WILMINGTON — One of the newer developments in the promotional products business involves calendars — yes, the paper-product type with spiral binding.
But these particular calendars utilize Pixaction technology that works with most smartphones. Using a free app a person takes a snapshot of an image on the calendar, and can watch the calendar photo come to life with video and audio on their phone.
Jeff Murphy of JAM Murphy Advertising Co. of Wilmington focuses on calendars, along with promotional items of all kinds and decorated apparel.
So, a company or organization can contact the people who have the calendar and tell them they now can activate, say, the photograph accompanying the month of March. If a person follows up, then on their smartphone pops up a tour of the factory, or a new product or service, for example.
Or, as another illustration, the video could start out with the city building and continue with the mayor speaking about downtown Wilmington, thereby serving as a marketing piece, and for good measure the video could go into a nearby downtown restaurant.
Suffice it to say, the promotional products sector has changed a lot since Murphy’s mother Jo Ann Murphy started JAM about 30 years ago. Jeff took over the reins about 19 years ago.
A certified advertising specialist, Murphy succinctly describes what he does this way: “Anything you could ever think of to put a name or logo on.”
He’s an account executive with Halo Branded Solutions, providing localized service with the nationwide company.
“Promotional products have a great residual. That pizza cutter that’s in the drawer tends to be there for many, many years. And the magnetic notepad on the refrigerator — if it gets on the refrigerator, it will be there until it’s used up,” remarked Murphy.
If a promotional item is useful, that helps keep up the connection between the recipient and the business or organization identified on the item.
Murphy has just put together a website for all Alkermes employees who the company is giving $50 each as part of an initiative to show employee appreciation and at the same time promote the pharmaceutical firm that has a manufacturing facility in Wilmington.
The Alkermes employees can go online and buy a wide variety of things, branded with the company logo, be it a sweater vest, a cooler or a travel folding chair. Notice how those items can be a traveling billboard.
At the First Christian Church (FCC) in Wilmington, polo shirts with the church’s logo embroidered on them have been very popular, said Murphy, with members of the congregation often having more than one in different colors.
When the shirts are worn outside the church, they generate visual exposure for that faith community.
“When you see FCC, you know which church it is. And if not, you’re going to wrack your brain, ‘What’s that stand for?’, and it works,” he said.
Promotional products, said Murphy, can be used to raise funds for nonprofits. An example would be selling Christmas tree ornaments with a logo on one side and a local landmark on the other.
For effective promoting and marketing, Murphy said he thinks the bottom line for a business or organization is to answer the questions ‘What is your message?” and “Who are you trying to convey that to?”
Murphy said, “Contact me and I’ll brainstorm ideas that could fit within your budget.”
To contact Murphy, call 937-382-1010 or email [email protected] or visit the website at www.jam-solutions.com.
