Strange Love Makes for a Hit Promotion

An unusual product requires an unusual promotion. Culturelle, a company that makes dietary supplements that aid in digestive health and immune-system functioning, was looking to promote its brand in a quirky way. The company's products are "probiotics" – healthy bacteria that aid digestion – which might confuse the average consumer who associates bacteria with disease or things unhealthy.

With this in mind, Culturelle devised the "I Love Bacteria" campaign. The company gave away T-shirts imprinted with the classic "I ♥ " icon to curious customers who saw an ad for it. After an extremely successful test-run of the campaign in September 2009,

Culturelle widened the promotion, tying it into its print and television advertising campaigns, both of which featured someone wearing the "I ♥ Bacteria" T-shirt.

The quirky giveaway met every one of the company's goals. "We grew our consumer database substantially, increased our out-of-home branding since our logo was on the back of the shirts, and even used the shirts as a giveaway that bloggers used to kick-start a program which educated consumers about Culturelle and probiotics," says Dave O'Brien, brand manager for Culturelle.

In fact, the company got much more than it bargained for. Using social media as well as more traditional outlets, Culturelle ended up with more than 100,000 requests in the first week alone. The giveaways have been put on hold for awhile due to the speed with which they were snapped up. Currently the brand's leadership is considering new ways to get the "I Love Bacteria" message out.

"People like wearing shirts that cause others to take a second look, and this shirt definitely accomplishes that," says O'Brien. "The shirt also acts as a great way to connect consumers with the brand and make it a part of their life."

Reprinted from from the October 2010 Promotion Connection Newsletter at http://www.KennedyAdvertising.net

Lighters, Camera, Action!

The new big-screen thriller Buried has received early buzz for star Ryan Reynolds, the only actor onscreen for virtually the entire film. But Reynolds, as a kidnapped truck driver trapped in an underground coffin, isn't the only star of the movie: the Zippo lighter he's lucky enough to have in his pocket also plays a prominent role.

"We met Ryan Reynolds at the premiere, and when we said we were from Zippo, he said, ‘Oh, my costar!' " says Pat Grandy, marketing communications manager for Zippo. "The lighter is on screen for about 75% of the movie."

Zippo has worked to showcase this major role in the film by sponsoring a number of Buried events around the world. Most recently, 200 lighters were given out at the premiere in New York City, branded with the spiraling design from the film's marketing material (and one autographed by Reynolds was even added to the Zippo Museum collection).

The company has created half a dozen designs for various regions where the film is being released, as well as an edition created for the cast and crew, distributed at the wrap party last August. For Spain and Italy, the word "Buried" is written in Spanish and Italian below the film's title.

Zippo is no stranger to the big screen. Grandy estimates that the iconic lighter has appeared in some 1,200 films, and he adds with pride that a Zippo appeared in every one of the films nominated for the Best Picture Oscar in 2006. But besides the significant role the lighter plays in Buried, the fact that the film is also a great fit for the company's core customers makes the promotional tie-in a no-brainer.

"Our target audience is males 18 to 24, so it's a fairly young demo, and that group is certainly moviegoers who would go see Buried," says Grandy.

Reprinted from from the October 2010 Promotion Connection Newsletter at http://www.KennedyAdvertising.net

How to Buy Flash Drives That Won't Fail!

What you should do when you find flash drives on the Internet for next to nothing!

Flash Drives can be confusing! I have over 7400 to choose from on my website. 1 GB at $5 a similar item at $9.50….what’s the deal?

At the heart of the problem there is a lot of misinformation about flash drive prices and the cost of memory.

Many customers believe they can buy flash drives at below or at unusually low prices. These prices are generally found online and are often quoted direct from the Chinese manufacturer or through their North American or European agent.

The reality is quality memory costs are the same for every manufacturer as demand for flash chips far outstrips the supply. Kennedy Advertising pays the same for 1000 1 GB pieces of memory as we do for 10,000!

So how do you work your way through this? Please read below as there are some important things you should know.

USB Flash Chips are divided up into 4 different classes/standards.

Grades A, B & C. And the sneaky, Grade D

Grade A:

Tier 1- These are bona fide premium chips with the flash chip manufacturers name & serial number imprinted on the chip itself. These chips are produced by manufacturers such as Samsung and Hynix. They are the most expensive, but also the most reliable offering a lifetime warranty. These are the chips Kennedy Advertising uses.

Grade B:
Tier 1 OEM flash chips. These are made by the same legitimate chip manufacturers in Grade A but are without the manufacturer's brand name imprinted on them. These chips are as reliable but may not be of the same standards that the manufacturer would consider putting their name on it. Kennedy Advertising also sells Grade B. A and B are both fine to use.

