Every once in a while, I receive a package in the mail that I wasn’t expecting. The doorbell rings, I go to answer, and sitting there on my doorstep is a box. Brown waves at me, drives off, and I walk back into the house with the mysterious package under my arm. I weigh it in my hand. Too heavy for a T-shirt. Too light for a book. Too quiet for an 8lb bag of m&ms. I let Chico sniff it for explosives. Clear. Cholula sniffs for pot, in case it’s from my sister. Clear. Chiquita sniffs for anthrax. Clear. I set the box on the kitchen table, swing my ninja sword at its edges in a blur and a woosh, and voila. Inside the box, I find… stuff like this:
Now, for the sake of disclosure, I should point out that I know Kamran Popkin (@swagclub). We are both members of Social Media Club Greenville and fellow mischief-makers. He had a hand in getting me to the BMW driver school a while back, which was a pretty awesome thing to do. And yes, Kamran and I have become fast friends over the last two years, mostly because he’s a straight-up guy, fun to be with, and he too is a major Steven Pressfield fan (always a good sign). I trust, respect and like him.
When we aren’t drinking really good sake, trading sushi war stories or making soap over on Paper Street, Kamran, being the business samurai that he is, likes to show me, rather than just tell me, what kind of impact good swag and a personal touch can have. That’s why he routinely sends me cool stuff in the mail. My package from Audi/Klout Perks earlier this week reminded of how effective Swag Club’s personal touch really is. It’s the little details that make all the difference: You can treat your relationship with potential customers and “influencers” as merely a numbers game, or you can focus on building lasting relationships with people you want to bring into your cool little business universe.
Let me let you in on one of Kamran’s little secrets: He doesn’t want customers or clients. He just wants to do business with people he likes. His funnel is built to only attract people he can have fun with. His business circle caps off at 149 people. That’s it. If you want in, you have to earn your spot. And trust me, you want in. Being one of the 149 is something none of us takes for granted. We’re part of a tribe of miscreants and instigators. We’re all in on the same inside jokes. We are a real community, bound by the same thread. The free stuff has very little to do with it. It’s a vehicle, nothing more.
The difference between a company that puts its logo on koozies and key chains, and a company that uses perks and swag to build relationships may seem imperceptible to the average person, but it is crystal clear to those of us who find ourselves touched by the latter. Exclusivity is part of it. Feeling valued as a human being is another. Kinship and like-mindedness are never far. These are some of the elements that help build strong communities and word-of-mouth movements. Before sending gifts to “influencers,” remember that the end-game isn’t the mailing of a box. The end-game is the development of a community of influential evangelists. This is a key insight that EVERY advertiser partnering with Klout Perks needs to learn and think about.
And beyond building the kind of internal culture that both fuels this type of thinking and drives effective outreach programs is a basic methodology – a framework, if you will – that can be broken down in five simple lessons. Swag Club follows them with Swiss-like precision, and the results speak for themselves, which makes me wish I could somehow bring Kamran and Klout together to build a playbook for every new Klout Perks partner.
Audi could have sure used a little Swag Club flair this past week. Imagine how cool their promotion would have been if Mr. Popkin had been involved in the project somehow. All 830 of us might be enthusiastically selling Audis to everyone we run into well into 2015. Why not.
Let me give you a taste of what I am talking about:
1. Presentation is important.
You saw the way Swag Club’s package was arranged. Compare that with the box I received from Audi’s Klout Perks promotion this week:
Clearly, one says “I care. I want to start off this relationship on the right foot.” The other says “I don’t care. I’m just doing my job.”
Which do you want to be? Which do you think will yield the results your company is hoping for? Who’s in charge here?
2. Always include a personal note.
Here is the kind of note Kamran sends with every Swag Club package, along with the flip side of his business card. Note to every company sending swag and goodies through Klout Perks rewards programs: Write a personal note. Sign it. Put your Twitter or Facebook thingamajig on it. Don’t just have a guy in a warehouse somewhere pack stuff in a box.
This is where the real gold is. Trust me, nobody cares how big and bad your new koozie is. We’ll grow tired of it after a few minutes. You want to influence an influencer? Become his friend. His brother. Invite him into your tribe, and make him want to extend the same invitation to you.
