Helen Bryce Blog: Vocal Promo Girl versus the Silent Crew

A guest blog by Helen Bryce, senior staffing manager at Sense Staff.

It was a typical grey, dreary January day, the kind that induces SAD as soon as you wake up. I fell off my packed tube, jostled my way to the escalator, and emerged onto the station concourse. The Silent Crew were there, waiting.

To me as a promotional marketer, their silence was deafening. They were handing out samples of something or other, but no one cared. The sheer number of people meant they eventually handed out all their products, but no one knew anything about them or were remotely engaged. On trudged the commuters to their offices, for whom a cheery welcome and useful or tasty giveaway would have brightened their start to the day and stayed firmly in their memories.

But this was no ordinary morning. Something was about to happen that would break the silence, shake the commuters from their slumber and spread New Year joy with a cheery smile and friendly welcome – not to mention a great free gift. Leaving the Silent Crew cowering in the corner, promotional super hero Vocal Promo Girl struck a blow for experiential excellence.

Coming up the escalator, you could hear her greeting commuters, telling the world about the goodies she was sharing, how great they were, what you could do with them, and that they were free to take.

London, like other thriving cities across the country and the globe, provides rich pickings for experiential marketing, enabling most promotional staff to smash their daily targets and for new products to be tried, tested and purchased. All too often, though, these promoters just stand there silently looking bored, relying on people’s greed and curiosity to take a sample without really knowing what it is.

Although it may be easier to be a member of the Silent Crew, being a promotional super hero like Vocal Promo Girl will deliver far more value to the brand and your agency, which will reflect directly on you, getting you more work – plus, it will be much more fun.

From a brand perspective, make sure the agency you work with doesn’t swell the ranks of the Silent Crew, but promotes your products and services with a team of promotional super heroes, not just blindly handing stuff out, but acting as true brand ambassadors.