Tag: Branding Experts

5 Tips for Better Warehouse Fulfillment & Logistics Before the Holidays

November 18, 2024

When holiday orders are in full speed, getting the performance you need from your distribution and fulfillment operations can be a real nailbiter. Getting this part right is vital to any growing business that relies heavily on holiday sales. To mitigate the risks, you need to start thinking about how you will address challenges before they arise. In the fulfillment world, they can include:

  1. Unexpected spikes in orders
  2. Unfamiliar service providers
  3. Unreliable sources of labor
  4. Supply chain disruptions
  5. eCommerce glitches and other tech issues

Once your products are ready to ship out, a whole new set of challenges is just beginning. Take it from HYPTE Branded Solutions, which has developed holiday marketing campaigns for a diversity of high-profile businesses, including prominent sports teams. Our dependable Warehouse Fulfillment & Logistics team is just one of many services our clients have come to rely on this time of year.

Tip 1: Vet Your Vendors to Guarantee a Dependable, Organized Fulfillment Process

Our years producing and delivering high-quality branded products and experiences have taught us that the best of intentions are nothing without an organized fulfillment system at the end of the tunnel. Even under tight deadlines, we start by ensuring that products are high quality and align with the client’s most important goals.

Since we handle solutions from concept to delivery, that gives us more control over the product fulfillment stage of a project. Knowing who you’re working with prevents the kind of unhappy surprises that stem from a disorganized warehouse, something that matters even more this time of year regardless of your type of business. Due to our years of experience developing relationships with trusted partners, we are able to produce a lineup of experts to complete and deliver creative campaigns from scratch in time for the holidays.

Tip 2: Have a Branded Merchandise Service Do the Heavy Lifting for You

The next thing you will want to clarify is what your role will be at the fulfillment stage of the game. Can your needs be met in a single format, or will you need to be in contact with your service provider every day to provide direction to them so things stay on track? Using a full-service branded merchandise solution is a perfect example of how to make this process as easy as possible. It’s one thing if you’re hand crafting goods and sending them out the door one by one. But in most cases, a contractor like HYPTE Branded Solutions will be essential in taking things out of your hands early on.

Tip 3: Factor in How Your Marketing and Promos Will Impact Sales

It’s not enough simply to base forecasts on last year’s sales figures. How do you expect upcoming ads, seasonal events and other marketing tactics to impact business? Crunching these figures to the best of your abilities will make it that much easier to line up sufficient shipping and fulfillment services in the coming weeks.

If you haven’t implemented a holiday season marketing campaign yet, it’s not too late to start. Reach out to HYPTE Branding Services for a partner that includes warehouse logistics and fulfillment as one of its primary holiday services, along with social media ad campaigns, holiday events, and other creative solutions.

Tip 4: Use Fulfillment Provider with Channels That Deliver Where and When You Need It

Assumptions are just that, and they cause us to miss opportunities to empower ourselves. Businesses that rely on third-party fulfillment providers to manage inventory and ship products need to be sure there are flexible options to get their products to the parts of the country and world they need, on their timeline. Check to see if your provider is set up to handle orders from multiple channels – such as FedEx, USPS (first class or priority mail), and so on – and be sure those channels can meet desirable shipping standards you choose.

Tip 5: Use HYPTE Branded Solutions for End-to-End Holiday Season Fulfillment

Do you want the seamless fulfillment of orders throughout the holiday season without any last-minute chaos? Reach out to the team at HYPTE for end-to-end branded solutions that include digital marketing, reliable warehouse management, creative consulting and more.

Contact HYPTE Branded Solutions online, or call us at 708-343-9730 to discuss your branding needs for the holiday season.

Seasonal Branding Mistakes to Avoid This Year (and Why You Need to Spot Them in October)

October 15, 2024

The holiday season can make or break even the most promising of brands. They become cautionary tales for the rest of us, from cumbersome check-outs to off-brand ads to marketing campaigns that lack that holiday spirit people crave. And if you’re largely relying on holiday-season revenue while still building your brand, the stakes are even higher.

