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Selling DirtHow to Get Out of the

Commodity Box

The Three “R”s of HR

What Works!

Selling DirtHow to Get Out of the

Commodity Box

What Works!

The Three “R”s of HR

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4 Brilliant Results | August/September 2004 www.brilliantpublishing.com

Feat

ures 22You Think You've Got It Tough?

Try Marketing Dirt.

A creative marketing campaign delivered results andbrought the company out of the commodity box.By Robert Berman

30Promoting Good Tidings This Holiday Season.

Let this sector-by-sector breakdown of promotional product ideas inspire you this holiday season.By Gary Semrow

40Selling Holiday Cheer

A showcase of some of the hottest new holiday gifts for 2004.By Tiffany Owens

50Promotions That Get Results

Out of the Box thinking that delivers results.By Cliff Quicksell

Departments6 Publisher's Letter

80 Calendar

Columns26 Business & Brand:

Branding the Cash Cow… A Brand Can'tStand On Price Alone

36 HR:

The 3 R's in HR: Recruit - Retain - Reward

56 Security:

The Password is Security

64 What Works:

Case Studies that Delivered Brilliant Results

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Contents

8 The O.C.C. brand runnin' full throttle!

Brilliant Results talks to Orange County Choppers…The men who make you tune in Monday nights for"American Chopper" on the Discovery ® Channel, to find out the secret behind their success.

Cover Story

BrillianResulsts_01 8/16/04 3:49 PM

Pencoa The Supermatic Line celebrates 30 years in the promo-tional products industry by completing a two year upgrade in state ofthe art printing and digital graphic equipment.

Pencoa Produces and prints quality writing instruments and manufactures a proprietary line of American made vinyl products. The company has added additional warehouse and productionfootage to the existing plant to enable us to best serve our customers.

Over the years Supermatic has developed significant relationships with overseas sources that produce products for us based on quality not price. Remember, Supermatic’sprimary business has always been and will always be quality writing instruments.

Due to the Growth of overseas sourcing and the multitude ofnew items available Supermatic’s contract printing divisionone of the largest in the northeast, is capable of sourcingprinting, fulfillment and drop shipping distributors merchandise. We pad print, silk screen, hot stampand laser engrave. It has been said, “whatever it is, if it stands still longenough we can print it”.

www.pencoa.com

The industry leaders in imprinting and personalizing

quality products

Website Specials

T h e e v o l u t i o n o f w r i t i n g



Welcome to the premiere issueof Brilliant Results‘ Magazine.The nation’s most exciting newmagazine focused specifically

on CRM, brand-building and direct marketingthrough the use of promotional merchandisingand creative strategy. This magazine has beencreated to give corporate professionals thetools they need to build relationships, findresources and get the results that every suc-cessful business venture demands!

Named after its editorial mission, BrilliantResults‘ is focused on providing corporate pro-fessionals with powerful, results-oriented, cut-ting edge ideas. Furthermore we will connectyou with all the right players to successfullymanufacture and distribute your next profit-producing promotion!

Our editorial content will focus on real-world success stories as provided by theworlds leading promotional merchandise man-ufacturers, distributors, agencies, and mostimportantly marketing experts and buyersfrom the world’s leading corporate brands.We will incorporate articles of interest totoday’s business leaders in an easy-to-read for-mat. As if that’s not enough, you will learnwhat’s hot and what’s not directly from targetaudience recipients on the street.

They say solid business strategies andgreat marketing ideas should be

adaptive. Whether you’re in sports mar-keting, the gaming industry (casino’s), retail,high-tech, the entertainment industry inHollywood or on Wall Street in the BigApple, Brilliant Results‘ has been createdand launched to support your success. Wewill bring you the latest product ideas,award-winning implementation strategiesand real-life success stories about how directmarketing and promotional merchandise arechanging the face of CRM, brand building,safety programs, loyalty programs, corporateoutings and special events for the mostpowerful brands in the world.

Remember the days when T-shirts with acompany’s logo were expected to be givenaway? Today they sell for top dollar, or areexpected to bring big profits in customer loy-alty and brand building. The possibilities areendless, and your next great ideas, along withthe resources you need to bring it to fruitionare waiting for you in the next issue ofBrilliant Results‘ Magazine!

Thank you for your time and for readingBrilliant Results‘ Magazine!

Have a Brilliant Day!

Maureen WilliamsPublisher717-608-5869

Rela

tions

hips

, Re

sour

ces,

Res

ults Publisher’s Letter Brilliant Publishing LLC

9034 Joyce LaneHummelstown, PA 17036

Ph: 717.608.5869Fax: 717.566.5431

PUBLISHER / ADVERTISING

Maureen [email protected]

717-608-5869

EDITORIAL Editor in Chief

MaryAnne Morrill

Senior EditorTiffany Owens

Style EditorCharity Plata

Contributing WritersRobert Berman, Cliff Quicksell,

Gary Semrow

PRODUCTION / DESIGNArt Director

Percy Zamora

Contributing DesignerChuck Moser

PhotographerLuis D. Rubio

Lunay Productions

Brilliant Results is published bi-monthly by BrilliantPublishing LLC, 9034 Joyce Lane Hummelstown PA

17036 (717) 608-5869; Fax# (717) 566-5431. Postagepaid at Mechanicsburg PA and additional offices. POST-

MASTER please send address changes to BrilliantResults, 9034 Joyce Lane, Hummelstown PA 17036.

Volume 1. Number 1. Brilliant Results subscription rates:one-year $120; Canadian $160 USD; one-year foreign

$225 USD. All subscriptions are non-refundable.Copyright © 2004 Brilliant Publishing LLC. All rights

reserved. The publisher reserves the right to accept orreject any advertising or editorial material. Advertisers,and/or their agents, assume the responsibility for any

claims against the publisher based on the advertisement.Editorial contributors assume responsibility for theirpublished works and assume responsibility for any

claims against the publisher based on published work.No part of this publication can be reproduced in any

form or by electronic or mechanical means, includinginformation storage and retrieval systems, without writ-ten permission from the publisher. All items submitted

to Brilliant Results becomes the sole property of BrilliantPublishing LLC. Editorial content does not reflect the

views of the publisher. The imprints, logos, trademarksor trade names (Collectively the “Marks”) displayed onthe products featured in Brilliant Results are for illustra-

tive purposes only and are not available for sale. Themarks do not represent the implied or actual endorse-

ment by the owners of the Marks of the product onwhich they appear. All of the Marks are the property ofthe respective owners and is not the property of either

the advertisers using the Marks or Brilliant Results.

BrillianResulsts_01 8/23/04 10:03 AM


The

brandO.C.C.

runnin’ fullthrottle!

If you have ever wondered how someone

goes from operating a successful iron

works company to owning one of the

most highly recognized and growing

brands, ask Paul Teutul Sr., owner and

founder of Orange County Choppers. He

and his sons have done just that, or as

Paul Sr. now describes it, “If they put our

logo on it, it sells!”


ORANGE COUNTY CHOPPERS

Brilliant Results | August / September 2004 9www.brilliantpublishing.com



Officially begun as a business in 1999,Orange County Choppers is the product ofone man’s 30-year passion for riding andfabricating custom motorcycles. Roaringonto the scene and into brand building his-tory at the 1999 Daytona Biketoberfest®with a chopper dubbed “True Blue,” thisrugged businessman has never lookedback. It is hard to believe that a custommotorcycle fabricated in a basement was

the launch vehicle for a family-owned compa-ny whose logo is recognized from coast to

coast a mere five years laterThanks in part to an out-of-

the-box thinking television pro-ducer who discovered this hiddenAmerican treasure, millions nowenjoy watching the creative evolu-tion of an Orange County Chopper.The appeal of the resulting“American Chopper” program hasbeen nothing short of phenomenal.As one of the highest rated programson cable today, “American Chopper”has transcended its anticipated appealto the 18 to 34-year-old male audience

to include female viewers as well as familiesacross mainstream America.

The fact that young people are loyal view-ers of “American Chopper” is not lost on theTeutuls. Considerable thought goes intoselecting the theme bikes that are built andfeatured on the program to ensure that theyrepresent values any parent would be proud tosee in their child. Whether it is the patriotismof the “Statue of Liberty Bike,” the remem-brance of heroes exemplified by the “P.O.W.”and “Fire” bikes or the fanciful “ChristmasBike,” family values matter to these artists.

Orange County Choppers is a family affair.One of Paul Sr.’s sons manages Orange CountyIronworks, the success of which originallyallowed Teutul to pursue his passion for building motorcycles. Two of his sons, Paul Jr.

and Michael, are a part of Orange CountyChoppers. Early on, Paul Sr. recognized Paul Jr.’sdesign and fabricating talents, and it often istheir volatile interaction that ignites the genesisof a world-class custom chopper such as the“Black Widow.” Son Michael came on boardto answer phones, pick up parts and take outthe trash, but his free-spirited philosophy hasmade him an integral part of the television pro-gram and now his exact job is hard to describe.“American Chopper” really is as much a realityshow about family as it is about the art of cre-ating one of a kind sculpture in motion. “Beforewe were famous we liked to stand on our ownmerit and now that we are famous there willnot be a change in that area,” Paul Jr. said.“We like to stand by ourselves and just do whatwe do.” This philosophy has created a totallydifferent image for the Teutuls. They are a fam-ily rather than hardcore bikers, and that imagehas brought them into the mainstream. At bikeshows where it is normally 100% bikers, it ismore like 60% family and 40% bikers whereverOrange County Choppers sets up shop.

The awareness that “American Chopper” brings to the motorcycle industry has been exceptional.

A recent article even went so far as to give OrangeCounty Choppers credit for a 15% increase

in Harley-Davidson‚ sales.


His name is Bridewell, Peter Bridewell. He’s a man with a past, and hisfuture is questionable.Yesterday is over and if tomorrow comes, he’ll dealwith it. In the meantime, there’s today and he never knew what todaywould bring.

But if there was one thing he did know, it was dames and pens. And ifthe two hadn’t become entangled so many years ago, he might not havefound himself with a pocketful of hard feelings and a jacket full of pens.

His name is Bridewell, Peter Bridewell.You can call him Dick.To find outwhat he knows about pens and other import specialties, stop by the BAS booth in Las Vegas, #6361.

As for dames, that’s another story.



The awareness that “American Chopper”brings to the motorcycle industry has beenexceptional. A recent article even went so faras to give Orange County Choppers credit fora 15% increase in Harley-Davidson sales.Because the Teutuls are not afraid to sharetheir exposure with a number of the otherfamily-run and small businesses that they dealwith, those businesses also have shared in thisexponential growth.

To find out how all of this brand-building cameabout and to get to know the family guys behindthe Orange County Choppers logo, BRILLIANTRESULTS recently spent the day with the Teutuls -Paul Sr., Paul Jr. and Mikey, as he is known to mil-lions of TV viewers of the Discovery® Channel’s“American Chopper” program.

BR: Who or what inspired you to startOrange County Choppers?

Paul Sr.: I don’t think it was anybody inparticular who inspired me other than that Iliked to build bikes. I had started to build thesteel business in the early ‘70s and by the1990s, I was semi retired from that. So I had alot of time on my hands. My passion was thebikes, but I never had as much time as I want-ed to put into them because I was always busywith the steel business. Towards the end, Ihad my kids working in the steel business andpeople in management, so I was taking a lotof time off. Actually, I started building bikesout of my basement. The response to thosebikes was so phenomenal that I decided toopen a small shop within the steel business.

