Print+Promo’s Case Study Spotlight: American Solutions for Business

By Elise Hacking Carr

There’s an underlying theme that runs through the stories we write every month for Print+Promo: effective problem-solving. Think you can offer an attractive price and call it a day? Think again. Today’s corporate culture demands a deep understanding of client goals. This means conducting research, asking the right questions and anticipating roadblocks. Print and promotional distributors are doing this and more—and we’ve got the proof. For the next few weeks, we will be highlighting case studies that show the importance of exceeding expectations. The full collection is published in our June issue.

Hospitality Promotion
Submitted by Leanne Schillinger, account executive, American Solutions for Business, Glenwood, Minn.

The Client: An undisclosed family-owned inn.

The Goal: My customer wanted to find a unique way to keep in touch with its guests. The inn’s desire was to become more than just another hotel option; it wanted to be memorable and retain customers.

The Solution: I came up with a unique promotional campaign that helped the hotel interact with its guests in a creative way. At the edge of every bathtub, a small, branded rubber duck greeted overnight guests. Guests were encouraged to tuck these ducks into suitcases, backpacks, diaper bags and purses to start the migration to places near and far. Postcards were placed next to the ducks educating guests on the “adoption” process. The inn encouraged people to email stories and pictures of their duck’s adventures after leaving the inn.

The Outcome: Small customer, big splash. Not only was the hotel able to keep in touch with its guests after their stay via email, but it was able to create brand advocates that were sure to return. Past and potential guests enjoy viewing the duck migration on the hotel’s website. The campaign has been a huge success, from continued communication with past guests to creating the awareness needed to interest future guests. More than 60,000 ducks are currently in “migration.” We recently added a Mermaid Duck to complement the hotel’s infamous tiki bar, The Sip N Dip lounge.

Don’t forget to check back next week for another case study!