That back to school list gets longer every year, and your company can get a piece of the action if you think smart and add items to your offerings that both help out the kids and promote your business.
A simple way to give a little back to the community and give your brand a boost at the same time is to hold a school supply drive. Visit a local school and ask what they are running short on this year. Teachers are always in need of extra stuff, and some students may not be able to afford everything on the list of school supplies.
Have promo items printed up like notebooks, binders, tote bags, pencils and pens, even reusable coffee thermoses for teachers and plastic identification tags for student backpacks. Your company name and logo should be front and center as the proud benefactor of your local education facility!
You can either donate the items outright, or fill some of custom printed tote bags with items and invite customers to ‘purchase” one to be donated to the school for a token amount of $5-10. Have cashiers or customers offer the chance to help their local school by adding a bagful of goodies to their purchase total. Don’t look to make a killing in profit – at the root of it all, these items are advertising put into the hands of adults and children who will appreciate your support and remember you when the time comes for them to shop for the products or services you routinely offer!
You can also tuck other printed promotional items into the totes to advertise your company even further – coloring books and packages of crayons are always appreciated at the pre-K and kindergarten level, and for older children such staples as rulers, bookmarks and mechanical pencils sets are a welcome addition to their backpacks. Pencil boxes, sandwich holders and can or bottle kozies can also be custom printed and added to the pile.
There’s no better way to show your best face to the community than by supporting the arts. Consider donating items specifically necessary to the arts department and having them custom printed. You can also send a token of support to the sports department in the way of printed sweat towels, sweatbands, or other small items.
Make back-to-school promotions a yearly tradition. You’ll find that the good will you generate will more than offset any monetary cost and children, teachers, administrators and parents will become familiar with your brand as a result.