Fall 2001 - Marketing Dimensions from Traymore Marketing

	Fall 2001

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Are you leaving money on the table?

by Bruce J. Felber, MAS, Creative Director, Traymore Marketing
Advertising and promotional budgets are set in stone - or are they? Most companies determine their advertising and promotional budgets based on previously used dollars and the marketing needs for the year.

The problem is you may be leaving money on the table. Many companies have co-op (cooperative) dollars available for a variety of needs. First of all, what do I mean by co-op dollars? Simple stated, this is money that one company (typically a vendor or wholesaler) will make available to share the costs for advertising and marketing. An example would be a retailer of camera and film products who receives co-op money from a manufacturer for use in advertising that supplier's product. Or, consider the grocery store that uses freestanding inserts with multiple brand names, logos, and photos.

You might be thinking, "But my company is business to business." This is a common thought, but most businesses depend on someone else in their supply chain.

Example: You sell material handling equipment and sell a major brand of lift trucks. When you purchase display advertising or sales sheets you can ask the manufacturer if they offer co-op dollars.

Many times the company will offer dollars based on sales volume percentages or it may be per use. The manufacture may also require that their logo, message or product be prominent in the advertisement.

The interesting note here is that many companies have co-op dollars available, but fail to notify their customers of its availability. If they have a definite program, it is usually based on annual dollars. You must use them by the end of the year or forfeit the credit.

Many dimensional direct mail campaigns as well as overall marketing campaigns are perfect for these lost dollars. Sometimes you can actually receive enough dollars to pay for the entire campaign. Consider applying to multiple participants to maximize gain. Remember to follow the graphic guidelines set up for each company's logo or brand usage and have the supplier sign-off on your advertising materials before going into production.

Related success stories:

Grew the Market for Summer Roses

For more information on how we can assist you in co-op advertising or promotional campaigns, contact Bruce Felber (330) 963-3664 or BruceFelber@traymore.com.

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