Now that’s fresh! Add a little elephant poo to your marketing mix.

New products are always hitting the promotional products market. Customers constantly ask “What’s new and exciting?!” Well, I’ve found something that I can honestly say, I had never seen before! Spector & Co. has combined efforts with The Great Elephant Poo Poo Paper Company to bring you all natural paper products that are made of, you guessed it, elephant poo. Before you ask, and I know you will, these products are 100% odorless.

Made from elephant poo!

I think we can all imagine how much food elephants consume and the poo-tential (sorry, I couldn’t resist) of their never-ending supply of poo. As elephants eat tons of fibrous food everyday, most of it passes through their system intact. Turns out, that fiber makes a great pulp to make paper. Who knew?!

With eco-friendly promotional products marketing on the rise, this product is a perfect fit for a company that wants to “go green” with their advertising efforts. These products would also be ideal for wildlife conservation organizations, environmental activists, veterinarians, zoos, and companies that want to promote their earth-friendly cause with a new twist.

Products range from small jotter pads to notebooks. Pricing ranges from $5.59 – $9.50/ea (includes a one color imprint) depending on product type and quantity. And if all that doesn’t grab your attention enough, the Great Elephant Poo Poo Paper Company donates a portion of its profits to elephant welfare and conservation projects. We give this product “Two bums up”!

Direct Mail Marketing

We are all bombarded with junk mail, half of which hits the recycle bin before it’s even opened. So is direct mail marketing still an effective way to reach your target market? Absolutely! As long as it’s fun, different and memorable, you are on your way to an effective promotion. There are several things to keep in mind when putting together your next direct mail promotion. So let’s break it down.

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE LUMPY MAIL

Think about how you go through your own mail, whether it’s at home or the office. What piques your interest when you go to the mail box? I’m guessing that you’re not rushing to open the bills or the credit card applications. It’s the three dimensional mail (a.k.a “lumpy” mail)  that catches your eye, isn’t it? It’s the package that mysteriously arrives and as you think back in your head,  you’re pretty darn sure that you didn’t buy it from Amazon or eBay. What the heck is it? That’s the excitement you want to create with your next promotion.

I get a ton of requests from clients for promotional products that are one-dimensional and will fit in a standard #10 envelope. While there are endless options to fit this criteria, I think you might be selling yourself short by going this route. Reason being, the first challenge you face is getting your recipient to actually open your mail. Why not make the outside of the package as intriguing as possible? That way you can ensure that your package is in fact opened. 

WATCH YOUR POSTAL RATES

Now, granted, sending “lumpy” mail will more than likely increase the cost of your promotion. You’ll have to spend more on mailers and postage, but your return on investment (ROI) should be greater when you throw three dimensionality into the mix. One thing to remember – you’ll want to remember to include estimated freight costs within your budget. My first year in this industry, I put together a huge mailing for all my clients and prospects. It included some sales flyers, a catalog, my promo pack and a small journal book. It wasn’t until I got to the post office with approximately 100 packages that I discovered it was going to cost up to $9.00 to mail each one! That was a huge blow. At that point I had spent too much money and invested too much time to bag the promotion. I learned a valuable lesson that day and I’ve done my best to give clients a heads up regarding freight issues as well. 

KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE

It doesn’t make sense to spend your time and money on a promotion unless you know your recipient. If you don’t know who you are trying to reach, why bother? Instead of addressing a label to “Sales Manager”, take the extra time to find out that person’s name, including the correct spelling. Not only will the person appreciate the fact that the package is addresses specifically to them, they will probably be more likely to open it as well. 

Since we’re on the subject of mailing labels, another nice touch is to hand write the labels. Yeah, it’s high maintenance, but it shows you took the time to write out the information, so the contents must be worth opening. For that matter, if you can use regular stamps instead of metered postage, there’s one more way to stand out amongst the clutter.

HOOK, LINE & SINKER

Once you’ve captured your audience’s attention, it’s time to create the hook. Give your recipient a motivation to act. Instead of sending a generic cover letter and a small token of appreciation, why not come up with a game or contest to tie everything together? Make it fun. Now if that sounds like too much effort, maybe include a special offer or coupon. Whatever you do, make your promotion specific and include a deadline date.  There are so many great ideas out there. Now is your chance to get started. Good luck and keep us posted if you’ve had success with any recent direct mail promotions.