And no, you can’t outsource this. Invest in a good pen and actually write these yourself. That’s what makes them special. That’s what gives them their magic. There is no corner-cutting here. Remember: You aren’t sending this stuff to 10,000 people. If you get it, you are sending it to just a few dozen.
3. Bespoke your swag.
Nothing says “you’re important to me” like a generic coffee mug trapped inside a plain dusty brown box. Don’t go there.
This is a completely different mechanism from mass marketing. Anyone can score your latest bottle opener with your logo on it by walking by your booth at a trade show or buying it from your website. If it’s already sitting on a shelf in your swag warehouse, it isn’t special. You aren’t really going to “wow” anyone with it. If you want to impress “influencers,” if you want them to sing your praises all on their own for years to come, you have to at least try to make an effort. That means giving the perk itself (not just the packaging and the handshake) a little extra flavor. Customize something for them. Make the gift unique and meaningful. If not, it won’t make a lasting impression. Here are two simple examples from Swag Club that Klout Perks partners might want to draw inspiration from:
Note that bespoke swag doesn’t necessarily have to be drink/glass-oriented. (People just like to give me booze, for some reason.)
See the laser etching? Notice that it isn’t just about the “influencer’s name but that there is more there. The whole “instigator,” “Space Monkey” and “member #149” references have meaning. It’s the inside joke, the secret handshake. Simple stuff, but it works.
What Swag Club manages to do here that Klout doesn’t is create a bond between itself and the person it is trying to build a relationship with. What a bespoke swag/perk says is “not only do I care enough to present this to you with a little finesse, not only do I care enough to throw a little personal note in there for you, but I also care enough to give you something that is just for you. Something with your name on it. Something that will forever be uniquely yours.
The term “talisman of friendship” comes to mind. This isn’t marketing, folks. This is relationship building. It’s evangelist development. This is the sort of thing that requires a little more care than the odd mass mailing. Do it right.
If your budget doesn’t factor in fancy laser etching, custom embroidery or velvet paintings, consider decals. See what happened with this bottle of Brockman’s gin in the image below? It might not last as long, but the swag doesn’t have to be long-lived. It just needs to make a lasting impact.
Yes, that’s a decal of a Twitter avatar, stuck to that bottle. Here is an inexpensive way to turn just about any kind of gift into instant swag, and do it in a memorable way. And like every great signature, it is also an invitation to connect.
The bonus lesson here is that “clever” works on the same parts of the brain as “cool.” Which leads me to my next point…
4. Do the unexpected.
Creating “wow” moments isn’t just about bling, perks and VIP treatment. First, you want to build anticipation and excitement. Then, like any good showman, you want to surprise and delight. There’s a little undercurrent of misdirection here that you need to get good at. Make your new friends pay attention to the left hand while you prepare the surprise with your right. Make them think they know what to expect, then surprise them with something even cooler.
One thing that Kamran likes to do is tell me he is sending me something in the mail ahead of time. Usually, it comes in the form of a quick Tweet or email:
@SwagClub: “Are you in town this week?” Me: “Yep.” @SwagClub: “Good.” That’s it. That’s all it takes. For the next 2-3 days, I watch my mailbox like a hawk. If a FedEx or UPS truck drives within three miles of my house, I somehow hear it. When the package finally comes, I know it could be anything: Some new Space Monkey business cards. Fake tattoos. Project Mayhem decals. A bottle of French liqueur with a bespoke tumbler. A Russian bride. Who knows? Whatever it is, the element of surprise always works in Swag Club’s favor: I am never underwhelmed.
How this applies to Klout Perks promotions: If your campaign discloses that participants will receive a bag of chocolates, don’t just send them a bag of chocolates. Send them something else too, like movie tickets, or a gift card, or a custom sock monkey designed by your creative director. Something. Anything. Surprise them by upping the ante. Overwhelm them with something cool and unexpected. Make an impression.
