Second Helping Episode 14: The Season Finale

In this episode of Grill’a Marketing, Seth explains how to combine all the tools in our toolboxes to maximize our marketing impact and generate the opportunities and responses we look for. With a tip of the cap to his time as a kid at camp, Seth introduces the Mush Burger: This recipe is a holistic depiction of this season of Grill’a Marketing. It combines multiple diverse ingredients that when mushed together, form a comprehensive marketing mix. Seth folds the ingredients inside aluminum foil and places them directly on the coals for 5 minutes on each side. The excitement of taking the foil out of the fire and seeing the results is comparable to watching your marketing metrics skyrocket after implementing a well-crafted marketing plan. This season of Grill’a Marketing has covered a wide array of topics with each episode offering its own highlights and tips. The season premiere episode provided useful guidance about preventing perfectionism from stifling your efficiency. Episode 4 offered information about FedEx and UPS’s efforts toward achieving sustainable shipping practices. Episode 10 explains the benefit of daring to be different and trying an innovative marketing strategy. These are only a few of the many themes discussed in this season of Grilling Marketing. Now that this season of Grill’a Marketing is coming to a close, we hope that you found our grilling and marketing tips fun and informative. All of the techniques and tips discussed in Grill’a Marketing can accomplish goals separately. However, combining all the episodes’ methods and ideas together will form a comprehensive and most delicious marketing strategy. If you are looking for something fun and easy or if you are looking for something more challenging, talk to Sonic Promos. We can help you with both of those things! Thank you for your support! Grill Master Tip: Participate in the Sonic Promos BBQ Test Kitchen Survey. Further instruction and a taste of success will follow!

Second Helping Episode 13: Do not Walk the Plank

In this episode of Grill’a Marketing, Seth explains how to boost your marketing strategy by focusing on presentation. Seth grills salmon on a plank rather than directly on the grill. Using the plank elevates the salmon in three diverse ways: The smoke coming directly from the plank provides flavor. The plank acts as a barrier between the grill and the salmon which prevents burning. Serving the salmon on the plank allows for a practical yet elegant presentation. Using a plank is an example of actively selecting a unique way to present your marketing message. Do not be passive and walk the plank with your marketing strategy. How can we apply this concept to our own marketing strategies? Think strategically to prevent promobesity. Present your promotional items in a way that grabs attention and direct focus to your main course, “the star of the show.” Although providing options is necessary, too many can distract prospects and divert their attention from the core message you want to deliver. Put yourself in the shoes of someone looking at your booth. What item catches your eye? What imagery does the products’ set up invoke? What brand association do you think of? Presentation matters when it comes to first impressions and lasting impressions. Does presentation matter only for trade shows? Presentation always matters. If you want to send a Holiday gift box to your clients, do you want items thrown in the box with no discernable order? Or do you want a carefully curated arrangement of delicious items from NC Custom? Your client will associate your gift with your brand. If you want to make an impression through strategic presentation, talk to the Sonic Promos team. We can show you how! Grill Master Tip: Participate in the Sonic Promos BBQ Test Kitchen Survey. Further instruction and a taste of success will follow!

Second Helping Episode 12: The Blooper Reel!

Time for a behind the scenes look at the production of Grill’a Marketing! Like every successful project, not every episode was filmed in only one take. You can view this season’s bloopers here! There are plenty of common reasons that marketing campaigns can fail. Incorporating lessons learned from failure into an innovative marketing strategy will contribute to successful campaigns in the future. One reason campaigns fail is because they rely on only one channel. Diversifying marketing channels means more mediums available to create opportunities. This also allows us to utilize the various channels to promote each other. For instance, using a YouTube channel to advertise a promotional campaign multiplies engagement. Both channels share the same goal of generating leads and opportunities. If a call to action on the YouTube channel does not successfully persuade the user to input information/make a purchase, it may persuade the user to participate in the promotional campaign. If you want to diversify your marketing channels and try something new, Sonic Promos can help! Grill Master Tip: Participate in the Sonic Promos BBQ Test Kitchen Survey. Further instruction and a taste of success will follow!

Second Helping Episode 11: Dare to be Different

In this episode of Grill’a Marketing, Seth talks about how switching things up can boost engagement. Just like a polo shirt in a sea of really cool t-shirts, a new unique marketing technique can stand out amongst your brand’s standard marketing messages. In previous episodes of Grill’a Marketing, Seth focused on providing tips for grilling meat over charcoal. On today’s episode, Seth grills pineapple over propane. Even if your seasoned recipes for grilling meats are boosting brand awareness, sometimes it is beneficial to add some grilled pineapple to your marketing mix. How can we spice up our marketing strategies? The answer is do something different. If you rely on the same marketing channel for your messaging, your audience may tune out your new offering or product announcement. If they receive a new catalogue every week, the probability that they will read every single one is low. Instead of depending on the same marketing channels, “consider participating in local community events.” Doing so will provide customers with face-to-face interaction and allow them to have an in-person conversation with you. It is also an opportunity for you to highlight your brand and give away carefully selected promotional items. Try a fresh marketing strategy or focus more on a previously untapped marketing channel. Sometimes the same message presented in a new and exciting way increases brand awareness more dynamically relative to the same recipe every day. Whether you are grilling or marketing, dare to be different. Talk to Sonic Promos. We can show you how! Grill Master Tip: Participate in the Sonic Promos BBQ Test Kitchen Survey. Further instruction and a taste of success will follow!

