If you happen to be in a few select cities you may find a random wallet on the ground from Burger King. Inside, there’s a note from The King to keep the wallet, cash ranging from a $1 bill to $100 bill, a gift card to Burger King, a “driver’s license” featuring The King, and a map of Burger King restaurants in the area in which the wallet was dropped.  If you are one of the lucky ones, snap a picture of you and the wallet and send it to us!

Advertising Specialty Institute®, the largest media and marketing organization serving the advertising specialty industry, revealed earlier in November a groundbreaking new study that promotional products beat out all forms of TV, radio and print advertising as the most cost-effective advertising medium available.

The comprehensive study was completed by a team of interviewers who surveyed travelers in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Philadelphia. Respondents were asked if they had received any advertising specialties in the last 12 months and the majority were businesspeople over age 21.

Among key findings, results indicate that:

* 84% of people remember the advertiser on a product they receive.
* 42% have a more favorable impression of an advertiser after receiving an advertising specialty.
* Nearly one quarter, or 24%, indicate that they are more likely to do business with an advertiser on items they receive.
* Most respondents (62%) have done business with the advertiser on a product after receiving it.
* The majority (81%) of promotional products were kept because they were considered useful.
* Among wearables, bags were reported to be used most frequently, with respondents indicating that they use their bags on average nine times per month.
* The average cost-per-impression of an advertising specialty item is $0.004, making it less expensive per impression than nearly any other media. (According to Nielsen Media data, the CPI for a national magazine ad is $0.033; a newspaper ad is $0.0129; a prime time TV ad is $0.019; a cable TV ad is $0.007; a syndicated TV ad is $0.006; and a spot radio ad is $0.005)

These statistics conclude that marketers get a more favorable return on investment from advertising specialties than almost any other popular media, with a very low cost-per-impression, high recall among those who receive ad specialty items, and increased intent among recipients to make purchases from the advertiser.

Source: ASI

A marketing concept at the coffee shop chain Oh It’s Fresh! proves that some things are better said with pictures than with words. Single portions of milk distributed within the coffee chain feature the image of a milk cow’s udder, giving the impression that you’re getting milk straight from a Holstein. Although it’s borderline disturbing, you definitely can’t miss the message.

Source: I Believe in Advertising

As ingenious as the Post-it is, sometimes getting your point across takes a little more creativity. Take this snazzy toaster designed by Sasha Tseng for example. Notes written on the message board are toasted onto the bread of your choice, leaving a breakfast-time message that’s hard to ignore… unless you’re really hungry.

Of course, if you’re looking for a long-term reminder, try something a little less perishable like a message fan or a custom notepad.

Providing solutions before there’s a problem can really get attention. The Eatalica restaurant wanted to spread the word of a new and extremely juicy burger. Direct mail was sent to customers featuring a “Just-in-case” pouch with a stain-removing wipe. This tactic created positive feelings, a sense of the burger’s excessive juiciness, and lots of referrals.

There are lots of ways to send solutions before there’s a problem:
Sunscreen key chains for an outdoor event
Seat cushions for a sporting event
Coffee set for a late night event

Source: (Direct Daily)

Marketing is constantly evolving and adopting new strategies to reach people. Traditional media, such as television, radio, newspaper, magazine and mail flyer advertising, are not as popular as they once were. Some consumers even find traditional advertising annoying.

A recent survey by IBM titled “The End of Advertising as We Know It,” found that “Traditional advertising players risk major revenue declines as budgets shift rapidly to new, interactive formats, which are expected to grow at nearly five times that of traditional advertising.”

Alternative advertising refers to marketing that uses unconventional methods, such as text messaging via cell phones, viral advertising on the Internet or social networking through Web sites like MySpace and Facebook.

Here is a list of more alternative advertising ideas from Kaboom Advertising:

- Street teams

- Street Stunts

- Pop-up lounge

- Guerilla Signage

- Promotional Materials

- Event and Conference marketing

- Mobile marketing and Video interactive marketing

Alternative Internet Marketing Strategies:

- Blog marketing

- Email marketing

- Online media buying

- Source http://kaboomadvertising.com

Although new marketing strategies are constantly emerging, traditional strategies do not have to disappear, but evolve.

Consider sending out a street team to spread the word about your new company and send traditional mail fliers to local companies. This strategy allows you to reach the general public with an alternative marketing strategy with the street team and helps you to get local business recognition with a traditional flier.

Alternative advertising is new and exciting, but some traditional methods are still useful. Update your flyers with your Web site address or send out a monthly email with insider news about your company. Using a mix of alternative advertising and traditional advertising is an effective way to get your brand recognized.