Strategy – Price – Fulfilment

Julian Goad of Blank Canvas asks if this is the Holy Trinity of a really great promotional campaign.

Without doubt the best promotional campaigns are those that engage with and make a positive and memorable impact on their target audience. All too often, however, companies and brands are settling for good rather than great promotional campaigns and this is rarely the fault of the companies undertaking their requirements.

If you are a company or agency which uses promotional marketing, do any of these statements ring a bell?

"I need something quickly and I know that item X is popular for what I want to do. Besides, we have used this before and I don't have time to mess about."
"I need a solution fast, I want it as cheap as possible and it's got to be ready in weeks not months."

Harsh as it may sound this is familiar territory for many suppliers in the promotions sector. So how does this relate to the three key elements of success in the title of this piece?

All too often we hear from providers of promotional merchandise that they are brought in to source and deliver products at the eleventh hour with little or no consultation at the initial stages of the campaign. Here they are either victims of their own success, having provided well thought through solutions in record time or are simply regarded as a conduit to providing the final element of the campaign mix. Yet a great many of these companies can provide crucial insight into what works for varying audience profiles based on years of industry experience, ultimately the difference between a good campaign and a great campaign.

Simply involving them at the outset of campaign planning will pay huge dividends and not just for the uninitiated. No company worth its salt is going to baulk at the opportunity to participate in the initial brainstorming process and would actually welcome the opportunity. This is also a great opportunity to determine which companies are really the strategic thinkers they claim to be in their credentials.

Having established a clear campaign strategy, price will no doubt play a significant role in securing the deal.
While competitive pricing and obtaining best price are essential to good business practise, this is far too often becoming the overriding concern, to the detriment of the final campaign delivery.

Good negotiation and business relationships will dictate that the final price per item keeps all parties happy. The client gets a fair price for the product, and the service they receive, while the provider makes a realistic margin to ensure that they are able to operate effectively.

Many times we hear of providers who claim to have lost out on a campaign because a company was able to deliver an item one or two pence cheaper. Fair enough you might think, but if the customer, and ultimately the recipient of the activity, receives a sub standard item or service in order to save such a meagre sum, can this really make good business sense? Of course not.

Companies that charge slightly more for a promotional item
probably do so for good reason. They will not compromise on the quality of their product or service and in the majority of cases have probably honed their prices within a fine line of turning a profit, and making a profit is what keeps industry turning at the end of the day.
There will always be companies that are prepared to turn out very cheap product but usually that comes alongside a like minded service culture.

It's essential to recognise that healthy competition offers everyone more choice and that is a good thing. Imagine however this choice being eroded from our industry because every last drop has been squeezed out of suppliers expected not only to price themselves out of making a realistic profit but also to accept longer and longer payment terms which put additional pressures on their business.

Like everything in life you get what you pay for and most companies place a huge premium on the value of their brands. Is it really worth compromising on this in the eyes of your existing or potential customers for the sake of saving just a few pence?

So you've put together the strategy and settled on a price that is agreeable to all. Now you're looking forward to fulfilling your campaign and getting the results that you have invested time and effort into. While all of the elements that make up a great promotional campaign are of equal importance, bad fulfilment will ultimately be the one thing you are left remembering when the campaign is over.

If possible, visit your fulfilment provider's offices to get a first hand knowledge of their capabilities. This should not pose a problem for well-resourced companies who will be more than happy to demonstrate their abilities in this area and you will be comfortable in the knowledge that the final elements of your campaign are in good hands.

While none of this may be rocket science to many it's amazing how often these simple practices are overlooked but can make the all the difference between a good promotional campaign and one that is great.

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