However, most branding pitfalls this time of year can be avoided primarily through process testing, well-planned customer service, and a familiarity with your target audience. Once you’ve figured out consumers’ likes, dislikes, and where you want to reach them, the rest should fall into place.

Branding Mistake #1: Insufficient Warehouse Fulfillment & Logistics to Handle Your Orders

It can be a happy accident that turns into a holiday nightmare – the inability to handle all of your orders. This is a very understandable mistake for smaller businesses, and it occurs for a variety of reasons. One, you’ve introduced a new product line but were unable to test market demands. Two, in-house departments were not communicating with one another sufficiently in the lead up to the seasonal rush. Events outside of your control, such as shipping delays overseas, can also be the culprit.

One way to prevent the stress of late-year distribution troubles is to pad in enough turnaround time so that even a two-week delay isn’t likely to hurt business. At least when it comes to your marketing, you have the option to outsource merchandising services to outside experts who can handle all your warehouse fulfillment and logistics needs, removing that burden from your plate.

Branding Mistake #2: Attempting All Your Marketing In-House Without the Proper Digital Marketing Skills

According to NerdWallet, roughly four out of five people will research their purchases online before buying anything. Yet nearly half (47 perfect) of small businesses still manage all of their marketing – despite a lack of in-house digital marketing skills – and that decision is holding them back. A branding consultant like HYPTE that has digital marketing expertise can save you time and money by creating original solutions and executing on them in a fraction of the time, allowing you to focus on everything else you will need to accomplish from Halloween to New Year’s Day.

Branding Mistake #3: Not Enough Well-Trained Customer Service Agents Around the Holidays

This complaint may be the most prevalent among marketing teams and consumers alike. If you’ve got all your holiday products lined up and ready to ship, congrats! Sufficient, high-quality customer service reps to handle all the questions from customers that are sure to follow is crucial this time of year, and a lack of it could jeopardize an otherwise stellar season.

Get some peace of mind by following these customer service tips:

  1. Emphasize your training. Consider more intensive training for newcomers with less holiday marketing experience.
  2. Evaluate your online portal. Test it thoroughly to become aware of any glitches and improve your processes in time for the holiday rush.
  3. Survey your customers. You can learn a lot from past campaigns!
  4. Over-communicate. Be sure everyone throughout your organization is on board with your plans.
  5. Anticipate problems. Make sure your reps are skilled at handling disgruntled customers.
  6. Line up temps. Be sure you have access to last-minute talent should workers drop out of the pool.
  7. Hire selectively. How will you weed out the duds? Don’t let holiday angst overshadow smart hiring decisions.
  8. Prioritize. Decide how you will handle the more urgent requests.

Branding Mistake #4: Failing to Test All the Components of Your Marketing Plans in Advance

Now is a good time to begin testing the different components of your campaign, including your sales process, to make sure they are compatible. That will help you determine whether your website or mobile advertising require any technical changes. One approach is to create a prototype of end users. Solicit feedback based on specific, predetermined objectives such as how they respond to your Thanksgiving design or measurable engagement with your Black Friday video promo. Doing so gives you time to make adjustments before launching what your larger audience will see.

HYPTE Branded Solutions Will Inject Holiday Cheer Into Your Seasonal Campaigns

Kick off the season by giving yourself the gift of outside help. The team at HYPTE Branded Solutions has the expertise to create a turnkey solution from scratch, or to manage the missing elements of your digital marketing, branding, and merchandising plans from now until January 1.

Contact HYPTE online, or call us at 708-343-9730 to discuss what’s missing from your holiday marketing campaign!

Plan Your Holiday Marketing Now – And What Steps to Include This Year

September 16, 2024

Retailers and other SMBs map out their holiday season far in advance these days, which means their marketing campaigns need to be in place even sooner. All of that takes time and, more and more often, assistance from a partner that can handle the more challenging elements of your campaign:

  • Determine where to market and what trend to follow
  • Identify buyer personas – and who influences them
  • Help you find fresh new customers who are buying local
  • Skew your activity to the right medium
  • Create thematic content and experiences

To create the kinds of ideas that bring in new business, build new relationships and connect with your existing customer base, you’ll need at least three months to lay the groundwork.

