What is product marketing? The text books tell us that it is made up of the 7 P’s. They are Product, Price, Physical Evidence, Promotion, Packaging, Placement and People. For over 25 years the team at MCM Productions has been helping product management experts in determining what are the most effective promotional products to properly position their products or services.
All too often the value of promotional products is dismissed by some marketers. This is primarily the direct result of them associating promotional products with the typical t-shirt or coffee mug routine. The truth is even these old products can deliver excellent results when used in the proper place and with the correct demographic.

Here is a case study showing how two different software companies’ product marketing programs took a very different approach and how the intelligent use of promotional products provided a high return on their investment.

Case Study
Company A planned to introduce a new CRM software package at a major trade show. They decided to build a large multimedia booth and obtained a premium location on the trade show floor. The booth contained a theater like demonstration area and they conducted live product demonstrations every 30 minutes. The cost of the booth was $350,000 and they took a team of 12 managers to the show. Their total costs were $450,000. Their results were disappointing. Very few prospective customers had the time to sit for a 20 minute presentation except people with tired feet. The company also failed to collect “qualified “leads.

Company B was a lesser known name in the industry. They attended the same trade show and they too had a new CRM software package to introduce. With a considerably smaller budget they considered a product marketing approach that used promotional products to deliver measurable and cost effective results. Instead of the bright lights and the big booth they had a promotional products consultant design a stress bot around a theme about the stress of selecting the right CRM partner. In a single step they “humanized” their product into a cute, squeezable stress reliever and headed to the trade show. Within hours of the show beginning a buzz hit the floor about these adorable stress bots being given away. Their booth was crowded and their sales people took the time to talk and qualify the perspective clients before handing them the stress bot. Company B used a stock booth that cost $50,000 and used only 6 mangers to attend the show. They purchased 5, 0000 stress bots at $3.50 each. They returned to the office with over 700 qualified leads to follow up on.
At MCM Productions we can show you countless ways to incorporate promotional products into your product marketing program. You can learn more by clicking on

How Do I Develop a Promotional Plan or call us today at 888-344-6060. For an e-mail response please click on

sales@mcmproductions.com

Every day we get the question,”What is the most popular promo product?” At MCM we believe that if we simply answered this with what we sold the most of in the past month, we would not be providing the level of expertise that our clients have come to expect.

MCM brings 25 years of knowledge to the promo products industry. Our clients range from global multi-billion dollar Fortune 100 firms to small local non-profit organizations. No matter what the size of the client we always begin with the following questions:

1. What is your promo product goal?
2. Who is your target audience?
3. Is your business strategy clearly defined?
4. What is your budget and time frame?
5. How will you distribute the product?

Without these 5 questions your chances of obtaining the perfect promo product is very low. Our goal with each client is to select a promo product that says both “wow” and will permit you to measure its effectiveness. That’s where our unique consultative method stands out from the crowd.

Which of these marketing objectives are you trying to achieve?

1. Increase brand awareness.
2. Strengthen customer loyalty
3. Add new customers
4. Introduce a new product or service
5. Drive traffic to your web site
6. Reward or recognize employees
7. Gift for purchase
8. Attract attention to your trade show booth
9. Gifts for corporate events or meetings
10. Promote Green – Eco friendly initiatives

No matter what the objective the team at MCM has a host of proven products that can exceed your expectations. Call Chris Hartley, ”Advertising Specialties Institute – Person of the Year” and her team at 888-344-6060 or e-mail us at sales@mcmproductions.com

Let’s get started today.

One of our most frequently asked questions is, “What are the best trade show items?” It reminds us of the time we went to the famous Brasserie Lipp in Paris. The Maitre D’ came to our table and said, “You tell me what you eat, I tell you what you drink”. There’s a long story here but the reality is that when it comes to selecting a trade show item or a great bottle of wine, it is usually best left to the experts.    

The first question we ask of a client wanting to purchase trade show items is what is their primary reason or goal for attending the trade show.  Every show from a local table top to a mega Las Vegas national extravaganza must have a clearly defined objective. Here are some examples:

• Obtain sales leads
• Introduce new product or service
• Build brand awareness
• Demonstrate your product
• Enter a new market
• Taking orders
• Hiring Distributors and Reps

It is key that your trade show goals are measureable. You should be able to calculate the cost of attending the show as compared to the profits that the show generates. The finance teams calls this ROI (return on investment).

