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INCREASING CAP SALES TO NON-PROFITS

A COMPREHENSIVEWHITE PAPER

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I n 2014, the non-profit industry was worth nearly $900 billion. If you look hard enough, you will find at least one charity event in your area every weekend of the year. These events are made possible with

promotional products.

Promotional caps serve three distinct purposes for non-profits.

In this document, we will look at all of these purposes and provide you with extended knowledge of the non-profit industry as it relates to promotional products. We’ll also offer tips to help you expand your cap sales into the market.

This guide will look at different types of charity events and organizations, so that you can have a better understanding of how to target each aspect of the non-profit business.

You will learn how to reach out to non-profits and charity event organizers. We will also teach you how to optimize sales among differing promotional product usage behaviors.

ACT AS WALKING BILLBOARDS TO PROMOTE AWARENESS OF A CAUSE OR ORGANIZATION

ACT AS GIFTS TO THANK VOLUNTEERS AND DONORS FOR THEIR CONTRIBUTION

ACT AS FUNDRAISERS TO BE SOLD FOR A PROFIT

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E very non-profit organization falls into at least one of the following eleven categories:

CHARITY CLASSIFICATIONS

ANIMAL

ENVIRONMENTAL

INTERNATIONAL NGOs (NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS)

HEALTH

EDUCATION

ARTS, CULTURE & HUMANITIES

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

ENVIRONMENT

HUMAN SERVICES & CIVIL RIGHTS

RESEARCH & PUBLIC POLICY

RELIGION

Each type of non-profit will have its own ways of raising awareness and donations for the cause. An environmental organization will not use the same rhetoric to reach the public as a religious group.

Your job as a promotional product salesperson is to bridge the communication gap and prove to each non-profit that caps speak a universal advertising language.

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Non-profit businesses are concerned with saving money more so than their for-profit counterparts. This is so the majority of their cash flow can go back into their cause.

Because of this, you need to adequately defend the effectiveness of your products.

Prove to them that they’ll receive higher monetary donations and increased event participation by spending some money up front on promotional caps.

Run the numbers. Show them a case study of favorable ROI from other clients and they’ll have fewer reservations about buying from you.

If they’re not yet convinced, provide them with facts to back up your claims.

WEARABLES ARE THE MOST INFLUENTIAL

PROMOTIONAL PRODUCT FOR CONSUMERS

BETWEEN THE AGES OF 18

AND 44.

85% OF PEOPLE DID BUSINESS WITH THE ADVERTISER AFTER RECEIVING A PROMOTIONAL PRODUCT.

WEARABLES ARE THE MOST INFLUENTIAL PROMOTIONAL PRODUCT FOR CONSUMERS BETWEEN THE AGES OF 18 AND 44. THIS GROUP IS ALSO MORE LIKELY TO DONATE TO CAUSES THEY BELIEVE IN.

HATS WERE RANKED IN THE TOP 5 PRODUCTS TO INFLUENCE A CONSUMER POSITIVELY.

WHEN ASKED WHAT TYPES OF ADVERTISING THEY LIKED BEST, CONSUMERS PREFERRED APPAREL IN EVERY AGE GROUP UNDER 55.

PROMO PRODUCTS ARE THE MOST HIGHLY REGARDED FORM OF ADVERTISING.

The good news is, a lot of non-profits already understand the value promotional products bring to their cause. In fact, the non-profit industry was named number four by SAGE in its list of the top 10 promotional product buying markets.

In these cases, the hard part is done for you. Now, you just have to show them why hats are their best bet.

Here’s a hint: they get over 3,100 impressions throughout their lifespan, which averages seven months.

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What charity events planned for the coming months in your community? Utilize any contacts you currently have to coordinate an introduction to event influencers and organizers. They can help you get in touch with the decision-makers.

Think about the organizations that have an impact on your community. How can you add them to your customer list? Flex your networking muscles; reach out to them and see what promotional needs they have, and any events they have on the calendar.

W hat do survivors wear during a cancer walk? A hat branded with their cancer’s awareness ribbon. There are tons of opportunities for non-profit organizations to raise money or awareness for their

cause. One of the most popular and successful ways is to hold an event.

Headwear is a logical way for non-profits to show gratitude to participants or donors, especially during outdoor events or physically challenging activities.

