Gearing Up For Summer

Share on Facebook
Tweet This
Post on LinkedIn

Summer is on its way! Before you know it the warmer weather, longer days and easy lifestyle of the summer months will have taken hold… which makes now the time to think about how you’ll promote your business during the dog days of summer.
You can start by planning for the big summer holiday… the 4th of July. Any size business can mark our nation’s birthday with a quality giveaway — something that will really stand out at this time of year. It’s unexpected, yet sends a powerful message and offers a reminder of your business.
Here are a few season appropriate promotional products you might give to celebrate America’s birthday.

What’s unique to this year is that the summer of 2012 offers an event that typically inspires much public interest — the Olympic Games.
These games bring many opportunities to show your support and get your name noticed. As in 2008, some of the best suggestions we’ve found come from American’s Best Companies, a private, nationwide organization for small businesses dedicated to providing you with tools, information and resources to help you compete with the big guys. A blog post from summer 2008 points out some still excellent suggestions for how any small business can promote itself during the Games.

  • Give customers an Olympic event schedule.
  • Keep track of the medal count for the U.S. and update it daily. Display the info in your lobby, window or anywhere you’re sure customers can see it.
  • Put the games on in your office or lobby, so that customers can check in anytime they come by. If you’re unable to broadcast the games, try recording the previous night’s events, and replay them during the next day.
  • Offer discounts if a particular event is won, or world record is broken. This works especially well if the event (swimming or gymnastics for example) ties directly to your type of business.
  • Give out items like pensbuttonsmagnets with American flags and your own logo.

And other things you might try…

  • Promote the efforts of a local athlete attending the games and keep everyone updated on his/her progress.
  • Hold a fund raiser to support the Olympics or Olympic training.
  • Run local newspaper ads or put up banners congratulating the winners.
  • Support local Special Olympics efforts.
  • Add an Olympic themed message to invoice/statement comment areas.

What’s great about summer is that it’s more than special events. The warmer weather calls to all baseball fans among us — the game of summer is back. If you’re a baseball fan, or the sponsor of a local team, baseball related products are fantastic ways to promote your business.
Another staple of summer, the beach offers lots of different opportunities to put your name in front of customers or prospects. Beach towels, drinkware and beach balls are all excellent choices that fit the season AND people will actually use — exposing your business name yet again.
One of the must-haves of summer (and a fabulous promotional opportunity) are barbecue accessories. They’re a welcome addition to any cookout — a season appropriate thank you for employees and your best clients. Unique, useful, products like these leave a lasting impression in the mind of everyone who receives them, and get noticed at all those informal get-togethers that are so much a part of summer.
Last, but certainly not least. You can’t think of summer without thinking drinkware. Cups, drink holders, mugs, can wraps and more give a business many choices for showcasing your name and logo to lots of people, while also offering a holder for a cold, refreshing (adult) beverage. Summer provides no shortage of opportunities to use these products — at the beach, at a barbecue, during parades or sporting events — everywhere you go.
Summertime, like so many times of the year, offers so many ways to promote your business. All you need do, is choose one.

 

— end —