Question

Topic: Strategy

Ptichin To School Pto's -big Custom Or Small Broad

Posted by karen on 9/1/2016 at 8:46 PM ET 1125 Points
Just starting up Key-Shirt.org, neoprene key holders that are like Koozies and can be customized, like Koozies. They are for students to hold their keys hanging off their backpacks. They are very cute as they look like mini t-shirts and they help student's keep track of their keys and School IDs.

I had a batch of 250 Key-Shirts customized for my hometown, red background with white "Waltham Hawks" printed on the front.

My original marketing plan is to mail out sample Waltham High Key-Shirts to neighboring towns' schools addressing them to the Parent Teacher Organizations (PTOs), the ones who are in charge of fundraising with a letter explaining what it is and how they can be used as fundraisers and how to customize and bulk order them for their school through key-shirt.org

My second thought is to make up another batch of key-shirts, with "Soccer" graphic printed on it and send that as a sample to the neighboring town's schools' PTOs. My thought is that if I send a Waltham High key-shirt, it may end up in the trash. If I send a less specific key-shirt, like Soccer it may end up given to a random student who plays soccer, who might put it on their backpack, where another student would see it and want one.

Or I can send both key-shirts to each neighboring schools.

Psychology speaking what is my best course of action?

My lay person mind says send both as it shows what their neighboring town has (and they don't) creating the I want that. And I get the benefit of passing the soccer item to a student who would use it and could lead to another internet sale of a single soccer key-shirt.

But would showing both make them less likely go for the big custom order as they see an alternative for each student buying single generic sport version for $15 a pop? Would that potentially sell me short and confuse the sample recipient rather then steering them into a custom order?

What is my best bet to pitch to the PTOs?

Thank you!

The big custom orders are my goal, however they are brand new and at first glance the mind registers this item as a koozie.
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RESPONSES

  • Posted by Jay Hamilton-Roth on 9/2/2016 at 8:27 AM Accepted
    What you print on the key-shirt is less likely to matter than the offer that accompanies it. Ultimately, it's about the value you offer them: price & perception. If you can tell how effective a fundraising tool it is, that'll help sell it. If you can show how much better/cheaper it is than the competition (that they're already aware of and perhaps using), that's good too. For that matter, why wouldn't you put the URL of your website or name of your business on the key-shirt - so that everyone knows who sells 'em?
  • Posted on 9/2/2016 at 11:37 AM Accepted
    More important than the specific design of what you send is the positioning benefit and specific offer you present.

    Why should your target audience care? What's in it for them? How is this better than a bake-sale or other fundraising vehicle? How much can they raise? Has it been successful for other PTOs?

    You need to show the target audience how they will benefit from your proposed fundraising program, and how easy you will make it for them, reduce any risk, and enable them to look smart in their communities.
  • Posted by cookmarketing@gmail. on 9/2/2016 at 10:57 PM Accepted
    As your are probably aware, there are two types of fundraisers - general PTO and extra-curriculum.

    I'd suggest taking the harder of the two courses extra-curriculum...sports, band etc. There then's to be a) more enthusiasm/support and b) those there know the money is to support that activity vs in a 'genera' fund.

    They can be organized by either parents or coaches/leaders.

    Being in the souvy business, clever idea. Take that extra step and will will be worth it.
  • Posted by karen on 9/3/2016 at 12:13 AM Author
    Jay, M and Cook, thank you for your replies. I have pitched it to one sport team so far and the problem was they were more expensive than their current product for fundraising. . .lanyards.

    It's a brand new item so I have no track record to put forth. . .I'm looking to get off the ground.
    I do have the website printed onto every item.

    I will focus more on the wiifm vs the printing.

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