PPB March 2015

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MARCH 2015 • PPB • 47
60
Need For
Speed
EDITOR’S PICKS 55
No Products,
No Sale
SALES
Reward top performers and thank long-
time customers with the Fanfare Clock.
Made of optical crystal and accented with
an analog clock. Etch it to personalize the
gift and present it in the included black
gift box. Crystal D UPIC: CRYSTALD
Invest in products like these to help clients
see a return on marketing efforts.
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Help! Insurance
Costs Are
Killing My
Business!
FEATURE STORY
answers you get can be used to develop a client’s core messaging,
which anchors brand positioning and can be adapted to fit the
needs of a client’s various end users.
Additionally, that core message can evolve to create multiple
stages of communication, beginning with brand awareness and
culminating in customer recognition.
Jenny Williams, a sales consultant for Lewiston, Maine-
based distributor Geiger (UPIC: geiger), received a 2014 PPAI
Pyramid Award for a marketing campaign she produced on
behalf of a financial services firm in Dayton, Ohio.
“They wanted to deliver a message to their newest clients
that they could ‘Sleep Well At Night’ knowing their financial
future was sound. The age range of the end user was retirement
age, 65-plus,” says Williams. “We put together a welcome kit of
various items including custom embroidered blankets, sleep
masks, logoed bookmarks, etched whiskey glasses with leather
coasters, playing cards and pocket planners. The items could be
stocked in bulk in their office and then ‘kitted’ and boxed for
hand delivery or shipment.”
Supplier Beacon Promotions, Inc. (UPIC: BEACONP) in
New Ulm, Minnesota, provided a distributor client with a
ceramic paring knife for a credit union’s annual meeting. The gift
was presented to attendees at the event. “The credit union likes
to buy items they can tie into a catchy slogan,” says Gwen Brey,
marketing coordinator for Beacon. “The ad on the knife read,
‘We are a cut above’ and it included their logo and website.”
Jen Alexander is an associate editor for PPB.
52
Step By Step
To More Sales
SALES
Sixty percent of Americans believe now is the time to invest in stocks; Canadians,
however, aren’t as confident. Roughly 44 percent view the stock market as a good
place to put their money. Source: Manulife Financial Corp.
Employees who meet their clients halfway
can carry laptops safely and stylishly in a felt
laptop sleeve. The sleeve comes in
red/black or blue/black and features a main
zippered compartment and die-cut handles,
and it’s large enough to accommodate most
17-inch laptops. Kati Sportcap UPIC: KATI