Using promotional products is a proven way to boost brand loyalty, but a poorly planned or executed promotion can ruin the brand’s image, said Tom Quinn, director of fulfillment services for the Mailing & Fulfillment Service Association, a trade group based in Alexandria, VA. “The receipt of the wrong color or size T-shirt or hat may be the reason for the consumer to switch brands,” Quinn said. He offers the following tips to ensure the success of a promotional product fulfillment program:
1. Find a reputable vendor to complete the project. Many times brand managers delegate the selection of a third-party fulfillment center to the advertising agency. Make sure the agency chooses a provider that meets the requirements of the program. Consider not just the cost but the skill of the third party provider in receiving, warehousing, shipping, customer service, and data management.
2. Identify the promotional materials with a part number. After you have selected the promotional materials, institute a part numbering system to identify the products. The numbering system can be very elementary, such as 3Q0501, which means that the promotion was completed in the 3rd quarter of 2005 and the part was 01. This is the most basic of requirements for a successful program, especially if there are many products involved in the promotion. For example, the consumer orders the men’s blue T-shirt, 2XL, with the silver logo and trim. The warehouse sees this part as 3Q0509, and will pick the product for shipment based on the part number and not the description.
3. Set up special procedures to receive promotional materials. Great inventory control starts at the receiving door. It will be necessary to open and hand-count a number of boxes to make sure the promotional items have been produced and packed to specification. Often promotional products, based on the value of the items and/or complexity of the order, will require 100% inspection and counting prior to formal receipt and storage in the system.
4. Establish reorder points for each product. Nothing will turn off consumers faster than not receiving their promotional products— this generally occurs because the fulfillment center has run out of an item. It is important to monitor inventory and establish a reorder point based on monthly or daily usage and the turn time of the manufacturer of each promotional product.
5.Check each order before it is shipped. The fulfillment center must employ a quality check of each order, particularly if the promotion contains a large number of products.
6. Ship the products in a timely fashion and consistent with the ordering process. You can improve brand loyalty by matching the shipping period to the ordering method. If the ordering method is clipping a coupon, enclosing $1.00, and including a self-addressed envelope, then a four-to-six-week week shipping window is expected. However, if the promotion drives the customer to the company’s Website and the order is placed online, then the order needs to ship in one or two days, because this is the customer’s expectation.
7. Use packaging materials to further brand the product and company. The customer’s first interaction with a specific brand may be the receipt of promotional materials. Investigate packaging materials that can be produced with the brand logo and other call-to-action statements to reinforce the brand message. Also remember to choose packaging materials that will make it through the shipping process and still come out looking good.
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