6 Tips for Success
It’s easier than you think to create custom products if you know the right questions to ask. With this guide, you’ll know every topic to cover to make creating your first custom promo a piece of cake. When searching for custom products like wholesale canvas shopping totes, trust LBU Inc. to help you make the right decision.
#1 Zero in on an end Goal.
Find out what your clients want to accomplish with their overall campaign. For instance, is their goal raising brand awareness, or is there a specific product or service they want to get the word out about? Often, custom products like the promotional bags and canvas shopping totes designed by LBU are what your client needs.
- RAISE BRAND AWARENESS
- PROMOTE A NEW PRODUCT OR SERVICE
- LAUNCH A NEW WEBSITE
- ADVERTISE A COMPANY RE-BRAND
- INCREASE ENGAGEMENT
- ANNOUNCE A SPECIAL OFFER
Learn from LBU: Satchel for Rachel Ray (#4423)
For this custom satchel, Rachael Ray wanted to promote a new product launch: a new brand of dog food made with real meat and vegetables. To spread the word, LBU in New York created this promotional bag featuring a detachable shoulder strap that converts into a dog leash. Not only could recipients use the satchel to carry dog chow home from their local store, they could also use the leash to bring their furry friend along – the perfect way to appeal to pet owners.
#2 Know your target audience.
Knowing the demographic of your audience will help you figure out what type of promo will perform best, along with the decorating details that will resonate the most. That’s why it’s important to create custom goods that your audience will gravitate toward and want to incorporate into their daily lives.
- CUSTOMER BASE
- ANALYZE PRODUCT / SERVICE
- CONSIDER PSYCHOGRAPHICS
- CHECK OUT COMPETITION
- TARGET SPECIFIC DEMOGRAPHICS
- TARGET SPECIFIC DEMOGRAPHICS
Learn from LBU: backpack for Cartoon Network (#1384)
Cartoon Network’s demographic is children and teenagers, so LBU settled on a custom promo emblazoned with bright and colorful cartoons – Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup, to be exact. The Powerpuff Girls are both a Gen Z fav and a major dose of nostalgia for millennials, making it the perfect license for mass appeal across all ages. Best of all, backpacks are the bag of choice for kids and teens, which means their branded goods will be used and seen over and over.
Perfecting your persona.
Take your audience beyond basic demographics and help them figure out a unique customer persona for their promos.
By coming up with a fictional bio for the type of customer they’re trying to appeal to, you’ll both be able to make your marketing more effective.
Getting into the psyche of your audience will help you make educated choices about every detail of your custom projects. Your clients can be a wealth of information to help you figure these details out, too – all you have to do is ask.
HOW OLD IS THE PERSONA?
WHERE DID THE PERSONA GROW UP?
WHAT ISSUES MATTER TO THE PERSONA?
WHAT IS THE PERSONA’S CAREER?
HOW DOES THE PERSONA FEEL WHEN THEY INTERACT WITH THE BRAND?
#3 Product Usage.
To get the most impressions possible out of your custom projects, ensure they fulfill an end-user need. Once you figure out how these products should be used, design them to withstand their intended purpose. For example, you wouldn’t want to create a grocery tote that can’t hold up to a few pounds of canned goods and other products. If you’re not sure how to pick your materials, talk to your supplier. They’re the perfect source and can help make sure your material and decoration ideas are smart choices.
- TOTE BAG
- COOLER
- BACKPACK
- WINE TOTE
- DUFFLE BAG
- GROCERY TOTE
- NONWOVEN TOTE
- CANVAS TOTE
- MESSENGER BAG
- DRAWSTRING BACKPACK
Learn from LBU: backpack for Zumba Fitness (#4858)
For Zumba’s “We Move the World” campaign, they wanted to create custom duffle giveaways for their Zumba Instructor Convention. These promos are all about bright colors and movement, just like the namesake exercise craze. While they look stylish, the bag itself was built with purpose: This duffle is made with durable material to hold everything gym-goers throw inside. Plus its functional design prevents back strain while still providing tons of room to store shoes, weights and exercise bands.