5. Follow through.
You aren’t done once the “influencer” has received his or her perk. That was just the beginning. Now comes the relationship-building time. Now comes the regular chats on Twitter or by email or by phone. You want to invest in influence? You want to build a small army of highly connected word-of-mouth evangelists? Make it about more than the gift. Trust me. You want to build the kind of good will and mutual respect that will last longer than a week. Otherwise, you’re just another koozie panderer. Your stuff will hit a landfill inside of six months. Where’s the value in that?
You know how we like to talk about best practices in social business and community management? When it comes to the new digital influence game, you don’t really have to look much further than this.
@Klout, if you’re listening (and I know you are), consider reaching out to @SwagClub. If you guys can put together some best practices or guidelines for your Perks partners following this general methodology, both the relevance and longevity of your perks program will be assured. I can almost guarantee it. Think of the possibilities.
Cheers. 🙂
*** *** ***
And if you haven’t already, don’t forget to pre-order Social Media ROI: Managing and Measuring Social Media Efforts in Your Organization (Que Biz-Tech / Pearson). Available for pre-order now on Amazon.com and at Barnes & Noble, and on the shelves next month at fine book sellers everywhere.
Brand Building and Online Marketing Blog 
Effective swag is thorough. A small trinket done properly has more impact that a huge effort presented in a slipshod fashion.
What’s amazing is that there is more raw data available to harvest information than ever before. Savvy marketers will take the time to know their audience before thrusting swag onto their porches.
Relevance, details and finesse work wonders.
Thanks for sharing! Best, M.
Yep. Laziness is laziness. Even the best technology in the world won’t cure it.
Another great article. We are definitely listening here at Klout and really appreciate the feedback.
If you are ever in SF you have to come by our office. Would love to have the whole team hear your feedback.
Thanks!
Joe
Thanks, Joe. Next time I’m in town, I’ll give you a ring. 🙂
I am thinking Joe a better response would have been Olivier you are on target let’s bring you out to SF we will hire you to speak to our team-one day program so we are walking our talk by being willing to pay for advice and consulting that will improve our service for our clients.
What this Post Taught us about Olivier Blanchard:
That for a box of cheap crap and an ego stroke, Olivier Blanchard will sell out his credibility.
Really Olivier? For a bottle of booze and a glass with your name etched in it, you abandon your hard-nosed critique re: ROI and become a shill for SwagClub? Where is the ROI in giving payola to a handful of self-proclaimed “influencers”? If it’s there, tell us where and how, because otherwise, this just looks like you being all breathless over the fact that you get to belong to a little club that benefits from your buddy pulling fast ones on clueless marketing execs who don’t know what to do with their budgets.
Give us thought, critique, and analysis. This shilling and gloating is awful.
“Michael,” (is that your real name?) I’m not really sure where that comment comes from.
1. “Influencers” are not self-proclaimed. Within the context of this post and the one before it, they are identified by Klout. I am talking very specifically about Klout Perks, not “influencer” marketing as a whole.
2. Every successful brand does this, from Apple and Cartier to Harley Davidson and Virgin Airlines: They create followings using a broad palette of tactics aimed specifically at pushing emotional buttons. There’s nothing sinister about it. We’re social animals. Most of us crave to belong to social groups. Smart brands provide that structure in the same way that churches, universities, family units, sports teams and political parties do.
You don’t think ego plays a part in people’s decision to pick Starbucks over a local chain of coffee shops? You don’t think that a sense of exclusivity makes Macheads love their iPhones and iPads more because being part of the Mac tribe is cooler than owning, say, a Motorola phone and an HP tablet? Dude.
Show me how any brand, from BMW to Nike, from Kate Spade to Weston, from Oakley to Canon doesn’t make you feel that being a customer makes you part of an exclusive club. That sense of kinship is at the very core of the long term brand experience, man.
3. I am not sure how pointing out some basic rules of etiquette and proper outreach make me a sellout. Nor does graciously accepting swag when it comes my way, for that matter. Would I be more credible if I sent it all back with a scornful frown? I think that would make me a jackass, actually. Here’s how I operate: When someone sees fit to send me a gift, whether it’s a thank you note, a crappy key chain or a cool bottle of gin, here’s what I do: I say “thank you.” Why? Because that’s the polite thing to do.
Sometimes, I tweet or blog about it because it made my day. Most of the time, I thank the person via email instead. That’s about the extent of it.