The days of simply handing out something with your name and logo disappeared with $.29 per gallon gasoline. Today’s trade show items must be integrated into the marketing plan. The new trade show items can drive your customers to custom web pages that are perfect for obtaining critical prospect information. Even if you don’t have the resources to build a new web page, we can build the page for you and you will have on-line access to all of the acquired data.

If you don’t want to stray too far from the traditional trade show items we can show you a host of products that do everything from putting a smile on your audience’s faces to emblazoning your name or logo in the most prominent and unforgettable way.

We give our total commitment to listen to you goals and then present you with a number of trade show items that will make your next trade show a major success. Call us today at 888-344-6060 or e-mail us at sales@mcmproductions.com

The first time I saw one of these images I thought it was a Rorschach ink blot test. Now with my Android phone, I’ve discovered that these are called QR codes (Quick Response) and were created by a division of Toyota in 1994 to track auto parts during the manufacturing process.

Well, I admit they look slicker than a bar code and they are making their way into mainstream marketing. With millions of Smart phones being sold, an enormous market is being created with consumers now possessing the technology to instantly scan an image and be directed to a web site or dial a phone number. From a web site or unique landing page the marketing opportunities become limitless.

This is also the perfect way to drive your printed material audience directly to the web.  Think about it this way. There is this incredibly large Gen X and Gen Y audience along with some early adopter Boomers that are going to be extremely curious about where the QR code is going to take them. Could it be a discount coupon, more product information, a promotion, a giveaway or the winning visit as the one millionth visitor to a web site? Your QR code should be made integral to all of your campaigns and for all to see.

If all of this is sounding a bit fuzzy, it’s OK. The use of QR codes in marketing is very new and the timing is right for it to explode with the rapid growth in Smart Phones. At MCM we have a number of ideas for you and we are standing by the phone at 888-344-6060 or you can e-mail us at sales@mcmproductions.com . Scan the QR code in the left hand image and see where it takes you!)

Based on the published dated of 7-06 one could assume that we were overcome with an abundance of patriotism over the 4^th of July weekend. The MCM team including our dog Rufus even marched in the local parade and we watched our share of fireworks.

Patriotism is a good reason to buy promotional products made in the USA but if you read our 6-30 company newsletter you will see that a series of global economic events is making this move even more compelling.

When the current recession began in 2008 with companies around the globe reducing staff and cutting back on inventory. This immediately resulted in a ripple effect of longer lead times and a marked decrease in customer service. Pricing also became very aggressive and there were calendar year end bargains.  At the end of Q1 in 2010 the first signs of a recovery appeared. The strongest growth was reported in China. 

The Chinese growth has much to do with more and more internal growth as their economy is being driven by their own consumption as opposed to exports. Chinese wages are rising and this means their prices are also rising. The ripple effect here is that US goods are becoming more competitive. Toss in the added freight costs and longer lead times and promotional products that are made in the USA are becoming much more competitive. The Chinese government has also begun to let their currency float. 

Let us help you make the most competitive choice. Call us at 888-344-6060 or e-mail us at sales@mcmproductions.com

Arianna Huffington and Ashton Kutcher are considered two leading edge experts on Blogging and Tweeting. The Advertising Specialties Institute’s Advantages Magazine recently interviewed a number of people in the industry and our own Ken Block aka,”Kenny Blog”, spoke about search engine optimization and its role in blogging. 

Check out the article in Advantages Magazine. 

Behind the scenes, our web site uses a very new “Blog Powered” approach. Instead of pages with 20, 30 or 50 photos of products, we try to tell you a story about a single product in 250 words or less. Each of our pages is created for very a specific query, which helps the search engines get you exactly what you are searching for. Then we do our best to tell you about the product and how to attain the greatest impact with it. 

If you don’t see what you are looking for, drop us a note at sales@mcmproductions.com and we will get working on it immediately.

MCM Productions is a Promotional Products, Advertising Specialties distributor located  in Park City Utah UT.

 Our clients and suppliers are now located around the globe and with advances in information technology, it became self-evident that location is no longer a major decision factor. It is all about quality, creativity and service. MCM is still very active with our first clients from 1988 and new clients from around the globe are engaging with us on a regular basis through our web site.  

On our arrival to this mountain town we quickly became a part of the Park City community with new clients such as local marketing – communication firms, local schools, sports clubs, ski teams, event planners, resorts and the world renowned Sundance Film Festival. 