Create Multiple Ways to Capture Attention – And Link Back to Your Original Strategy

Did you know that most local searches consumers make on their smartphones result in store visits within one or two days? And as much as companies are told to wrap existing digital media trends into their campaigns, many don’t take enough advantage of this technology, despite the opportunities to target people contextually based on their interests. A branding expert will have the tools to plan out the smaller steps that help you connect with those shoppers without wasting time – like a recurring promotion with retargeting pixel and increased ad spend during peak shopping hours.

A multi-pronged approach could include a variety of ways to capture your audience’s attention:

  • Bold and disruptive holiday themed images
  • Fun and engaging marketing through photo contests, polls and strategic discounts
  • Brand communication via email promotions and social media posts
  • Develop landing pages, pop-ups, and integrated content for your website
  • All while leveraging Facebook and Google’s large data pool

6 Tips for Scheduling Out Your Marketing to Stand Out from Your Competition

By scheduling out your steps with time to spare, it will be easier to make adjustments as you go. Keep in mind, there could be a change in suppliers or material shortages causing an unexpected delay. Some food for thought that will take a little advance planning:

1. Post More Often

Social media schedules tend to become tighter this time of year. This is because a lack of posts won’t be seen amidst the competition. A digital marketer will know how often and on which platforms to post – for instance, by shortening the time frame by half to twice daily.

2. Order Holiday-Themed Branded Merchandise Early

No matter the industry, companies will need at least a couple months to tailor high-quality T-shirts, knit caps and other products with holiday themes. A full-service agency can handle merchandise as well as the digital marketing elements.

3. Engage Visitors with Dynamic Ads

Businesses are using mobile apps to create engaging ads and promos that are more tailored to the individual shopper, from the images to the written copy to your landing pages.

4. Offer Discounts and Giveaways

Everyone is a sucker for a sale, and when people are ready to spend they are also more likely to take advantage of discounts, sales, coupons and giveaways.

5. Include Video Content

Possibly the best way to get attention, creating video content can also be the most time consuming. If this is part of your plan, find someone experienced in video marketing to help you wrap up your Tik Tok, Roku or video short.

6. Communicate the Details

Don’t underestimate the power of information to expand your reach. You may even feel you are over-communicating, but consumers will want to know the latest deets regarding products, sales, and your brand.

HYPTE Branded Solutions Will Help You Design Your Fall Season Campaign

As the broader holiday season gets started in October, HYPTE Branded Solutions will help you get all of the necessary parts in place so you’re ready to launch as soon as the crisp fall weather arrives.

Contact HYPTE for help getting started. Call us at 708-343-9730 to set up a free consultation!

Attract Your Target Fanbase: Use These 7 Summer Marketing Lessons

July 19, 2024

Is your summer marketing campaign fully primed to take advantage of the season? If you’re located in the Midwest or a similar climate, then you know about the power of seasons. But it may mean taking additional measures to entice your target audience before fall arrives.

1. Warm Weather Events Make Excellent Branding Opportunities

The first step in a marketer’s summer campaign should be to prepare themed merchandise to coincide with seasonal events. In many parts of the country, the number of in-person gatherings spikes exponentially in June, and so do opportunities for capitalizing on concerts, parades, street parties, water activities, and outdoor sporting events.

2. Branded, Outdoor-Themed Giveaways Are Simple and Effective

Your business doesn’t have to align specifically with a branded product to use it to your advantage. You might be surprised at the number of low-cost goods that can carry your company name, convey a good time, and help create lasting memories. Just a few examples of summer-themed marketing merchandise HYPTE could hook you up with include:

  • SPF lip balm
  • Wide-brimmed hats
  • Summer apparel
  • Refreshing beverages
  • Hand-held fans
  • Water bottles
  • Bottle openers

Want to boost your ROI? Use co-branded items with the world’s most popular logos on them.

3. Where Will Your Target Audience Be This Summer?

Not everyone experiences summer the same way. Smart brands give people more ways to celebrate and enjoy life wherever they are. Spotify knew this last year when they launched their “bummer summer” campaign, aiming playlists of moody tunes at Gen Zers.