4. As for the Swag Club thing, I want to make sure I am super clear about this:
– From what I have seen, everything benefits “my buddy” benefits his clients more. That’s why I use him as an example. I have plenty of other “buddies” with their own businesses. How many of them do I pimp? Very few. Why? Because as much as I like them, their businesses aren’t necessarily remarkable. Kamran’s is. It stands out. That’s why I talk about it. It impresses the shit out of me, and so does he. I wouldn’t say any of this if I didn’t mean it. I wouldn’t feel any differently about it if I had never received anything from him, but since I have, I can use what I know about his methodology to illustrate some best practices.
– “Pulling fast ones on clueless marketing execs” absolutely does not describe what Swag Club does. It isn’t a Koozie peddler operation, which is the whole point of this post. But beyond that, it sucks that you would imply that Kamran is somehow dishonest or shady. Say what you will about me and my “shilling” for gin bottles and whatnot, but the guy has more integrity in his little finger than most people bother to dish out in a lifetime. I will vouch for him any day. I choose my friends based on their character, not on their position, and Kamran sits at the very top of that heap. Very few people do.
As for my selling out my credibility, here’s how it works: If I was ever going to sell out, I would have done it years ago. I would have settled for a steady paycheck and a cushy corporate job, and that’s where I would be today. There wouldn’t be a BrandBuilder blog. Instead of sharing insights, methodologies and ideas, I would be out playing golf with my boss and driving a much nicer car.
But for the sake of argument, even if I had decided to strike out on my own, I would have spent the last three years kissing every social media guru’s ass for favors and clients instead keeping them honest and pissing off a good chunk of them for my trouble. Unlike many of my peers, I don’t even brag about who my clients are. Me a shill? Really?
Thought, critique and analysis are precisely what I provide with every post, including this one. You’re entitled to your opinion and I respect that, but give me the benefit of the doubt, man. I’ve gone 39 years without giving an inch. I am exactly who I want to be and where I want to be. Why the hell would I start selling out now? And for what? A few laser-etched pieces of glassware and a bottle of hooch? For realz?
Having said that, I’ll gladly do a monkey impression for a king-sized jar of Nutella.
Thanks for the comment all the same.
“Smart brands provide that structure in the same way that churches, universities, family units, sports teams and political parties do.”
Re: Providing structure-
What is your ‘personal’ opinion of what social media is all about.
Is it Organizing these new tools of communication to drive, influence and create predictable behavior?
Of course as a ‘marketer’ and ‘brand builder’, your above post makes great sense.
However, are the ‘solutions’ suggested by you undermining the actual value of social media tools as drivers of new thought/behavior ?
Aren’t they ‘recreating’ older ‘structures’ and ‘systems’ ?
In other words…whats next? Your thoughts? A new blog post perhaps?
Thanks though for your post.
Wonderful way to share some good tips via your story Olivier!
When others operate from a place of being ‘authentic’ we are often positively impacted by them! Perhaps when people realize that we each have a unique way to connect with others and then follow through with that, there will not be the scurrying around to be something that we are not.
Perhaps we should simply live out the phrase ‘do as to others as you would have them do unto you’? I would definitely not want a message, gift or any other sort of acknowledgment that was pre-wrapped, sent via an assistant etc. to me, as it would surely speak to the value of the relationship. I liken this to the automated DM’s on Twitter, the messages in my box that sound almost live, but smell like canned spam (pun intended!)! So many seem to put effort and money in to create and offer these things that offer little to zero return.
Keep it fresh and aligned with what you have taken the time to learn about someone when sending anything, virtually or otherwise!
Pretty much, yeah. The swag is just a pretext, like having a cup of coffee or doing lunch. The real meat of it is the relationships. The rest is just… salad dressing.
Blimey, greatest feedback ever! Thanks for doing that thing you do, and noticing the details of that thing we do. We’re building an army, not of customers- but of friends, collaborators,& instigators. Itykwim.
I guess #150 wasn’t psyched about being left out. (See Michael’s comment.)
😉
Kamran’s a great guy. He’s swagged me up before. But next time lunch is on him. Damn you write long, Olivier. I admire that.
