Integrate Tangible Marketing

Posted by CSW Corp on Jul 28, 2011 in Blog, Featured, Portfolio | 0 comments

The marketing landscape is changing rapidly with integration of traditional outbound methods and inbound marketing strategies. Only a few years ago direct mail, print media or radio and television advertising comprised the backbone of a company’s outbound marketing campaigns. Many businesses now integrate marketing with social media channels such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Including an inbound marketing strategy using social media channels provides for real time engagement with followers genuinely interested in your content. In 2011 companies can implement a revolutionary means for developing loyal customers.
 
Tangible marketing is branding a physical product with a company logo and information that represents your business to clients and prospects. The tangible item is often a branded advertising specialty item. Another option is an internally manufactured company product or a branded downloadable guide document that provides valuable information. This is not a catalog but rather a guide that can improve how your client does business. The key is to keep a company’s name in front of clients and prospect decision makers.
 
Most companies choose to brand an advertising specialty item with their company logo and/or a tagline with a company web address. The branded promotional item normally should be useful for at least ninety days to give multiple advertising impressions during the buying cycle time frame. For conferences or events a tangible marketing item may have a much shorter lifespan.
 
Branded advertising specialties are a tangible reminder to customers of your company which helps develop customer loyalty in an increasing online world. Finding ways to establish an emotional connection with potential customers is the foundation for developing customer loyalty. Social media channels allow companies a more direct and personal means of engaging prospective customers than outbound marketing methods.
 
The business world has long utilized branded promotional items as a means to keep a name or logo in front of prospects. Too often, it seems little thought is given to the purpose of the tangible item except to “just give them something imprinted with a logo.” That’s more like a strategy to provide elementary school room classes with cheap pens or to clutter landfills with “trinkets and trash.” Better to define the market, select a branded item the recipient considers useful, and provide an item of quality that lasts for multiple advertising impressions.
 
As companies increasingly utilize social media channels and engage customers through inbound marketing methods a real opportunity exists to reinforce an emotional connection by integrating tangible marketing to improve customer loyalty. As more business is conducted through online portals rather than face to face a useful branded promotional item in the hands of prospects and clients will only solidify the loyalty toward a company and its products.
 
Integrating a tangible marketing strategy with existing outbound and developing inbound marketing strategies makes more sense now than ever before.
 
Scott F. McFadden, Ph.D. is President of CSW Corp.