BR:Of allthe bikes you havebuilt do you have a favorite?

Paul Sr.: I think my favorite bike is theP.O.W. bike.

Paul Jr.: The Black Widow was my favoritebecause the fabrication on it was very innova-tive, and it was the first show we did for ourseries. I just liked the whole concept.

Michael: My favorite bike would be theBlack Widow. Sentimentally it would be theFire Bike. I like working on something that youhave to pour everything you’ve got into it.

BR: What is the most challenging partof a bike’s development, the cre-

ative idea or the physical construction, andhow long does it take to build?

Paul Sr.: I think it’s hand in hand. With allof the builders and new stuff out there, it getsharder and harder to be original, so that’s real-ly a challenge.

Paul Jr.: For that bike (Black Widow), itwas the physical construction; it was verytedious and time consuming.

Our licensing T-shirts are in every mid-tier store across the United States and even Canada.

That’s our mass distribution right there. You’re talking millions and millions of T-shirts.



BR: What’s the most fun in designinga bike, the actual design, the

concept or the putting it together and seeing it done?

Paul Jr.: I think it’s a balance, a little bit ofthe concept, then the fabrication and thenenjoying the finished project. It also dependson which bike.

BR: How are the people you build bikesfor selected?

Paul Sr.: We look at who they are whatthey want to do and if it really fits into whatwe want to do. We don’t build bikes becausepeople want us to build bikes. We buildbecause there’s interest and it works for bothpeople. We’re particular about certainthings. We won’t endorse alcohol. We don’thave anything against that - it’s just that wedon’t represent them.

Paul Jr.: For television, we have a respon-sibility to the public. That’s a totally differentstory because we have to be careful that wedon’t tie ourselves into certain productsbecause we have a responsibility to the kids.For the show, a bike has got to match withsomething that makes sense for our theme-type building and that we agree with. We’revery particular; we won’t do things that arecontroversial. We like to balance it out withbikes that we do as tributes, where there is nomoney involved, and then for corporationsand other causes and businesses.

BR: When you were approached to do“American Chopper” what was

your initial response?Paul Sr.: I thought it was phenomenal. It

was phenomenal because Jesse James haddone a motorcycle show on the West Coast

and the result of that was phenomenal. I thinkthat anybody who was anybody would givetheir right arm to do a show.

Paul Jr.: Around 2002 we got a call fromCraig Piligian (Pilgrim Films), the co-executiveproducer of “Survivor” who does a lot ofthings for Discovery®. He called us and askedif we wanted to do a show. Three days laterthey came in and started filming the pilot.Before that aired Discovery®‚ liked it, so wedid another pilot. They both aired and turnedout to do really well. Then we went right intoa series, and it hasn’t ended. So, as quick andcrazy as it was when it started, it’s just ascrazy now! It never changed in two years,and it’s been quite an experience.

Michael: I kind of slipped into it. I wasdoing ironwork for my father, and I was mis-erable. I met the original producer, and heknew I had an interest in the entertainmentindustry. They were going to give me a jobon the crew, but I wasn’t much of a boommicrophone operator. I kept putting theboom in the shots! Eventually, they got thechemistry between me and my brother andfather. I chill things out a bit – I’m the cool-er! I just kind of slid into the position, butI’m still not signed with Discovery®‚. Thewhole thing is based on my father and brother. I’m just a secondary character.

Most of the time the people come to us, and we look at it to see if it is something we want to do.

We like to do charities that are 100% for the charity.


overseas pricing on large quantities,


BR: What was your first promotional prod-uct? Did you sell it or give

it away?Paul Sr.: It was probably a T-shirt, and we

gave away a ton of them.

BR: What is your most popular promotion-al item today?

Paul Sr.: T-shirts. Our T-shirts are No.1 period.Paul Jr.: T-shirts and hats, I would guess.

Posters are pretty big, too.

BR:What types of promotional productsand merchandise do you plan to add?

Paul Sr.: At this point, we have over 60licensed companies and it’s endless. Every weekpeople come to the table and want to do dealswith us. Where that line draws, I don’t know. Butright now we pick and chose, and if it is veryappealing to us, we’ll go with it.

BR: How do you use promotional prod-ucts to grow your brand/company

awareness? Obviously you have retail stores. Do you plan to do more retail stores nationally?

Paul Sr.: We’ve talked about that. Wehave people who want to buy franchises, and

we’re entertaining that thought along withpossibly opening up another store. As a mat-ter of fact, right here in Newburg I boughtproperty by the New York State Thruway toopen up a retail museum restaurant like theHard Rock style. People want to see our bikes.They want to see us first, and if they can’t seeus, they want to see the bikes.

BR: What percentage of your sales is inpromotional merchandise?

Paul Sr.: At least 60%. It is probably two orthree thousand times the amount it was a fewyears ago.

BR: How many different promotional mer-chandise categories do you have avail-

able to your fans and customers today?Paul Jr.: Everything you can dream up we

have, without excluding coffee, kites, chairs,apparel and jewelry. I think we also have awater deal going on, but we don’t have muchtime to monitor it personally, so that is why wehave licensing contracts.

BR: Do you have plans to expand your lineof merchandise?

Paul Jr.: We do some things, but for themost part that’s why we use the licensing com-panies. What promotions we can handle andhave time for, we do.

BR: Where/when is the most promotionalmerchandise items sold (e.g. at shows,

online, at retail, etc.?)Paul Sr.: Online.Paul Jr.: Actually, our licensing stuff sells the

most. Our licensing T-shirts are in every mid-tierstore across the United States and even Canada.That’s our mass distribution right there. You’retalking millions and millions of T-shirts. We alsosell a lot on the Internet site.

People want to see our bikes. They want to see us first, and if they can't see us, they

want to see the bikes.



BR: Who is your promotional merchandise supplier(s)?

Paul Sr.: We mostly use licensing companies.Actually, we also have another line separatefrom the licensing companies, which is for ourown brand.

BR: As your brand develops, do youplan to sponsor certain events? If

so, which events or organizations?Paul Sr.: We definitely will be doing

events. I’m not sure which ones, but we areconstantly doing stuff like that.

Michael: I do a lot of special events withVinny and Cody – we’re the JV team!

BR: Do you participate in non-profitcharities? If so, which ones and

what prompted you to select that charity?Paul Sr.: Most of the time the people come

to us, and we look at it to see if it is some-thing we want to do. We like to do charitiesthat are 100% for the charity. If there is anydeference of money, we don’t do it. We do alot of Make-a-Wish Foundation and local stuff.

Paul Jr.: We do tons of charity eventsand are constantly involved in charities. Wejust did one for the American Cancer Society.We built a bike for them, and they raisedover $200,000. We donate T-shirts and hatsto all kinds of smaller organizations, and thisweekend, I’m raffling off three Schwinnbikes. We have the Orange CountyChoppers Schwinns, and they are very popu-lar. I’m raffling them off for a local girl whohas cancer. We do as much of that as wecan. We consistently have kids come herefrom Make-a-Wish Foundation.

BR:How do you decide?

Paul Jr.: It’s miserable because there are somany good causes, but we do try to stay local.

BR: What in your opinion has con-tributed the most to your success?

Paul Sr.: I think it’s the TV show morethan the motorcycles.

BR: I disagree.

Paul Sr.: You disagree – yeah! Well, theTV exposure is the difference betweenbeing in front of 4 million people onMonday night as opposed to going to ashow where there are 50,000 people. So,TV is really the vehicle that introduces thepeople to your work.

BR:But the work is the underlying thingthat keeps them coming back.

Paul Sr.: Yes, exactly.

BR: What do you see as the next stepin growing your company?

Paul Sr.: It’s hard to say because right now we have the merchandise, and we havethe motorcycles. Well, we’re going to beworking on a parts line, our own brand thatpeople can put on their bikes. Believe it ornot, there are probably 20 or 30 more ven-tures that we are looking at getting into in abunch of different areas.

BR: Do you have any plans to co-brand?

Paul Sr.: If we did co-brand, it would

be something on a minimal level. HardRock Café wants to do something with us.We might entertain doing some co-branded T-shirts. Really, our brand is red hot, and we are very, very careful and very parti-cular about the way we do it [co-branded products] and whom we do it with. We get huge deal offers and we turn them down.

Paul Jr.: We do some small co-brandingstuff, nothing major. We have 63 licensingdeals and only four of them are actually out inthe market. When you see all of our stuffeverywhere, it’s only 1% of what will be outby next year. We try to stand alone with ourbrand for the most part.

BR: Do you have a fan or membership club?

Paul Sr.: Just the Web site, and Discovery®‚has something – a chat room – set up.

Paul Jr.: We have our own Web site(www.orangecountychoppers.com). As far asOrange County Choppers goes, we have the

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largest and best Web site through Discovery®‚out of all their programs, and we get about13,000 hits a day.

BR: Are you planning to open OrangeCounty Choppers retail stores

nationally?Paul Jr.: We are looking at that right

now. We just opened up a store here, inMontgomery, NY and we have a store at the Woodbury Commons Premium Outletsin Central Valley, New York. Many peoplewith business sense, people who own cardealerships or Harley‚ stores haveapproached us and want to buy a franchise.We’re gearing in that direction, but wedon’t want to go too crazy. We think it’simportant to keep your place and have adestination point of reference.

BR: Where do you see yourself in fiveyears?

Paul Sr.: Hopefully on an island some-where. You know what? Honestly, I’ll be righthere in five years because no matter what orwhere you go, this is home. When I go onvacation, I’m glad to come back here.

Paul Jr.: Hopefully on an island, but I don’tknow which one though. That’s the decision.

Michael: I hope not married. Five yearsfrom now, I’d like to see myself in a log cabinin the middle of the woods somewhere.

BR: Who are your mentors?

Paul Sr.: I’ve got to say that my first part-ner when I first started in business was a realmotorcycle enthusiast, a ground-up builder.He was my partner 30-some years ago. He

and his buddy were really big-time, hardcorebikers, and they were my inspiration to getinto fabrication.

Paul Jr.: Different builders. A lot of thetime, it is builders who are not well knownwho do the nicest stuff. You are mentored byall the different builders out there.

Michael: David Letterman, Bill Murray,Adam Sandler, Jim Carey, Chris Farley and myFather and Mother.

BR: Do you have a favorite quote/say-ing/motto?

Paul Sr.: You probably should ask my sonsthat question!

Michael: My father knows every cliché inthe book, so it would be a tie between every-thing my father says constantly like, ‘Too manychiefs and not enough Indians’ or ‘Apples and oranges.’

BR: What is your idea of the perfectday?

Paul Sr.: I think a perfect day is getting upin the morning on a beautiful day - just gettingout on your bike and taking off and riding forthe day in the mountains away from society.That’s a perfect day.

Paul Jr.: A perfect day is 80 degrees witha fairly cool breeze in a boat on a nice smallquiet pond fishing all day.

Michael: My idea of the perfect daywould be to wake up after a good night’ssleep, eat a good breakfast at a diner with myfriends, get a cider at my favorite bar, cruisearound on my scooter with Vinny (he has ascooter too), eat manicotti for dinner, get anap in between and go on a date withScarlett Johansson.

