PPB February 2018

K-12 Educa t i on S chool for most may only be nine months long, but identifying and developing successful promotions for K-12 school clients is a year-round challenge. Even when class isn’t in session, students, parents and educators are still engaging in school- related activities such as sports, fundraising and classroom planning. This long-term involvement means promotions for K-12 target audiences must be as effective and memorable off campus as they are on school grounds. Melanie Peyton, owner of distributor Diesel Promotional Products LLC (PPAI 616379) in Tucson, Arizona, says breaking into the K-12 market can be tricky, so building relationships with school leadership and involved parents—or even being an involved parent at your own child’s school—can help you get a foot in the door and gain valuable experience. “That’s actually how we got started, and that school is still our biggest school client,” says Peyton. Though her children’s school was already served by another distributor, Peyton says the products lacked creativity. “I realized a need for cool spirit wear,” she says. “One of our strengths is ‘cool’ design creation.” Peyton says she started slowly, making sample t-shirts and gifting them to individuals in different school departments. “Then, I got a break. I volunteered to serve on the committee that plans the school’s annual fundraiser—an enormous event that attracts over 500 attendees and raises around $250,000 each year. So I positioned myself in a place to help with the marketing.” Go to the head of the class with great promotional ideas for K-12 clients. GROW 28 | FEBRUARY 2018 | by Jen Alexander Learning Curve