We are SO beyond ready to move past this year, but before we tread on, let’s dust off the rose-colored glasses and recap the successes that we’ve seen throughout this past year.
Yes, successes. Though they be but little…they are proving fierce.
Wait…what just happened?
Yeah. That’s how it felt around March 2020 when the world just shut down. We’ve unfortunately seen businesses close and millions laid off – through no fault of their own – while others are busting their tails to accommodate skyrocketing demand in every way possible (healthcare, delivery services, supermarkets, alcohol….)
No one had this in their business plan for the year.
Developing Plan B
The big picture in any business plan is engagement, but it’s difficult to connect with our target market from a distance. Events are designed with experiences in mind, and when we don’t have that opportunity, it may seem like all hope to connect with our clients is gone.
The same goes for engaging our internal teams – most notably when the office is closed and everyone is spread out and working from the comforts of their own couch in their own home…independently. How do you connect? How do you hold a conversation (business or personal) when there is no water cooler or break room – or no stopping by their workspace on the way to the restroom?
They likely need that dialogue with colleagues more now in order to feel some connection to work, but many of us were cheated out of that luxury this year.
That’s where we had to put our heads together with clients and help curate an alternative path to engagement.
“I’m trying very hard NOT to connect with people right now.” – David Rose, Schitt’s Creek.
The Solution
With everyone so spread out, we had to find a way to connect with our team members and clients to make them feel appreciated from a distance. With a little brainstorming and trials, we’ve found multiple solutions that have proven successful to our clients during such an uncertain time.
Here is what worked for us, and what is still trending today with our client projects:
- Complex Kitting and Fulfillment
- Customer Appreciation Gifting
- Virtual Events and Pre/Post-Event Mailers
- Gifting Suites and Redemption Programs
- Check out our SHOPS blog for inspo
- PPE + Standard Promo Hybrid Gifting
We’ve heard a lot about curves this year and…well, we’ve got a curve of our own. One that showcases the growth and decline in the promo industry over the past year and some of our own personal successful projects during that time.
Click on the image below to enlarge the graph, and then click around on the little INM logos to see what projects were implemented during that time that turned into successful engagement campaigns.
We are stronger now. Smarter. We are armed with knowledge…locked and loaded.
Bring it ’21.
