Strategy August 10, 2020
#PromoInTheWild Is a Success
Throughout the month of July, ASI members spotted promotional products in use at backyard barbecues, camping trips and more.
Anyone who’s ever nabbed the cool pen from their credit union, toted their fruits and veggies in a grocery store-branded reusable bag or sipped coffee from a mug that claims to “heart” New York instinctively understands the power of promotional products – whether they realize it or not. To underscore the ubiquity of promo, ASI championed #PromoInTheWild, a social media campaign throughout the month of July, highlighting the ways swag shows up in all facets off our lives.
“One of the best ways to convince people of the power and reach of our industry’s affordable, effective products is to showcase them wherever and whenever we can,” Tim Andrews, ASI president and CEO, said at the kickoff of the campaign. “A summertime social media campaign is a perfect way to celebrate our industry when we need it most.”
Every single one of these objects in every neighborhood is festooned with promo products. Give up? Cars. Spied this yesterday on one of my twice-daily walks with my dog. Just take a stroll and you'll see plenty of #PromointheWild pic.twitter.com/KDeiQShJfl
— C.J. Mittica (@CJ_ASIEditor) July 27, 2020
The premise was simple: Promo industry professionals were encouraged to take photos or short videos of any promotional items they spotted “in the wild,” whether it was a beach towel emblazoned with a team logo, a branded can cooler at a family barbecue or a friend’s logoed face mask. Social media posts – on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or LinkedIn – that tagged ASI and used the #PromoInTheWild hashtag were then eligible to win one of four $25 Visa gift cards. Each winner was chosen at random.
“We wanted to create a simple call to action and incentivize participation with a prize,” says Melissa Newman, ASI’s social media manager and the brains behind the #PromoInTheWild campaign. “I was interested to see what the response would be, but I could have never anticipated how warmly it would be received by our audience. Seeing everyone’s posts, from ASI staff to promo professionals, has made me incredibly happy.”
The campaign generated tens of thousands of positive impressions on social media and even helped some promo newcomers get a better sense of the scope of the industry. “During a virtual event with our industry interns, one of them mentioned how much the #PromoInTheWild campaign helped her notice how the promo industry is everywhere,” says Christine Shaw, ASI’s senior marketing manager for corporate marketing.
Get to know the four winners of ASI’s #PromoInTheWild campaign below.
Jon Norris, Starline
In his winning Instagram post, Jon Norris, vice president of operations at Starline (asi/89320), showed off his fool-proof strategy for keeping cool in the heat of summer.
Norris was excited to share this particular post because it showed how effective his branded cooler was – since it still had ice in it after being left on the porch overnight. Plus, “It was a windy day so the American flag was rocking,” making it the perfect patriotic post for the Fourth of July.
Social media contests like #PromoInTheWild are so effective because “people love getting free stuff,” he says. “That’s our industry.”
Rachel Hoover, T.D. Mills
Rachel Hoover, sales and branding specialist at Hershey, PA-based distributor T.D. Mills, showed off a patriotic T-shirt on Independence Day for her winning post.
View this post on Instagram
The shirt was from a fast-pitch softball travel tournament in Chambersburg, PA, where her daughter’s team – which Hoover coaches – finished in second place. According to Hoover, participating in the #PromoInTheWild campaign was a natural extension of her love of taking photos and her regular practice as a salesperson keeping an eye on cool logos. “I literally keep a notepad in my car and write down businesses that I see on work trucks, shirts, pens or whatever, and I will Google and contact them,” she says. “This campaign just made it more fun and like a great Easter egg hunt.”
Michelle Johnson, Magical Marketing
Michelle Johnson, a sales rep for Phoenix-based distributor Magical Marketing (asi/259641), shared a slideshow of fun face coverings, including a tie-dyed mask bearing the MTV logo.
With the coronavirus pandemic ongoing and mask mandates proliferating in states and even individual retailer and restaurants, it makes sense to show off the branding power of face coverings. “If we have to wear masks, might as well look good doing it,” Johnson says. Magical Marketing offers multiple mask styles, including ones with adjustable straps and space to insert a filter. Johnson’s post includes a call to action, asking customers to share their favorite style in the comments.
Kurt Tempelmeyer, Gemline
Kurt Tempelmeyer, an inside sales rep for supplier Gemline (asi/56070), hopped over to LinkedIn to deliver his winning post, showing off an anti-fogging mask with a subtle “Gemline” logo on the side.
Tempelmeyer’s photo showed his wife rocking his only sample of a Gemline-branded mask, which got her seal of approval, thanks to a snug and comfortable fit and the fact that it keeps her glasses fog-free.
Tempelmeyer says the #PromoInTheWild campaign was a great way to give a “real-world view of not only what we do, but why we do it.” He adds: “Suppliers and distributors rarely see the emotion promo products bring to the end user.” Getting positive feedback from the industry and beyond provided a much-needed boost for Tempelmeyer during the ongoing pandemic.