There are charitable events held practically every weekend in most cities.

CHARITY EVENTS

_____-A-THONS:

BIKE-A-THONS

BOWL-A-THONS

DANCE-A-THONS

MARATHONS

READ-A-THONS

ROCK-A-THONS

TELETHONS

SKATE-A-THONS

AUCTIONS

BATTLE OF THE BANDS

CASINO NIGHTS

CHORES FOR CHARITY

FLASH MOBS

FUN RUNS (5KS)

GALA DINNERS

GOLF TOURNAMENTS

PHILANTHROPIC PUB CRAWLS

SCAVENGER HUNTS

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Now that we know a bit more about how non-profits work, let’s look at the three purposes promotional caps serve.

PROMOTE AWARENESSWhen worn out in thee community, promotional headwear becomes a

walking billboard for anyone who sees it.

If influential members of the community wear it, they’re lending their endorsement to the charity that’s branded on the cap.

When other people see influencers supporting a cause, they’re going to have a more favorable impression of the organization.

Logoed caps can be an icebreaker or conversation piece. If someone doesn’t recognize the logo on her friend’s head, it can jump-start a conversation about the organization’s humanitarian efforts, thus informing one more person of the cause.

Now multiply that by the number of donors, volunteers, and participants who attended the event where the hats were distributed.

Raising awareness is half the battle for non-profits. Whether the organization is working toward eradicating disease or saving the world one adopted puppy at a time, promotional headwear is a highly effective yet inexpensive way to market the cause far and wide.

VOLUNTEER & DONOR APPRECIATIONWe’ve discussed how hats can be given as freebies to participants and

attendees at charity events. But they can also be given to volunteers and donors as a way to say thank you for their services.

Where would non-profits be without the help of the volunteer man-hours or monetary donations they receive?

It’s important that people feel as if their contribution is appreciated. Branded caps are a great way to show gratitude without blowing through those very funds that were donated.

WHERE WOULD NON-PROFITS BE WITHOUT THE HELP OF VOLUNTEER MAN-POWER

OR MONETARY DONATIONS

THEY RECEIVE?

USING CAPS

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Apparel, including headwear, remains consistently in the top most favorable promotional gifts year after year. They’re inexpensive to make and distribute and they’ll be worn time and time again.

Remind your customers how far a simple thank you can go.

FUNDRAISINGThe final way non-profits use logoed caps is to raise funds.

When you sell headwear to a non-profit at a wholesale price, they can afford to use them as giveaways as we’ve discussed. But another option is to mark them up and sell them for a profit, or include the cap’s price into event participation fees.

For instance, when an individual runs a charity 5K, she typically registers her team and pays a runner’s fee to enter the race. With this fee, she’s allowed to participate, and oftentimes get a swag bag full of items branded with the race’s logo.

The fee for runners covers the price of the swag bag and all of its contents. Any additional money left over after paying for the swag bag goes into producing the event or directly back into the non-profit’s cause.

At charity events that don’t require entrance fees, it is not uncommon to sell products with either the event’s logo, the charity’s logo, or both. Branded caps are especially popular when sold at outdoor events.

This is just one more way to bring additional capital into the organization.

If you can help non-profits see how valuable promotional headwear can be in raising awareness and funds, your sales volumes are guaranteed to increase.

IF YOU CAN HELP NON-PROFITS SEE

HOW VALUABLE PROMOTIONAL

HEADWEAR CAN BE IN RAISING

AWARENESS AND FUNDS, YOUR SALES

VOLUMES ARE GUARANTEED TO

INCREASE.

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A t Outdoor Cap, we want to help you win the sale. When you succeed, we succeed. That is why we are offering these selling kits to you absolutely free. It is important to us that

your customers realize and take advantage of the value promotional headwear can bring them.

Non-profits contribute hundreds of billions of dollars to the U.S. economy each year. With our high-quality headwear samples, the tips provided in this document, and your sales expertise, you should have no problem securing your piece of the market share.

For more information on increasing promotional hat sales, visit our blog (blog.outdoorcap.com), and subscribe to our email updates. We offer free selling kits periodically; you will be the first to know when new kits are made available.

YOU CAN SEE ALL OF OUR RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT KITS AT

OUTDOORCAP.COM/KITS

WRITTEN BY EMILY POTTER