In every family dynamic, each individual holds many roles: provider, support system, disciplinarian, mediator, referee, comedian, and nurturer are a few that come to mind. One of the many roles I play in my family is that of Instacart. For those of you who aren't familiar with Instacart, it's a company that developed an app where one can do their grocery shopping and said groceries are shopped for and delivered by a personal shopper. I do the bulk of the grocery shopping for my family, and when someone forgets to put something on the list, I'm the one that generally goes back out to the store to procure the omitted item. We've even coined the term, "InstaBill" for my repeated trips back to the local Kroger.
- Forgot napkins? InstaBill.
- Didn't realize we ran out of toilet paper? InstaBill.
- No ice cream in the freezer? InstaBill.
- Only a drop left of Old Forester 100 Proof Rye? Well, I don't mind that one so much.
In any event, I was at Kroger last week picking up forgotten Cheez-It's, and, as I walked up to the self-checkout line, I marveled at all the candy choices: M&M's, Twix, Snickers, Milky Way, Butterfinger, Almond Joy, and many others. I then stared at the 5-year-old boy who was screaming at the top of his little lungs how much he "needed" a Snickers bar. As I watched his tantrum unfold, all I could think about how smart grocery store designers are with product placement to grab attention.
That's when it hit me: by placing the tasty treats in the field vision of children, grocery stores intentionally create a situation that generates temper tantrums, which, in turn, leads to higher sales of candy. As I drove home with the Extra Toasty Cheez-It's, I realized how ingenious that strategy is for Kroger and how it applies to just about every industry, including promotional products. For example:
- I didn't realize I needed my entire record collection in my pocket until the iPod was developed and Steve Jobs made me need it.
- I didn't know I needed instant access to thousands of movies and television shows until Netflix decided I did.
- Much like everyone else, I didn't fully grasp how important it was to have a drink container that would keep my cold drinks cold for 30 hours until Yeti made me realize it
- A few years ago, busy executives didn't know they needed a stress reliever that spun until someone developed the fidget spinner
These examples highlight the number one job of a marketer's and salespeople: to create a desire where it didn't exist before.
In other words, it's their job to connect with the target audience emotionally as emotions dictate the majority of human decisions – including what to purchase. Consumers willingly allow their feelings to justify purchases whether it be a new flavor of potato chips that are sure to add inches to the waistline or a car that's a bit out of the budgeted price range.
With promotional products, the best way to make that emotional connection between product and purpose is to ask yourself the following question over and over again continually: Why? Take a power bank that you think is perfect for your client, for example:
- Why would anyone want a power bank? To keep their portable electronics powered on the go.
- Why would they want to keep their portable electronics powered on the go? To take pictures of their experiences.
- Why would they want to take pictures of their experiences? To share those experiences with friends and family.
- Why would they want to share those experiences with friends and family? To create a connection with their loved ones.
When you go through this exercise, you realize you're not selling a power bank; you're selling a sense of connection with loved ones. In other words, you are associating a product with an emotional need, which, in turn, removes friction from the purchasing process and drives conversions.
Are you making that emotional connection with your target audience, or are you merely hoping for the best when you show a prospect a catalog with products? Much like that Snickers bar at the Kroger checkout counter, when you can consistently create desire where it simply didn't exist before, you'll do more than build sales; you'll create an emotional bond with your clients that will be the envy of your competition.
Bill is president of PromoCorner, a digital marketing, media, and advertising agency, and has over 20 years working in executive leadership positions at leading promotional products distributorships. A featured speaker at numerous industry events, a serial creator of content marketing, and immediate past president of the Regional Association Council (RAC) board, Bill has extensive experience coaching sales teams, creating successful marketing campaigns, and developing branding that resonates with a target audience. He can be reached at bill@promocorner.com.