As always, keep your target market in mind. Spotify’s campaign captured the essence of a specific generation tied to a desirable audience. It wasn’t just the catchy name that helped boost their strategy, but the fact that music accompanies young people everywhere they go – especially in warm weather months.

4. Summertime Consumers Want to Be Entertained & Engaged

Look for opportunities to incorporate interactive tactics. One significant branding trend has been through experiential marketing, creating an experience that makes people want to know more about your brand. In a LEGO store, this might translate to a workshop setting that allows customers to build their own LEGO creations. Retail brands in particular are rethinking floor designs that involve customers instead of simply advertising to them. If there’s a way you can incorporate an engaging outdoor display – even better.

5. Create Virtual Summer Experiences Through Social Media

Not every company has a storefront. If not, those experiences you’re creating may need to take place virtually, and social media will play a vital role in making that happen. Encouraging people to share live experiences as “stories” on Instagram or Facebook is more fun for consumers than telling them what to buy.

Additionally, no matter where a campaign takes place, there are ways to weave it into your social media calendar. As always, show, don’t tell. Displaying your Insta or Twitter handle alongside a branded hashtag to coincide with an event will get people to spread the word.

6. Get Out and Leverage Local Business Partnerships

What makes your business unique? Find local businesses that want to promote one another mutually by sharing leads. There are hundreds of professional networking groups in any large city with meet-and-greets in full force this time of year. If you’re not taking advantage of all that networking energy, you’re missing out on potential business leads.

7. Include Lasting Barcodes or Tags for Affiliate Partners

Once you’ve established some helpful business relationships to leverage during your campaign, be sure to implement tools that will boost those ties. For example, long-lasting barcodes or pixel tags for your affiliate partners is a simple but effective way to build on your successes. These types of tools are becoming fairly ubiquitous in society, even among older consumers. Set them up so that referrals will be active for long periods of time to make these two-way relationships worthwhile.

HYPTE Branded Solutions Creates Cool Summer Merchandise + Fun Business Experiences

If anything has a vibe, it’s summer. The digital marketing experts at HYPTE Branded Solutions will help you inject the right vibe into your summer marketing campaign, whether through targeted events, e-commerce channels, social media, or something else entirely.

Contact HYPTE for help at any stage of your marketing campaign. Call us at 708-343-9730 today to get started!

5 Ways to Make a Lasting Impression with Your Customers

June 18, 2024

If making a positive lasting impression with customers feels elusive, it’s probably time to focus your efforts somewhere else. There are efficient ways to make good impressions at every stage of the business cycle, but it can be challenging to recognize these opportunities and then act to take advantage of them.

Sometimes it’s easy to spot a specific moment that can be tied to an engaging event and put your name in front of a whole new audience of prospective customers. For all the moments in between, keep in mind five rules of thumb that can help shine a better light on a struggling brand.

1. Show Customers You Learn From Your Mistakes

It has been said that people remember how others make them feel much longer than they remember what was said to them. Apply that philosophy to your brand’s behavior and you will master at least part of your game – and retain loyal customers. Everyone makes mistakes. So do companies. What customers don’t forgive is a brand that refuses to learn or improve.

There are plenty of real-world cautionary tales of avoidable branding missteps that can serve as teachable moments for the rest of us. Unnecessary brand reinventions. Tone deaf attempts at advertising. Remember Juicero’s failed foray into juice-squeezing technology? It could have been walked back had the company recognized its error. Instead of digging your heels in when times get tough, show potential and current customers that you get it and are willing to evolve when the chance presents itself.

2. Get Professional Help from a Marketing Expert

One common mistake that businesses with limited resources make is trying to do all of their marketing and advertising under one roof. They overlook the power of outsourcing in today’s world, not realizing that handing over these time-consuming tasks frees up hours they can use to expand on what they already do well.

