Thursday, September 20, 2007

The Proof is in the Performance

Like any business, I have lots of competitors. Maybe some of them have called on you. If they haven’t yet, they will. And when they do, one of the first things they’ll talk about is price.
This is one of the great ironies of promotional products. To get your business (or lure you away from a competitor), promotional products distributors invariably focus on how much more cost-effective imprinted items are or how they can do more for you at a lower cost. But once they have the business locked up, price takes a backseat to relationships, creativity and numerous other factors. And that’s as it should be. As I’ve said before, staying on budget is only one element in the promotional mix. Here are some other key considerations to keep in mind:

  • Turnaround time. When do you need it? Is on-time delivery guaranteed? Does your current provider have a good track record in this area?
  • Quality. Do the products you use have a high perceived value? Will they last? Will logoed apparel stand up under repeated washing/wearing? Remember that your company’s image and reputation are a reflection of the imprinted items you distribute.
  • Creativity. Are the ideas your provider comes up with cutting through the clutter and achieving your marketing goals? Is packaging always discussed? How about targeting and delivery?
  • Availability. Will the items you choose be in stock if you need to re-order? How about color, size, etc.? This factor also ties in with turnaround time.
  • Imprint. Is your message visible? Does it fit the item? Will it last? This is critical to the longevity of your promotion.
  • Shipping/Delivery. Who chooses the most cost effective method? Is it traceable in case time becomes a factor?

These are the things that, taken together, create successful long-term relationships. As you can see, price is not the only factor in determining who you do business with. Delivering outstanding customer service to my clients, and doing what I say I’m going to do, is what has kept Kennedy Advertising in business for the past 36 years.


I hope you find this newsletter helpful. I’ll be back with some more ideas. In the meantime, if you want to explore what’s currently on special, click here or call me toll free at 888-725-4487, locally in Las Vegas at 702-324-1334 or send us an e-mail if I can be of help.

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Double the Effectiveness of Your Promotion

When I help clients develop promotions I’m usually in pursuit of a resounding “Wow!” from their target audience. Although this kind of response isn’t always realistic or appropriate I think it’s wise to aim high.


One of the things I’ve learned in the past few years is that a high percentage of successful, meaningful promotions – ones that generate a “Wow!” – are comprised of multiple products.
You might be thinking, “Nope, can’t afford to give away too much at once.” Fortunately, there are many ways to present multiple products without blowing your budget. Often times the second product costs significantly less per piece yet greatly enhances the promotion.

Consider these examples:

  • A gift book with a custom cover imprint or a glued-in promotional page accompanied by a leather bookmark.
  • An etched crystal container with golf balls for the participants in a golf tournament for charity.
  • A business brief with a jotter pad or writing instruments in the pockets
  • A stainless-steel travel mug stuffed with single-serving coffee or tea bags
  • An insulated cooler with private labeled water bottles

Certainly, one promotional product may generate the desired results. But if you’ve got a big goal to reach, and your budget allows for it, I think it’s a good strategy to at least consider this approach. (By the way, don’t forget that many promotions should be accompanied by a card of some kind to explain the purpose or significance of the gift.)


I hope you find this concept of interest. If you’d like to do some brainstorming along these lines, call me toll free at 888-725-4487, locally in Las Vegas at 702-324-1334 or send us an e-mail or visit my website at http://www.kennedyadv.com/

I’m always happy to kick around ideas!

Tipping the Trade Show Scales in Your Favor

Three simple steps can set you apart from more than three-quarters of the competition at your next trade show. You see, a significant majority of exhibitors do not plan to engage attendees appropriately or reward their attention. Even more shocking – 80% of leads are never followed up post-show. So what’s an exhibitor to do?

  • Target & Tantalize – Before the show floor ever opens make sure your best prospects and/or clients are engaged. By narrowing your field to the 20% “best bets” among the attendee list, you can offer better bait that will land bigger sales.The most effective pre-show invitations create a two-part dialog. A classic example is a “Main Event” themed promotion that sent key prospects a left-hand boxing glove along with company information and an invitation to visit the exhibitor’s booth. Those who did received the right-hand glove – autographed by Joe Frazier. Sales increased 22% post-show!