BR: What is the best thing about beingsuccessful?

Paul Sr.: The toys that you can acquire.Paul Jr.: That’s a good question. I think

the best thing about being successful is that itis very rewarding and very good financially.

Michael: The best thing is – even thoughyou feel guilty about it – you get better treat-ment than most people in public places andthe perks.

BR: What is the worst thing aboutbeing successful?

Paul Sr.: The worst thing is dealing withthe everyday stresses of the business.Sometimes being involved in a family businessdealing with the family is the hardest thing.

Paul Jr.: Losing your privacy.Michael: The absolute worst thing is

when you’re hanging out with your friendsand a drunk comes over and gets in your face like he knows you from five degrees of separation.

BR: What is the funniest thing aboutbeing successful?

Paul Sr.: I think the funniest time is beingaround Mikey.

Paul Jr.: The funniest thing about beingsuccessful? I guess, it is sometimes funny howpeople perceive you as being famous and youdon’t feel famous.

Michael: Watching other people who arefamous. You can put yourself in their shoesbecause you understand what they aredoing when they are arrogant, self-centeredor rude. It’s all kind of a mirage really. So,the funniest thing would be watchinganother famous person act like they are better then everybody else.

BR:What is the most fun about beingsuccessful?

Paul Sr.: The perks are great.Paul Jr.: Oh my goodness, are you kidding

me? The AOL commercial! I love doing com-mercials. It’s a break from this reality televisionstuff that is always in your face. •

We just opened up a store here, in Montgomery,NY and we have a store at the

Woodbury Commons Premium Outlets in Central Valley, New York.



o almost anyone who has been insales, regardless of what industryyou have sold in, at one time oranother we all have felt as if ourcustomers are too focused on price.You know the drill. They try to com-

moditize your product, and you try to showvalue. They want to “get three bids.” You tryto negotiate a deal, and so on and so on. Fartoo often, the outcome is some kind ofreduced price or other compensation. Well, in the words of Charlton Heston, “I, for one,am mad as hell, and I’m not going to take itanymore!” Think John Belushi in AnimalHouse: “Did we quit when the Germansbombed Pearl Harbor?” So, if you can relate,than read on my brothers and sisters!

So here’s my take on things: Regardless ofwhat industry you’re in, or where you’re sell-ing your stuff, you have got it easy (Did hereally just say that?). That’s right I have twowords for you: Pity me. -Why, you ask? -Because I have had the “unique” pleasure andexperience of actually selling and marketingDIRT. Literally, selling dirt. Slinging mud

between competitive products, or evenbetween politicians is one thing, but having tosling mud literally for a living every day? Twowords: Pity Me.

Hopefully, I have your attention now, andall kidding aside, while I’ve consulted formajor brands including Nordstrom, VerizonWireless, Nissan Motors and more, I love dirt.In fact, the funny thing is after more than 15years of consulting on marketing strategy,business development and brand building, Iactually chose dirt. Why dirt, you ask? Onceagain, I’m glad you asked! The short answer is “thechallenge,” of course.

Seriously, I chose my destiny, and I love it.Anyone who knows me will tell you that Ihave always enjoyed the challenge and thesatisfaction of a successful outcome morethan the paycheck. This can be good andbad, but the challenge of applying solid strate-gies that work in Fortune 500 environmentsand effectively adapting them to less market-ing savvy industries that sell things such asrocks, concrete, asphalt, etc., was a challenge

that I thought I would enjoy immensely. I have consulted for several “dirt” compa-

nies over the years, and have even won twoof the promotional merchandise industry’s topawards (Golden Pyramids) for strategies andtactics that had a huge fiscal impact for thesecommodity-minded companies. I think I likethe dirt guys because there is so much poten-tial for upside. I mean, how do you takerocks, water and cement and make it appearsexy? Better yet, how do you take theemphasis off price in a traditionally commodi-ty-minded, price-based industry that has beendoing it that way for hundreds of years? Theanswer is in “showing them the money.” Ifthe concepts generate results in the areas ofloyalty, increased market share, increased cus-tomer share, improved safety performanceand profitability, all I can say is “Build it, andthey will change.”

First things first, out of respect to myclients I’d better stop calling them dirt. J Whentaken to market properly, these companiesreally are product manufacturers, suppliersand solution providers to the multi-billion

TRY MARKETING DIRT

YOU THINK YOU’VE GOT IT

TOUGH?TRY MARKETING DIRT

YOU THINK YOU’VE GOT IT

TOUGH?

Tby Robert Berman


With over 20 years of manufacturing and importing experience,

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dollar construction sector of our economy. Ifyou live in a house, drive on the street orwork in a building you need the rocks, con-crete and asphalt that these companies sell.In essence, every single one of us needs whatthat industry sells. So, why is it so pricefocused? Why is it so commodity minded?We’re talking about billions of dollars worthof transactions that are largely sold the sameway today as they were decades ago. Manyof the concepts that are commonplace inother industries today still are not acceptedin this mega-sector. The majority of theseplayers still have not adopted popular promotional tactics and concepts such asbrand building, loyalty rewards, high-techone-to-one marketing, balanced scorecardsor e-commerce.

Why should you care about what theconcrete, gravel and asphalt industriesare doing? Because as a consultant tomany industries over the years, I was sur-prised to find that an alarming number ofcompanies still had not made this shift tocustomer-focused strategies, and manywere still operating in the dark ages, evencompanies that appeared sophisticated onthe surface. Many may be reading this rightnow thinking that this touches on some ofthe same things that happen within theirown companies. Many of us go to workevery day in environments where the inter-nal culture is not aligned with the external

spin. I could take this story in several differ-ent directions, but for today I just want toshare one project profile with you that willhighlight what can be done when you takea commodity-minded, price-focused productand/or service and position it differently topack a powerful punch and generateextremely profitable results.

ARCHITECTURAL CONCRETE

Architectural concrete sounds pretty fancyand pricey, doesn’t it? However, it basicallyis normal, plain gray concrete, that wheninjected with liquid colored pigments andstamped with a texture

on the top, results in a beautiful, natural-looking stone finish. If you look aroundwhere you live and work, you likely will seearchitectural concrete. It could be the patioin your neighbors’ back yard or in the entry-way of your office building. If you lookclosely, it could even be the crosswalk on theway to your kids’ school.

My story takes place in Minnesota. Theclient was a concrete company namedCemstone. The challenge was to sell morearchitectural concrete by promoting their newliquid color technology. The spectacularresult was a 59% increase in sales of thisproduct line, which generated six figures inincremental gross profit.

THE PROJECT PROFILEAND STRATEGY

The following profile was generated byCemstone’s President Thor Becken as part of aletter to the awards committee at thePromotional Products Association International.

Cemstone is Minnesota’s oldest and largestconcrete producer. We have been in businessfor more than 75 years. In a mature, com-modity-minded industry like ours it is always achallenge to find a competitive advantage.Furthermore, when we do have those rareopportunities, seizing the potential is critical.

At the end of last year we decided toinvest in “liquid color” batching technology,which allows us to safely and efficiently turnplain gray concrete into a rainbow of colors.The concept of coloring concrete has beenin existence for many years; however, it was traditionally done by adding bags of pow-dered pigment into the fresh concretethrough the back of the truck manually. Asyou might imagine, that was a messy, costly,high-maintenance process that had built-insafety hazards. Still, colored and textured(architectural) concrete looks so good thateveryone wants it for sidewalks, commercialbuilding common areas, patios at home,etc. We knew we needed a better way todeliver this high-demand product.

Liquid color batching technology allowedCemstone to produce a highly profitable,safe product in hours instead of days. Inaddition, we could now be precisely consis-tent from load to load, job to job, even yearafter year. Once we had the technology, ourchallenge was how to creatively raise aware-ness and drive demand.

Upon implementing our new computer-dis-patched liquid color technology, we kneweverything could change if we marketed theopportunity well enough to seize the potential.

www.brilliantpublishing.com24 Brilliant Results | August/September 2004



Cemstone was the first company in our mar-ket to embrace this concept and we did sowith three goals in mind:

1). To become known as the market leader,the experts in liquid colored concrete.

2). To increase our volume in a slowing economy.

3). To increase profitability in a commodity-minded industry.Our marketing agency became an

elemental part of our business-buildingstrategy. They were involved from earlyon, including in the decision processregarding whether or not to invest in thistechnology. Once we decided to proceed,they immediately went to work to developwhat ultimately became the campaign thatwas incredibly successful for us.

The strategy was focused on the words“liquid” and “color” since that was in factour primary market advantage. We used apush strategy, which meant no mass media,but 100% direct marketing tactics toCemstone’s target audience of home-builders, contractors, architects, developersetc. We clearly conveyed the benefit to theend consumer, but focused on the features,advantages and benefits (F.A.B.) to our pri-mary customer and those who influencethem, i.e. the contractor, architect, etc.

A dimensional direct mail campaign wasimplemented which featured logoed promo-tional products that visually conveyed thetwo key elements of “liquid” and “color.”Over three different distributions, the targetaudience received a liquid color filled mousepad, an executive desktop toy called an“ooze box” that drips colored liquid and apostcard/magnet combo that showed thebeauty of the end result.

Other components of the campaign includ-ed a brochure detailing the F.A.B., an e-mailmarketing campaign that clicked through toCemstone’s Web site where visitors could playwith a virtual concrete designer, PowerPointpresentations that our salespeople deliveredduring “box lunch” seminars, open housetraining events and high visibility at home andtrade shows.

The bottom line is that the marketingcampaign achieved a 59% increase in salesin this product category over the previousyear. To put that in perspective, it equals asix-figure increase in incremental gross profit, not gross revenue.

The end result was a true win-win-win.Cemstone “won” with increased sales and

profits in a down economy, and by being recognized as the market leader in this cate-gory. Our contractor customers “won” by

differentiating themselves in the marketvia a unique product and service. And,the end consumers “won” by now get-ting a much more visually appealingproduct at an outstanding value.

The moral to this story is that truewin-win-win business opportunities stillexist in today’s world, even for commodi-ty-minded dirt guys. •

Robert Berman is a 15 year industryveteran and former Marketer of the Year. Hiscreative campaigns have won several industryPyramid Awards.

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very successful rancher makes sure the bestand most promising calves are branded.The simple fact being that if it’s worth nurturing, it’s worth making sure everyonerecognizes it as your steer when it reachesadulthood. Thus, the brand is embedded

and becomes a permanent mark on the animal. Insuch a simple way, the rancher has taken time todifferentiate the value of his animal from othersimilar animals.

Therein lies the importance of brand building: itdifferentiates your product from other relatedproducts. Too often, companies forget this basiclesson of branding and rely on breakthroughadvertisements, which merely “label” a product orservice. They fail to create a consolidated market-ing, promotion and sales strategy that will differen-tiate their product from similar comparable products and create an emotional relationship withtheir products in the consumer’s mind. Since thelongevity of a brand is often based on a con-sumer’s deep emotional response, AcuPOLLResearch Inc. recommends that brand executives

test their advertising not just for recall, but foremotional connection and equity building potentialas well. Successful brand builders don’t wasteadvertising dollars on transient relationships.