MCM has also become a key sponsor of the Park City Sailing Association and has been a mentor to teams in the Utah Entrepreneurial Challenge, including mentoring the winning team in 2009. We also launched our On-line Fundraising initiative with the Park City Youth Lacrosse Organization. It is spreading around the country at the pace of this high speed sport.

MCM is also a member of the Park City Chamber and the Park City Lodging Association.  

 Whether you are right here in Park City UT or are anywhere else on the globe, MCM’s founder, was named the Advertising Specialties Institute Person of the Year 2009, is ready to put the MCM team to work for you. Take a tour of our innovative “blog – powered” website and then give us a call at 888-344-6060 to learn more about our consultative approach to promotional products and advertising specialty items. Reach us via e-mail at sales@mcmproductions.com

More news on inventory. Back on January 8^th we blogged about the shortages that we were experiencing, along with the cause and effect of them. With several months of more history we are ready to declare that this is more than a short term blip. 

There are many signs that tell us this phenomenon will be around for more than a few more months. The shortages are a piece of complex puzzle. Companies see inventory as cash that is tied up. In a down market companies shrink inventories to raise cash and to improve the financial calculation known as ROII (return on inventory investment). 

At the same time companies have trimmed their work forces to reduce operating expenses. There is always a decline in efficiency and customer service when the work force is reduced. 

When the entire supply chain is stressed by less raw materials on hand, less production workers, less manufacturing shifts, less employees to administer the process, the compounding result a challenge. 

Since we are all impacted as supply chain partners each of us must incorporate this into our planning process. Our expectations of what previously happened needs to be tempered. At MCM we have a good pulse on each supplier and we will do everything possible to help you keep your project on time and on budget. Call or e-mail us to discuss your next project and your timeline. We are here to help. 888-344-6060

Swag, schwag…, I had not really heard the term until I began working as a volunteer at the Sundance Film Festival in 2005. Even then I related it to the bags of bling that were given to the stars. Working behind the “ropes” I saw with my own eyes the thousands of dollars of expensive brand name products in swag bags, that were given away to help build brand recognition.

Fast forward to 2010 and we are meeting with a new client who is a member of Gen X. He jokingly referred to our founder as the “Swag Hag”. We got a good laugh but then realized that there is an entire generation that calls promotional products swag.

Call it what you like, swag, promotional products or giveaways, a strategically selected logoed product will yield a high rate of return. I won’t bore you with all of the studies, but if you want, e-mail me and I will send them along. You can also click on Industry Studies and view them on our web site.

Think back to the days when you went to a birthday party. You left with a bag of party favors. Today when you attend a fund raiser, a golf tournament or a corporate event, you will leave with your swag.

Whether you are building a new brand, enhancing an existing one or kicking off a new campaign, we will show you the right swag that will get the job done.

Give us a call at 888-344-6060 and ask for the “Swag Hag”. She will get a big laugh.

If you have been watching the snowboarding Olympic trials or you are just a fan of the sport, you have heard the slogan, “I Ride For Kevin”. The quick version: Kevin Pearce of Norwich Vermont was an Olympic hopeful in the half pipe. On 12-31-09 he suffered a serious head injury during one of the trials in Park City UT.

On Sunday night 1-3-2010 we received an e-mail from The PR agency that does work for Burton Snowboards, who is Kevin’s sponsor. Burton wants to help the snowboard community to show its support for Kevin who is now in critical condition at a Salt Lake hospital. The message, “Can anyone help design and deliver stickers that say, “I Ride for Kevin” to be in Mammoth Lakes CA by Thursday 1-7-2010 for the next round of the Olympic trails?”

That’s right, it’s Sunday night and the yet to be designed sticker need to be delivered in Mammoth on Thursday. Through the remarkable efforts of a brand manager at Burton, our favorite sticker supplier and a bunch of late night work; the now famous stickers arrived in time for the event.

It was one of those times when we all felt like we were part of something very special. The day before the stickers were to arrive, Kevin’s condition was upgraded from critical to serious. On Sunday 1-10-2010, we had just returned to the mountain where the accident occurred and we turned on the TV to watch the event at Mammoth, We were elated to see many fans and riders wearing their, “I Ride For Kevin” stickers.

Every one of those hours of hard work quickly became much more meaningful.

PS: As of Friday2-12-2010 the latest update on Kevin shows him making progress at the Craig Hospital in Denver where he was recently transferred to.