Have any of you been the lucky recipient of a Kleenex Care Pack?

(source)

This cold and flu season, Kleenex is engaging consumers by encouraging them to send care packs to loved ones in need of some extra TLC. Participants are welcomed to share their stories and connect with other buyers on the company's website.

Taken from the Kleenex website-

Every year, during Softness Worth Sharing, people come together to share the Softness of Kleenex Brand tissue. For some, it's become a yearly tradition to surprise someone they care about with America's Softest Tissue.

Today, the tradition continues to grow. The famous little Kleenex Brand Share Pack has expanded- into a Kleenex Brand Care Pack filled with goodies to help care for your loved ones during cold and flu season. It's yours to send when you buy a specially marked Kleenex Bundle Pack.

As a consumer, I love this campaign. I sure wish I'd had a pack on hand the other week when I was feeling under the weather. Speaking of that... try Zicam, people. Do it.

As a promotional marketer, I admire this campaign. It's a perfect example of what we do our best to teach our clients at Sonic- how to use promotional products to connect with your market and increase revenue.

Let's take a closer look at the Care Pack campaign, from a promotional perspective.

(source)

Each Kleenex Care Pack contains lip balm, hand sanitizer, a coupon booklet, a Kleenex Brand Share Pack of tissues, and a music download card redeemable for four songs.

From a sales perspective, what are the most important items in this box?

My answer would be- the coupon booklet and music download card.

In these two items, Kleenex has ensured they'll benefit from this campaign with increased revenue, not just through goodwill and word-of-mouth. The coupons will lead to direct sales, and the music download cards will net them valuable data about their target market.

I can't be 100% sure, as I haven't received and redeemed one of the Kleenex music cards myself, but digital download cards generally require the user to visit a custom landing page and enter some basic contact information. Depending on the complexity of the landing page, there might also be a short survey required, through which Kleenex can wisely conduct marketing research to learn more about how their consumers interact with and feel about their products and brand.

All in all, the Kleenex Care Pack campaign is a very smart initiative; one that benefits both brand and buyer. For companies looking to promote a health and wellness program and engage employees, a similar care pack would be an excellent promotion. Maybe even throw in some antimicrobial phone pads to control germs around the office!

Happy Wednesday, readers! Before we get too deep into the New Year, let's talk a bit about current trends in corporate apparel. What's hot right now?

Hansel. So hot right now. Hansel.

Sorry, I couldn't resist! Please don't click away. I'll stay on topic for the rest of the post. I promise.

Performance Materials:

In polo shirts, polyester and blended materials are still very popular. These performance materials are extremely comfortable to wear and easy to care for. Look for pieces that wick sweat and absorb moisture, resist snags and stains, manage body odor, body map for temperature control, and protect from sun exposure.



This isn't a style column, so I'm not going to say that cotton pique polo shirts are out- I don't think they'll ever be out; pique polo shirts are a classic and traditional look- but if you're looking to dress your employees in a sharp piece that they'll wear in and outside of the office, we recommend a performance polo.



In outerwear, microfleece jackets are popular as always, but bonded knit and soft shell jackets are particular trendy. As with polyester performance polo shirts, the main appeal of bonded fleece and soft shell is comfort and durability. They're extremely warm, breathable, and water-resistant or water-proof in some cases. They also tend to be less bulky than fleece with a more stream-lined cut, so the fit is very flattering.

Heather Colors:

I'm sure you've seen a lot of the heather trend in retail stores right now. It's just as prevalent in corporate apparel. T-shirts, outerwear, fitness apparel... it's everywhere.



Retail Design Details:

Think about your favorite wardrobe pieces. I bet there are little design details that you love about all of them. Things like thumbholes on your winter running gear or interesting buttons at the placket. Maybe it's a conveniently placed pocket, or a zipper guard that keeps your chin and neck comfortable. If you appreciate the small details in your own clothing, look for these particulars in apparel for your staff too. Your goal is to equip them with something that they'll actually enjoy wearing!


Unique Decoration Techniques and Placement:

We've talked about alternative decoration methods on the blog before. Techniques like laser-etching, deboss, and heat seal transfers were very popular in 2012 as alternatives to traditional embroidery and screen-printing, and the same is true for 2013. Ask your promotional rep about these options, as the best decoration method for your project will depend on the artwork and the garment's material.

For a really current look, think about decoration placement in addition to the technique. The shoulder, side panel and sleeve are easy to decorate and create a unique look.

What are your thoughts on these trends?

Here's a fun case study for you today. Have you heard of Allie the Ally?

Allie the Ally was created by a student group from James Hubert Blake High School in Silver Spring, Maryland called Allies 4 Equality. To spread awareness about LGBTQ issues and to give hope to kids struggling with acceptance, both from themselves and others, the group developed a colorful paper doll named Allie. What began as a local high school initiative quickly became a national campaign, thanks to the group's active Facebook page. Allie has now traveled across the United States and to four different countries. Supportive fans post photos of themselves with the doll, along with a brief message. Many schools and religious groups have gotten involved with Allie; even the Governor of Maryland has participated.

The students have even been honored with a national award for their efforts.