A Brand Can’t Stand on Price Alone

“Any damned fool can put on a deal, but ittakes a genius, faith and persuasiveness to create a brand.”

David Ogilvy’s statement concisely makes thepoint that price alone isn’t what brand building isabout. Marketing solely based on price often resultsin the denigration of both company and product byfailing to establish any specific benefit, competitiveadvantage or uniqueness associated with the prod-uct. Thus, a competing product merely lowers itsprice and the previously “cheap” product lossesmarket share. This is not to say that price is not apart of the successful brand equation, but it isimportant to remember that it is only one aspect ofthe equation.

E



According to a recent research study conducted byCarol and Carl Gwin and published in the Journal ofMarketing Theory and Practice, a product attributesmodel for evaluating brand positioning has three keycomponents: the perceived levels of the product attrib-utes for a brand, the budget constraint or “efficiencyfrontier” and the indifference curve of a consumer.Specifically, price is the budget constraint in the analysisof a consumer’s purchase decision. Based on this theory,consumers evaluate a product’s perceived attributes andset a maximum price that they will spend. Thus, it is aproduct’s perceived attributes that effectively set itsprice in the marketplace. Sure, you can have sales, but acompany that merely focuses on price ultimatelyeventu-ally fails at brand building because the establishment, ornot, of a product’s unique value offerings ultimately willcontrol its destiny.

Attributes ~ The I-Have-to-Have-It Factor

In their dreams, every advertiser hears the con-sumers in a product’s target market saying, “I just had

to have…” In an effort to turn that dream phrase intoa reality, several brand positioning evaluative tools arecommonly utilized: multidimensional scaling, factoranalysis, discriminate analysis and multi-attribute compositional models. Basically, these approaches evaluate three branding criteria:

• How is the brand’s positioning differentiating it fromother brands in the market?

• Do opportunities exist to reposition the brand orintroduce a new product?

• Are any segments underserved by existing brands inthe category?

One potential flaw in this approach is that the impor-tance of consumer perceived attributes are often over-looked. Research by economist Kelvin J. Lancastershowed that consumers have preferences for specificcharacteristics contained in a product’s bundle of attrib-utes. For example, Coke®, Diet Coke®, Coca-Cola C-2®‚and Dasani‚ differ in taste, appearance, calorie count,health benefit and other characteristics. Lancaster’s theo-ry assumes that rather than comparing the products

Brand The Cash Cow

Brand The Cash Cow

“Any damned fool can put on a deal,

but it takes a genius, faith and

persuasiveness to create a brand.”



themselves, individuals choose among the basic attrib-utes of the products. Each of the aforementionedproducts, while under the Coca-Cola®‚ brand, isdesigned for a specific segment of the beverage con-suming market. Whether the latest addition Coca-Cola C-2®‚ will appeal to the new carb-countingsegment of the population remains to be seen, butit will hinge, in part, on how well its attributes arepresented to the low-carb target audience. If notdone correctly, even a master marketer such asCoke®, whose brand name is synonymous withordering a soft drink, may have to put C-2®‚ onthe shelf right next to New Coke‚.Understanding these consumer preferences forspecific brands can help define the best posi-tioning and marketing mix for a particular

brand. Failing to make this analysis with itsimplications for pricing, promotion and positioning canresult in a lot of bubbles down the drain.

Branding to a Media-Overloaded Society

According to a June 2004 article in TheEconomist, a recent study by Yankelovich Partners,an American marketing-services consultancy, saysthat consumer resistance to the growing intrusive-ness of marketing and advertising has been pushedto an all-time high. With 65% of people feeling“constantly bombarded” by ad messages and almost70% indicating an interest in products or servicesthat would help them avoid marketing pitches, SOPadvertising may no longer build the strongestbrands. A case in point was made in the same articlewhen Jim Stengel, Procter & Gamble’s global mar-keting officer indicated that only one-quarter of thecompany’s marketing spend went to television forthe recent launch of the non-prescription version ofPrilosec®‚. When one of the world’s biggest advertis-ers – with a $4 billion annual budget – re-aligns itsproduct launch market spend, that is a corporateheads up for business.

Since people are tiring of advertisements in nearlyevery form, the promotional products sector merits ahard look by companies interested in brand building.While ZenithOptimedia, a long-time industry tracker,anticipates worldwide major media expenditures in2004 to grow by 4.7% to $343 billion that still

leaves some $400 billion being spent on otheraspects of marketing. One significant segment ofthat $400 billion belongs to the promotional prod-ucts industry. In 2003, The Promotional ProductsAssociation International State of the Industry Reportindicated that some $16.3 billion, up 4.57% fromthe previous year, was spent with promotional prod-ucts distributors. Promotional products are constantlyevolving to meet client needs, as exemplified by thenew XOGO GameCard product line designed toaddress the specific needs of prize rewards and thecompetition sector of the promotions industry. Thesize of a credit card with an LCD screen, the XOGO isa multi-play, multi-functional device customizable toa brand’s individual goals.

Whether cutting-edge XOGO cards or tried andtrue writing instruments, promotional products are constantly building brands. Are you thanking your business associates with promotional gifts,

rewarding/retaining your employees with promotion-al award products (plaques, watches, etc.) or building your brand with promotional merchandise?If not, you may be missing an important brandbuilding opportunity. If you doubt this, count thenumber of imprinted pens in your home, checkoutyour family’s wearables. How many T-shirts, polos,hats, visors and jackets are promoting a brand inyour home? Has your favorite charity, realtor, bank,etc. sent you a calendar currently on display? Whatabout that coffee mug?

To appreciate the creative and brand buildingeffectiveness of promotional products, corporatemarketing executives are often well served by work-ing directly with promotional products distributors.These professionals bring a plethora of sources tothe table along with a creative and business-focusedmindset. It certainly took a long time for the atten-dees at a recent trade show to forget the Internetsecurity company that handed out condoms embla-zoned with their logo – what a way to say bettersafe than sorry. In a society immersed in advertising,successful brand builders have to look for new waysto reach target markets and often something youhold in your hand that quietly reminds of a productis more successful than an annoying increase in vol-ume when the latest commercial interrupts yourfavorite television show. •

According to a June 2004 article in The Economist, a recent study by Yankelovich Partners, an American marketing-services consultancy, says that consumer resistance to the growing intrusiveness of marketing

and advertising has been pushed to an all-time high.


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TBy Gary Semrow

he holiday season begins in late

November with the smell of turkeys

baking in the oven, cranberries on the

table, and the Detroit Lions on television

playing football. It continues with neigh-

bors lighting up their yards to rival Clark

Griswold, the smell of pine needles in the

house and holiday parties. Finally, it cul-

minates with champagne bottles popping

as the ball drops over Times Square. This

is the time of year that most people are

in a jovial mood, and when people are in

good spirits, they are most susceptible to

the power of advertising.

One of the most cost effective and

powerful ways for businesses to rein-

force themselves in the eyes of the

consumers, as well as their employees, is

promotional products. During the holi-

day season, these products can be used

by almost every sector of our economy.

These sectors include retail, industrial/

manufacturing, financial, service,

technology and transportation.



RETAIL SECTOR

The day after Thanksgiving marks the start ofthe busiest month in the retail world. Thousandsof potential consumers are moving from store tostore within the mall or local shopping districts,making numerous purchases along the way.What better way for merchants to advertisethemselves than custom printed bags with theirname, logo and location? For pennies on thedollar, a store can turn an individual into a walk-ing billboard. In addition, these customers areleaving the store in many different directions,expanding the retailer’s exposure throughout themall, town and neighboring areas.

Many retailers also offer gift-wrappingservices during the holiday season. Retailerscan make themselves stand apart from theircompetitors by placing their name and/orlogo on gift-wrap. If the retailer wants tobe subtle, the company can do custom

printed ribbon that goes around thewrapped packages. If a company reallywants to be inconspicuous, it can use custom printed tissue within the wrappedbox. One or a combination of all threepackaging methods allows the receiver ofthe gift to know where it came from andeven may result in gaining that person as a new customer.

INDUSTRIAL/MANUFAC-TURING SECTOR

The industrial/manufacturing sector hasnumerous promotional products available tothem to help promote themselves during theholiday season. First of all, many industrialcompanies have fewer customers than theretail sector, but the customers are usually big-ticket purchasers. One good way to show yourappreciation for business throughout the yearis with custom gift baskets. Custom gift baskets

can range from wine, sausage and cheese tosnacks and candy. Both the signs in the basketand the baskets themselves can be printedwith a manufacturer’s name, reinforcing thesense of appreciation for the year of loyaltyand business.

Many industrial companies also deal withFedEx, UPS and other delivery truck drivers ona daily basis. A majority of the time, the samedrivers come back, day after day throughoutthe year. Since the manufacturer relies onthese drivers to get products to the cus-tomers, a show of appreciation at the end ofthe year is a classy touch. One good way toshow a company’s appreciation for servicesduring the holiday season is a custom-etchedbottle of wine, which stands out from mostother holiday gifts.

Finally, most companies cannot operatewithout their employees. One good way tokeep the employees happy at the holiday timeand productive throughout the year is withcustomized incentive programs. For example,the employees can earn points over thecourse of the year for performance, safety ortimeliness, which they then can redeem fornice gifts at holiday time. These incentive pro-grams must initiate early to be most effective.Ideally, employees should be provided a cata-log at the beginning of the year outlining thelevels of points needed for particular gifts.That way, they can strive to improve produc-tivity throughout the year knowing that theywill be rewarded for their efforts. This notonly should make employees happy, but alsoboost performance.

FINANCIAL SECTOR

The key to a financial firm’s success is theperformance of their brokers, investmentbankers and administrative employees. Onegood way to show appreciation for these indi-viduals’ hard work is through personalizedcrystal awards. These awards can be displayedin their offices and will constantly reinforce thefirm’s appreciation for their performance. Theseawards will also drive other employees to strivefor excellence. A second gift for employees inthe financial world is corporate apparel. Afashionable shirt, jacket or sweater embroi-dered with the firm’s logo both reinforces loyalty to the firm and offers opportunities formultiple impressions when the employee wearsit outside of the office environment.

Financial institutions also rely heavily on theirtop investors. Institutions always try to get topinvestors to move from a competitor’s firm totheirs. One good way to keep your firm’s namein the investor’s mind and show that you really


MicroClairAd_1204 11/19/04 5:03 PM


appreciate theirbusiness is by providingcustom-printed leather products.The promotional products industry offers hun-dreds of leather products at a variety of price lev-els that can be customized with both the firmand an investor’s name. These products canrange from wallets, to briefcases to luggage.

SERVICE SECTOR

Around the holiday season, many restaurantsand bars across the country have customerappreciation parties. Free food and beveragesusually are offered to the establishment’s regularcustomers for a set period of time, which is theoptimum time to use personalized plates, nap-kins, and cups. These items convey a moreupscale appearance than plain stock plates andnapkins. A bar or restaurant can even go onestep further by giving each regular patron a cus-tomized glass or heavy plastic mug that can betaken home after the party. This way, for a mini-mal cost, that patron will be reminded of theestablishment every time he or she drinks from it.

