Positive Yarn

I say promotional items; you say… what? Logoed pens? Stress-relieving squish balls? Wall calendars?

These trinkets have their place at community fairs or by your register, for example, but there are a host of other — still affordable — items that you can use to get your business name out there. Here are just a few ideas to think about incorporating into your 2010 marketing plan, and if nothing else, perhaps I’ve just made your holiday shopping for your team and favorite customers a little easier!

Please note that the links are just representative of what’s out there; they’re not an endorsement of any specific promotional product providers:

• private-label hand sanitizer: These 2-oz. bottles can be a welcome addition to your customers’ pockets or purses as they run their errands (including a stop back at your shop, of course). Pass the out before a class, for example, so that everyone’s hands are clean before they pick up their needles. A 1-oz. keychain gel version or pen-sized version on a lanyard are also popular.
• flip-top mirrors: Using a mirror can be helpful when trying to get a quilt design just right, for example, or when doing other crafts. If an upcoming project includes using a pocket mirror to help map out the design, why not use the kind that has your name, address and Web site on it, too?
• water bottles: As a modern alternative to the coffee mug, this product also encourages your customers to not only drink healthier, but also cut down on the risk of spilling coffee or soda on a project or merchandise (that is, if you even allow drinks in class to begin with!). If you have a core group that’s thinking about getting in shape, why not try the gallon-size bottles: The average person is supposed to take in 64 oz. of water per day, and these bottles are designed for you to fill in the morning and have them empty by evening. Make it a contest — who can lose the most weight by the end of a given period simply by substituting water for their lattes?

T-shirts and tote bags are perennial favorites, especially when they’re used to commemorate a special event. Zazzle.com not only lets you design your own, but its member “community” has uploaded a number of items ready-made that might be appropriate. Do a search for “Knitting Gifts,” and among the many gifts you’ll find T-shirts asking “If I knit fast enough, does it count as aerobics?”; mugs that warn “You can make fun of my knitting but remember…. I’m the one with the pointy sticks!”; and a tote featuring a humorous cartoon about what happens when a guy says knitting is for old ladies. There’s even a knitting-themed Christmas card! All of these items can be furthered personalized with your business information, or purchased as-is if you prefer.

Crocheters, cross-stitchers and needlepointers, you each have plenty to choose from as well (my favorites include a “Real Men Crochet” T-shirt, a poster that says “Never trust an acupuncturist whose license is in needlepoint; and an apron that asks “To cross-stitch or not to cross stitch… What a stupid question.”) After all, what student wouldn’t want a hoodie that shows her graduation from “Needlepoint University”?

So now it’s your turn. What promotional items have you used with success? Are you stocking these items as merchandise in the shop, or are you using them strictly as prizes for participation in a loyalty program, for example? Have you seen a genuine return on investment, or do you see it more as an investment in relationship-building? Sound off below or send me an email at positiveyarn@goochandgooch.com.

Happy holidays, and here’s to a great 2010!

How are you marketing to Dads and Grads this month?

I know they’re not exactly your typical target market, and that’s the point. Customers are looking for unusual (but cost-effective) presents to get their loved ones, and there’s no reason why your inventory can’t compete with adding another tie to Dad’s collection or an engraved pen for the newly minted grad (who’s texting all the time anyway and no longer writes with ink).

Here are just a few ideas to get you thinking outside the box for a couple weeks:

