As with any business expenditure, your marketing spend should be judged by the return on investment.
Google Ads are a great example of this. We can almost guarantee that we could run a Google Ads campaign for your business which will bring in plenty of sales leads. However, in some extreme cases, you might have to pay £40 for every click on your advert.
Now, depending on what sort of business you’re in, you might have one of two reactions to this:
Good grief, we only make £20 from every widget we sell! Paying £40 for someone who might not even buy is absolutely ridiculous!
That sounds great! We make £100,000 from every widget we sell, so if we could get just 1% of those ads to convert, we’ll be laughing!
We should add at this point that most clicks on Google Ads cost much, much less than this, sometimes pennies. But you see the point we’re trying to make.
Which leads me to an example of how one of our clients did choose to spend £40 per sales lead.
About the client
Established in 1996, Agon Systems is a cutting-edge retail security company. They sell those security tags that are attach to clothing and other products, and the door sensors which set off an alarm if you try to leave the store with the tag still attached.
In 2014 they launched the Concept Tag, the most secure tag on the market. It’s been a huge success. Primarily used for high value clothing items, stores which introduce the Concept Tag typically see thefts decrease by at least 50%.
Since its launch, sales have flourished, with the company winning many high profile and high value contracts, including JD Sports, River Island, Superdry, Nike and Matalan.
Agon Systems rebrand
Agon Systems approached us in 2014 with a brief to reposition their brand to support the launch of the Concept Tag.
Read more about our brand strategy work for Agon Systems.
As part of the rebrand project we developed the usual marketing materials to help them get a foot in the door with big retailers – website, brochures, exhibition stands, etc.
But we also wanted to explore some other ideas – something a bit different, to help them stand out from the crowd and hammer home their marketing messages.
Video in a box
We came up with the idea of packaging a video presentation of the Concept Tag, which could be given or sent to any potential sales leads.
The prospective customer receives a neat black box, simply designed with the Concept Tag logo on it. It’s made of heavy weight card and has a matt laminate finish to reinforce this is a quality product.
When they open the box, they discover another box inside. The lid is kept shut with a magnetic clasp. Upon opening it they can read a brief introduction on the left and on the right is a screen which automatically plays the Concept Tag promotional video. There’s a play button and volume control, and a charging lead to enable you to connect it to your PC.
The beauty of this little black box is that as well as undoubtedly impressing the recipient, the portability of the video box and its integrated socket enables them to download the video, making it easy to share with other stakeholders in the business.
Agon Systems’ market for the Concept Tag is relatively small; large retailers purchase security systems centrally rather than through each store, so they can be very targeted with who they want to reach out to. And each sale can be worth millions.
This means that the initial investment in designing the video and its packaging, plus the £40 it costs to produce each completed item, is well worth it.
Return on investment
This simple, yet sophisticated device has helped Agon Systems stand out with its target customers. It’s an essential tool for them at trade fairs and other events where they may only have a couple of minutes to speak to prospects. Handing over this beautiful video box gives them the opportunity to make a lasting impression.
Agon Systems’ CEO Sean Welch finds it particularly useful:
The people I’ve given the video box to have loved it – and been very impressed. It sets us apart and really showcases the benefits of the Concept Tag. It’s helped us get a foot in the door on many occasions and is a very successful part of our sales and marketing toolkit.
Let us think outside the box for your brand
We love to find innovative new solutions and design ideas to raise the standard of your marketing.
But we always do this strategically, aligning your marketing to your brand. Whether it makes sense to spend £40 or 4p for each prospect, we’ll find a solution that gives you the return on investment that you need.
Call us for a chat on 01273 814 019 or email hello@tomango.co.uk.