Within service firms, employees tend tohave direct contact with the customers.Therefore, the firm’s reputation can be easilyconveyed by the overall employee morale. Inaddition to the incentive programs and cor-porate apparel mentioned earlier, an employ-er can give other functional promotionalproducts such as customized barbeque or

cutlerysets, pic-

nic baskets,travel chairs or

even coolers withbuilt in radios. These

are useful, everyday itemsthat the employee will use year

round. Also, these products can begifted to top customers. Within the

promotional products industry, service firmsalso can easily find “quality impression”items to give customers and employees thatare designed to fit their individual niche.

TECHNOLOGY SECTOR

Recent college graduates often comprisethe bulk of the technology sector work-force. As such, tech firms usually look foryouthful and hip items to use in their pro-motional efforts. The promotional productsindustry is full of great ideas for these typesof clients, including whimsical items such ascustom-printed boxers and pajamas. Theseproducts make practical holiday gifts thatcan be enjoyed by employees of both sexes.If a firm would like to provide a high-endgift, a customized golf club may be theanswer. It works perfect with the name ofthe firm imprinted under a clear grip on the putter.

High-tech items are also sold through thepromotional products industry. A technologyfirm can give its customers portable harddrives. These items are available in differentlevels of memory and can be custom imprint-ed to help advertise the firm. In addition,items such as mp3 players, watches andclocks make impressive promotional gifts for

customers and employees. An ideal holidaygift pack from a technology-driven companycan include items such as: custom-printedmouse pads, CD-ROMs, keyboard brushesand non-tangling telephone cords.

TRANSPORTATION SECTOR

The transportation sector uses numerouspromotional products that sales representativespass out when making calls on current andpotential clients. A few of the most popularitems used by this sector are imprinted hats, T-shirts and mugs. These are functional itemsthat provide substantial impressions per adver-tising dollar spent. A current customer or evenpotential prospect will either wear or use theseitems on a daily basis, keeping your name inpublic at all times. Wall calendars are anotherpopular item used by the transportation sectorduring the holidays. The popularity of the cal-endar is that it keeps a company’s name andlogo in the customer’s face every day for 12months. On a more cost-effective level, trans-portation companies pass out thousands ofimprinted pens and pencils. For pennies, firmscan use these instruments to get their namesout to hundreds of prospects.

As highlighted here promotional productsare a highly useful and cost effective way topromote a particular business to employees,customers and prospective customers during theextremely busy holiday season. Please keep inmind that products and ideas mentioned abovecan be adapted and personalized to fit nearlyany business. Remember, for businesses bothlarge and small, there are thousands of promo-tional products available that make practical andfunctional advertising tools that will help yourcompany stand out during the holiday season.Contact your local promotional product distribu-tor for more ideas and merchandise that canaccommodate your holiday season promotions.With some ingenuity and a little luck, you mighteven find some surprises in your holiday promo-tional “stocking” this year.

HAVE A SAFE AND HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON! •

Gary C. Semrow, Vice President ofMarketing for American Ad Bag, has beeninvolved in the promotional products Industryfor the past 8 years. In addition to his participa-tion in numerous trade shows he travels exten-sively throughout the United States educating &motivating industry professionals.


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The Three ‘R’s in HR: RECRUIT– RETAIN – REWARD

t should come as no surprise that many of the best companies, read that as most profitable, also frequentlyappear at the top in lists of the Best Companies toWork For. Even in today’s job starved market withunemployment hovering at 5.6% and job cut

announcements a fairly common phenomena, the companies with outstanding performance are constantlyengaged in a search for high-value employees. Truisms such as “Hire the best” and “Human capital is the only capital that appreciates, rather than depreciates, in value”are not just feel-good statements, but rather the mottos of top performing human resources departments.

I



Recruit – The First “R” in HR

To the uninitiated, recruitment simplymeans an advertisement in the newspaper,lots of applicants who appear for interviews –and the best candidate is selected—problemsolved, job filled. However those employersseeking high-value employees, whether tech-nically proficient, management proficient orboth, have long understood that thisapproach is more often the exception thanthe rule. In reality, advertisements are placedin publications and journals across the coun-try. Search firm services are retained.Candidates (and perhaps their families) areflown in for interviews, and initial interviewsare followed by more interviews with man-agers/corporate executives with whom thepotential employee will be working. Then, theemployment decision is made and relocationcosts are added to the price tag. Literally,hundreds of dollars are rolling out the doorbefore the new employee walks in to startwork. After all this effort, there is no guaran-tee that the new employee will live up toexpectations and contribute positively to thecorporate bottom-line.

One approach to reducing the recruitingcost-per-hire rate being tried by large and smallcompanies alike is utilization of existingemployees. The human resources director of asmall software development company that has

found about half of its hires from an EmployeeReferral Program commented in HR Magazine,“There’s definitely a stronger sense of owner-ship when employees refer candidates –Employees won’t refer someone they can’tdepend on.” General experience from the useof this type of program has been positiveacross the spectrum of positions filled. Whilesurvey data indicates that cost-effectivenesswas the primary benefit, quality candidateshave been an added bonus. Not surprisingly,the most common incentive for employeeswho refer hired candidates is cash. Johnson &Johnson found that while some firms may putoff cash payments, in our immediate gratifica-tion society there was a tangible drop-off ininterest if payments required 90-day or longerwaits. To combat this problem and buildemployee interest, Johnson & Johnson referralawards are typically paid within six weeks afterthe new employee’s start date according totheir human resources department.

Cash is often the obvious incentive for anemployee referral program, but other recogni-tion-oriented products should be considered.There are a number of reasons for expandingbeyond the cash reward. Specifically, the cashis a “here-today-gone-tomorrow” problem.How much cash is another considerationbecause of the bad feelings it may engender ifthe recipient feels it was an insufficientamount. This is an area where consultation

with a promotional products specialist canprovide guidance. Consider the continuing ROIof a quality award displayed or worn by theemployee long after cash is forgotten, and itscontinuing motivational effect on others with-in the organization.

After the hire, there is the orientationexpense. The necessary time required from vari-ous segments of the company to familiarizethe new hire with the people, culture, bene-fits, policies and practices of their newemployer. This cost, while relatively easy tocalculate, is often overlooked or lumped inwith the expense of initial job training. Manyin company management would agree that ittakes three months for any employee to startactually earning their wages and six monthsbefore a new employee’s wages produce anytangible bottom-line benefit to the company.

After the orientation cost and OJT cost,there are the harder to calculate costs associ-ated with professional development, tuitionreimbursement and new skills training.According to Fairchild Semiconductor’s JohnHaggerty, who recently endeavored to calcu-late the value of that company’s workforce,“All of our employees must prepare today fortomorrow’s challenges – continuous learningoffers us the opportunity to promote fromwithin, which serves everyone.”

Numerous surveys exist to calculate someportion of recruitment costs. According to


information published in the DelawareEconomic Development Office Resource, theU.S. Department of Labor estimates employeeturnover can cost between $20,000 and$30,000 per incident; whereas, TheInternational Telework Association & Councilsays to figure one-third of an employee’s annu-al salary. These figures are, at best, only esti-mates, and when it comes to top managementor technical talent costs, other studies indicatesubstantially greater cost figures. The followingtable may assist in recruitment cost calculations:

Retain – The Second “R” in HR

Although alternately labeled the “staff,”the “employee,” the “company” or the“workforce,” to retain them as positive bot-tom-line assets, we have to know who theyare and what they want. In the past this ques-tion was an easier one to answer. The oldcovenant between company and employee ofimplied lifelong employment for the hardworkers tended to retain a company’s work-force automatically. This, combined with work-forces generally comprised of like-mindedemployees, made figuring out what wasrequired to retain those employees prettymuch a slam-dunk.

Today’s American workforce no longer hasthat semblance of consistency. Rather, it iscomprised of both genders working in previ-ously single gender occupations, a variety ofcultural norms and members of four very dif-ferent generations working side by side. Thesedifferences among the members of a singleworkforce present a substantial challenge inthe area of worker retention. Yet as JackWelch, former CEO of General Electric Co.,

stated, “Any company trying tocompete…must figure out a way to engagethe mind of every employee.”

Yet, according to Gallup Polls’ research,26% of the U.S. workforce is engaged (loyaland productive), 55% is not engaged (justputting in time) and 19% is actively disen-gaged (unhappy and spreading discontent).Therein lies the challenge of worker retention.Because it can profoundly affect the bottomline of any company through the combinedcosts of recruitment and poor job perform-

ance/productivity, it becomes critically impor-tant to develop concrete approaches to solving the retention problem.

The first step in the retention process is to“know” your employees. For example, a studyby the management search firm BridgeGate LLC exploring reasons workers gave for stay-ing with their current employers provided the following insights:• Women value flexible schedules more than

men (17.3% vs. 11.2%)• Men are motivated by stock options (12.0%

vs. 4.7%)• Raises mean more to workers 25-34 than to

all other age groups (52.3% vs. 43.2%)• Benefits are important to older workers

(36.7% vs. 23.1% overall)• Younger workers 18-24 prefer training

opportunities (10.7% vs. 4.7% overall)Another up-and-coming trend for worker

retention is the prospect of telework/telecom-munting. The Federal Interagency TeleworkWorking Group Draft Policy Papers HumanResources Management Report on Recruitmentand Retention, cites an International TeleworkAssociation & Council survey that states employ-ers can save 63% of costs associated withabsenteeism by allowing telework. ITAC furtherpoints out that 53% of teleworkers say the pos-sibility of working at home some of the time isimportant in choosing an employer and tele-working is high on the list of desired employertraits. The same Subcommittee Report cites anAT&T survey in which 66% of all AT&T man-agers report that telework is an advantage inkeeping and attracting good employees and67% of those teleworkers reported that thetelework environment was an important factorin their turning down competing job offers.


Current Rate of Turnovera. Number of employees leaving per year:

b. Average number of employees:

c. Divide line a by line b

% of turnover = line c X 100

Annual Cost of Employee Turnover to the CompanyEmployment Advertising:

Employment Agency and Search Fees:

Employee Referrals Program Costs:

Applicant Interview Expenses:

New Hire Relocation Costs:

Employment Staff Compensation:

Other Employment Expenses:

Orientation and Training:

Estimated Total Costs

Number of New Employees Average turnover cost per new employee:(divide total costs by # of new employees)



Telecommunting becomes particularlyimportant in efforts to ensure that disabledemployees’ needs are met and in the recruit-ment of highly qualified talent within the dis-abled community. The use of telecommuntingalso has been made a part of recommendedchanges within the Federal Office of PersonnelManagement to the extent that OPM will con-duct annual surveys of how agencies are usingtelework for recruitment and retention purpos-es and recommend that agencies emphasizetelework opportunities at job fairs. Theseactions within the federal sector, which oftentends to lag the private sector in innovation,strongly suggest that private sector companiesthat do not already have operational telecom-muting programs should seriously considertheir implementation.

While telecommuting is applicable to cer-tain corporate employment functions, thereare still areas in which it is not an option.Again “know your employee” is the operatingmantra for employee retention. A recent sur-vey by Chart Your Course Internationalrevealed that 46.9% of respondents indicated“enjoyed my work” as the primary reason forkeeping them at their current job, followed bya distant second (15.2%) who are there forthe compensation. When asked to give themost important reason for choosing a newemployer, the top two responses were inter-esting and challenging work (27.0%) and bet-ter managers/management culture (17.6%).When asked whether or not they were goingto seek a better job as the economy improves,a majority (42.6%) said “No,” with 22.3%answering “Yes” and a disturbing 34.0% onthe fence with “maybe.”

