When discussing Pocket Planners with distributor customers I am often asked three main questions:
1) Are planners being obsoleted by Smartphones and other electronic calendars?
2) What information can I use the sell them?
3) Who buys pocket planners?
While I would not call Planners, the Pocket or Desk variety, a high growth product category, there are still plenty of opportunities in the marketplace for small and large volume orders.
To answer the first question, it is true that the proliferation of smartphones has spawned a whole generation of electronic wizards that now organize and synchronize their lives on one or two devices at a time. However there are still plenty of folks that choose not to keep their schedules on smartphones. These are people who prefer not to complicate their lives, like the ease and use of Pocket Planners or simply cannot afford the expense of smartphone technology and all its accessories.
Regarding the second question, Planners have many compelling features and benefits and I would dare say that the Pocket Planner is the single best promotional item for the dollar on the market!
Here’s why:
· Impressions Per Dollar—in the advertising/promotion business impressions per dollar spent is an important metric for gauging success. A customer that has a Pocket Planner uses it multiple times per day, 365 days a year. At a price range of $.50 to $1.00, the impressions add up and impressions per dollar ratio soars
· Annuity— Pocket Planner orders repeat each year like, well, the calendar. Once customers are used to using a planner they cannot be without them, leading to the axiom “Sell them once, sell them for life”. Bottom line: Planner sales repeat!
· Customization Capabilities— Pocket Planners can be customized in many ways, ensuring that your customer will have a planner that will exceed their expectations and, because it is custom and not generic, you will have an order that comes back to you rather than your competitor
The answer to the third question from above is that many different industries have a use for Pocket Planners. Here are 4 that stand out:
· Financial Industry, including banks and credit unions, to communicate branch locations, hours, policies and procedures, and any other information their clients find valuable.
· Insurance Industry. Products, marketing information and policies are great to advertise through Pocket Planners. Because planners are an inexpensive promotional item local agents can give them away to current and potential clients to develop loyalty and keep the brand name top of mind throughout the year
· Companies with large part-time workforces, allowing workers to keep track of changing hours and for companies to communicate important company messages such as mission and vision statements and company values
· Schools that would like to communicate sports schedules, alumni information, and other important information.
It’s easy to see why Pocket Planners are promotional products that deliver value—they are effective, inexpensive, and make a great impression!
New at Graphik in 2012