• Kit up a collegiate theme: Whether it’s eighth graders who are going to the big bad high school in a couple months or the new high school graduate who was just accepted to a local university, show your support for their favorite teams with a scarf pattern next to bins of yarn in local school colors, for example. Interest may lead to a junior stitching club that gathers at the shop every week this summer to finish their projects in time to wear for the first football game of the season. And it’s not just for kids — teachers, moms, grandmas, aunts, etc. can all get in on the fun.
• Make a basket: You don’t want those college freshmen going off to school and being bored, do you? Let your customers know that the needle arts are proven to reduce stress, and their favorite student can stitch away their cares before the big exam! A basket or your canvas bag brimming with care package favorites like cookies and crackers, plus shop specialties like basic needles, an array of pretty yarns and a project journal, can make an unusual but much appreciated gift for the student who stitches.
• Hold a contest: You can go humorous (“Why my dad should start stitching with my mom, reason No. 1: He’s here all the time holding her purse anyway.”) or serious (“My dad actually loves stitching more than my mom does”), depending on what your customer mix is, but a short essay contest that nets the winner a shop gift certificate or a riff on the aforementioned basket full of goodies just in time for Father’s Day could be just the ticket to liven June sales. Maybe offer a 10% discount on their shop purhase just for filling out the form right there in the shop about the dad, husband, son, nephew or other male stitcher (or stitch widower) in their lives.
• Keep it simple: Hold a half-day class that lets kids stitch a bookmark suitable for giving Dad on his big day. Let the moms wander the aisles or try making one themselves if they’re new to the project. Volunteering to do this at the local library can both broaden your audience (keep those business cards handy!) and give you a few extra pairs of helping hands if you don’t want to tie resources up at the shop.

Have you marketed to Dads and Grads in recent years? What works, what doesn’t? Sound off in the comments below or email me at positiveyarn@goochandgooch.com.

It’s getting to be old news, but it’s being reiterated nearly every day: Cheap is chic these days. In a CNN article this morning, even upscale consumers are finding that it’s much cooler to talk about how financially savvy you are than how financially sound you are — or as a consumer psychologist and professor quoted in the article puts it, “We have moved from an era of conspicuous consumption to an era of considered consumption.”

Now while no one in your core customer base will likely ever utter the words “Look at this $250,000 watch I got for $7,500″ (yep, that’s part of the article), it does make sense to appeal to their bargain-hunter side in your marketing program. Take a look at your inventory: What types of “champagne” projects can you get them to make on a “beer” budget? Is it time to promote a luxurious-looking shawl pattern, for example, that can be made up with lower-end fibers and still look great? To promote practical gift-making ideas, like a set of embroidered tea towels? To host a student fashion show where your classes can ooh and aah over their latest jewelry creations on display? Maybe turn up the upscale quotient of these programs by adding in a ritzy refreshment table, offering sparkling grape juice and chocolate-covered strawberries (which, if you do yourself, isn’t going to take as big a bite out of your budget as you might think).

On the evening of the event, have employees wear their most dazzling outfits — an old bridesmaid’s dress or a fancy sweater, just something that sparkles and isn’t something they’d otherwise wear to work. I recall a friend of mine who worked in a jewelry store when we were in college. For three days a year, she and the team wore tuxedo shirts and ties for a special “black-tie” sale that focused on selling their bridal sets and high-end jewelry. They stayed open late, and she said there was a unique energy that week — customers looked forward to the sale not only because of the good prices, but also because there was so much “special” stuff going on, with the extended hours, refreshments and gala atmosphere.

Perhaps you can also start helping customers pamper themselves for less with a display of eye mask patterns, sachets, manicure bags and other spa-like treasures that they can easily embellish themselves. With extras being fewer and farther between these days for many of us, make sure your customers know that your shop can still be their respite.

Potpourri

I want to recognize an organization called ZeroLandfill, which according to this Akron Beacon Journal article is “distributing 4 tons of samples from local architectural and interior design firms” to artists and art educators in Northeast Ohio. The program is considered “upcyling” because the art community can find treasure among what otherwise would have been considered trash in a landfill. The program might be expanded into other communities soon. Visit www.zerolandfill.net for more information.

I also just joined an online group called The Warm Fuzzy Brigade, which promotes needlework philanthropy. Bonnie Dillabough just founded the group and is looking for additional members to discuss projects, upload photos and generally, as she puts it, “create a movement that will warm our world.” As you may have read in my previous post, I’m on the hunt for good causes my local chapter of the Embroidery Guild of America can do a project for next season. Bonnie has a whole list of philanthropic needlework projects here.