Promotional products foster customer goodwill (positive attitudes and
feelings) toward a company and its salespeople. This study, completed by Baylor
University in 1992, involved a textbook publisher sending 4,000 educators
either: (1) pocket calculator plus a letter, (2) a lower-priced highlighter pen
plus a letter, or (3) a letter only.
FINDINGS
- Customers who received a promotional product expressed more good will
toward the company and its salespeople than those who did not receive a
promotional product.
- The attitudes of those who received the calculator were consistently more
positive than for those who received the less expensive highlighter pen.
- Customers who received the pocket calculator or the highlighter pen rated
the proficiency and ability of the sales representatives as 34% and 16%
(respectively) higher than those who received only the thank you letter.
- On questions relating to the customers' personal feelings toward the
company and its sales representatives, customers who received the calculator
scored 52% higher than the letter only group (see table above).
REAL WORLD SUCCESS STORY
Objective:
To conserve water and help customers reduce their water bills.
Strategy and Execution:
Water consumption during the summer had always been a great concern to the
Rockland County, New York water company because of the increased usage of water
for lawns and gardens. The water company targeted its 53,000 residential
customers with a mailing announcing a new conservation program and a bounce-back
card offering an information packet. Respondents were sent an information video
tape, refrigerator magnet and a slide chart to calculate the amount of water
needed to keep a healthy lawn. It was used in conjunction with a watering guide
number, known as ET (Evapo-Transpiration), that was published daily in the
newspaper and based on rain and humidity levels.
Results: Anticipating an 8 percent return, the advertiser actually
received 15 percent with 7,950 responses. Projections indicated that
approximately 5,000 gallons of waterwould be saved per participating household,
thereby passing on a savings of $75 each based on an average $200 water bill for
the summer months.
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