The start of a new year is the perfect time to review your plan and look for areas of improvement. Proactively planning your marketing can triple the likelihood of your business’s or organization’s success. Here are a few promotional product ideas to help as you analyze your marketing strategy and ensure it will be effective.
Fine-tune what’s working
Host an interactive workshop for employees to review and hone your organization’s customer journey. Divide into teams, and provide each one with a large canvas and colored markers to map the journey—from beginning awareness to long-term loyalty. Use everyone’s perspective on different touchpoints to improve along the way.
Organize a creative brainstorming session to fine-tune current strategies that are working well. Create an environment that’s conducive to creative thinking by supplying scented stress relievers to invigorate the senses and wooden stacking stones to promote focus.
Encourage out-of-the-box ideas by creating an unexpected theme, like camping. Incorporate promotional product ideas into the theme by furnishing the meeting room with camping chairs, a pretend bonfire and s’mores.
Discover hidden opportunities
Uncover new marketing opportunities by hosting a companywide competition where each department creates an innovative campaign of their choice (email, social media, print, etc.). Give everyone sticky notes so they can list ideas and constraints. Offer a high-quality prize, like a laptop briefcase bag, to encourage everyone to do their best.
Arrange a challenge where teams research competitors’ marketing strategies and brainstorm ways to differentiate your brand. Give everyone a multifunction pen along with a journal to jot down thoughts.
Glean consumer insights
Invite consumers or community members to participate in a focus group. Choose a neutral site away from your office to avoid biased thinking. Thank participants with a versatile gift, like a tote-pack. Slip a cookie tin inside as a sweet gesture of appreciation.
Host an event where prospects and customers can give their opinions on new products or service lines. Set up interactive stations where they can try out new additions to your line and provide real-time feedback. Gift a little something to thank participants for their insights. Promo giveaway ideas could include a tape measure or cooler sling.
Optimize the budget
Get fresh ideas on how to get the most bang for your buck. Give your team a mock budget, and ask them to look for ways to better allocate the dollars. Provide details of past marketing plans and dollar bill jar openers.
Pair team members from marketing and finance/accounting departments. Equip them with unique highlighters and a printed visual representation of a marketing strategy. They can review it together, tapping into each other’s expertise to discover the most cost-effective improvements. Embroidered rain jackets or hoodies can be given as thank-you gifts.
Marketing made stronger
By incorporating these promotional product ideas into your marketing review process, you can fine tune what’s working, discover hidden opportunities, glean consumer insights and optimize the budget.