PPB July 2015

person whose hand is highest and offer them

a bar of decadent chocolate, custom molded

with my brand and message. They inevitably

thank me for the gift and dive into their

treat. I bring to the audience’s attention two

things that just happened. First, that the

chocolate lover thanked me for my advertis-

ing. (When was the last time you thanked

YouTube for inserting yet another ad?)

Second, that my brand and advertising mes-

sage awakened many senses at one time, cre-

ating great impact.

The shift from thinking “giveaways” to

the recognition that this “sensory media” is a

human-to-human approach that naturally

inspires action is an “aha” moment.

Daniel Pink, author of

Drive

, says most

people experience “functional fixedness”—

they’re used to doing things the same way.

Doing things the same way has positioned pro-

motional products as giveaways. The consensus

is that they’re next week’s landfill yet a neces-

sary expense to brand and create awareness.

The missing link I discovered is, in part,

understanding who we are as people, how we

think, what our mental faculties are and how to

break conditioning. After all, we’re not compa-

nies dealing with companies; we’re people deal-

ing with people. The connection between that

realization and the brilliance of promotional

products as interactive media repositions them

as highly effective communication tools.

Every single thing produced is either

used as an incentive, reward or gift. It’s a

powerful form of media that inspires behav-

iour through one-to-one tangible communi-

cation. It’s personal. It’s not the giveaway

industry—it’s the give-for industry. Give for a

job well done. Give for increased sales. Give

for thanks. And to date the promotional

products sector is a $23 billion force of giving

in North America.

This book is designed for business pro-

fessionals who not only want more from

their marketing budgets, but who are look-

ing for that edge. With a deeper under-

standing of how to be more successful with

promotional communication tools, they can

have both.

The book was deliberately written so

that the first letter of the chapters creates the

phrase FROM PANIC TO PROFIT; the

reason being that many promotional prod-

ucts are purchased last-minute as quick give-

aways with not enough attention given to

their capabilities. As we emerge from one of

the most difficult global economies in our

history, we notice that when times are tough,

fear often paralyzes our creativity and ele-

ment of risk. When we understand the bril-

liance of sensory media, both fear and risk

diminish. We can take a more strategic

approach and create consistent memorable

experiences to anchor our brand.

We Think In Pictures

Allow me to elaborate. When I say the

word “dog” what flashes on the screen of your

mind, the word DOG or an image of a dog?

Perhaps the image is

your

dog. He could be a

six month-old German shepherd with his

oversized paws anxious for his walk, or she

could be the three-year-old stray you found

wandering on the side of the road near your

home. The image could be a dog guide, the

neighbour’s dog or a scene from the leash-

free park. The picture in your mind is as

unique as the dog itself and the experience

that brought you together.

We think in pictures. When you’re speak-

ing on the phone with someone with whom

you haven’t yet met, you often will create an

image of what that person looks like. When

you’re describing your holiday you might

choose specific images to convey the experi-

ence in such detail that the person with

whom you’re sharing it will see what you see.

Van Gogh said, “I dream my painting then I

paint my dream.”

We think in pictures. We create images in

our minds as snapshots for things and experi-

ences then frame them in our minds. Once

the framing is done the image is cast in our

mind and tucked away.

We frame concepts as well. We create

judgments, opinions and biases based on our

experiences, and once we frame those concepts

PPB

editor Tina Berres Filipski recently spoke with author

and distributor principal Jae M. Rang, MAS, to learn more

about the story behind

Sensory Media

PPB

Where did the idea for the

book come from?

Rang:

I have been speaking about the

concept of promotional products as

“sensory media” for a few years. Each

time I make the presentation, whether

it’s to a group of students at a college

or university, or to business profession-

als, they always comment that they have

never heard our industry presented in

this way. It causes them to take a second, more serious look

at the opportunities this sensory media affords them in

anchoring their brand and being memorable.

PPB

What does the book teach?

Rang:

The book is more of a “why” delving into the reasons

behind why this human media is so effective. It teaches

some principles like developing promotional programs

around a defined purpose, the Law of Reciprocity, and

building relationships to name a few. The book really is a

platform to educate buyers, students and new members of

our industry about opportunities but leaves the real work to

the professionals—the providers of promotional products.

PPB

How will the book be used and what do you hope

it will accomplish?

Rang:

I expect this book will be an aha. In fact, in the fore-

word, Bob Proctor comments, “For years, Jae has

observed the effect sensory media has on individuals. The

unfortunate thing about being ahead of your time is that

when people finally realize you were right, they will say it

18 •

PPB

• JULY 2015

INNOVATE

Jae M. Rang, MAS