Branded umbrellas, table covers, pillows and Eurowalls were just a few of the brilliant-colored promos that Image Source produced for the Matua wine brand as part of a sponsored Vegas pool party. (Photos courtesy of Douglas Binford/Rolling Stone and Image Source)

“With this campaign, we really tried to take experiential marketing to the next level,” says Thompson.

It all started with Thompson thoroughly understanding her client’s objectives and initiative. Under the tagline “Never Been Cooler,” TWE was partnering with Rolling Stone to host a hip poolside party in Las Vegas – one of the first marquee events to come back to town following COVID’s quashing of in-person happenings, she says.

Targeted to the young and cool social media-loving demographic, the aim of the event was to generate massive publicity and make Matua synonymous with the vibe that comes when kicking back at an elevated pool party.

“We were tasked with the initial idea of taking over a pool party deck in Las Vegas as the main wine sponsor along with Rolling Stone,” explains Thompson. “We thought about all the surfaces that could be branded and got to work.”

The fact that Image Source was even in the running for such a high-profile activation was thanks to Thompson’s previous exemplary efforts.

“I’ve worked with TWE for the past eight years and grew the relationship by listening and digging in on questions to learn more about their business and how we could add value,” Thompson shares.

“With this campaign, we really tried to take experiential marketing to the next level.”Tricia Thompson, Image Source

Naturally, Thompson devoted the same energy and savvy to the pool party project – an effort that centered on ensuring Matua owned the available blank space on the pool deck.

Indeed, Image Source provided a bevy of custom products, including patio umbrellas, floor decals, laminated table tents, pillows and menu cards with Matua recipes and fun Kiwi (New Zealand) slang. Large step-and-repeat Matua-branded Eurowalls provided ideal backdrops for professional photographs and selfies to be shared across social media. More than 2,000 Matua sampling cups helped refresh party goers. To outfit the guests and staff, Thompson and her team provided trucker hats, and fanny packs for servers.

That wasn’t all though.

Recipients also got welcome kits/guest room kits that contained magnets, information on the event, badges and lanyards. “Guest rooms were decked out in magnets and stickers echoing the fun Matua branding, Kiwi slang and discount codes for future purchases,” Thompson notes.

The project wasn’t without its challenges. For instance, the teal in Matua’s branding is very specific and not a standard color in the promo space.

“To do the teal, we had to custom-manufacture and we didn’t have a ton of time,” shares Thompson. “We worked with supplier partners for an exact PMS match in every possible product. Where we couldn’t get exact, we did white. Exacting project management and delivery oversight made sure it all happened just right – on time and on budget.”

And TWE/Matua couldn’t have been happier – with everything from the sweet swag and event itself, to the blockbuster brand-building buzz.

Says Thompson: “The event was such a huge success that TWE/Matua and the Image Source team helped duplicate much of the same pieces for Coachella 2022, cementing Matua as the ultimate ‘Never Been Cooler’ Sauvignon Blanc and Rosé for all summer gatherings.” – Christopher Ruvo

Where previous self-promos skewed more to a female audience, 1338Tryon embraced a more male-centric branding spin for big success.

The distributor sends out quarterly “hot boxes” – self-promo bundles of new products featuring innovative decoration methods – to key prospects and clients. But last year, it had received feedback that the boxes’ color scheme, which echoed their own branding, often appealed more to women than men.

“We decided to put together a box that targeted men between ages 40 and 60,” says CEO Heather Comerford. “We used a kit that’s darker and more serious, with the wrapped tentacles and ‘Kraken’ theme. It’s a more aggressive version of our branding, but it’s still tongue-in-cheek.”

1338Tryon shipped more than 30 boxes in Q4 2021 to men as well as women in male-dominated industries like trucking and technology to inspire ideas for their clients. “We decided on who would receive the kits based on the audiences they target,” says Comerford. “We sent them to existing clients as well as those we’re in the process of prospecting to, all with more budget to spend.”

“We wanted to show a targeted audience what they could do with their brand.”Heather Comerford, 1338Tryon

The boxes with a “Release the Kraken” theme contained a beanie from Cap America (asi/43792), a 3-in-1 tumbler from Starline USA (asi/89320), dress socks from Sock101 (asi/88071), a lantern from IMAGEN Brands (asi/93990), and a 10-in-1 tool card from Top 40 supplier Logomark (asi/67866).

