have a good sized imprint area, 3" x 1-7/8", and contain a lot: 1 Advil packet, 1 antacid packet, 1 adhesive pad, 3 antiseptic towelettes, 4 bandages, and 1 first aid cream packet. I even like their color selection: translucent blue, translucent red and frosty white. No one is going to throw a first aid wallet in the trash, it connects very well to the idea of “survival” and with that size logo placement, the company name is sure to be remembered.
A screwdriver keychain is another great survival themed marketing product. A compact cylinder houses both a phillips-head and flat-head screwdriver attachment, and the version I like best is classic silver with black trim. They’re small, 2 ¼”H x ½” W x ½ D, since they’re made to hang from a keychain. Their imprint area is smaller than the first aid wallets, but they make up for it in logo visibility—the company name earns a glance every time the customer uses the keys. I would suggest a small phone number under the logo so the contact information is always handy.
As the business world reels from the financial sector shake down, position your business to harvest and market your company to survive.
