Self-Promo Shows Distributor Is Eco to the Task - From "Success Stories"
By Jen Zorger
June 2009
The grass may not always be greener on the other side of the fence, but greener promotions are within reach, as Brand Fuel Inc. (asi/145025) is demonstrating to its clients. Acting President Danny Rosin, acting VP Robert Fiveash and Marketing Coordinator Meredith Linden put their heads together to come up with ways to make their 2009 thank-you/catalog mailing more eco-friendly.
“Just as the ‘green’ theme was gaining ground and people were starting to see that it was not another fad, a representative from Fabriko (asi/53450) wowed our sales team with their drawstring Ship-N-Tote Bag,” Rosin says. “We agreed that the bag would not only be a good change from the typical branded box, but that it was also a unique tool that would provide our sales team with opportunities for client touch points, help generate business and provide ROI.”
After being used as a mailer, the bag turns inside out to serve as a drawstring sling pack. Besides catalogs and a cover letter on recycled paper, Brand Fuel stuffed it with a SanMar (asi/84863) tee printed with earth-friendly inks, a corn-material pen from Bullet Line LLC (asi/42424) or Leed’s (asi/66887), a 3M (asi/91240) notepad left over from a previous promo, and an “I’m a recycler” tattoo from California Tattoos Inc. (asi/43530).
“Our greatest challenge was to create a unique, eco-friendly package that was cost-effective and appealed to our client base,” Linden says. “By selectively choosing products for the mailer and leveraging self-promotion pricing with suppliers, we were able to achieve our goal.”
The sales team appreciated the mailers because it gave them an opportunity to get in front of clients and generate business – and recipients responded well, too. “Not only do our clients love the idea,” Fiveash says, “but many were impressed that we invested in marketing to them during these hard economic times.”
BIZ TIP: Count the Ways that Going Green Pays
Promoting with eco-friendly products is not only good for the planet, it benefits your business other ways, too. Here are a few cited by the team at Brand Fuel:
1. It sends a message that you care to employees, competitors, peers and the community.
2. The message becomes part of your identity and generates positive associations for your brand.
3. You win business from people who choose to work with organizations that share green values.