A whole range of solutions can help create and maintain the impression you want, which is why more companies are employing the services of a qualified branding professional to fill in the gaps. When you partner with HYPTE, you get more than marketing assistance. You outsource a range of tasks to experts that would otherwise become major distractions:

  • Branding Services
  • Marketing
  • Consulting
  • Merchandise Development
  • Warehouse Fulfillment
  • Logo Design
  • Logistics

3. Use Branded Merchandise and Experiences More Creatively

Hoping to save money, companies will often select cheap product manufacturers to produce caps, totes, and other branded merchandise, unaware of what they want and need. The problem is that expectations have risen in this area. Savvy consumers can tell when businesses cut corners by ordering cheap T-shirts, useless trinkets and other substandard products.

An experienced branding expert knows which methods can help businesses outshine the competition. Combining humor, a multilayered approach, and unique, memorable ideas is one way to accomplish that. Take a look at how HYPTE used branded motorized scooters and leveraged its relationships with the media to promote Coors Light during one campaign. It’s that level of professional creativity that companies need to strive for if they want their campaigns to make a splash instead of a whimper.

4. Improve Your Customer Service: Be a Leader

As much as customers want to be heard, they appreciate and need leadership – more than you might think. According to one analysis reported in the Wall Street Journal, the vast majority of shoppers preferred customer service reps who were “outspoken and opinionated,” qualities that the same study showed are almost always overlooked during the hiring process. You are the expert in what you offer, and your target audience needs to see that as well.

5. Consult with HYPTE About Better Marketing Solutions for Your Brand

Cool new swag can often be a fun, cost-effective way to stay top of mind. But at HYPTE Branded Solutions, we recognize that a lot more goes into discerning what your needs are and what combination of methods are a match for your long-term goals. That’s why each project starts with a thorough consultation to find out as much as we can about each specific client.

Contact HYPTE online for more information about what we offer, or talk to a branding specialist at 708-343-9730 today to find out how your future campaigns can leave the impression you’ve always wanted for your brand.

8 Ways That Brands Are Appealing to Women

March 20, 2024

It would be hard to deny the impact Nike’s ad campaigns have had on girls’ and women’s interest levels in sports, and in turn on the brand itself. It started with their women-centric “Just do it” ads in the 1990s. That’s when the sportswear behemoth linked sports involvement to positive life outcomes for girls – a little known issue at the time – and opened the doors to new ways other companies would spread their own messages.

March is Women’s History Month (International Women’s Day was on March 8). To get the juices flowing for your next campaign, take a look at some of the most successful ways companies appeal to women during this time, as well as throughout the year.

1. Shifting Outdated Perceptions About Girls and Women

Nike didn’t just create ads of women jogging or girls playing soccer. The company took a risk by bringing up facts that went far beyond the topic of sports – including timely social trends. This allowed them to appear edgy and instigate conversations that created buzz.

2. Incorporating High Quality Branded Merchandise & Apparel

Since those early Nike ads, the ways other brands have appealed to women have grown exponentially. With the help of social media, high-quality merchandise and more branding opportunities, there are countless possible approaches to messaging. A qualified brand strategist like HYPTE will help you find unique opportunities to promote your services that are innovative and within your budget. One effective way we can do that is by combining your logo with brands like Nike to help expand your audience.

3. Remembering History

People love to learn about strong, inspirational and fascinating women past and present, from Eleanor Roosevelt to Malala Yousafzai. This approach is straightforward and fairly simple to pursue along with other brand strategies to share your message.

4. Working with Influencers to Land Prime Brand Collaborations

This one is evergreen and increasingly good to know. As Influencer Marketing Hub noted recently, “Analyzing sponsored posts on Instagram, 84% of them were posted by female influencers while only 16% were posted by male influencers.” The trend in influencer marketing is only growing, and March might be the perfect opportunity to jump on this women-led bandwagon.

5. Expanding Their Appeal

A solid tactic for gaining followers is to try to expand your appeal while also aiming at your target audience. Those Nike ads didn’t just attract girls. They were successful because they appealed to parents, sports lovers, and everyone else who cares about outcomes for young people.

6. Showcasing Female Voices from Within Their Own Brand

Mercedes-Benz made a splash last year when they showcased the voices of specific women, including their Tel Aviv Tech Centre CEO and Saudi Arabia’s first female race car driver. When your brand makes use of its own inspiring female voices, this makes you seem more authentic – which is essential to modern-day marketing – while also gaining the trust of potential female fans.

