When I began in this industry almost 25 years ago I realized one of the most important things was I didn't want to sell just "stuff". I've always felt in all walks of life its all about the experience. The small yet important mark you left with the person you interacted with.
You don't always remember what a person said to you; but you always remember how they made you feel. - Maya Angelou -
This is not just the experience the product or service might bring, but its also how it is delivered. Remember when you would attend a concert of your favorite band and you just had to purchase one of those outrageously priced t-shirts? Years later, what would happen when you put that t-shirt on - your memory of that event would be brought back. You might even smile or remember some of the songs or the person you were with. When you create an experience you create a memory. All of us have eaten at a restaurant where the food was just "OK" but the way you connected with your server, the atmosphere, the smells, the music all will influence how the food ultimately taste and whether you remember and recommend the restaurant or not. I think many of the higher end restaurants miss the mark by having the waiter/waitress take the order and runners deliver the food. Where's the connection?
People are emotional junkies. Most of our decision are made on an emotional bases than followed up by logic. We are always trying to move toward something (pleasure) or away from something.(pain), often without even knowing it. People don't want to buy things and have the payment on a car, house or clothes. What they want is the emotional joy the item brings to them. How they feel when they wear their new clothes or the joy they get when people look at their new car.
When selecting a product to put your logo on make sure it serves a purpose. Does it improve the life of the recipient in any way? Is it given as part of an event or in recognition of something they accomplished? For staff, are they using or wearing the product with pride? How is it being delivered? Remember:
The right promotional product is the HOOK that embeds the memory and maintains the experience!
Watch for future Blogs on exciting topics such as:
- the magic of neuromarketing
- the influence of colors
- building your brand
- using hypnotic marketing
- understanding your customer
- influence vs marketing