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Newsletter #724: The “Give Away Permanent Stuff” Issue

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So much waste is involved in purchases. Turn this garbage into marketing
opportunities.

1> Packaging that lasts

2> Reusable shopping bags

3> Receipts that are saved

4> Check it out: The Gary Vee of frozen food

1. Packaging that lasts

Most packaging is simply a means to an end and is quickly discarded after the
purchase. Great packaging, however, is saved, reused and displayed by customers.
Fossil gives away a classy tin container with every watch sale, and in perhaps
one of the most amazing package designs we've seen, Spanish waste management and
consulting firm Grupo Hera sent clients wine in a case that converted into a
desktop lamp.

The Lesson: Packaging represents an opportunity for permanence and display
among your customers.

Learn More: The Dieline

2. Reusable shopping bags

Send your customers off with a well-designed, durable bag that they can use
to not only haul your stuff, but will also work when going to the mall, the
beach, or a concert. Lots of grocery stores sell reusable bags for a small fee,
but Threadless nails the concept by giving away a stylish, useful bag that can
be used for $1 off future purchases. Plastic bags and cheap sacks are quickly
tossed out, give your fans something they can reuse and show you off with
instead.

The Lesson: Not only are cheap sacks bad for the environment, but they're
also a wasted opportunity for free advertising.

3. Receipts that are saved

Almost every sale ends in a receipt, which often finds a quick home in the
waste basket. But since you're already printing the receipts, you might as well
find a good marketing use for them. CD Baby includes a funny story on their
receipts describing how a team of 50 employees carefully polished and inspected
the CD to make sure it was perfect before mailing — which people blog about and
show off to their friends. Other ways to get your customers to keep and pass on
your receipts include printing coupons on them or letting them double as passes
to special events you're hosting.

The Lesson: Earn repeat business and word of mouth by embedding a coupon in
the receipts you're already printing.

4. Check it out: The Gary Vee of frozen food

Meet Gregory Ng, who is to your supermarket's frozen food section what Gary
Vaynerchuk is to the wine industry. His mission is to deliver you real reviews
and real answers to one of life’s most stressful decisions: choosing the best
frozen foods on the planet. Gregory takes the guesswork out of the freezer
section with in-depth reviews of packaging, cooking directions and times, and
most importantly, taste.

Check it out: FreezerBurns.com

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