Comerford loves the raised imprint on the tumbler. “And clients have to see and touch the beanies. It’s like petting a rabbit,” she adds. “We wanted higher-quality items that wouldn’t break the bank.”

The boxes were an instant hit with recipients; 1338Tryon began fielding inquiries from interested recipients not long after they arrived on doorsteps. In addition to three prospects who became customers, one client wanted to use the same five products with their branding, another worked with 1338Tryon to establish a new online store, and a C-suite-level customer is now working on an identical box for his sales team for 2022.

Instead of sending the same self-promo item to their entire list, 1338Tryon put thought into the selection of products, developed a derivative of their branding, segmented the recipient list and developed a targeted strategy. “It resonated with recipients,” says Comerford. “We focused on male buyers and those who target male-leaning demographics. We wanted to show a targeted audience what they could do with their brand. Next, we’ll be working on a box with sustainable products from BIPOC- or veteran-owned businesses.”– Sara Lavenduski

Logojojo targeted promo influencers with a self-promo on International Coffee Day and scored major exposure.

Here’s how the campaign worked: Near the end of September last year, she drop-shipped coffee kits to 26 promo influencers. The kits had a 12-ounce bag of coffee, a sticker and an instruction card for a competition. The influencers were instructed to make and drink the coffee and on October 1, which was International Coffee Day 2021, to post a video or photos showing either how important coffee is to their lives, or what they look like both before and after drinking a batch of Logojojo coffee. The catch was to tag @logojojocraftcoffee, @follycoffee (the coffee maker, conveniently run by Bathe’s son Rob and head roaster Jeff Mooney), and use the hashtag #logojojopothead. The people who put up the two best posts would win three months of Folly Coffee and a Bodum Bistro coffee grinder.

“People loved the hashtag,” says Bathe, an industry veteran on the distributor side for 17 years before she helped Folly get into the promo world. “There was lots of chatter making jokes about pot. I had no idea how this was going to take off, and it was such a gas.”

“I’ve strengthened relationships through the campaign. It gave me some credibility and reach I didn’t have before.”Ellie Bathe, Logojojo

Bathe partnered with Brandivate Marketing to curate the influencer list, which included visible industry influencers like Charity Gibson of Peerless Umbrella (asi/76730) and Javier Melendez of Walker-Clay Inc. (asi/354530). All told, sending out the kits only cost $783, but the return in brand visibility was worth much more. On Facebook, the campaign garnered 13 posts, 231 likes, and 47 comments. Instagram had 14 posts, 625 likes, and 19 comments. On Twitter, Danny Rosin, co-owner of Brand Fuel (asi/145025), posted and earned 625 likes across multiple networks. And on TikTok, the campaign had three posts with nearly 14,000 views. The two winners of the contest were Dana Zezzo from American Solutions for Business (asi/120075) and Meg Erber from S&S Activewear (asi/84358).

The campaign created somewhat of a cult following of Logojojo and Folly Coffee. Bathe now gets tagged on social media anytime someone is drinking Logojojo’s coffee, and often when someone is looking for coffee to purchase.

“I’ve strengthened relationships through the campaign,” Bathe says. “It gave me some credibility and reach I didn’t have before. I was so nervous to get in front of the camera and do all this stupid stuff, but I saw all these people out there doing it for me, and all I did was send them coffee. I really made a conscious effort to try and get to know everybody better through the campaign, and that really worked. The recognition in the industry led to more sales.”

For any other suppliers that want to do a similar campaign through social media, Bathe has a few pieces of advice: First, don’t make it too complicated. Her campaign lasted a single day, which she believes worked in her favor. And also, be appreciative. Bathe sent out handwritten thank-you notes to everyone who posted with #logojojopothead. – Jennifer Billock

Not only did Corporate Imaging Concepts source high-end ethical pieces for the Microsoft Windows 11 launch through Polyconcept North America, but the Top 40 distributor also planted more than 60,000 mangrove trees as part of the campaign.

First, the distributor partnered with Top 40 supplier Polyconcept North America (asi/78897) to come up with a lineup of covetable items: an ethically sourced, recycled hoodie, a cozy blanket and a high-end reusable water bottle.

Microsoft team members were then able to choose what they wanted – to ensure sizing was accurate and that they received products they would both use and appreciate. “One piece of swag doesn’t fit all,” Starr says. “People love having choices.”

The next part of the promo campaign had perhaps the greatest impact – particularly when it comes to the environment. Microsoft has set a goal to be carbon negative by 2030, and CIC is working toward the same goal by 2025. To help reach those milestones, CIC had a mangrove tree planted in Madagascar for each piece of swag distributed.