Second Helping Episode 8: The Power of the Brine

In this episode of Grill’a Marketing, Seth explains the significance of designing a marketing plan that allows an audience’s awareness to brine in a brand’s varying forms of messaging. Building brand awareness takes time and requires providing messaging the penetrates deep. When preparing pickle-brined chicken, Seth seals chicken in a pickle jar for a couple of hours. The salts and spices penetrate the chicken like a good marketing strategy’s messaging penetrates clients’ brand awareness. What ingredients are in a brine? The minimum includes salt, sugar, vinegar, and water. Similarly, the 4 Ps of marketing are product, price, place, and promotion. While those are the fundamental elements, there is always room for a add a dash of other spices before or after the brine. There are many creative options to choose from when selecting the components of your marketing plan. The brine is only one part of the preparation process, albeit an essential one for relationship building and brand awareness. What can I do to make an effective brine? A brine can take shape in the form of varying messaging options utilizing both short-term and long-term marketing. Short-term marketing, although usually focused on bursts of flavor, is still part of the long-term strategy. The idea is to have your audience build familiarity with your brand over time. This can be in the form of indirect marketing such as product placement, loyalty programs, or a superb blog. If you are wondering what the right blend of salt and spices is for your marketing brine, talk to Sonic Promos and we will help select the right ingredients for increasing your brand awareness and brand recognition. Grill Master Tip: Participate in the Sonic Promos BBQ Test Kitchen Survey. Further instruction and a taste of success will follow!

Second Helping Episode 7: Brand Marketing on the Go

In this episode of Grill’a Marketing, Seth explains the importance of planning your items at a tradeshow around what your audience will be doing. Like a BBQ or cocktail party, offering the right choices based on the activity involved allows guests to carry their items without difficulty. If they are on the go, burgers make sense. If they are doing a sit down, a steak makes sense. When choosing items to order, understanding the message, the medium, the event, and what your audience is going to be doing goes a long way toward selecting the right product. While trade show attendees might want to take home all their favorite items, there is a limited amount they can carry. This means it is important to make sure that your promotional items are captivating AND that they fit in a tradeshow bag. Though it may be appealing to bring your favorite product to your next tradeshow, the product may not be the right fit for every event. Consider whether attendees will be parked near the venue. Will they be able to carry your item over a long distance? How much space is available in walkways and in between booths at the venue? Keep in mind that prospects are also planning ahead. They may forgo a large, cumbersome item for several smaller ones that do not take up substantial space in their bags. You may be eager to share the Perfect Baked Potato. Though it may be delicious, it may not be the most feasible option to a prospect carrying other items and traveling on foot. Baked potatoes are only perfect in the right environment. Instead, try choosing an item that invokes your brand message in a unique way. French fries are delicious, widely popular, and while not the perfect baked potato, they are perfect for someone on the go. Planning based on prospect activities will aid in selecting the right product for your next event that will be effective for you in the long run. Talk to Sonic Promos. We can help you do that! Grill Master Tip: Participate in the Sonic Promos BBQ Test Kitchen Survey. Further instruction and a taste of success will follow!

Second Helping Episode 6: Brand Buffets Linked to Promobesity Epidemic

In this episode of Grill’a Marketing, Seth explains how there is a strategic way to choose and place items for display at your tradeshow booth. While offering many items might be easy, doing so may cause you to lose an opportunity to maximize engagement. Offering a brand buffet in order to hit several different tastes might seem like a satisfactory method. However, doing so takes a lot of time and may cost a considerable amount of money. Further, it requires ample preparation, and the actual distribution can be exasperating. Before you order items for your next tradeshow, decide what you want your prospects to see when they look at your booth: An endless buffet of choices has no clear focus. Everything is lost in a haze of different flavors. When you choose the brand buffet option, it is difficult to direct attention toward a specific item because there are countless items surrounding it with no deliberate arrangement. These items take different amounts of time to prepare, require dissimilar preparation methods, and may demand varying modes of distribution. If instead you plan to offer strategically selected items, choose to arrange your items like an elegantly plated entrée. “Place the main item in the center of the plate, then build around it. Keep the amount of food on the plate to a minimum, filling only about two-thirds of the plate at most.” The key is to offer a curated array of options and a thoughtful experience for your prospects. While it is possible to simply order a wide variety of items so that there is a vast selection to choose from, doing so incurs an opportunity cost. Trade shows are a chance to influence the impression that your brand leaves on the prospects that arrive at your booth. Rather than focusing on providing as many items as possible, a few meaningful items have the potential to increase both brand awareness and brand loyalty. Put an end to promobesity. Before you order items for your next tradeshow, talk to the team at Sonic Promos and we will work with you to cook up a spread that will make them want more. Participate in the Sonic Promos BBQ Test Kitchen Survey. Further instruction and a taste of success will follow!