Employers may have a difficult time chang-ing the minds of the 22.3% who plan to seeknew employment, but the 34.0% of fence sit-ters are really the ones who need to be moti-vated and relocated to the ‘ “No” category.

Reward – The Third “R” in HR

Rewarding the productive employee cancreate a win-win situation. As John Haggertyof Fairchild noted, direct job training, profes-sional development and formaleducation/tuition reimbursement programs“maximize the probability that our businesswill succeed and, at the same time, assureemployability rather than employment”— the new covenant between employer andemployee. Educational benefits create anobvious win-win situation; however, otherreward possibilities should not be overlooked.

Many companies recognize the importanceof family to their workers, from programs as

elaborate as on-site daycare to those as inno-vative as pre-paid, company logo-imprintedlong distance phone cards for calling familymembers. The company picnic is anotheropportunity to optimize the goodwill buildingstandard with company logo T-shirts, hats andother promotional products. Consider sched-uling your morale building/reward-orientedfunctions at places important or of interest toyour staff. Try a special outing for the produc-tion crew that beat an impossible deadline,the accounting staff that worked late into thenight to accomplish the year-end close, or thecommunity volunteers who gave up their personal time and enhanced the company’s

name in the process. If you take the time toknow your employees, there are a myriad ofpossibilities. Each of these occasions can beeven more memorable by using promotionalproducts, whether as awards or to commem-orate rewards and special company events.

If this all sounds like plenty of work, it is!However, whenever you doubt whetherretaining and rewarding employees is worthit, go back and checkout the recruitment fig-ures and costs. Moreover, just remember allof those time-consuming resume reviews andthe “you’ve-got-to-be-kidding-me” typeswho showed up for the seemingly endlessstream of interviews •


Selling


t’s that time of year again. The end of summersignals our thoughts to drift toward holidaygift catalogs and sales. How will you dothings differently this year to ensure maxi-mum satisfaction and sales to your clients?

The good news is that current economicforecasts for the rest of the year certainlyseem merrier. “This holiday season com-pared to last year is a tale of twoeconomies,” says National Retail FederationPresident and CEO Tracy Mullin. “This year,the economy is bouncing back and weexpect this solid sales environment to

continue throughout the rest of the year.”Business owners’ holiday budgets for client and cus-

tomer gifts this holiday season are up to an average ofalmost $1000, according to the OPEN Small BusinessNetwork Semi-Annual Monitor from American Express. The survey found that the number of business owners withholiday gift-giving plans for clients and customers heldsteady in 2003 at 41 percent, and average gift budgetsrose 2 percent to $966.

According to the survey, sending cards or calendarsremained the most popular holiday gesture for clientsand customers (18 percent) followed by a food or fruit

basket (8 percent). Thenumber planning to give retail or restau-rant gift certificates to key clients or customers doubled from 4 percent in 2002 to 8 percentin 2003.

But even with the upwardspending trend, don’t expect holi-day gift sales to be a breeze.Forecasts and trends are never “set instone,” so mindful corporations willstill be wary of overspending andlooking to preserve budgets wher-ever possible — especially withgift-giving.

But then again, no one wants to be perceived as a‘Bad Santa’ or an ‘Ebenezer Scrooge’ that is too cheap torecognize their valued clients when it matters most. Aselection of noteworthy, quality products with the rightprice, timing and presentation are sure to seal the dealevery time.

Here we have assembled a showcase of some of thehottest new holiday gifts for 2004 that your clients aresure to love, as well as tips from the experts about how tomaximize your holiday sales.

IHoliday Cheer

Make a list, check it twice andimpress your clients with expert

holiday gift-giving ideas

1

By Tiffany Owens


Brilliant Results | August/September 2004 41www.brilliantpublishing.com

2 4

5

6

8

7

3

1, 2 & 3. Hirsch Gifts • 4, 5 & 6. Bulova • 7. International Merchandise Concepts • 8. Hurricane Line



• Send holiday catalogs out early. Not only will you be first

to display your holiday items, but clients can take advantage

of early-bird deals and offers.

• Get caught up in the Web. Catalog sales are always a sure

bet, but as more people turn to the Internet for corporate

gift ideas, the sooner that your Web site is updated with

your complete holiday line, the better to snag the early

shoppers.

• Use it or lose it. Creativity and sales, that is.

Salespeople should get creative and promote the

line’s unique gifts or else run the risk of blending

in with everyone else. When budgets are tight,

buyers tend to favor more non-traditional ideas

that make their gift stand out from the crowd.

• The more, the merrier. Gifts that appeal to a wide

audience and that can be used by clients year-round

always provide the best value for the holiday dollar.

• Prioritize your gift list. Prominent clients should

receive individualized gifts, whereas the smaller

accounts can receive gifts bought in bulk. But don’t

play favorites; every client — big or small, naughty or

nice — should receive a gift.

• Get personal. The proper enclosure card establishes the

relevance of your gift and personalizes the gift to the

recipient. Enclosing your company holiday card? Be sure

to include a handwritten line or two.

• Light and bright. Another way to stretch the holiday

dollar is to choose lightweight gifts. The savings on

postage and packaging can ultimately be put back into

the gift.

• The no-brainer. Don’t think it goes unnoticed: A gift

that obviously had zero thought put into it is always a

bad idea. Tasteful, sincere gifts are the ones that are

always fondly remembered.

• That’s a wrap. Don’t forget, the packaging is just as

important as what’s inside and evidence of your

attention to detail. Go one step beyond with a “sig-

nature” wrap that reflects the image you wish to con-

vey to your clients. And, remember, even the cheapest

gifts can be made more attractive with festive and

innovative packaging.

Expert holiday giftideas that work:

9

10

11

13

15

14

9. International Merchandise Concepts • 10. PromoBiz • 11. Norwood • 12. Gordon Sinclair • 13. Norwood 14. AITG • 15. International Merchandise Concepts


12


KeyKlaspThe Perfect GiftEND

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purchased with

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KK-WM Matte White $6.75 $5.75 $5.10 $4.90

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KK-GM Gold Matte $7.70 $6.70 $6.15 $5.85

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16 18

17

20

19

2221

16. Leeds • 17. World Wide • 18. Maple Ridge Farms 19. World Wide • 20. Sound Promotions • 21. Maple Ridge Farms • 22. Sound Promotions



29


23

24

25

26 27

23. New Products International • 24. AITG • 25. Minya International • 26 & 27. Sovrano by Logomark 28. Bravo Awards • 29. New Products International


28



30. Hirsch Gifts • 31. New Products International • 32. Hirsch Gifts • 33. Timenetusa.com 34. Sound Promotions


30

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ASI� ��


t’s been an incredible ride, like riding achopper on a warm evening along theBig Sur watching a beautiful sunset. It’sbeen wonderful, and I love it. My tenurein the promotional products industry has

been a steady ride of building significant rela-tionships, lasting friendships and a deep sensefor the importance of giving back to myfriends and peers. As a speaker and consult-ant in the promotional products industry, Ihave this burning desire to share experiencesand information that will continue to help in

raising the bar of professionalism within theindustry. I, though, am just one individualwho really enjoys giving back, much like mypeers, including Glen Holt, Robert Berman,Jodi Friedman and so many others who wouldfill all of these pages. However, it is thisdesire that makes this industry an unbeliev-able place to work and live. While I havewritten a book, published more than 300 arti-cles and spoken publicly internationally to inexcess of 200,000 people, I learn so much bylistening to others. It is the free exchange of

I50 Brilliant Results | August/September 2004 www.brilliantpublishing.com

that get ResultsPromotionsPromotions

that get Results



About the Author:

Cliff Quicksell Jr. has been involved in the promotional products and sportswearindustries for the past 22 years. He has achieved the Master Advertising Specialistprofessional designation and is actively involved in Promotional Products AssociationInternational. He has served five terms as the education chairperson for his regionaltrade association, CPPA of Maryland. For more than 17 years, Quicksell also hasbeen speaking, training and consulting to associations and business groups onmore effective ways to market themselves, their products and services and motivat-ing their personnel.

by Cliff Quicksell, MASPresident – Net Results, Inc.

[email protected]

information, without paranoia, that strength-ens a group, an industry and an individual.This is your opportunity now to read andabsorb some incredible stories, many of whichmirror yours, that will make you more prof-itable and a much more sought after profes-sional in your respective market. Don’t beafraid to share.

Look at the cover of this magazine, whereyou will see three incredibly talented individu-als – Paul Teutul Sr., Paul Teutul Jr. andMichael Teutul of Orange County Choppers –< who absolutely LOVE what they do. In fact,it goes beyond a love for their craft - it’s theirpassion. Do you have that passion? I havewatched them on television, and while it getsa bit wild and crazy (like some of our busi-nesses), they get it done. They are different,mavericks, and for that they get top dollar forwhat they produce. Do you? What are youworth? Think about that. If someone said,‘Bill, I have no interest in what you have tosell, but I understand you’re a creative person.What would you charge me per hour for your



creativity?’ If you don’t know, you’re in trou-ble. Before you can excel in business, youmust understand what you are worth. Couldanyone build a custom Orange CountyChopper bike or a custom promotion likeyou? It takes a maverick, someone who iswilling to step out beyond the norm of sellingunder a “trinkets and trash” banner and startselling like a promotional consultant. So,start thinking differently!

What is it you do?

I sell solutions, not stuff. A hundredyears ago, in its infancy, that is what thisindustry was all about – selling stuff withyour name on it. Now, it’s more than that.Promotional products motivate, incite, exciteand can change the direction of any busi-ness. Several years ago, I had the pleasureof meeting Don Anderson, an aspiring pro-motional consultant who emulated the wayI sold. Here is a quick story of how power-ful a carefully planned program can reapuncanny results: Don shared that he wasapproached by a lawn care company todevelop a door hanger for them to use as amarketing tool announcing and promotingtheir new lawn care special. Don seized theopportunity by asking them if they wereopen to a different methodology of promo-tion, noting that most people just “deepsix” (throw away) junk mail. Don proposedthat the company tie the promotion to aseasonal event, Easter. He suggested thatthe company take a piece of muslin clothand print the promotional information onthe cloth with natural soybean ink. The con-cept was to bundle a pinch of Texas wildflower seeds in the cloth, tie it up and placeit inside a plastic Easter egg. He furthersuggested that the company employ the BoyScouts in a goodwill project by having theboys toss the eggs in the front yards ofmore than 5,000 residents in the Houstonarea on the night before Easter. The resultswere staggering. Of the 5,000 pieces sent,over 1,800 phone calls were received by theclient, a 44% response rate. Would theclient have seen the same results with adoor hanger? Probably not.

Thinking differently, out of the box, iswhat gets results. It’s what stands out. Myrule is: As long as it does not harm anyoneemotionally, spiritually or mentally, the glovesare off. My job is to get results, not to sellstuff that sits on shelves, but concepts andproducts that motive and inspire. How doesone think differently? During my 15-plusyears as an educator, I have had so many

If someone said, ‘Bill, I have no interest inwhat you have to sell, but I understand you’rea creative person. What would you chargeme per hour for your creativity?’ If you don’t

know, you’re in trouble.



