It’s almost that time of year again! The end of the financial year in Australia is coming up soon, and we are ready to prepare you to use it to your advantage. So, how did your team perform this financial year? Did you reach your goals? Last year we shared tips on how to use your end of the financial year budget to win clients and show customer appreciation.
At Red Tomato, we do as we say, and got great results on our very own “Christmas in July” campaign. This year, we are sharing with you some end of the financial year marketing tools to help you reach your goals.
We are going to walk you through and give you the tools you need to end the financial year on a strong note and reach your sales and EOFY marketing goals.
Here are the five most important steps and tools in our end of the financial year marketing tool kit:
1. Reconcile your goals from this past year
What did you aim to accomplish? Where are you now and what do you want to achieve further ahead? Setting goals is vital to accomplishing your team’s key results; and reviewing your progress is just as important. Use our worksheetto define where you are at now and to help you set up goals for the upcoming year.
It’s great that you met your team’s goals for this past year, but what were the business results? What is the business case for your marketing efforts? Use our Marketing ROI Calculator tool to prepare clear, concise reports for your company’s leadership to understand the results of your marketing efforts. Measure your ROI in less than 45 seconds!
3. Run a last minute end of the financial year campaign
Ready to end the financial year with a win? Plan a last minute marketing campaign to close new customers with promotional merchandise for the end of the financial year. Red Tomato is ready to help you use these last months to your advantage with our fast turnaround times and perfect budget. Check out our recipe to add somehot sauce and spice up your marketingfor your end of the year campaign.
Be grateful for your current clients, employees, and suppliers for supporting you throughout the year. Have some extra budget at the end of this year? Corporate gifts for existing customers can increase customer loyalty and are a great way to increase sales in the upcoming year. Employee appreciation campaigns can increase employee happiness and engagement; it’s been proved that employees that are happy with the culture of their workplace are more productive. Need some inspiration? Check out our 6 Pillars of Employee Engagement.
5. Get a head-start on planning for the new financial year
Don’t wait for the last minute to plan for the upcoming year. Set your new objectives and get your plan in place for your marketing campaigns. Not just for the upcoming quarter, but for all four seasons.
Need a campaign before the end of this financial year? Want to close the deal with prospective clients before this year is over? Would like to show some appreciation to your current clients and/or employees? Contact us at Red Tomato to develop the perfect solution for this EOFY! Email sales@redtomato.com.au or call us directly on 1300 776 733 for more information.
What are the benefits of using promotional merchandise? Nowadays, it seems that many marketing strategies are purely social media-driven. No matter who you are in the marketing industry, don’t let anyone tell you that promo products are a thing of the past. Ignoring the power of merchandise would be the most detrimental business move you could make.
In this article, we will explore why promotional merchandise is still relevant to your business and how to implement it in your marketing mix.
BENEFITS OF USING PROMOTIONAL MERCHANDISE
What can promo products do for your brand?
It doesn’t matter if you own a motorcycle shop or bake gluten-free pastries; promotional products will help your business thrive. Think of these giveaways as a more useful version of your business card. Craft an eye-catching keychain or a reusable bag with your cute cupcake logo, and you have just created real-life, walking advertisements. This is an effective, affordable way to grow your brand’s exposure.
Why are promotional products still relevant in a digital marketing world?
You may be thinking, “This is 2018. No one even writes with pens anymore.” Sure, the world we live in has certainly changed, and technology is one of our biggest consumptions. Nonetheless, everyone loves a free gift, especially if it is useful. This type of advertisement puts your brand in a favorable light. It shows your clients that this is a reciprocal relationship; out of all the businesses out there, you actually care about their happiness.
Do you know how long the average tweet circulates? According to Social Media Specialist, Rebecca Coleman, the answer is “about 15 minutes.” Facebook and Instagram posts? Roughly 24 hours. However, according to the Promotional Products Association (PAA), 76% of people who own promotional merchandise can clearly recall the company who gave them the product, as well as the event in which they received it. To top it off, “Well-designed and useful promotional products are more often than not retained for a year or more, ensuring that your brand remains on display for far longer than would be possible via conventional promotional techniques.”
