Marketing Inspiration Found in M&Ms

If you aren’t sure what to get your loved ones for Christmas, you could put their pictures on M&Ms. Personalized M&Ms are now available for you to put a holiday message on one side and your face or someone else’s face on the other side.

M&M Faces
M&M Faces is a service launched last spring that allows people to upload photos to be printed right on the little chocolates. The Christmas M&Ms are red, green and white and you can get a photo printed on them and “Ho Ho Ho” or “Happy Holidays” on the other side.

Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia has even partnered with M&M to give consumers DIY instructions on how to use these personalized M&MS in wish jars, “snack sacks” and even incorporate them into tree ornaments. The Web site www.mymms.com/Martha has the Martha instructions. “My M&Ms”, as the holiday product is called, will be featured on the Martha Stewart Show. This multiplatform approach should help M&M reach many target audiences.

My M&Ms is also reaching out to baseball lovers – My M&Ms has a licensing arrangement with Major League Baseball Properties, which means you can order M&Ms with the logos and colors of any of MLB’s 30 teams.

You can also choose from 22 individual colors at Mymmm.com, or you can choose a blend – 3 to 5 different M&M colors in one batch. And with the way color affects people’s psyches, the colors you choose for your M&M gift can set the holiday season just right. For instance, if you choose blue M&Ms, you can expect your recipients to feel relaxed and serene.

Business M&Ms
So what does this mean for marketing pros? Well there’s also a Business M&M, of which you can get your logo printed on one side of the candy and a short message on the other side.

You can order business M&Ms from http://www.mymms.com/business/. Here are some ideas for how to use them to market your business: 

• You can give out business M&Ms in little pretty gift bags as a Christmas gift for customers that drop by your store.
• You can order personalized packaging and hand them out at trade shows.  
• You can hand them out right in front of your store (especially if you have foot traffic around lunch or dinner time!).
• You can leave them on tables at sponsored events – like at a charity auction or corporate dinner.
• Include a package on each gift you give to families and friends (I see nothing wrong with encouraging business from those close to you! And, if you give them extras, they can give them out to their friends.)
• Offer them as dessert or appetizer at any holiday party you’re hosting or attending. 

These are a great way to have some fun while spreading the word about your company. And if you go for the personalized packaging, after people eat their treat, they can stuff the empty package in their pocket to remind them later to contact your company. 

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How to Design an Effective Postcard

If you are going to design a postcard for your marketing campaign, take the time and do it right. This can make all the difference between making this campaign an effective one or just creating more junk mail in people’s mailboxes. There are several steps you need to follow to make sure that your postcard gives you maximum leverage in grabbing attention and working for you. You could just have a marketing company handle it for you, but if you decide to do it yourself, here are some simple rules to follow.

Tip 1. Make your postcard demand attention

We now live in a time referred to as the ‘attention age’. People have shorter attention spans because there’s so much going on around them. Your first question however is, how do you get their attention. The most common way to do this is through the headline. A powerful headline on your postcard design can work wonders in your marketing efforts. When writing your headline, keep these things in mind:

• Use Powerful Phrase
• Know your target market
• Use a question
• Be controversial
• Pique Their Curiosity
• Promise A Benefit


Tip 2. Use a Nice Large Image on the front

Have you ever heard the term “a picture is worth a thousand words?” You don’t want to clutter the front of your postcard. Use a powerful headline and a large clean image. You can buy royalty free images online. You could also use a graphic design company to create a unique design that will help uphold your brand and separate you from the competition.

Tip 3. Be consistent with your color scheme

I would recommend 2 to 3 color maximum between your background color and your text color combined. Use colors that compliment or go well with each other. Remember that your image might already have multiple colors, so you want to go easy on the background color.

Tip 4. Use the correct size and shape

Postcard design and take many size and shapes. The standard size of a postcard is 4” x 6”, but there are also jumbo postcards like 5” x 7”, 5.5” x 8.5” or 6” x 9” and even larger. When deciding on the size you must keep your advertising budget in mind because a larger card will cost more to mail. Not all postcards are used in direct mail campaigns, however; some are just used for distribution. You can die cut postcards to different shapes also. These are mostly used at trade shows and other events.

Tip 5. Include more detailed information on the back

If you plan to mail your the postcards, you must first find out what’s the mailing criteria for the back of your postcard at your post office. Some post offices won’t mail unless sufficient white space is at the back of the card. You can list more detailed information about your company or whatever you are advertising towards the left of the postcard. Include your logo, company name and contact information also. You could also offer coupons or discounts on the back.
Tip 6. Some final points on creating that perfect postcard

Here are some Do’s and Don’ts:
• Try to avoid borders. It makes your postcard look old and end up with an uneven look after the postcards are cut down to size.
• The design should be done at a high enough resolution so that the appearance will be clean and clear.
• Choose your postcard printer wisely, this will save you a lot of headache and money.

Follow these simple steps and you should have a postcard that’s effective and works for you. For printing see postcard printing company