Below is where the quality issues & problems begin. These will be some of the least expensive flash drives but also have a very high failure rate.

Grade C:
These are called recycled or reclaimed flash chips (not to be confused with the recycled plastic housings) . These chips are considered waste from the "wafer" that the original manufacturer does not want and considers to be garbage. These have a 30% - 40% failure rate. They are sold by the pound. Literally!!!

Grade D: (The Sneaky Grade)
A Sneaky flash drive supplier will actually imprint an original manufacturer's name on a Grade C chip. It may say Samsung or Hynix, etc. but its most definitely junk/knock-off flash drive. Until The Sneaky Grade Flash Drive land’s at your customer’s door you will not know that they don't work very well.

Payment: People don't always think about this.....All off-shore purchases are pre-paid to a Chinese bank before shipment. What is your recourse if the product fails? A reputable agency such as Kennedy Advertising gives you protection under US commerce laws and the insurance provided by Visa or MasterCard. Plus, we don’t deal with suppliers that sell us anything less than Grade A or B Quaility.

Conclusion: You may find flash drives cheaper than at Kennedy Advertising , but they won’t be better….or even the same! As the old saying goes………The taste of a bargain is easily replaced by the bitterness of being fooled.

If we can be of any help...please do not hesitate to give us a call at 888-725-4487 or in the Las Vegas Valley at 702-324-1334 or you can send an e-mail to john@kennedyadv.com

If you would like, feel free to pass this along to people you know that buy Imprinted Promotional Flash Drives. You may help them save a lot of money.

Visit the Kennedy Advertising Website to Search Product Ideas and Enter the $1000.00 Drawing for Imprinted Promotional Items.

It has taken us a little while, but I think we have finally built our website to the best user friendly level that we have ever had to this point. Over the last few days I went over it with a fine tooth comb so let me share with you.

You can visit the Kennedy Advertising website using two URL’s. They are www.KennedyAdv.com or www.KennedyAdvertising.net You can also perform a Google Search for Kennedy Advertising, Las Vegas and end up at Kennedy Advertising Google Search

The home page gives you:

a. A General Overview of what we do, with a blend specific links of the most popular products that we offer and are purchased by our customers.

b. A Search for Promotional Products Search Engine if you are in need of a specific product at a certain price and want more information.

c. A CALL ME BUTTON that will connect you to me for FREE.

d. A Products Specials Link that will show you what my suppliers are closing out or liquidated from their inventory. (SOME REALLY GOOD BUYS are located here)

e. A Featured Products Link to show you what I currently have ON SALE.

f. A $1000.00 Promotional Product Drawing Link for you to fill out an entry form.

Then, of course, there is your relationship with the person with all the ideas. ME! My goal is to find the best promotional items to fit your promotion and give you the best results possible. If there is anything I can do to help you, please feel free to call on me at anytime.

Best Regards,

John Kennedy
Kennedy Advertising
Las Vegas, NV.
Phone: 702-324-1334
Toll Free: 888-725-4487

6 Warning Signs of Bad Customer Service

I subscribe to several customer service and newsletter blogs. If I see one that to the point and aligns itself well with my message, I'll forward it. The following article by Bob Harris at The Attrition Busters doe it for me....Feel free to read and pass it along to others in your organization. A little refresher from time to time always helps and if I can be of any help please don't hesitate to call on me. John Kennedy, Kennedy Advertising, 702-324-1334.

6 Warning Signs of Bad Customer Service
By Bob Harris, Managing Director, The Attrition Busters

Many business owners and managers seem to be ignoring the main signs that customer service quality isn't as good as it should be, according to Bob Harris, managing director for The Attrition Busters, who has compiled a list of the six key signs to watch out for.

Businesses that deal with consumers seem to be suffering from a definite disconnect between the level of service they want to provide and the service that their employees actually provide.

Six signs of poor service
As a result, Harris suggests the following six key signs that customer service may be in need of some attention - and most probably some staff training - to help restore the customer's faith:

1. Poor employee retention
If employees are leaving too quickly (i.e. within three years), there can be no real opportunity for them to build up relationships with customers. Knowledge about individual customers leaves the company with every lost employee. If this is the case, consider bringing in an outside HR (human resources) consultant to talk to employees and find out what needs to be done to change the situation; employees will often tell an 'outsider' things that they would never tell their manager.