Do you want your clients to remember your brand for 15 minutes or over a year?
HOW TO IMPLEMENT PROMOTIONAL PRODUCTS INTO YOUR MARKETING MIX
“Gifts such as promotional… gadgets and clothing bearing brand logos have been proven to be an instrumental aspect of any effective, balanced marketing strategy.” –Andrew Nash, Promotional Products Expert
What’s your marketing mix?
First off, don’t feel bad if “marketing mix” is a term you haven’t heard in awhile. We all have too many acronyms and terminologies to add to our lives daily. Basically, your marketing mix is a tool combining the four Ps: Product, Price, Place, and Promotion. You want to have the right product, at the right price, in the right place, and promote it correctly. As Andre Nash explained in the quote above, the most important component of this “balanced marketing strategy” is the product itself.
The best way to add promotional merchandise to your marketing mix
Do your research and know your target audience. If you aren’t familiar with your buyer persona, get to know them before you make any decisions. Don’t select products to give away because you or your nephew think they’re super cool. What could your ideal client really use? What merchandise would he or she be excited to receive and show off to friends?
The best way to add promotional merchandise to your marketing mix is to get the product right the first time. Make sure you’re ordering quality items. After all, your promo products represent your brand; do you want your company to fall apart after being used twice? In addition, while ensuring that the merchandise represents your company’s key values, try to appeal to your clients’ emotions and ethics. For example, if you aim to target eco-conscious athletes, the last thing you want to distribute is plastic beer mugs.
Your marketing mix will never get better than your promo product selection.
STILL HAVE QUESTIONS?
If you have any questions whatsoever about the benefits of using promotional merchandise, we are here for you. Likewise, if you’re struggling to integrate promo products into your marketing mix, we want to help. Whatever the case may be, our mission at Red Tomato is to assist you in achieving your biggest company goals.
When you work with us, you know that we are invested in your vision and ultimate success. From the first consultation to the day of distribution and beyond, we are there for you every step of the way. We are eager to show you how to make the most of your valuable services.
What do you think the benefits of using promotional merchandise are? How have you implemented promo products into your marketing mix? When did you see the best results? Please let us know in the comments below!
Get in touch with us and start your journey to becoming the best brand possible now!
The future is here; we are now able to create our own realities. Therefore, we as marketers need to be on the forefront of integrating our messages into those realities. The two most prominent digital trends of 2017 are branded content and augmented reality. As a result, marketers must successfully combine the two to communicate with a futuristic audience.
Augmented reality combines computer-generated images with the user’s real-world experience, creating a composite view (think Pokemon Go). Virtual reality is a three-dimensional image or environment generated by a computer. As a result, both have exciting marketing potential in the upcoming years. In this article, we’ll be focusing on blending branded content with an augmented reality experience.
While augmented reality is appealing to innovators and creatives alike, it’s also an amazing channel to send your message to your audience. Why? AR creates a memorable and immersive experience for viewers.
AR Smartphone Application
Pantone recently achieved this with their new AR smartphone application. Through the app, users take a picture and can use the “colour picker” feature to reveal to them exactly what shades are in the photo. When using the app can also generate custom colour palettes based on users’ Instagram photos. As a result, Pantone created a successful AR experience for their audience to interact with their brand and portray themselves as a tech-savvy brand.
As we described in our 5 Senses article, customers are more likely to remember your brand and its message when they experience it with more than one sense. Therefore, the same applies to augmented reality. AR is an innovative and trendy channel to make your brand come to life and to deliver your message to your consumer, however in order to make that messaging stick, it needs a tangible partner.
For example, a promotional calendar that combines a branded gift with technology. BIC created a smartphone app that animates a calendar’s images when scanned. This type of promotional merchandise integrates a tangible product with technology to create a full sensory experience; making your messaging memorable beyond a single digital moment.
So how can you begin to integrate an augmented experience into your marketing efforts? A 360-degree video or an augmented reality mobile application is a good start. Just remember, while delivering your message through AR is creative and new, making your messaging stick means creating a mixed experience between virtual and tangible.
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