PPB June 2021

Ame r i can-made Pr oduc t s jump on competitors. We researched, read and eventually found some contacts on LinkedIn. We put together a list of potential decision makers, made cold calls and sent emails. We asked for referrals to get to the right people and wrote out an assumed organizational chart. We continued to read more and do more research. We asked the right questions, learned about the campaign, the timeline, the success factors and the fears. Then, we developed a success strategy based on these learnings. We knew that an RFP was coming, and when it was released, we already knew the client’s goals, their objectives, their brand, their vocabulary and their marketing initiatives. We understood their business objectives and we won the project. The Program The promotional products were used in a year‐long experiential marketing campaign, which was part of an overall consumer activation program that included various other forms of marketing: print media, outdoor advertising, radio, TV, digital and social media, as well as consumer activation at festivals, music venues and sporting events, and tens of thousands of community outreach initiatives. All activities were designed to help drive awareness and increase participation in Census 2020. End users were multi‐layered and included census regional staff, enumerators (door-to-door counters), count committees, sponsors and, of course, the national audience of those being counted. There was an array of initiatives, each with a specialized audience. As an example, we did a program called Statistics in Schools, which brought school subjects to life using real-world Census Bureau statistics, teaching an audience of children K‐ 8 the importance of the Census. We did another called Count of Young Children, which was a campaign targeted at new and expectant mothers to minimize the undercount of newborns. Babies are to be counted if they were born prior to Census Day, which was April 1, 2020. We delivered over 16 million products printed with various logos in 15 different languages. They were all made in the U.S. and purchased from over 30 registered industry vendors throughout the U.S. Products varied from pens, pencils and erasers to water bottles, coffee cups and ceramic mugs; tote bags and string bags, key chains and phone holders, bibs, baby caps, t‐shirts, polos and baseball caps. Various logos in 15 different languages made reviewing proofs unique and quite challenging. Sourcing the enormous number of products in a small period of time, and ensuring all products were made in the U.S.A. was an initial challenge. Value engineering products to meet budget demands, while coordinating with our suppliers so they could obtain the large quantities of materials they needed in order to produce the products consistently month after month, was another challenge. In order to meet the unique requirements of this project, Stran assigned a team of experts experienced in working closely with U.S.-based factories to provide product assortments that were produced in the U.S. from start to finish. The dedicated team worked diligently to identify the product supply that fit all program requirements at the most competitive price. Additionally, Stran was able to partner with Amazon to develop an online ordering platform for local, state and regional census organizations to purchase officially branded products online, which provided ready access to a comprehensive product selection for all levels of government. The Results In the face of a global pandemic, the Census 2020 campaign thrived and was considered a tremendous success, breaking all previous records. This year’s national census recorded a 99.98 percent response rate from addresses across the country. The self‐response rate was at an all-time high of 67 percent highlighting the success of our awareness campaign. continued from page 28 Branded mugs for the press briefing (top) and drinkware, bags and pens (above) were among the logoed products Stran Promotional Solutions provided to spread the word about the Census 2020 campaign. 30 | JUNE 2021 | GROW