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can be the source for the cre-
ative thinking, premium design
and sourcing for a unique and
special premium that will add
value to the brand and create
desire for the consumer.
6Technique: Self-liquidat-
ing premium This no- or
low-risk offer provides a
triple win: for the consumer,
the brand and the sales promo-
tional professional. With this
tactic, the consumer pays for
the premium by sending in
money and proof of purchase,
which covers the cost of the
promotion to the brand. For
effective use, you should rec-
ommend an item that has a
high-perceived value and is a
special commemorative or lim-
ited design or is hard to find
through other channels. An
example would be a limited-
edition baseball cap with a
design not available elsewhere
and with a cost of $5. This style
of cap may sell at retail for $18
but your clients can offer this
cap to their customers for $5 plus $1 postage and
handling. The consumer gets an $18 cap for $6
total, your client gets a promotion at nearly zero
cost or risk, and you get a nice sale.
7 Technique: Sweepstakes In this promotion,
consumers get a chance to win a prize at no
cost or obligation. This is a value-added,
delayed gratification promotion that allows the
marketer to really tell a story and create a desire
for the prize. The important thing to keep in mind
is that sweepstakes are highly regulated. No pur-
chase can be required to participate. You can pro-
vide the prizes but don’t attempt to write the rules
without competent promotion law expertise to
support you.
8Technique: Contest This is like a sweep-
stakes, but the element of chance (i.e., a
random drawing) is replaced by skill.
Contests are a great way for a brand to stimulate
product usage, tell a story and to get their cus-
tomers to tell their story about how they use and
enjoy the product. Examples include baking con-
tests (Pillsbury Bake-Off®, anyone?), cooking con-
tests, photo contests, coloring contests, essay
contests, athletic contests, beauty contests and
cookie stacking contests. (The Oreo Challenge,
first held in 1999, sold millions of packages of
cookies that year and the concept is still being
used to teach math skills to kids.)
There are many helpful resources to help you
learn more about marketing, advertising, branding
and sales promotion to position yourself to your
clients as a problem solver. For example, PPAI
offers a full program of sales- and marketing-relat-
ed webinars (see box) and live education sessions
at The PPAI Expo, Expo East and at stand-alone
events throughout the year. Find the full list of
events at The American Marketing
Association also offers ways to bulk up on your
professional expertise. Check to see if there is a
chapter in your city at Also, Google
“Advertising Club” to see if there is a club in your
area. These clubs offer not only education pro-
grams but networking events as well.
As a promotional products professional, you are
in the advertising industry and can grab your share
of the more than $200 billion being spent annually
in the U.S. on advertising. All you need to do is to
become a problem solver for your clients.
Paul A. Kiewiet, MAS+, is an industry speaker,
writer and consultant, and the executive director of
the Michigan Promotional Professionals
Association. He is a former chairman of PPAI and
was inducted into the PPAI Hall of Fame at this
year’s PPAI Expo in Las Vegas.
Promote Yourself To Problem Solver | FINAL IN A FIVE-PART SERIES
62 • PPB • JUNE 2015 GROW
UPCOMING PPAI SALES &
MARKETING WEBINARS
Register at Click on
Education and E-Learning.
June 17, 2015
1 - 2 pm CDT
Uncommon Solutions
For Common
Obstacles and
Objections
Speaker: David
Fellman, David
Fellman &
Associates
Free
July 1, 2015
1 - 2 pm CDT
Relationship
Building Strategies to
Accelerate Your Sales
Process
Speaker: Robyn
Davis, When I
Need Help
(WINH)
Free
July 15, 2015
1 - 2 pm CDT
Think Like A
Marketer
Speaker: Troy
Harrison,
SalesForceSolutions
Free for PPAI
members; $15 for
nonmembers
August 26, 2015
1 - 2 pm CDT
Win Big Selling At
Tradeshows
Speaker: Troy
Harrison,
SalesForceSolutions
Free for PPAI
members; $15 for
nonmembers
Contests are a great way for a brand to
stimulate product usage, tell a story and to get
their customers to tell their story about how
they use and enjoy the product.