Second Helping Episode 5: Direct or Indirect? Bursts of Flavor or Low and Slow

In this episode of Grill’a Marketing, Seth explains how choosing between direct heat and indirect heat when grilling parallels choosing between direct and indirect marketing. Direct heat involves flames licking the food which provides bursts of flavor. Conversely, indirect heat offers low and slow cooking with the heat surrounding the food, creating a perfectly tender bite. Seth demonstrates how the direct heat method involves placing the food on the grill over the hot charcoal. He also shows us how the indirect heat method involves placing the food on the grill adjacent to the hot charcoal, rather than directly on top of it. Which method is better? Depending on what you are cooking, either method may be preferable. Direct heat is better for searing meats, or for grilling burgers, fish fillets, or boneless chicken breasts. Indirect heat is better for foods that are best grilled using the low and slow method such as whole chickens, ribs, or brisket. As in grilling, whether direct or indirect marketing is preferable depends on your desired outcome. Are you looking to attract new customers? Do you want to maintain brand loyalty? What is your timeline? Many factors compose a marketer’s strategic marketing plan. If immediate results are the goal, direct marketing is the preferred method. If building relationships with your customer base is part of your plan, indirect marketing is preferable. There are also disadvantages to each technique. Too much emphasis on direct marketing can overwhelm potential customers and push them toward competing brands. Comparatively, indirect marketing requires patience and cannot be relied upon for immediate revenue generation. Both methods can be highly profitable if implemented strategically. Whether you are looking for the sizzle of direct marketing or the slow buildup of indirect marketing, talk to our team and we can show you which way will work best. Participate in the Sonic Promos BBQ Test Kitchen Survey. Further instruction and a taste of success will follow!

Second Helping Episode 4: Igniting Positive Change through Collaboration

In this episode of Grill’a Marketing, Seth explains how Sonic Promos contributes to sustainable and eco-friendly business practices. Like charcoal lights fire, companies like FedEx and UPS have ignited shipping programs designed to offset emissions produced by deliveries. Sonic believes in the power of collaborating with companies and programs that share a commitment to protecting the environment. The tables below depict the progress made in recent years by FedEx and UPS toward reducing carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions. The polar bear below depicts coolness. FedEx Fuel and Energy-saving Initiatives FY20 FY21 FY22 CO2e emissions avoided (metric tons) FedEx Express aircraft fleet modernization 1,321,430 1,410,430 1,456,220 FedEx Fuel Sense (jet fuel) 1,055,690 629,289 125,139 FedEx Express vehicle fuel efficiency initiatives 315,519 352,867 385,000 Intermodal rail usage 232,557 598,003 619,950 Facility energy efficiency initiatives 193,492 147,231 160,392 On and off-site solar electricity generation 13,225 13,957 8,897 Total emissions avoided 3,131,913 3,151,77 2,755,597 UPS 2022 Greenhouse Gas Emissions 2022 2021 % Change (2022/2021) Base Year (2020) Global CO2e emissions (metric tons) Gross Scope 1, 2, and 3 33,339 35,808 (6.9)% 34,411 Total voluntary carbon offsets for carbon neutral shipping (337) (298) 13.1% (273) Net Global CO2e Emissions 33,002 35,510 (7.1)% 34,138 Check out the FedEx 2023 Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Report and the UPS 2022 Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Report to view the above statistics or to learn more about how FedEx and UPS are innovating their operations to reduce their carbon footprints. Global shipping leaders like FedEx and UPS invest in R&D geared toward streamlining their supply chains into more holistically ecofriendly systems and processes. Whether by using solar power and electric vehicles, or by reducing jet fuel consumption, the companies that ship packages for Sonic Promos are actively working toward carbon neutrality. A product ordered from Sonic will be brought to you by a company that is developing new and innovative ways to make your delivery as sustainable as possible. Companies like these offer programs that are striving to offset emissions and Sonic provides access to those programs and so many more. If your company is looking to make an impact, give us a call! Fans of saving polar bears can: Participate in the Sonic Promos BBQ Test Kitchen Survey.

Introducing Second Helping!

Introducing SECOND HELPING! You binge-watched the entire Grill’a Marketing series and you’re still craving more? The Second Helping blog will provide you with the deconstructed version of each episode. You won’t even have to scroll to find the recipe! Our first post is up now! We’ll be publishing a new blog post every Tuesday and Thursday for the next few weeks.