- September 2, 2014
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Marketers Use Promotional Products to Help Save Lives
Small business marketers routinely use their creativity and communication skills to solve familiar business challenges, such as brand building, lead generation and customer retention. But every so often, especially in production and manufacturing environments, marketers are asked for help in overcoming a different type of business challenge, like accident and injury prevention. As the trade association PPAI reports, such was the case with Ciba Specialty Chemical.
Promo Products Drive “Road 2 Zero” Campaign
Ciba’s goal was to increase safety awareness and reduce injuries throughout its operation. Executives challenged plant managers to rack up one million man-hours worked with zero hours of time lost due to on-the-job injuries.
Strategy & Execution
After developing the campaign look, feel and messaging, marketers launched “Road 2 Zero” through kiosks, billboards, special banners and flags placed strategically throughout the plant.
During the campaign kick-off event–a company fish-fry–each employee received a “Road 2 Zero” ball cap complete with tire-tread bill. A safety task force, mostly comprised of department managers, led a series of employee safety-awareness seminars wearing bright red “Road 2 Zero” t-shirts.
For attending, employees received various promotional items, which increased in value depending on the type and number of seminars attended. Useful, work-related gifts, such as carabineer flashlights, soft-sided lunch coolers and multi-function tools, produced higher attendance numbers. Based on seminar attendance from their particular product line, task force leaders received premium-level items, such as a sporty, laser-engraved fleece jacket.
Campaign Results
Ciba achieved its goal of “zero lost hours”. Since the program launched, on-site accidents also dropped by 59 percent. During the companywide steak dinner commemorating the campaign’s one-year anniversary, plant management announced the results and awarded each employee with a 13-quart “thank-you” cooler.
Integrated Marketers’ Takeaway
Ciba achieved its campaign objective by having a clear goal, a sound strategy and a creative, execution driven by fun, audience-relevant giveaways. Even if you’re business isn’t manufacturing or production, you can create awareness of a critical business or service issue using promotional products to drive or complement your campaign.