What would computers look like if we had 10 fingers on each hand? What if a human could run 100 mph for long periods of time?

How would transportation be different?

people tell me that they weren’t creative -not true. It’s thinking differently and not wor-rying about what people say or think of yourideas that makes the difference. Interestingstatistic: from birth to age 6, 94 percent ofyour ideas were considered creative and inno-vative. However when you reach age 40, thatpercentage drops to 4 percent. Why? As wegrow up, we are conditioned by our parentsto be quiet, don’t do that, that’s a stupid ideaor act your age. Thinking openly, withoutreservation is where brilliant ideas are born.Think about that, if you have children andthe Maytag man delivers a washer to yourhome and the box finds its way into the yard,what does that box become to a kid? A car,a fort, a spaceship or any number of things.To watch a child’s mind open up is like seeinga fountain of untapped possibilities.

There is a book by Roger Von Oech, “AWhack on the Side of the Head,” whichspeaks directly to the creative process. Inhis book, one chapter talks about how tothink differently, jumpstart your creativejuices and the creative process. Von Oechsuggests that one way is to ask the ques-tion, “What if?” Then, think about thingsdifferently. What would computers look likeif we had 10 fingers on each hand? What ifa human could run 100 mph for long peri-ods of time? How would transportation bedifferent? Think about that. He also statesthat another good practice that works is tocompare two unlike objects and draw com-parisons of each. A cat and a refrigerator,what do they have in common? They comein different colors, different sizes, shapesand textures. They both hold milk andfood; they have a tail (power cord). Oneperson at one of my seminars said, “Theyboth sit there on the floor, looking stupiddoing nothing.” The reality is that it makesyou think differently and stretches your creative horizons. The idea of comparingtwo unlike objects is what I did one year todevelop a personal self-promotion that hadtremendous results. While walking a show,I happened on the Victorinox© booth wherethey sell Swiss Army™ knives. I had just fin-ished Von Oech’s book, and it dawned onme, ‘What do I and a Swiss Army knife have

in common?’ I designed a marketing piecethat addressed each function of a SwissArmy knife and how that functioned relatedto me a sales person. Scissors: we tailorpromotions to fit your budget; Toothpick:we pick and probe though all of the productofferings to bring you a promotion thatmakes you smile,” etc. My goal was to usethe piece as a door opener, one that hadmulti-utilitarian purpose. The packagingeven had value. The package was designedto have a perforated panel with a magnetattachment that could be removed and usedas a follow-up piece. I targeted 137prospects and had an amazing 84 percentresult rate, seeing more than 90 key prospects.

A few years after the Swiss Armypromo, I got into the swing of marketingand selling more like an agency, developingmore and more specialty promotional pro-grams. Wanting to target 47 key majormarketing managers, I decided to try some-thing different. I created a small box whereI placed a mouse pad, a pen, a BRC (busi-ness reply card) and a printed computermouse. The copy on the front of the boxread: Now it’s easier than ever…, while theinside finished: …to catch me. The mousehad an actual mousetrap attached to thecord. The purpose was to entice them tomy Web site, fill out the response card inorder to provide feedback about how easyit was to use my site and any suggestionsthey had to make it more appealing.Surprisingly, 94 percent of the recipientslogged on and gave me feedback either byphone, fax, e-mail or via the response card.In addition, several people actually placedorders on the site, an astounding $54,000of business the first month. Development,products and mailing for the piece totaledapproximately $300, a significant returnand response rate.

These are a few examples of what can bedone with a little ingenuity and creativity.Many other examples are available throughthe Promotional Products AssociationInternational or Advertising Specialty Institute,and each has archived numerous examples ofcreative promotional programs. •


Reader Service No.11



ecurity. The word embodies ourworst fears and our greatest desire.Whether it is resounded in politicalspeeches, alert colors or corporate

conference rooms, it is the word onAmericans’ lips. Beyond the visible

embodiments of increased security aware-ness – the concrete barriers, the metal detectors, security fencing and armed guards– there lies an area at the heart of every busi-ness security dilemma; an area that relies onevery worker on the corporate ladder – thefiles. The security of corporate files no longerdepends on locked rooms and locked steelcabinets whose keys are possessed by the

few, but on the ability of every individualworker to memorize a word and keep asecret. Because corporate files now exist inthe electronic memory of the company net-work that must be accessed by almost everyemployee on a nearly daily basis, file securityand quick accessibility depends almost solelyon words.

While no one in today’s heightened secu-rity environment questions the importance ofprotecting physical structures, it is the loss ofa business’s records that can lead to itsdestruction. As anyone who has ever experi-enced a computer crash and spent days trying to remember and reconstruct what

The Password Is:Security

The Password Is:Security

S


Reader Service No. 12



was stored on their hard drive can attest, theloss of even a few records presents problems.Now, envision every file in your organizationlost or corrupted – the employee files,accounting files, equipment programmingfiles, secret formulas, research files and allother files too numerous to list.

Improbable, perhaps, since most organiza-tions now have information back-ups storedoff-site; however, current information isalways at risk, and its loss or compromise canwreak havoc. That is why organizations havenumerous security precautions, firewalls andother electronic gatekeepers, but in manyorganizations, it often comes down to theweakest link – an individual’s password.

As reported in Information Week by MitchWagner, a recent impromptu man-on-the-street survey presented at Infosecurity Europediscovered that 71% of office workers will-ingly revealed their passwords when offeredthe bribe of a chocolate bar. Some 37% ofthose surveyed immediately gave their pass-word, while the remaining 34% parted withtheir passwords after a few social engineer-ing tactics, such as suggesting that the wordhad something to do with a pet or child’sname. With family and pet names comprisingsome 25% of passwords and the basichuman problem with keeping a secret, it isnot difficult to understand why passwordsare the easiest security mechanism to defeat.Studies by NSA, SANS and CERT along withresearch by RSA Security Inc. and Microsoftconfirm the fact that passwords are theweakest link in enterprise IT and a majorsecurity vulnerability.

Weak passwords are easy to guess andthat typically is why workers utilize them.However, hackers do not spend time guessingpasswords, instead they use programs thatemploy brute force or dictionary attacks.

Simply stated, there generally are 94 possi-bilities for each character of a password. If atwo-character password is used, that equals8,836 possible character combinations – easilycracked in less than one second with today’scomputing power. Iterating, or repeating,through all of these possible characters andcharacter combinations is the basic way abrute force attack program solves the password access problem.

The brute force attack program sounds likethe fastest route to password gold. Still, inreality, the dictionary attack program, whichuses a “dictionary” of possible passwords, ismuch faster. In addition to including words inthe standard dictionary, these program dic-tionaries also contain common male, femaleand pet names, popular movie titles, slang

Weak passwords are easy to guess and that typically is why workers utilize them. However,

hackers do not spend time guessing passwords,instead they use programs that employ brute

force or dictionary attacks.


www.promotion-express.comemail: [email protected] • Promotion Express asi#79914



words, etc. Since employees in most organiza-tions will use these phrases in order toremember their passwords, it is easy to seewhy a dictionary of popular names and wordswould decipher the password so efficientlyand effectively.

Most MIS Departments would counter atthis point with a statement relating to thecompany firewall and how difficult it is to gainaccess to the network. Talented hackers,meanwhile, would state that this is the easypart. On many Microsoft networks, a hackercan often perform a null session connectionfrom the command line. Once a null session isestablished, a multitude of informationbecomes available including user names, last

logon times, last password changes, etc. Thenull session works well on the inside of thecompany network. For it to work on the out-side, inbound traffic access must be availablethrough the firewall. If the firewall is open orill configured, access is open to hackers. If anull session cannot be started through thefirewall, scouring most companies’ Web siteswill reveal an open door. Those MISDepartments that quickly answer “We wouldknow if we were hacked” might want to takea moment to consider the oft repeated hackercomment: “Good hackers are famous; greathackers are anonymous.”

The easy answer to the password problemis to require employees to have more difficult

passwords. Here, the ugly conundrum ofmemory vs. the cost of forgetting rears itshead. According to RSA, password resets com-prise 40% of help desk calls. According to theMETA Group, an average company pays $25per help desk call; so forgotten passwords canbecome expensive. This figure does notinclude the frustration and lost productiontime spent by an employee who is trying toremember a password and access the comput-er program before finally reaching out to thehelp desk.

Without even considering the liability orpublic relations issues associated with confi-dential information becoming publicly avail-able, it is obvious that security without a qual-ity password policy is a myth. According to aSecurity Focus article, Ten Windows PasswordMyths by Mark Burnett, there are a number ofother password myths that need to beaddressed in order to set an effective pass-word policy, including:

• Random passwords from password gener-ators are the best passwords –

FALSE: They are usually difficult to remem-ber, slow to type and sometimes vulnerable to attacks against password generating algorithms.• Fourteen characters is the optimal pass-

word length –FALSE: These passwords are often split

into two separate seven-character hashes,which make them more vulnerable to a bruteforce attack. New versions of Windows cannow have passwords of up to 127 charactersin length.• Passwords should be changed every

30 days –FALSE: While this may be good for high-

risk passwords, it is not necessarily good foraverage users because they tend to developpredictable patterns or use other meansthat actually decrease the effectiveness oftheir passwords.• Passwords cannot include spaces –

FALSE: New versions of Windows allowspaces in passwords, making it easier for usersto come up with complex passwords that area combination of words they can remember.• Never write down your password –

FALSE: Sometimes passwords need to bewritten down, e.g. the company server admin-istrator quits his job, and he is the only onewho knows the server’s password. The caveatto this myth is to be smart about where thepassword is written down, how it is securedand how it is disposed of, as we all haveheard about security breaches created bynefarious “dumpster diving.”

If the firewall is open or ill configured, access is open to hackers. If a null session cannot be

started through the firewall, scouring most companies’Web sites will reveal an open door.


Name the Star www.namethestar.comemail: [email protected] • Promotion Express asi#72850


To build a successful password policy, theuser community and its habits must beunderstood. Equally important, upper man-agement must support the password policyby its own active compliance with any estab-lished guidelines. Leadership by example is anessential element of a company’s successfulpassword policy.

The first step in developing a passwordpolicy is to ascertain the value of the databeing protected based on its loss, sensitivity,effect of publication and other relevant fac-tors. Developing a table similar to the follow-ing may be helpful for this analysis:

Often once the cost of information loss isanalyzed, the need for a quality password pol-icy as a first step in security becomes self-evi-dent. Creating effective passwords generally is the next step. For a password to be valuableit should:

• Contain a mixture of letters (upper andlower case), numerals and symbols.

• Not contain your name or user name.• Not be a common word or name.• Be easy to type quickly with few errors.• Be at least 14 characters long – longer

is better.

After users are familiar with the processfor developing effective passwords, passwordprotection should be stressed. In the afore-mentioned “chocolate” survey, it should benoted that while 53% of respondents saidthey would not give their password to a tele-phone caller claiming to be from the ITdepartment, four out of 10 knew their col-leagues’ passwords; 55% would give theirpassword to their boss; and 66% used thesame password for work and personalaccess, i.e. online banking, Web site access,

etc. These numbers would seem to indicatethat password protection might be a harderproblem to solve than password quality. Ifthey do not generate enough reasons to getserious about password protection, considerthat the InformationWeek survey article alsorevealed that a majority of those surveyedwould take confidential information withthem if they changed jobs.

