The years roll by faster and faster and the longer you focus on the promotional activity for your company the faster the cycle of activity seems to move. While some companies produce products and services which are very specific to certain times of the year most companies keep up the pace of marketing and emphasise different client 0needs and applications through the year to keep their message relevant to the environment in which business activity takes place. There is an obvious advantage to making sure your promotional activity is targeted as well as can be arranged. Not only will it produce more leads and eventually sales results but with a well nuanced message the process of sales progressing through the channels of the organisation will be streamlined as buyers and sellers will both be focussed on the same offer and acceptance.
In setting the scene for the season in which you are making an offer there are few better marketing solutions than the use of promotional products to give a different emphasis to a brand. Consider a classic brand like Coca Cola which generates the great majority of its sales in the Summer months and whose image is eternally linked with the beach lifestyle. How does Coke deal with the decline in demand during the colder months and how in terms of image and brand enhancement can the colder months be any more than a case of brand hibernation? The expert marketers at Coca Cola realise that they cannot survive through the whole year relying only on sales from only three months so there is a concerted effort to stretch sales and enhance consumer engagement during times which are not necessarily considered to be the peak of activity.
Message extension: Snowboarding, skateboarding and cycling are Winter activities which have relevance and cross-over from the Summer sports of surfing and swimming. Traditionally offering Winter clothing which still retains elements of Summer styling and provides an outlet for the energetic activities of Summer in a Winter setting is one way. Another is to concentrate on promotional product types which have cross-over value. Consider for instance something which seems a summer staple like a beach umbrella. Over Winter this same product can be used to shelter from the rain or provide cover in a cafe or outdoor dining area. Not only does it work as a powerful outdoor advertising medium, the promotional umbrella provides brand building value for 12 months of the year.
Anticipation and Memory: Not everyone is happy about the change of seasons and many people long for the warmer months which Coke have successfully made their own in marketing terms over many decades. By continuing to create a nostalgia for the warmer months, even in the depths of winter the successful promotional marketer can trade off the natural human inclination to prefer fairer and more moderate weather. Thirsts must still be satisfied in colder climes and by linking the message to a forward taste of the return of the Summer beach and outdoor season can spark an interest in the mind of consumers even in the midst of weather which would normally see them consuming hot beverages.
The seasons come by every year and they are always a part of the marketing activity of any successful company. The right promotional ideas are a way of changing the focus of the message without undermining or confusing its main thrust and of course, as always, a branded product given as a gift or used as a bonus at point of sale is a proven way to motivate consumers towards loyalty and more regular purchase.