Recently, Allies 4 Equality came to Sonic looking for a way to sell Allie the Ally T-shirts to school communities across the country.

The T-shirt features a 7-color front/1-color back screen print. With so many colors involved, we knew printing the shirts individually was not going to be a cost-effective option. To keep costs down, we worked with the students to develop an online store with an ordering window of three weeks. This allowed us to print all the shirts in one run and net volume price breaks.

The ordering window for this round of shirts has closed, but be sure to keep up with Allie's travels by visiting the students' Facebook page regularly. You can find them on Twitter and Tumblr too.

Thanks for the opportunity to get involved with this movement, Allies 4 Equality, and keep up the great work!

Let's talk about color.

Most of us have a favorite color. Mine is yellow. Specifically PMS 107.

It makes me feel happy and warm. And it's not all in my head; humans really do have physical and psychological reactions to different hues.

Do you ever think about how certain colors make you feel? Generally speaking, blues and greens are very soothing, and warm colors like red, orange and yellow, energize and motivate action.

(source)

Marketers are attune to these effects, and they apply color theory to retail stores, websites, advertisements and direct mail all the time. Shouldn't you be thinking about it when designing promotional materials too?

Most of the time, our clients opt for items that match (or closely match) the colors present in their logo. There's nothing wrong with that, but it can be fun to mix things up, especially if a different choice would better enhance your goal.

For example, orange is supposed to appeal to children and energize adults. How about doing orange Frisbees for August's summer company picnic? Or, if your primary goal for October's trade show is to gather signatures for a sustainability pledge, opt for red tabling materials to A) grab attention and B) motivate a call to action.

What are your thoughts on color theory? Do you agree with the associations in the table above? Have you ever applied color theory to a marketing campaign with particular success?  

What was the last sponsored event you went to? I bet you saw branding everywhere, right? How were the branded materials being used?

Sometimes, promotional materials are just... present at an event. They provide a backdrop for photo ops, decorate empty tables and watch the action pass from a merchandise display in the corner. Used in this way, promotional items are simply wallflower attendees; they stand back from the action and never draw attention to themselves.

At other events I've attended, promotional materials are the focus of attention. They interact with the audience, add character and liveliness to the event's atmosphere, prompt discussion and steal the spotlight. Compared to the wallflowers described above, these promotional materials are social butterflies.

The funny thing is, the same item has the potential to be a wallflower or a butterfly. The difference is all in how you implement and distribute the materials.

As an example, let's look at how the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer uses promotional items to enhance their event series.

Engage alumni

Annual events like the Avon Walk attract the same participants, year after year. These alumni are your loyal customers; they enjoy the experience and support your cause so much that they return annually. The Avon staff recognizes alumni with colorful buttons that are handed out for free at Event Eve, and they're always a huge hit. On the route, the buttons act as great conversation starters, enabling walkers to identify seasoned veterans. They create a big impact for minimal investment.

Educate your audience

Every three minutes, someone is diagnosed with invasive breast cancer. This shocking statistic really summarizes the importance of breast cancer research, so the Avon Walk staff go to great lengths to ensure their walkers remember this factoid. Throughout the event, volunteers and crew members drape imprinted ribbons around walkers' necks at 3-minute intervals. At closing ceremonies, it's very sobering to look around the crowd and take in the number of "marked" individuals.

Play with color

Screen printed T-shirts for staff, volunteers and attendees are pretty standard at athletic events for charity. Take it a step further, and change up the shirt color for different groups. At the Avon Walk, crew members and youth crew members are easy to spot in yellow and blue tees. All walkers receive a white T-shirt when they register (to wear during training walks and fundraising events), and a colored T-shirt when they cross the finish line (as a souvenir for their hard work). The Avon Walk also distinguishes breast cancer survivors with a different colored finisher tee.

Reward exemplary fundraising

When a walker registers for the 2-Day Avon Walk, they commit to a hefty amount of fundraising- $1,800 to be exact. Although this money is used to further breast cancer research and supporting services, the Walk staff understands that it's never easy to ask friends, loved ones and local businesses to donate funds. For this reason, they really do everything they can to encourage and support their walkers throughout the process.

Branded materials come into play here too, in the form of fundraising rewards. Walkers can earn things like branded shoelaces, hats, and sports equipment by achieving and surpassing certain benchmarks. During the walk, it's quite common to spot a "Fantastic Fundraiser" proudly sporting a hard-earned hat. 

Cultivate a community

Avon Walk coordinators and staff put a lot of effort into procuring colorful and memorable event materials, but they also count on walkers and supporters for further decoration. They've successfully created a culture in which participants voluntarily deck themselves from head to toe in pink accessories and witty team T-shirts. In my three years with the Avon Walk, I've seen Team Boob-Bees sporting antennae and stingers, fans of the Washington Capitals "rocking the pink" in custom tees, ladies in iridescent butterfly wings, magenta tutus and hot pink rattan hula skirts. These team costumes come at no additional expense to the Avon Walk, but they really improve the spirit of the event.

I hope these examples have given you some ideas for your next event. Focus on creative implementation and distribution to get the biggest bang for your buck.