PPB June 2018

FIVE MINUTES WITH Frank Bornemann Senior Manager, B2B Sales Promotion The Americas, Lufthansa Group Flying High Lufthansa looks for promotional gifts with atmospheric impact. Over the next few months, “Five Minutes With” will feature Q&As with industry buyers to learn how they use promotional products and why. This month’s Q&A is with Frank Bornemann of Lufthansa Group, who works with Perry Wehrle, CAS, executive vice president of Straub Marketing (PPAI 103150) in Des Moines, Iowa. PPB What were your impressions of how promotional products could be used before you began working with your promotional consultant? Bornemann People enjoy getting anything for free, so it’s easy to assume that any item will do the job. PPB What have you learned about the impact of items in delivering your message? Bornemann It is true that people are more likely to remember you and your company when you leave something behind. In our B2B world, we are talking to travel agents and corporate travel managers. It is not only important to get ‘real estate’ on their desks to keep your brand top of mind, but also provide items which can be useful or fun at home or in their own travels. Great promotional items can penetrate all parts of our lives and may even have more impact when used outside of work. PPB What have been some of your favorite products/programs, and why? Bornemann Our promotional company developed an online store for us where we house all our items and print material. Our marketing and sales staff can order items as needed for events and sales calls, and the store ensures that collateral items are always in stock, eliminates the need for storage in small offices, and saves money by ordering in larger volumes. One of my favorite items we’ve done is a small, personalized desk calendar, which we send at the end of every year to our top travel agents in the U.S. The personalization makes all the difference; they love to see their name embedded in the image every month. We have been sending them out for several years and the agents are still clamoring for them. We also produced some items which promoted our new Premium Economy Class and played on the key benefits; for example, a two-piece luggage tag set, since passengers who fly in Premium Economy can check two pieces of luggage for free. PPB How have the recipients of your products (as giveaways or thank-you gifts) responded? Bornemann Everyone likes to feel appreciated and even a small token easily achieves this. The travel agents and corporate travel managers we work with on a daily basis collect travel-related items and proudly display them on their desks. Our account managers are always proud to see one of our items on display in the agencies they visit. My all-time favorite feedback from a travel agent was: “You remembered me on my birthday, even when my husband didn’t!” PPB What advice would you give to another organization or business that’s considering working with a promotional consultant? Bornemann The more you bring your consultant into your industry’s world— explaining your goals, target audience, events, topics/themes of the year, competition, etc.—the better equipped they will be to help you find the perfect items to “wow” your customers. If the consultant understands your industry and feels like they are part of it, they will be able to actively brainstorm with you and learn to anticipate your needs. This type of relationship is much more valuable than simply having an order taker. | JUNE 2018 | 75 THINK