7. Touting Their Accomplishments

The video Mercedes-Benz released didn’t shy away from “the company’s goal to have 30% of women in senior management by 2030.” What goals is your company pursuing – and what have you already accomplished that could be used in your promotions?

8. Challenging Negative Stereotypes – and Starting Conversations

Remember that Always “like a girl” campaign that went viral overnight? They cleverly took a familiar phrase and turned it upside down to challenge a common stereotype. Even if everyone wasn’t a fan, it spread like wildfire because it was such a popular conversation starter. Even the brand may not have anticipated the tens of millions of viewers it would get on social media sites.

Consult with Branding Experts at HYPTE About Full-Service Solutions

At HYPTE Branded Solutions we provide a wide range of strategies to assist our clients, whether they’re aiming to reach a female audience or simply want to take their brand to the next level. How do we do this?:

Contact HYPTE online or call us at 708-343-9730 to discuss other ways we can help you reach your target audience.

Top Qualities to Look for in a Branding Solutions Partner

March 6, 2024

The recent spike in branded events reflects a growing need for reliable, high-quality solutions accompanied by the best merchandise to promote your name. But with so many unknown players in the advertising and marketing industry, it can be difficult to find a partner that will collaborate with you to take your campaign to the next level.

So, where do you start? By looking for the qualities that will prove most vital to your success:

1. Quality Control

Never underestimate the role of quality in creating new fans. A partner worthy of your trust should demonstrate the highest standards, from design to production. Every growing organization at some point will need help producing items connected to their mission or corporate identity. Three common ones are:

  • Promotional souvenirs
  • Business gift items
  • Event concepts and swag

An image that doesn’t meet expectations on a mug or keychain is more than enough to create doubt in what you’ve worked hard to accomplish, including everything your brand does right.

2. Ability to Create Memorable Experiences

At its center, branding is about creating memorable experiences, and that extends to any merchandise woven into an event. Your partner should share this philosophy and know how to implement a positive brand experience at every level.

3. History of Excellence

An experienced branded solutions provider will be able to demonstrate an impressive history of successful, one-of-a-kind campaigns. There are thousands of start-up advertisers that may tempt you with big promises or a flashy website. But further exploration will let you know whether they can deliver. As always, the devil is in the details. Find out:

  1. How many years have they been in operation?
  2. Do they have a roster of impressive clients?
  3. Are they supported by a staff of skilled professionals?
  4. What range of expertise have they demonstrated in the past?
  5. Can they provide a portfolio of diverse branding projects?
  6. Can they manage every aspect of your project, from inception to delivery?

A high-quality service provider will be proud of their past projects and open to discussing their approach with you.

4. Wide Range of Creative Skills

The best results will come from a partner with expansive creative abilities. An exploration of the services offered on their website will let you know if what you’re being offered is standard, run-of-the-mill fare or something unique that will be created by a team of innovators. Most important, you want access to the kinds of projects that take a lot of creative imagination and branding expertise to generate.

5. Turnkey Branding Solutions

Why hire a different company for each stage of a project when you can work with a team that will handle everything for you? Trying to manage every detail on your own can hold you back from important tasks that enable your business to grow. The right branded merchandise partner won’t merely get the packaging and shipping handled properly and on time. They will also be able to create solutions that build emotional connections and expand target audiences.

6. Communication & Accessibility

When exploring your options, find out how each company handles communication with their clients. How much time will they put in up front to ensure satisfaction in the end results? The right partner should be open to communication and accessible when you need them should any questions arise.

Consult with Branding Experts at HYPTE About Full-Service Solutions

HYPTE Branded Solutions is staffed with a team of experts to help clients create exciting concepts that align with their values and mission. Our turnkey approach allows you to kick back while we handle whatever your company requires:

  • Branded Merchandise
  • Print Production
  • Interactive Marketing
  • Creative Services
  • Warehouse Fulfillment & Logistics

Contact HYPTE online or call us at 708-343-9730 to discuss better ways to grow your brand!