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MARKET TO MARKET
HEY SAY YOU’VE GOT to spend money to make
money, but how does spending money on promo-
tional products ensure a financial services client will
make money for itself and its customers?
“The No. 1 key [goal] is to get their name and
brand in front of people,” says Kirk Graves, CEO of distributor
Concord Marketing Solutions (UPIC: CONC8296) in Glendale
Heights, Illinois. “Second, I would say [clients should] have their
promotional items match specific ad campaigns via print or TV.”
Graves says his clients gravitate toward a wide range of
products, including trade-show booth items such as inexpensive
technology, or even food gifts, as well as gifts at a higher price
point such as a branded polo shirt, bag or portfolio. “We are also
doing a lot of custom packaging for these clients,” he adds.
As more companies offer asset management and investment
services, the need for differentiation grows, particularly when the
market appears soft or unpredictable, according to a study by
marketing firm DeSantis Breindel. Financial firms that offer
identical or similar services often brand themselves with identical
or similar brand attributes in an effort to appeal to desirable
clients.
The DeSantis study found financial firms identified with
these six brand attributes:
1. Client Focused (57 percent)
2. Global (47 percent)
3. Strong Risk Management (43 percent)
4. Disciplined Approach (27 percent)
5. Experience (27 percent)
6. Trust/Transparency (23 percent)
Recognizing the homogenous nature of financial services,
how can promotional consultants apply promotional products to
a campaign in order to help a client build a differentiated brand?
Begin with information.
Ask questions that extract marketable details from the attrib-
utes listed above. How do the decision makers and stakeholders
in your client’s business define their company attributes? The
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46 •
PPB
• MARCH 2015
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MONEY IN THE BANK
A SUCCESSFUL FINANCIAL FUTURE CALLS FOR PROMOTIONAL PRODUCTS.
By Jen Alexander
BE A WINNER!
PAGE 108