Was having a quick dinner at Portillo’s, an iconic Chicago area restaurant chain. Love their Italian beef, hot dogs, salads, pasta, and more. On this particular visit, I was having a salad and got the packaged utensils. In the package was a sample (shown here) of the Extra Dessert Delights sugarfree gum. Interesting.
Most restaurants don’t sell gum. But many people do like to have gum after a meal. So think about it. Extra placed their sample where people will likely use it… and might appreciate the gesture enough to purchase it on their next visit to the grocery store. I think that’s brilliant.
What I also thought was interesting was that Extra Gum also promoted their Facebook page in the promotion. Click here to see their Facebook page
How could you place your next promotional product in a location that is a natural tie-in? How could you reach out to complementary businesses to explore similar cooperative advertising efforts?
MAY 2011 UPDATE
Happened to be in Portillo’s again (surprised?) and when we received our order which included salad, the fork package included a sample of GUM Soft Picks which “remove food easily and discreetly” along with a discount coupon. Another great product sample tie-in!
So what are some ideas to promote yourself with a strategic partner or a business which has your target customer base?
- Auto services or insurance: Travel coffee tumblers with your logo could be given to drive-thru customers of a local coffeehouse
- Colleges: Promotional music download cards promoting classes to purchasers of MP3 players at an electronics retailer
A couple of tips for partner promotions…
- Establish Procedures and Expectations Upfront – Dates, times and methods of distribution, who will receive the items, and reporting and tracking procedures must be spelled out in advance to prevent misunderstanding and wasted marketing dollars.
- Make It Win-Win-Win – Any promotion of this type must be a win for all three parties involved. It must be an item that customers would actually use or want. Your partner now can offer a little something extra that other competitors may not, giving them an advantage. And you get in front of an audience you want.
Product Info
Related Posts
- How to Use P.O.P. to Build a Mobile Marketing List (video)
- How to Use Media Download Cards for Mobile Text Marketing Programs
- Zappos Advertising – Hit or Miss?
- How to Use Your Customers’ Coffee Habit to Spread Your Brand (video)
Tags: advertising, Extra Gum, Extra Gum Dessert Delights, promotional products, restaurant marketing
Leave A Reply (4 comments So Far)
Brad Shorr
529 days ago
Great example of product placement, Heidi. Creative marketing is like creative anything: the ability to see natural connections that nobody else sees. Sounds simple, but it isn’t!
Heidi Thorne
529 days ago
It sure isn’t! So many people think “creativity” is just the ability to develop awesome graphics. But true creativity is in seeing the connections. Unfortunately, a lot of marketers go for the obvious uses and tie-ins, leaving a ton of opportunity untapped. Thanks for taking the time to comment!
Brad Shorr
528 days ago
… which makes me think of one of my favorite quotes, by David Ogilvy. He said, “If it doesn’t sell, it isn’t creative.” Case closed.
Heidi Thorne
528 days ago
Touché!