Episode 18 – Product Selection

Episode Recap

Product selection can be tough if you are working with a small budget. Lucky for you, you’re a distributor and product selection is where you can really let your creativity and marketing skills shine. If your client has a limited budget, you have a few options:

1. Suggest a popular but cheaper made product.
2. Persuade your client to increase the per item budget even if that means fewer items.
3. Get creative with artwork to stay within budget but still offer a quality campaign.

All of these options could work depending on the client and their goal. For example, if your client has high-end clientele but is working with a limited budget the first option might not be the best as it could reflect poorly on your client’s brand image and make their clientele feel unappreciated. However, the second or third option would be perfect!

As the distributor, don’t be afraid to voice your opinion. After all, your expertise is why they hired you.

Episode 19 – Top 3 Creative Product Campaigns

Episode Recap

We scoured the internet and found our top 3 creative product campaigns. What made them so special? All three of these showcase that with a little bit (or a lot) of creativity and smart artwork placement you can go above and beyond client expectations while still staying within budget.

• 1. Bendy Straw for the Y+ Yoga Center by Leo Burnett, China
  1. – Why We Like It: The artwork placement is SO smart! They took an inexpensive straw and placed a yogi right on the bendy portion. These straws were handed out at a local juice bar to help raise awareness for their new studio.
• 2. Frisbee for Iams Australia by Saatchi & Saatchi
  1. – Why We Like It: These guys got super creative with the Frisbee decoration and made it look like a 10 lb barbell to promote how Iams dog food can keep your dog healthy and strong.
• 3. Lollipop for Colgate by Y&R
  1. – Why We Like It: This campaign hit a home run with it’s creativity and smart artwork placement. As soon as people got to the center of the lollipop they realized that the stick was actually a toothbrush with the reminder, “Don’t Forget” prompting them to brush their teeth after indulging in sweets.

20 – Gathering Product Images

Episode Recap

When getting ready to build your product pages there are two options for gathering images.

1. Grab Product Images Off Of The Supplier Website
2. Set Up Your Own Photo Shoot

If option two sounds a bit intimidating, don’t worry it’s actually easier than it sounds. All you need is a camera and a light box which will help provide even lighting so the photos look professional.

Most phones come with a decent camera and a DIY light box will only set you back around $15 which is a bargain considering that Braden Becker with HubSpot stated, “If a picture is worth a thousand words, a stunning product picture is worth a thousand website visits.”

Whether you decide to download product pictures off of the supplier website or decide to do your own photo shoot there are a few things to keep in mind:

• – Show Off the Product Features
• – Highlight Any Logo or Personalization Locations
• – Are Ideal for Side By Side Image Groups & Virtual Samples
• – Have a Consistent Layout & View
• – Are High Quality (No Grainy Appearance)

These tips are easy to follow, you just have to put a little bit of planning in before you set up that photo shoot or download images.

Episode 21 – Writing Product Descriptions That Sell

Episode Recap

How you write your product descriptions will significantly affect whether shoppers choose to buy. When writing product descriptions, there are three rules to follow:

1. Know Your Shopper: This helps you better position the product description to fit their personality and corporate culture.
2. Highlight Product Benefits: Describe how the product is going to solve a common problem.
3. More Verbs, Fewer Adjectives: Shoppers care more about what the product is going to do for them so swap out those adjectives for verbs.

For example, let’s say we want to write a product description for a branded ladies cardigan. You could write,“Comfortable 100% polyester microfleece cardigan will keep you warm and toasty.”

That’s not bad. The description accurately describes the product but let’s try another approach.“Do your co-workers like to turn down the AC during summer months? Keep this microfleece next to your desk to stay warm and toasty.”

Notice how this example adds in more verbs and personalized the messaging to tell the shopper why they should buy simply by describing a common office issue? These three tricks will help you optimize your product descriptions and get shoppers to add the item to their cart and checkout. Now get out there and start writing product descriptions that sell!