Classic Promotional Techniques Still Effective in Modern Times

Anne Davis

May 31, 2018

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Promotional materials have changed a lot during the last few years with the power of social media and the web in general. It seems that most older promotional ideas were retired, but there are a few classic promotional items that are still effective. The following are a few examples of what you can do today and incorporate into today's advertising campaigns.

The Big Check Technique

One of the best business promotion ideas has been the novelty check idea. This has been used in a couple of ways and they have all been quite effective. Some businesses used the novelty check to promote an opportunity to make some additional cash with their services. To do this, the business simply displays one on their windows announcing this opportunity. Other businesses use a big check to gift some lucky customer a reward either in the form of cash or discounts. The novelty check usually has some promotional material that can be photographed and shared online.

The Enter to Win Contest

Yes, that big check promotional item mentioned earlier was sometimes part of a bigger promotional campaign in the form of a contest. The idea here was to advertise a game that customers can enter by using your services or buying your product. Sometimes, the game was a little more elaborate and these days they’re becoming more common on social media than anywhere else, but the basic setup stays the same. These customers might tell others to give them an opportunity to win your prize. It is important that the prize or prizes are enticing enough to get customers to play, such as a substantial amount of cash or an all-expenses-paid trip somewhere around the world.

A Good Mascot Goes a Long Way

The mascot has always been a good idea, especially when you are able to find a mascot that is iconic and still manages to convey your company's message. Sure, it might take a while to get people to recognize your mascot, but stick with it. Some of today's largest companies have used mascot appearances at popular events to promote their companies, but this is a very classic marketing campaign. A few notable mentions should go to Progressive and their Flo sales representative or Marlboro and their manly cigarette-smoking cowboy.

The Collect Them All Game

Contests are great, but they do not last too long. The collect them all campaign was created to entice customers to come back to your company. The idea here is to have your customers collect stamps or some other proof of purchase until they reach a predetermined number. The customer is then entitled to some kind of prize like a free product or service or perhaps a gift card. This cycle starts again once your customer has collected his or her winnings. It is a great way to make sure that your customers keep coming back to you and it does not cost much.

You have to remember that even though these campaigns are quite old, they can still be useful to you today. Sure, most companies are now using online advertisements, but these classic tools can still be used. You can share your contests or mascots online just the same way. It may be a good idea to talk to an advertising firm or specialist to see what other kinds of classic ads you can use to put your business on the map.