It seems as though every month is symbolic of something – and August, September are known as back-to-school (BTS). But it isn't just children, it’s everyone involved in the education system, from pre-school through college, from school boards to faculty and administration to parents to grounds maintenance and sundry in between. It’s not only about academic achievement, but scholastic sports and other extracurricular activity groups (chess, debate, student body, yearbook, etc.). And don’t forget those PTOs and their fundraising activities!
Late July and early August is the prime time for BTS shopping by parents, so while they are busy buying school clothes and basic supplies, promotional products distributors can now get busy helping local businesses to coordinate useful and memorable BTS items that parents, faculty – and students – can tremendously appreciate.
In an article on MarketingLand.com in mid-May, 2016, columnist Adam Weiss, General Manager for Rakuten Affiliate Network, points out, “Mommy bloggers are influencers who are already creating content that is being avidly followed by parents, and the back-to-school shopping season is no exception. Brands looking to reach Millennial moms can partner with these bloggers to insert products into the influencer's photogenic lifestyle.”
Parents are keen on trends as well, many even setting them. Industry suppliers are also seeing some interesting trends for BTS 2016. Margit Fawbush of BIC Graphic, observes, “Technology continues to infiltrate this category as well as tablets and laptops are being used more commonly at the middle school level and are expected at the high school level. Power banks, stylus pens, headphones, etc. are all attractive promotional products in this category.”
There seem to be two categories that are dominating BTS 2016, Bill Mahre of ADG Promo observes. Tech-based items that offer tools for smartphones and/or iPads and tablets are doing extremely well, which, he says, is obvious – but other items that have been gathering sales momentum are multi-function items and value-added opportunities. For example, he says, Flashlight/stylus pen gift sets are very popular right now. “You have a student safety factor in play with the keychain/flashlight, which grabs people’s attention and then you broaden the functionality by adding a stylus pen,” Mahre points out.
Josette Bosse of Bay State Specialty Co. finds that ear buds are big for students… and teachers. “Many classes now allow audio. Actually, my child's English class now has all things on audio. Therefore, a great campaign here would be ear buds, and ‘Tune in to a great book!’”
There are many other innovative ideas as well. Fawbush advises to look into the community and find what businesses may cater to children and families, such as supplemental tutors and learning centers (which are growing in number, including daycares), pediatricians and dentists, which “are all tapping into the back to school message more than ever. Schools rely more on parent involvement so spirit gear for adults (aside from typical apparel) is becoming more popular.”
Other ideas to bring to local businesses to support BTS and the school system/students all year long include hosting events with a BTS or scholastic achievement theme. College towns typically have such businesses as coffee houses and restaurants that like to tie into the school colors or mascot. Busy and stressed parents would appreciate a frequent-customer benefit – not only an extra item or service for free but maybe a school-themed package, pen and notebook, earbuds, etc.
Back to school also means back to sports, band and other various activities. “These activities bring people in the community together and there is a broad audience that can be reached,” Mahre observes. Calendars, he emphasizes, do very well because this is the time of the year the schedule starts tightening up again. Having a calendar the family can reference is not only important but it makes for a great promo item because people will hang onto them. Wall calendars with images from the educational facility, custom block key dates i.e. semester ends/begins, finals, key athletic events, and more are quite popular, he says. Further, he states, personalization is also important. “Being able to put a student’s name or picture on a water bottle or tumbler can generate a ton of interest. Just set up an order form for family members to get a personalized piece with their kids name on it and watch the program exponentially increase in volume.”
When it comes to working with schools, one of the key issues here has always been about meeting price points, sometimes working on a slightly lower margin to win the overall business for the long term and secure projects throughout the year as they become the go-to resource for that school.
Cultivating school boards and administration is not an overnight success. It takes dedication and time. Attend meetings, introduce yourself and see if you can find a solution to a challenge presented at such meetings by creating a promotional campaign, and giving them the gist without all the details. Further, attend PTO meetings and events to get to know the players, and also see if you can identify an energetic promotional concept.
Further, look at your circle of friends and acquaintances. If you have a friend who is a school nurse, again, tell her you can create a winning promotional campaign about student safety. The more you think about it, the more you may realize that attaining BTS business is as easy as ABC!
CASE STUDY
Bill Mahre of ADG Promo: One of our favorite projects for a BTS item was our HDI Windmill pocket planner, which allows for an imprint of the front, back, inside, and outside cover and all 36 pages in full color. The book had a picture of the school on the front outside along with the school colors. On the inside were printed the school's motto and mascot. Throughout each of the pages, there were date blocks for the major events the school had planned throughout the year and they were able to put sponsor logos on the back inside cover to help cover the cost. It was an extremely custom and unique piece and the school paid next to nothing for them once they had the local business sponsors on board. It was a perfect campaign to run at this time of the year and was very well perceived.