I keep forgetting you guys know each other. 😀
King size jar of Nutella on the way. I expect video of the monkey impersonation next week. Heck, I may even laser etch your name on the Nutella lid.
I’ve created a monster.
Influencing influencers seems to be the buzz at the moment. Spike was rifting on this earlier but saying it cant be done.
Kam proves it can be done…and done right. He influences people like you because the relationship is reciprocal. It isn’t shilling. It’s opening his home. It’s bringing his whole family up to cnc for my kid’s fifth birthday party.
I’m a blessed person and a large part of it is because of this weird little club THAT DOESN’T REALLY EXIST (rule 1).
Lastly, Michael is missing the point. It isn’t the glass or what you pour in it. It is the 148 other glasses that belong to kindred souls and the “clink” factor.
Salud!
Hi “Crash.” 😀
Right. So, I rarely agree with Spike, but I think he and I would probably agree at least 95% on the issue of “influencer marketing.” Three things:
1. “Influence” as it is defined by marketers is not influence. It’s wishful thinking. (More on that in future posts.) The whole thing is based on layer upon layer of false assumptions.
2. The sudden “influence” craze in the digital marketing world is a giant sham. Advertisers are dumping enormous chunks of money into it without understanding it. It’s going to produce very few real results and probably backfire before long.
3. Most of the campaigns and programs aimed at “influencing influencers” are so poorly designed and managed that even if “influence” as it is currently defined by marketers were accurate, most of it would still be a giant waste of time.
Where Kamran shines is in his ability to transcend the self-serving bullshit and be a human being. The swag is fun and cool, but it’s more of a pretext to stay in touch than the reason why we do. 😉
Pedal to the metal.
This was the last thing I read last night so it bounced around quite a bit in my head.
I agree that influencing the influencer is a half-baked idea. Look what happened up in Michael’s comment: even though Kam did it proper, Michael took you as a shill for him.
I’ll even agree with Spike’s statement that you can’t influence influencers…easily. Klout and the others are trying to make influence measurable but with some obvious shortcomings.
A few things come to mind:
1.) John Moore’s (Brand Autopsy) shared this mantra with me: “If it can be measured, it can be manufactured”.
2.) BoF’s book talking about how 90% of WOM marketing happens offline.
3.) Real, authentic interactions are what build relationships and those relationships are what constitutes your influence.
Take those three points and you get Klout /Peer Index scores that really only indicate your online influence and, since it can be measured, it can be manufactured (i.e. faked).
So what we end up with is a partial score of our true influence that too many are focusing on.
I’m not dissing the concept of Klout. I’ve gotten a Klout Perk in the mail and loved it. Kamran even agreed that they did a decent job when I showed it to him.
What I am saying is that it will never be easy because you can’t measure or manufacture offline interactions (though IBM’s Watson may one day prove me wrong if it learns to give good hugs and handshakes).
Which brings me back to Kamran vs. Klout. Targeted vs. Spray and Pray. Human gut vs. algorithm. Love vs. ulterior motives. I truly feel that I influence Kamran as much as he influences me while Klout sees me as a string of 1’s and 0’s.
Vincent,
On your second comment: Word. 🙂
If there was ever a koozie hater it’s Kamran. He’s a gem from his swag to his swagger. LOVE this man. @Klout would be stupid not to grab the chance to work with him. GREAT post. Thanks for the reminder to pre-order your book Olivier! Just did 🙂
It would be pretty fly for Klout’s Perk partners, yeah. He could help them make their programs stickier.
I want a talisman of wow.
😀
I would KILL (really, I would) to be a part of that club… is there someone you all don’t like that I can off so that I can join? 😉
But seriously, my company is a cloud hosting company, and we made some little robots that are like the robots on our homepage that we sent out to customers… we made 5,000 and people still email us asking when they can get theirs! We are waiting for more, but it speaks to what you said. Our clients know that they are part of rather small group of people around the globe that do what they do: and the little robots–despite not being super designer or bespoke–let them show that off.
Great post, Olivier. This another one that I am sending around to all of our offices.
See? You customized your swag. Brilliant. If you ever get an extra robot, I’d love one. #TheresAStoryThere
Well done.