2. Customer complaints
On average, only around 6% of dissatisfied customers will actually take the time to complain. So, out of all the customers who encounter a problem, 94% won't tell you (but they'll tell their friends and family, of course). When these dissatisfied customers do gather the strength to actually complain, many front line employees have a natural instinct to refer the customer to someone else or, worse still, to deny that there's really a problem. So if management sees that there are very few complaints, that doesn't mean that customer service is perfect at all. If employees have not built relationships with customers, many customers will defect without any further prompting. Make sure that your front line teams are required to record all complaints and any action taken to solve them. Complaints data should be treasured, documented, and shared with management. If you're not getting complaint data from the front line, there's a serious problem.

3. Employees aren't empowered to handle problems
Unless front line employees are empowered to resolve customer complaints and problems without resorting to calling supervisors or referring the customer to a manager, customer service - and the company's reputation - will suffer greatly. Customer issues should be handled from start to finish by the same person if at all possible. Customers do not want to wait or, even worse, be transferred to multiple people to have their problems solved. There is nothing worse than having to repeat the problem over and over again to different people. This is where you need employee training and empowerment: give the whole customer-facing team the knowledge, tools, and authority they need to defuse angry customers.

4. Loss of long-term customers
When a long-term customer leaves, you need to notice it and query it. When you have built a long-term relationship with a customer, your ability to retain that customer significantly increases. So when a customer who would normally give you the benefit of the doubt takes their business elsewhere, the problem is almost always the service they've received. Try to find out the real reason they defected, and use that information to prevent it from happening again. Remember that flexibility is needed in order to make changes in the company based on information from lost customers.

5. Fewer referrals
A business with delighted customers should always be gaining new customers from referrals. If your service isn't good, referrals will drop off first - even before your existing customers defect to a competitor. This makes the continual monitoring of referral levels one of the most powerful indicators of ongoing customer satisfaction. To quote a wise mentor, "Satisfied customers buy from you, but delighted customers sell for you." Also, if you're gaining lots of new customers but losing just as many existing customers, this indicates a serious disparity between what your brand is promising and what it actually delivers.

6. Low morale
Employees' morale is something that shows whenever they interact with customers, and the customer is quick to pick up on negative sentiment toward the company. While low morale is not always a result of poor customer service (although it can be due to a lack of empowerment), it always creates poor service. If this is the case, the management needs to try to instill a sense of pride throughout the company, and offer employees some well-deserved rewards and recognition. Empower employees to make decisions (within reasonable limits), and train them to make good decisions that have both the customer's and company's interests at heart.

While there are obviously more than six signs that identify bad customer service, these are certainly among the main ones to watch out for. If you recognize any single one of these six signs, the time has come to focus attention on fixing it urgently. If you recognize more than one of these six signs, there's no time to waste: you're already losing market share.

---Source: Reprinted from The Wise Marketer Feb 22, 2008 newsletter www.thewisemarketer.com.

Kennedy Advertising Launches New Web Site

Las Vegas, Nevada- Kennedy Advertising, http://www.kennedyadv.com/ , recently launched a Web site to continue giving custom printing and promotional products buyers the best service possible. The new site features an electronic catalog of more than 155,000 promotional products along with a detailed list of custom printing services.

Customers can now go to http://www.kennedyadv.com/ and research products for any promotional opportunity including: custom printing, business gifts, awards, recognition items, motivation, event promotion and product fulfillment. With the advanced product search function, visitors can search for products by price range, production time, or product category.

Kennedy Advertising also serves up promotional ideas in Promotion Connection, the company’s monthly online newsletter to keep you informed of the latest trends in promotions. Just visit the store, click on Promotion Connection and read about a successful promotion. There's even a planning calendar that lists well-known and not-so-well-known events throughout the year.

Kennedy Advertising has a secure server that accepts orders directly from the Web site in a secure setting. The server uses the latest encryption technology to ensure that all sensitive information is transmitted virtually risk-free. Still, many people prefer to place orders by phone. Users who wish to research the products online and then place an order by phone may call Kennedy Advertising at: 888-725-4487

As an added bonus, each month visitors to Kennedy Advertising’s web site, can register for a chance to win $1,000 in promotional products of their choice. Just click on the moneybag icon that says, "Enter $1000 Drawing."

Kennedy Advertising is a Full Service Custom Printing and Imprinted Promotional Products Company located in Las Vegas, Nevada. Established in Minneapolis Minnesota in 1971, Kennedy Advertising, has been a member of the Advertising Specialty Institute for over 35 years. As the company expanded its selling capabilities on the Internet, they relocated to Las Vegas, Nevada in 2002 to centralize fulfillment operations, expand fulfillment capabilities and trade show services.

For more information contact:

John Kennedy
Kennedy Advertising
Phone: In Las Vegas: 702-324-1334 or Toll Free 888-725-4487
E-mail: john@kennedyadv.com
Fax: 702-974-0119
Date: March 26, 2008

Make It a Date to Remember

Thousands of organizations and Presidential Proclamations set aside specific days, weeks and months for political, cultural and historical events and causes. Many of these occasions offer you an opportunity to promote your business, organization or product.