“Simply selling eco-friendly products doesn’t make us sustainable. I wish it did, but from a scientific standpoint, it’s really more of a feel-good thing than a do-good thing – and for us, we want to do good.”Steve Starr, Corporate Imaging Concepts

Mangroves are considered “powerhouses of climate mitigation” and “biodiversity superstars,” according to nonprofit The Nature Conservancy. “With tightly woven root systems and dense thickets of foliage, mangroves sequester carbon at four times the rate of terrestrial forests and can convert carbon dioxide to organic carbon at higher rates than almost any other habitat on Earth,” notes The Nature Conservancy. A healthy mangrove forest can store the equivalent of 21 gigatons of carbon. Mangroves, salt-tolerant trees that thrive on coastlines, make up a very small percentage of the world’s forests – and for many years their numbers were in decline due to human activity, but conservation efforts have been helping to turn the tide.

As a direct result of the thank-you campaign CIC organized for Microsoft, more than 60,000 mangroves were planted in Madagascar, which helped to support four of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, according to Starr. That’s the equivalent of 1,071 single-bedroom apartments filled with trees, he adds. The project also provided 120 paid workdays to tree planters in the country. CIC anticipates that 12,973 tons of carbon will be sequestered thanks to their efforts.

“At the end, we have the ability to show them permanently in a digital fashion where the trees were planted and the impact it had,” Starr says. “I’ve been in the industry almost 15 years, and it’s not easy to hit the ball out of the park with an audience of 40,000, but this was very, very successful. I don’t think we’ve ever received so many emails that said, ‘This is exciting. We need to do more of this.’” – Theresa Hegel

While the customer testimonial video by Fully Promoted Towson shows off the sweet confectionary creations by Cake and award-winning chef Jason Hisley, it also features the impressive promos and branding created by the Fully Promoted franchisee.

The winning video, “A Sweet Customer Experience,” features Cake, a Timonium, MD-based bakery owned by award-winning executive chef Jason Hisley and co-owner Kelly Sokolis. The video fulfills a three-part goal: Showcase Fully Promoted Towson’s capabilities as a creative and resourceful distributor; educate the public on the client’s business; and give a nod to the video expertise of Maryland Local Marketing. “The Baltimore/Towson business community is very tight knit, and we’re all working to support each other and grow together,” Joyce says. “If a customer of Jason’s likes the branding they see in his shop, they’re more likely to support the promo company that he partners with. It’s a natural referral system.”

Cake specializes in designer cakes, cupcakes and fresh-baked pastries, items that Joyce has been enjoying as a patron since opening day. Soon after the bakery’s ribbon-cutting, Joyce visited the shop and gifted Hisley with a branded chef coat, hat and apron – and the partnership took off from there. “He liked the wearables right away and recognized that we had an expertise that was valuable for growing his new brand,” says Joyce.

“If a customer of Jason’s likes the branding they see in his shop, they’re more likely to support the promo company that he partners with. It’s a natural referral system.”Jessica Joyce, Fully Promoted Towson

Now, Fully Promoted Towson provides all of Cake’s uniforms – gear that has to withstand hot kitchens, fast-paced work environments and the wear-and-tear of life in a bakery. As shown in the video, the distributor also helps design and deliver Cake’s external promo items such as branded bags, stickers, boxes, stamps and product marketing. “Jason is used to being in front of the camera, given his time on Food Network and other competitive baking shows, so he was great to work with and his enthusiasm for this partnership really shined,” says Joyce. “I introduced Dennis (the videographer) to Jason, they set a date to record, and he captured what he needed in 30-45 minutes. Then he worked his magic creating the video you see today.”

Fully Promoted Towson shared “A Sweet Customer Experience” on their social media channels in 2021 (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn) with the hashtag #cakebyjason, to ensure that the video would be seen by as many people as possible. Hisley also shared it on all of his channels. “There are 26,000 followers between Jason’s personal Instagram and Cake’s business Instagram, so the video really blew up,” Joyce says. “It got almost 6,000 views on our business Facebook page alone. By now it’s well into the five digits.”

The total cost to make the video was $500, a small price to pay for such a widely distributed campaign. And, it’s proven well worth the effort: Fully Promoted Towson has earned at least four new clients, received positive engagement, and gained a handful of leads as a direct result of this video. – Andy Vantrease