On-target products during off-season months

The major holiday season came and went. No more wrapping paper and packing peanuts flooding your office closets. No more confetti and champagne corks left to sweep out from under your desks. You’ve now entered the down-season where spending decreases and everyone falls into the winter blahs. Now what do you do to keep your company sharp and exciting? Create a giveaway schedule that recognizes the lesser celebrated months and holidays.

In an annual marketing campaign, maintaining awareness through traditional advertising can get difficult during down-times and off seasons. Flighting during this time drops and the consumers see less of your brand. Also, your traditional ads begin to lose their initial edge due to overexposure of the same advertisement if it does not have an evergreen theme. Finding a way to keep the attention of your clients can get difficult if you don’t take a different approach. Promotional products can shake things up a bit and bring more excitement during the slower month. Not only do they add excitement, promotional products in general, can increase and strengthen awareness and remind your clients exactly why they love you.

Sure you can go along with industry trend and send out promotions for Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day and Cinco de Mayo. When you choose the right product, these holidays can prove a successful time to profit. However, think outside of the box and correlate your promotional product with the theme of a given month so you can stand out in the memories of the clients. If you don’t have a large enough budget to have a monthly schedule for giveaways and then start with three or four of your favorite months and products.

Consider the following when investing in a non traditional annual giveaway schedule:

February: Responsible Pet Owner Month
February isn’t about loving only your spouse, children and friends, it’s also about showing appreciation to people who take good care of their animals. Choose a product that rewards both the owner and the pet, while at the same time reminding your clients about your dedication and appreciation to them.

March: National Peanut Month
From peanut butter to chocolate covered peanuts and plain old salted shell peanuts, March let’s you treat your clients to a universal feel-good snack. Send your clients a jar of peanuts to say hello and thanks. It’s a good time to get them excited for baseball season since spring training kicks off in March also.

April: National Anxiety Month
Stress and anxiety can be a killer, especially around tax time. So consider sending your clients a gift bag filled with branded products like soothing teas, stress balls and aromatherapy candles so they can get out of April anxiety free.

May: National Good Car Care Month
Any mechanic will tell you that good car maintenance increases the life and overall performance of your car. Encourage this by putting your name and logo on ice scrapers and funnels.

June: National Ice Tea
June 22, the longest day on the calendar and the summer solstice official mark the beginning of summer. With the summer come pools, BBQ’s and ice tea. Get behind this fun loving month and theme by sending you clients plastic pilsner glasses and a tea set. Let them know you want them to enjoy a nice refreshing break courtesy of your company.

July: National Tennis Month
This month means more than just fireworks and beer and bratwursts, it’s about enjoying yet another summer pastime, tennis. To increase your reach and exposure in July, gift your clients with labeled sport towels, water bottles and even a set of tennis balls. You’ll take their minds off the left over potato salad and put in on your company.

August: National Golf Month
Could there be a better time to get the attention of your clients? The popularity of the sport makes it so easy to find golf products to brand and send to your clients. This offers a great way to show appreciation for their business and keep them thinking about you on the greens. Logo anything from golf balls and putters to tees and towels and give them in honor of National Golf month.

September: National Courtesy Month
Give a gift of thanks to your loyal customers to follow the theme of the month and prepare them for the fall. Think practical, maybe a branded umbrella or new travel mug can both appease your audience and get you the recognition you want.

When your company feels the need to put some extra energy in your campaign, look to promotional products that have an interesting and unique theme. Promotions on a themed schedule keeps your company top of mind year-round since they product such positive outcomes. These products will put in front of your clients and audiences during the off season holidays and generate increase exposure, recognition and perception of your brand.