April

The week of April 27th is National Volunteer Week
Thank all of your volunteers with a small memento of their efforts. Hold a thank-you celebration and include table favors that commemorate their contributions. Select a Volunteer of the Year and award them with a larger commemorative gift. And, be sure to get pictures and send to the local papers.

Some other designations for April that you might be interested in are:

* Alcohol Awareness Month
* National Child Abuse Prevention Month
* Holy Week
* National Donate Life Month
* April 1st: April Fools Day
* April 2nd: International Children's Book Day
* April 3rd: Tweed Day
* April 4th: Victims Of Violence day
* April 5th: National Fun At Work Day
* April 6th: Teflon Day
* April 7th: No Housework Day
* April 9th - 15th: Egg Salad Week
* April 10th: National Sibilings Day
* April 11th: Trivia Day
* April 13th: International Plant Appreciation Day
* April 7th - 11th: National Public Health Week
* April 13th - 19th: National Library Week
* April 27th: National Volunteer Week
* April 15th: Income Tax Pay Day
* April 17th: International Ford Mustang Day
* April 19th - 27th: National Wildlife Week
* April 22nd: Earth Day
* April 24th: Take Your Daughters and Sons to Work Day
* April 27th: Mother, Father Deaf Day
* April 28th: Cubicle Day
* April 29th: National Dance Day
* April 30th: Spank Out Day USA

May

May 11th is Eat What You Want Day

* Have salespeople deliver snack baskets to their customers when they visit on this day.
* Create a promotion based on the Eat What You Want Day making the connection between feeling like you can't eat what you want and you can't seem to get what you want when it comes to (plug in your product or service category). Tell them that on May 11th they can not only eat what they want, but they can have what they want when it comes to (plug in your product or service) by scheduling an appointment with one of your sales reps. When the rep makes the call on May 11 he or she brings a logoed basket of goodies or cookies.

Some other designations for May that you might be interested in are:

* National Barbecue Month
* National Arthritis Month
* Heal The Children Month
* Motorcycle Safety Month
* May 1st: School Principals Day
* May 2nd: No Pants Day
* May 3rd: Free Comic Book Day
* May 4th: Respect for Chickens Day
* May 5th: Cindo e Mayo
* May 4th - 10th: Be Kind To Animals Week ®
* May 5th - 11th: National Wildflower Week
* May 8th: World Red Cross Day
* May 11th: Mother's Day
* May 11th: Eat What You Want Day
* May 12th: Stamp Out Hunger
* May 11th - 17th: National Police Week
* May 14th: National Receptionists Day
* May 16th: National Pizza Party Day
* May 17th: Armed Forces Day
* May 18th: International Museum Day
* May 19th: Armed Forces Day
* May 18th - 24th: National Dog Bite Prevention Week
* May 20th - 26th: World Trade Week
* May 21st: National Employee Health & Fitness Day
* May 23rd: World Turtle Day
* May 24th: Brother's Day
* May 25th: National Missing Children's Day
* May 26th: International Jazz Day
* May 26th: Memorial Day
* May 30th: Hg Your Cat Day
* May 31st: World No-Tobacco Day

June

June 14th is World Juggling Day
Everyone is juggling something so recognizing that can be used for a broad spectrum of promotional needs. There are juggling balls, juggle sets and juggle stress relievers.

Some other designations for June that you might be interested in are:

* Adopt - A Shelter-Cat Month
* Children's Awareness Month
* National Candy Month
* National Rose Month
* June 1st: National Leave The Office Earlier Day
* June 1st: National Cancer Survivors Day
* June 1st - 7th: National Business Etiquette Week
* June 7th - 14th: International Clothesline Week
* June 2nd: National Bubba Day
* June 4th: National Tailors Day
* June 5th: Hunger Awareness Day
* June 6th: D-Day Anniversary
* June 8th - 14th: National Flag Week
* June 14th: World Juggling Day
* June 15th: Native American Citizenship Day
* June 15th: Father's Day
* June 16th: Fudge Day
* June 20th: June Solstice
* June 20th: Toad Hollow Day Of Thank You
* June 21st: Baby Boomer's Recognition Day
* June 22nd: Stupid Guy Thing Day
* June 23rd: Let It Go Day
* June 24th: Celebration Of The Senses
* June 26th: Hand Shake Day
* June 27th: National HIV Testing Day
* June 28th: Marble Day
* June 29th: Log Cabin Day
* June 30th: Please Take My Children To Work Day