  • Relate & Reward – Merely putting out a bowl of candies or passing out thousands of pens isn’t going to create the interest and recognition you need to develop a long-term relationship with prospects. Instead, you should tie the promotional products you use at trade shows to your product, service, or brand image. For example, the Louisville Convention & Visitors Bureau hands out miniature Louisville Sluggers when it exhibits. The product is easily identifiable with the city and has collectible appeal.

  • Follow-up & Follow-through – Before you ever leave for the trade show, organize follow-up packets that will mail the day you return from the event. Use colorful or dimensional packaging that will stand out in the deluge of mail that awaits attendees post-show.

If you like these ideas, let us help you tailor the concepts to your audience and next trade show. Call me toll free at 888-725-4487, locally in Las Vegas at 702-324-1334 or send us an e-mail for more information or visit us on the Internet at http://www.KennedyAdv.com.

Thursday, September 13, 2007

Save Money for Your Next Las Vegas Trade Show

HAVE YOU MADE ALL OF THE ARRANGEMENTS FOR YOUR LAS VEGAS TRADE SHOW? ORDER NOW AND SAVE! Do you need presentation pocket folders, full color flyers, business cards or imprinted promotion items for your exhibitor booth? How about Tri-Fold Brochures, Posters, Product Catalogs, Booklets or Imprinted Promotional Products?

We can print and deliver all of these items directly to your exhibitor booth for you on set-up day. THAT'S RIGHT! You don't have to drag your marketing materials to Las Vegas anymore. Let Kennedy Advertising do all of the work for you. That will give you more time to spend with clients and prospects.

We also have imprinted promotional items that you can use for give-aways at the trade show. To conduct a search for items, just left click on the Product Search link below. But the best way is to call me at 888-725-4487, tell me what you want and let me put the best pricing together for you. Or, just drop me an e-mail. It's easier.

Just Think, You Don't Have to Drag Your Marketing Materials Through Airports Anymore!

Interactive Trade Show Promotions

I have learned that the best trade show promotions don’t just blanket pre-registered attendees with a postcard sporting the exhibitor’s logo. Instead, they draw the right prospects into a booth and entice them to linger and learn more about a firm’s products/services. That’s what I have in mind for you – an interactive trade show promotion that will keep your audience involved and interested. Here are three ideas:

1. Offer a little good-humor stress relief. Schedule a local comedian to perform at certain times at your booth. Have him/her tie the industry or services being represented into the jokes. Send a pre-show invitation to announce the appearance, inviting attendees to stop by the booth to receive “A few laughs, some cost-saving lessons and a fun imprinted gift.” Or, promise a caricature artist at your booth and provide imprinted frames for those booth-visitors who have their drawings done.

2. Highlight the results you deliver with an “on-target” trade show promo. Pre-mail a set of imprinted magnetic darts, promising the dart board when the recipient stops by your booth. Involve attendees with a dart-throwing contest and prizes for hitting certain targets. The incentives should relate to your business – perhaps a percentage off an order, a complimentary sample kit, free evaluation, etc. – something that will help you highlight the advantages of your company.

3. Provide a meaningful take-home gift. Consider an advance mailing that offers your top clients special recognition. Tell them you’ve planned a surprise gift for a few top-notch client partners. When they arrive, present them with a plaque for valued patronage and have a professional photographer on hand to snap the occasion. Digital images can then be immediately printed and given to your client for his/her office. Make the award all the more meaningful by tying it to a special service or new product exclusive you’ve planned for the “elite few.”

These are just a few ideas. Give me a call at 888-725-4487, locally in Las Vegas at 702-324-1334 or send us an e-mail and we can work with your specific industry and client base as a jumping off point for some fun, interactive ways to create better booth action and results.