Any password protection policy must beenforceable and appropriate to the level ofrisk a compromised password would present.The obvious suggestions for a password pro-tection policy include:

• Never use your network logon password foranother purpose.

• Never share your password with anyone.• Change your password immediately if you

think it has been compromised.• If you must write your password down,

make sure it is stored in a secure location –not on a Post-it note attached to yourmonitor, hidden under your keyboard,taped to the bottom of your desk drawer, etc.

• Change your password on a regular basis asrequired by your specific risk environment

In an effort to help cope with the humancondition, promotional products may offersome assistance. Mouse pads, company cal-endars and desk blotters that remind usersto mind their password protocol are anobvious first step. Key-chain fobs, IDs onlanyards or plastic cards that users carrywith them can be encoded with a randomnumber for use in conjunction with a pass-word. When high security is required, theseitems can function as SecureID, where thenumber changes every minute generated byan algorithm that also resides on a serverinside the company’s computer center. Forthose in the organization who travel andfrequently access the network from off-sitelocations, portable USB storage devices canbe used to remember passwords in place ofwritten memorandums. Brainstorming withknowledgeable promotional products pro-fessionals can also assist in developing othercompany-specific ideas for maintainingpassword policies.

Remember, the best passwords are ones auser selects based on an informed understand-ing of passwords – a password that is hard tocrack, but never forgotten. The best policy isone that helps users create those passwordsthat have computer length and randomnesscombined with human familiarity. •


Cost of Loss Low High

0 1 2 3 4 5 Score

Legal

Financial

Competitive Advantage

Reputation

Environmental

Safety

Highest Score


64 Brilliant Results | August / September 2004 www.brilliantpublishing.com

WHAT WORKS>>> Case Studies in Success

Financial

Industry: Financial

Challenge:

To build a device that would hold and retract a pen permanently placed in a strategic location andbuild brand recognition for Discover Card‚.

Solution:

A creative promotional products professional came up with an idea that produced brilliant resultsfor Discover Card. Keep a pen where it is needed most and when the customer is ready to pay a billor make a purchase, they would think of Discover first. The idea is simple, build a device that willhold and retract a pen and permanently place it in a strategic location.

The promotional product professional contacted the leading manufacturer of badge and keyretracts, KEY-BAK; to come up with a solution. Take an existing Retract-A-Badge™, and turn it into astationary pen retractor. KEY-BAK having manufactured retractors since 1948 rose to the challenge.Their creative team devised a new design and was able to deliver a prototype a week later. Withintwo weeks the distributor had issued a purchase order and production for a large quantity began in KEY-BAK’S U.S. manufacturing facility.

KEY-BAK was able to take an idea through production and ship the complete project in 60 days.When asked how they were able to make things happen so quickly, they replied, “It is a partnershipwith Discover Card, the distributor, and the manufacturer to understand the objectives and it was such afun project that getting it done just seemed quicker. Besides, this is what we do and we do it well.”

Result:

The project continues to progress and grow, Discover pen retractors can be found in a number oflocations from restaurants, retail shops, hotels, grocery stores, and even warehouse retailers. Such asimple and innovative idea is not just a novelty, but also a strategic marketing promotional campaign.It does “Pay to Discover” the possibilities.



Healthcare

Industry: Healthcare

Challenge:

A Well Baby clinic based in Monrovia, CA was planning a celebration regarding the GrandOpening of a tenth location. The nurses at the clinic had created “Baby Baskets” filled with all thenecessities that new parents need after the birth of a child. The care package included baby wipes,starter formula, pacifiers, ear swabs, etc. Looking for an item that would fulfill the promotional aspectof the complimentary basket, a distributor was contacted.

Solution:

The distributor suggested the Evan’s Manufacturing #3600 Primary Care Thermometer, an item that was both novel and practical. Immediately, the nurses recognized the

NexTemp brand. They knew it was trusted within their industry for being as accurate as a mercurythermometer, but completely non-toxic. Amazed at the reusability factor and 5-year shelf life, thenurses placed an order for 1,500 to start with additional orders to follow.

Result:

The baskets were a success and all of the parents wanted to know where they could get addition-al thermometers for each member of their family. The only drawback was anticipating what color toput in the basket - Blue or Red!





Retail

Industry: Retail – Point of Purchase

Challenge:

A New York based promotional products professional was introducing a large liquor company tothe concept of using picture frames in a new marketing campaign. The concept began with a singlebrand as a point of purchase test. The goal was to not only put the brand in front of the customerbut also create new ways to order it.

Solution:

The promotional products professional contacted TimeZone®, a leading manufacturer of pictureframes and picture frame clocks to discuss a plan of attack. A leatherette base frame with an magnet-ic acrylic entrapment was first chosen based on ease of use and budget. A production sample wasstarted by TimeZone® while the insert was designed in house. Once approved, production was com-pleted and delivered in 35 days.

Result:

The initial success of this project led 6 other brands to do projects with the same concept. Afew brands chose metal picture frame clocks, others chose the same product, others did completelycustom frame products. Each order was designed with both the budget and usage in mind andevery single brand has placed at least one reorder to date. Different brands continue to call to cre-ate their own brand-building frame.


Here are twelve examples. View all 60 styles @ www.expresstimesource.com

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Avalon CT325as low as $11.25

Tuscany CT327as low as $5.99

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Retail

Industry: Retail (GAP)

Challenge

To deliver 30,000 gift watches to 5 countries in 28 days as a year-end holiday present to Gap employ-ees worldwide. In addition, all collateral material needed to be created in multiple languages.

Solution

Martyn Donald created an online presentation encompassing many styles for product selection basedon price point. This enabled the purchasing agent to interact globally with respective Gap locationsfor product approval. In addition an International Warranty & Instruction booklet was designed toaccompany each watch that was translated in five (5) different languages, including English, German,French, Spanish, and Japanese.

Result

The online presentation allowed Gap to make an immediate decision based upon the attractive VirtualSampleTM provided. The selected broker/factory met the tight delivery date with ease which devel-oped a stronger relationship. The multi-language warranty booklet exceeded everyone’s expectations.

Model

Soho (1250S) with silver finish and matching silver mesh band. Customized with Gap logo on dial.Packaging

Special white rectangular gift box with one color silk screen imprint of customized Gap logo.




Travel & Tourism

Industry: Travel & Tourism (Cruise West)

Challenge:

To motivate crew members to secure future bookings on a cruise line.

Solution:

The challenge for Alaska Sightseeing Cruise West was to get their fleet crews to “buy into”becoming subtle, yet effective sales people. By implementing an incentive program, AlaskaSightseeing gave the crew the opportunity to earn gifts, and the freedom to design their own person-al sales approach. Embroidered hats were awarded to members securing 10 bookings. Those reach-ing 20 bookings received embroidered Henley shirts. These became much sought-after items and thecrew quickly got into the spirit of the challenge.

Result:

Reports showed that nine months into the program, onboard sales were up 200%, with theexpectation of finishing the season 300% ahead of the previous year.

This Employee Incentive Program won a Promotional Products Association International SilverPyramid Award for Promotional Strategy Partners, Inc.


p71 8/19/04 2:13 PM Page 1



Resort Spa

Industry: Resort Spa (Peter Island)

Challenge:

To increase guest satisfaction and provide an opportunity to build brand/destination recognition.

Solution:

What customer hasn’t arrived at a resort only to find that packing sandals wasn’t on the top oftheir list – now they have a comfort problem? If they just checked in at Peter Island, an exclusiveCaribbean resort, their problem has already been solved. Peter Island places Neet Feet footwear ineach guest room, as well as in the gift shop, so visitors will have Peter Island sandals to wear while onvacation and as gifts for relatives and friends back home

Result:

This program has been in place since 1997 and currently sales are approaching 30,000 pairs.Satisfied customer – hotel/resort profit – long-term remembered experience, all delivered courtesy of apromotional product. Other Neet Feet hotel/resort customers include: The Delano, W Hotels,Blockade Runner Resort, Marriott’s Koolina Beach Club, Princeville, Halekulani and Wyndham




Corporate

Industry: Corporate (First Impressions Happen Only Once)

Challenge:

To promote corporate image through company logo placement and enhance visitor safety.

Solution:

Image Products a division of Ludlow Composites Corporation took the challenge “to foot”. Or inthe words of Sales Manager, Alison Minnich “Just glance down as you walk into your local restaurant,grocery store, retail location, or work place. Our floor mats are everywhere!” Floor mats meet thechallenge of blending promotion with function, turning foot traffic into increased corporate recogni-tion while keeping visitors “on their feet”.

Result:

Positive long term relationships with clients like Heather Casteel of KL&P Marketing who says,“I’ve been working with Ludlow Composites for custom rubber mats for 7 years” and more thanonce they have “gone above and beyond to assist me with my orders - whether its extremely compet-itive pricing, decreased production time or just tracking down my shipments. I look forward to work-ing with them time and time again.” Image Products continues to build relationships one customer ata time. Customizing for their customers, promoting an Image to achieve Brilliant Results.



Industry: Non-Profits

Challenge:

The principal challenge for any non-profit is to create awareness of their message and expend assmall an amount of donated funds as possible to achieve this goal.

Solution:

KeepaKlip from PromoBiz USA, LLC has proven to be a great yet inexpensive tool for non-profits toutilize. Whether it’s to spread their message or to promote a fundraising event, KeepaKlip hangstough and holds that important document together. Because the clips can be imprinted with sym-bols, web site addresses, names, logos, and an endless list of possibilities, KeepaKlip could be the per-fect for answer the conscientious non-profit on budget.

Non-ProfitsBrilliant Results | August / September 2004 75www.brilliantpublishing.com




Industry: Beverage (Soft Drink Company)

Challenge:

Develop a cool, unique, one-of-a-kind duffel to give a leave-behind after presentations to reinforce the product.

Solution:

A custom duffel was a perfect fit to reflect the company’s young and energetic attitude. Leed’sWorldSource, custom division, transformed an inline duffel by swapping the standard duffel colorswith the company’s corporate colors.

Result:

The duffel proved to be a huge hit with the soft drink company and its customers. The leave-behind helped to create brand recognition for the company and resulted in an increase in sales.

Beverage



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complete and mail this page to: Brilliant Results Magazine 9034 Joyce Lane Hummelstown, PA 17036. Or fax to (717) 566-5431.

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Ad IndexSupplier Page No.

AITG 31American Ad Bag 53BAS 11Bic Graphic USA Back CoverBrand It Direct 21, 23Bravo Awards 71Brilliant Results Magazine™ 77Bullet Line Inside Back CoverCaddyO ™ 29Calconix / Time Zone® 51, 73Daiwa 35Evans Manufacturing 13Express 67, 82Image Products / Crown Mats 25Int’l Merchandise Concepts / IMC 7KEY-BAK® 39, 63Leeds 17, 45Merit Industries / Groline 55,57,59,61Micro-Clair® 33Neet Feet® 49Next Products 79Norwood 15, 47Orange County Choppers 69Pencoa / Supermatic Line 5PromoBiz USA LLC 43Vantage Apparel 19World Wide Line Inside Front Cover


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