That St. Germaine package is gorgeous! I hope you wrote them a thank you note ; )
The whole design is really well done. And it’s delicious.
Really good post, Olivier, and this goes to what I’m always on a soapbox about – experience. People (influencer or not) remember experiences that connect with them personally. This is essentially what this swag has done well. I especially love your point about the unexpected. Thank you for your insights on this.
p.s. Is Chicago on your book tour? There are perks here, too!
Yep. I’m coming to Chicago in May. details soon. 🙂
“Like”
Second “LIKE”!
There is a lot of common sense in what you say Olivier which sadly isn’t common. I find that most people want to belong, feel special/important and can sniff out insincerity in a heartbeat. It’s all about intention and motivation. There is a saying, “Keep your focus small and your results big” I would add to this and say… Keep your intention genuine and focus on authentic relationships without an agenda. The rest will follow and these people who you genuinely relate with become your best advocates.
Handwritten notes and personalized gifts/swag, show you care enough to take that extra step. Blasting out massive mailings etc. follow the “throw it on the wall and see what sticks” mentality. It never stands up to the test of time and these ‘relationships’ are fragile and superficial. At the end of the day as a Realtor, I would much rather work with people who are like-minded and who I enjoy spending time with (and who enjoy my company too). Thanks for the thoughtful post!
Well said.
Oliver,
I received the Audi cup and flashlight as well. While both items are very high quality I too was somewhat disappointed with the presentation, as it was off-brand. This isn’t a question of expense, but of attention to detail, which I expect from Audi.
Last year we received a box of Swedish Fish. The packaging wasn’t over the top. However it was well considered. This is a prime example of a brand that understands promotion.
http://blackcoffee.posterous.com/thanks-for-the-swedish-fish-cadbury
Cheers,
Mark Gallagher
Brand Expressionist®
Blackcoffee®
Yep. Another great example of attention to detail.
Word of mouth, the best marketing tool. Nobody would disagree with that. Right Olivier?
Whatever gift you gave to the end users or your main clients as long as you can’t convince them that you have a good service, you will not be able to gather a follower of clients and hence, lesser ROI.
Great post!! Where can I sign my hubby up for this miscreant/instigator club? I’ve never met anyone as gifted, trust me! 😉 He eschews social media, though, so it’d have to be IRL meetings.
Tyler Durden never sleeps in the same city two nights in a row.
Hmmm can I just say here that I love that etched glass? Small,cool things that are personalized are always intriguing IMHO.
I also must say I dig @Klout, I’ve received some cool things from them, seeing their gracious response in this thread makes them even classier in my eyes.
Thank you for sharing the Swag club with us in such great detail, truly giving readers reasons why you like something is something that isn’t done enough!
Very true.
Peeps like Mikey are the kind that validate what I am doing. I was told never to come to Greenville, because it would eat me alive (2002), and I ain’t dead yet. Swagmeister is a cool guy who encourages companies to think about what they put their name on. A company once called me and wanted me to buy space on a seat cushion. Exactly how does that fit what I am trying to do? But NOT Kamran. He would refer business to a better fit before selling junk to make a profit.
BTW Olivier, you have always been true to yourself, and pretty blunt about your position(s). Thanks for what you do!
When I got my #110 glass from Kamran, I was pretty humbled, being the quirky social-leper that I am. I appreciate him and what he is trying to do.
my father put mentos and airheads on the map in the usa, and he always said: love me or hate me, just remember me…, and mike did just that.
Patrick #110
See, I didn’t even know you were one of the 149. Even better!
Hope things are well, Patrick. Still the best photographer in Greenville (at least).
Cheers. 🙂
I loved this post – as an early angel to klout, I’ll let Joe know! And I love this…
“Let me let you in on one of Kamran’s little secrets: He doesn’t want customers or clients. He just wants to do business with people he likes. His funnel is built to only attract people he can have fun with.”
When you make business personal from the inside out you shine. Always.
Side note: What’s up with your like button? Get the facebook like button so you don’t have to log in to like… 🙂
The site is being moved soon, so those glitches won’t be a problem anymore. 🙂