Fool-Proof Ways to Follow Up a Trade Show

Get this: 80% of leads are not properly followed-up after a trade show. That means when you follow through with your clients post-show, you’ve already beat 80% of the competition. Make your efforts even more effective with promotional techniques that stand out and/or encourage ongoing contact and you’ll reap greater rewards from your investment.

Set up an expectation. You’ve heard of two-part mailings prior to a trade show. Consider applying the same concept to post-show efforts. You can give part of a gift when visitors arrive at your booth and set their expectation to receive the second half in a mailing after the show.

This will ensure that your priority piece of mail won’t get lost among the flood that folks receive after a week away from the office. One example is a two-part foam puzzle. The first half is imprinted with the beginning sentences that highlight “$10 Gift Certificate for” or “Special early-bird offer of,” etc. The recipient won’t be able to redeem the certificate until he/she opens your follow-up letter post-show to receive the second half of the revealing puzzle.

Show clients how well you listened when they spoke with you at the trade show. Imprint notepads with your company logo. Then, have your salespeople jot a personal note to the prospect, listing two or three concepts that address the needs the prospect voiced at the booth. Mail the notepad post-show to let the prospect know they’ve been heard and you’re on the job.
Create a continuing reason to contact the prospect. For a female audience, this might be giving a charm bracelet as an incentive at the trade show that will be followed up with quarterly charms given when salespeople make in-office visits. For a gender-neutral gift, consider an etched candy jar that you refill during post-show office visits. The goal is to create a reason to pop into a prospect’s office or to have them look forward to your regular mailings.

Fulfill a special incentive. Today’s digital technology allows for some very personalized follow-through. Ask your clients to bring a photo of their office staff, child or even pet to your trade show booth. You can then scan it and promise to deliver a mug, t-shirt or other item customized with the image at a post-show sales visit.

You get the idea. Now let’s start planning. Give me a call at 888-725-4487, locally in Las Vegas at 702-324-1334 or send us an e-mail and we’ll set you ahead of 100% of the trade show competition after the booths close.

Monday, September 10, 2007

Welcome to John Kennedy's Blog

My background in the Newspaper, Magazine and Internet Publishing Industry has taught me that it's organizing and sharing credible information that people value is what keeps them coming back to read. Easy access and speed are right up there. This is truly the information age.

My experience started in the newspaper industry in 1973. Newspapers are still a traditional mass marketing tool that served us well in the, 60's, 70's, 80's and into the 90's. But as the Internet came online, you could begin to see a paradigm shift taking place.

Then I moved to another, even bigger mass environment of the newspaper non-reader to learn about FREE Distribution. The world of free newspapers/magazines that are home delivered or available for FREE at retail outlets. What did I learn from those 2 experiences? There was a lot of money being spent on wasted distribution but the cost per 1000 was rather low because they printed high quantities everything.

This pushed me to more of a targeted message concept. Was direct mail the answer? Nope! The cost per piece (including postage) was astronomically high and by the time you pulled them from your mailboxes with 10 to 20 other pieces, I found that was still not the answer.

Then along came the Internet and e-mail! After that, websites and e-mail templates that you could use to build targeted information that people value. You could send e-mails with links to resource web pages where you could share important resource information or even sell a product. But you know, even that gets cumbersome after awhile. (Are we spoiled compared to the past or what?)

During the past month, I spent some time helping my wife, Mary Kennedy build a blog
(Mary Kennedy's Blog) for her RE/MAX Real Estate business here in
Las Vegas on ActiveRain.com. I found this casual environment to be very refreshing. A place where you can organize specific information for targeted groups. (Buyers or Sellers, East Coast, West Cost or even Middle of the Country. Include States, Cities and Communities). You can even write some good things about yourself or thoughts so people get to know you better.

In the Promotional Ideas From Kennedy Advertising blog, my goal is to gather information, based on your feedback, and organize it in such a way that it easy to access right from here. I continue to be excited about the future and your feedback is always encouraged.

John Kennedy
Kennedy Advertising
Kennedy Advertisings Website
888-725-4487