#4 Send the right message.
Custom projects have a handful of features to consider, and it’s important they all line up with your client’s brand and personality. For instance, you wouldn’t want to create glittery rainbow-colored briefcases for a buttoned-up corporate client, nor would you want to give a whacky children’s brand professional-looking suede and leather backpacks. Understanding the key features of your client’s company will help you figure out what features to add to their custom promotions.
- LAUNCH A NEW WEBSITE
- INCREASE ENGAGEMENT
- ADVERTISE A COMPANY RE-BRAND
- ANNOUNCE A SPECIAL OFFER
Learn from LBU: Pillow for Grumpy Cat’s Worst Christmas Ever (#4423)
This custom project was created for Lifetime, which was producing a holiday movie based on Grumpy Cat – the internet’s favorite unamused feline. To spread excitement about the flick, Lifetime wanted to showcase Grumpy Cat’s unique personality and give a sneak peek to the type of humor viewers could expect from the special. To accomplish this, LBU embellished their pillows with the star herself, featuring her signature snarl and a tongue-in-cheek warning on the pocket that, no, you cannot have the remote. Talk about the cat’s meow.
Dazzle with decoration
One of the easiest ways to increase the perceived value of your promos is by taking advantage of decoration options. Even a simple drawstring backpack or promotional pillow can be immediately transformed with full dye-sublimation, or specialty fabrics like glitter, velvet or faux fur.
If your clients want to get across an air of exclusivity and high-end style, ask your supplier about what decoration options you can use to dress up canvas shopping totes, promotional bags or other goods by LBU Inc.
#5 Timeframe.
Once you’ve got an idea of what your clients want to create, put together your timeframe to make it happen. Make sure you discuss how quickly they need their products, or if there’s a specific month or season these promos need to launch. Keep these details in mind before you finalize your promo plans; check and double-check to make sure you have time to get all the details and materials needed together before the deadline arrives.
NEED IT NOW? NO PROBLEM
According to ASICentral’s 2018 Supplier State of the Industry Report, suppliers said one in three orders require a turnaround time of five days or less, which hasn’t changed since 2015. That means your suppliers should have experience with super speed and be ready to create your projects fast. With a good supplier partner in your pocket, you won’t have to be afraid to say “yes” to a fast-approaching deadline anymore.
Learn from LBU: Franzia Backpack (#9832)
In case you missed this fashion craze, let us bring you up to speed: Bringing together style and convenience, this backpack is nothing to “wine” about! Comfortable shoulder straps and a side spout, the Franzia box of wine makes a perfect fit for a picnic, hike, or your next BBQ! To bring this to life, LBU was given all the specs on Franzia’s dream, and LBU’s creative team brought this item to life! We raise our glasses to this one!
#6 Know your budget.
Before your clients sign on the dotted line, make sure you have the money discussion. It doesn’t have to be as scary as you think! The goal is to create custom promos within your client’s price range that will have a great impact on their end-goal. Channel your inner Goldilocks: Don’t spend too little you can’t accomplish your goal, but don’t spend so much that the amount doesn’t justify the results. While it might be worth it to upsell by explaining their product’s potential, it’s still important to work within your limits. Score that sweet spot, and you’ll be looking at happy custom clients for life.
With LBU’s help, you can start impressing clients today with gorgeous custom products they never dreamed they could make.
Learn from LBU: Felt totes for Coterie’s fashion show (#3458)
COTERIE is a global fashion event that brings together top talent in the industry with new brands hoping to break into the market. For their custom projects, LBU knew sleek and stylish was a must – however, since these items were giveaways for tons of attendees, it was important they didn’t break the bank either. To get the best of both worlds, LBU settled on a trendy modern over-the-shoulder tote made with 100% recycled post-consumer water bottles. This eco-friendly favorite was within budget and made a big impact on attendees.