Two Excellent Promotional Campaign Examples That Will Help Boost Your Social Media
Promotional products are typically thought of as a great marketing tactic when trying to get your business in the (real) face of consumers. Which is true. A tangible product, that people find useful or entertaining help businesses gain repeat impressions and brand recognition.
However, there is a belief from some that these type of products cannot help your online presence. Which is completely false. The following two examples will prove that not only can promotional products can increase a business’s online visibility, but also boost their social media as well.
The Rubber Duck Campaign
About a month ago, I stumbled on a blog post by Debra Mastaler titled Ducky Small Business Promotion. While traveling, Debora found this in her bathroom at a Comfort Inn.
At first glance, it looks like a well manicured bathroom display with a small rubber ducky for the kids. But after a closer look, the courtesy card states, “Take me with you, and together we could win prizes!” Inside the card there was a QR code and directions.
This creative campaign is a little parody on Phlatt Stanley.
For those of you who don’t have kids or are unfamiliar with Phlatt Stanley, it is a story for children about a little boy who gets flatten. Because of this, he can travel inside an envelope and go anywhere in the world. Kids then send Phlatt Stanley to family members and friends and, in turn, they take pictures with Stanley along with their own story about their travels and send him back.
This campaign has been a huge hit for Comfort Inn. Their Facebook page is littered with photos from guests who take the cute rubber ducky with them to share in their travels.
Like this one.
Debora hit the nail on the head when explaining the benefits a campaign like this can have on a business,
it’s fun, inexpensive and has the potential (with a little tweaking) to generate links, likes and positive [online] business reviews.
The only improvement I would make would be to imprint Comfort Inn’s logo on the rubber ducks. This way the ducks would be more memorable and have more of bigger effect on the hotel. This would be a trigger for others to ask questions and start talking, but overall an amazing campaign.
Mustache Straws
7-Eleven has always been very conscious about their online presence. Already active on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, they took their social media to the next level when the brand introduced their very hip Mustache Slurpee Straws.
The custom straws come in four different styles to please everyone’s ‘stache preference. There’s the British upper-lip, hirsute handlebar, the Ron Swanson special and the Hulk Hogan. The straws also come in a neat plastic promotional mason jar.
The mustache straws have fed on the new #selfie phenomenon and has skyrocketed 7-Elevens presence on social media. With users posting countless images on their personal accounts while others comment on where they got them.
7-Eleven’s new promotional slurpee campaign has seen hundreds of mentions on Twitter and blogs that has garnered over 1.5 million impression.
The Mustache Straws launched right before the start of summer and sales have already surpassed exceptions.
Promo products CAN boost your social media
Both of these campaigns are excellent examples of how promotional products can have a direct effect on a company’s online presence. All it takes is a little creativity and participation from consumers to make it happen. Just like a regular campaign, if the product is useful or entertaining, people will go out of their way to help a business and share it with others online, which can make an even bigger impression.
The rubber duck campaign was cheap and incredibly creative, while 7-Eleven’s mustache straws were ‘hip’ and intended to increase Slurpee sales, but both had a huge impact on social media.
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