4 Reasons Why Timing is Everything

Timing is everything, but what does that mean? In promotions it means you planned, you researched and executed well in advance to ensure your timing is perfect. Here are four reasons why timing is important in the promotional world:

      Understand your audience

       With promotional products, it’s important to understand and connect with your customers on a personal level. What message resonates with them to act? What do they value? Are there industry-specific items you can leverage as a giveaway? 

• Example: A photography business could give away picture frames or disposable cameras at an event to make memories with their potential customers. A pizza place could give out pizza cutters instead of pens or generic tote bags. Remember to appeal to your target audience! 

      Stay relevant and timely

       Keep up with the local and national news. Timely events, holidays, games, etc. can be a source of inspiration for promotional products.

•  Example Netflix made a big move to promote their upcoming release of Gilmore Girls with Luke’s Coffee Shop take over. They transformed coffee shops and gave away cups of coffee to get people excited for the upcoming release.

o   Note: If you are not on top of what is happening in the world you can quickly miss an opportunity or mistakenly send the wrong message.

      Delivery/turnaround time

       Picking the right product is important, but equally important for our customers is the timing – it   can be urgent, needed within a month, or next year, so how do you make sure you time your order perfectly? In general, the sooner the better, however five weeks is typically enough time to present options, mock up samples, produce each item and deliver them to your door. 

• Example: If your company does a lot of trade shows it is important to start planning months ahead to make sure you plan your message, goals, staff and promotional items. If you are simply ordering a new batch of pens for the office, then you can have a more relaxed timeline.   

      Trends come and go  

      Not all trends are going to fit your business, but when one does you have to know when to jump in and you have to recognize when it is on the decline and let it go.

• Example: Do you remember the unique shaped rubber Silly Bandz? When is the last time you needed to use a webcam cover? A lot of items have a surge of popularity, but are short lived. If you choose to stay trendy vs traditional, then it is important to make sure you are frequently refreshing your promotional items.

In this fast-paced world things are constantly changing, news is always breaking and time never seems to slow down. The promotional world is no exception, and timing is key to success.