Management Communications - CapGator Client Project

CAPGATOR
DIRTY NOZZELS
Jordan Altman, Jameson Cook, Mackenzie Gauden and
David Mandile

Altman, Cook, Gauden, Mandile 1
Contents
Executive Summary..............................................................................................................................4
Lack of Brand Awareness...................................................................................................................4
Need for Relationships in the Promotional Item Provider Industry..........................................................4
Tripartite Plan/Solution.....................................................................................................................4
CapGator Communication Strategy.....................................................................................................5
Client Industry Report ..........................................................................................................................6
Client Description.............................................................................................................................6
Background..................................................................................................................................6
Product .......................................................................................................................................6
Value Proposition .........................................................................................................................6
Audience .........................................................................................................................................6
B2C.............................................................................................................................................6
B2B.............................................................................................................................................6
Communication................................................................................................................................7
Website.......................................................................................................................................7
Video ..........................................................................................................................................7
Social Media.................................................................................................................................7
Product Packaging ........................................................................................................................8
Kickstarter ...................................................................................................................................8
Competition and Challenges ..............................................................................................................9
U-Glove .......................................................................................................................................9
Non-Fueling Specific Alternatives....................................................................................................9
Audience Profile ................................................................................................................................10
Summary of Target Audience ...........................................................................................................10
Promotional Item Providers .........................................................................................................10
Secondary and Tertiary Audiences (Concerns of PIPs)......................................................................10
Demographics................................................................................................................................11
Psychographics ..............................................................................................................................11
Contributing Factors for Decision Making ......................................................................................11
Client Relations ..........................................................................................................................11

Motivators.................................................................................................................................11
Deterrents.....................................................................................................................................12
Other Factors.................................................................................................................................13
Network development.................................................................................................................13
Overwhelming Choice of Products ................................................................................................13
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................13
Communication Strategy ....................................................................................................................15
Recommendation – Personal Outreach.............................................................................................15
Vehicle – Direct Mail.......................................................................................................................15
Appeal.......................................................................................................................................15
Messaging Strategy and Tone .......................................................................................................15
Costs.........................................................................................................................................15
Metrics......................................................................................................................................16
Feasibility ..................................................................................................................................16
Obstacles...................................................................................................................................16
Expected Results.........................................................................................................................16
Examples ...................................................................................................................................17
Recommendation – Target industry events ...........................................................................................18
Vehicle – Events .........................................................................................................................18
Appeal.......................................................................................................................................18
Cost ..........................................................................................................................................19
Metrics......................................................................................................................................20
Feasibility ..................................................................................................................................20
Obstacles...................................................................................................................................20
Example.....................................................................................................................................21
Recommendation – Build Digital Presence.........................................................................................22
Vehicles – LinkedIn and Website...................................................................................................22
Appeal.......................................................................................................................................22
Cost ..............................................................................................................................................23

Metrics......................................................................................................................................24
Feasibility ..................................................................................................................................24
Obstacles...................................................................................................................................25
Expected Results ............................................................................................................................25
Examples ...................................................................................................................................26
Recommendation – Follow Up to Seal the Deal..................................................................................28
Vehicle – Phone Calls...................................................................................................................28
Appeal.......................................................................................................................................28
Costs.........................................................................................................................................28
Metrics......................................................................................................................................28
Feasibility ..................................................................................................................................28
Obstacles...................................................................................................................................28
Conclusion ........................................................................................................................................30
Overview ..........................................................................................................................................30
Works Cited ......................................................................................................................................31

Executive Summary
This account intends to examine CapGator’s current disposition and offer potential solutions to bolster the
fledgling company’s consumer base.
Lack of Brand Awareness
CapGator is a new product in a virtually unsaturated market, many people areunfamiliar even with the
necessity for automotive refueling hand protection.
Need for Relationships in the PromotionalItem Provider Industry
CapGator does have connections in the automotive industry, but not in the promotional item provider
industry. Lacking a PIP executives network serves as a barrier to entry into our recommended industry, which
is heavily relationship based.
TripartitePlan/Solution
 Strengthen Digital/Social Media Presence
o Join four PIP networking groups on LinkedIn and post a discussion starter in a different
networking group each week.
o Develop “Custom Orders” tab for the current CapGator website, and maintain the website
by updating the site with relevant info as needed.
 Utilize Personal Outreach
o Send out one piece of direct mail in each of the first three months to establish connections
with relevant players in the industry.
o Make Cold Calls to follow up with all connections made in order to seal the deal.
 Capitalize on Industry Events
o Attend PPAI Expo as an exhibitor.
o Schedule increased promotional presence at the event.
o Distribute brochure and formulate “elevator pitch”.

Strategy Vehicles Feasibility Cost Expected Results
Digital
Presence
LinkedIn, Website High Low LinkedIn followers + increase in web
traffic will raise brand awareness
Personal
Outreach
Direct Mail, Cold Calls
(if necessary)
Mail -
Moderate
Calls - High
Low Establish connections, expand
professional network.
Industry
Events
Networking, Pamphlet High Moderate Boost in brand recognition, establish
relevant relationships.
CapGator Communication Strategy
Our strategyis to explore the most feasible ways for CapGator to boost brand awareness, establish
connections, and (consequently) launch itself into relevancy as a hot, new promotional product within the PIP
marketplace. Our communication vehicles include the following: strengthening digital presence, utilizing
personal outreach, and capitalizing on industry events.

Client Industry Report
Client Description
Background
Car Webster is an automotive enthusiast turned entrepreneur and is the founder of CapGator. Carl is a
former racecar driver and currently works at KIA motors. He is no stranger to what drives auto enthusiasts,
and he is well versed in the automobile world.
The idea for CapGator came to fruition when Carl’s wife thought of the idea, while pumping gas. She grew
upset thinking about the prospect of cleaning her hands with filthy paper towels that weren’t stocked half of
the time at gas stations. How can so many sanitary products exist, yet none of them easily address the issue
of filthy gas handles?
Product
CapGator is a proprietary, first-to-market automotive refueling hand protection device. The product is a
rubber disc that fits over a car’s gas cap. Every time a user goes to fill the gas tank they slip their hand into
CapGator and perform all the operations required at a station. Once the user is finished fueling up, they rest
CapGator back on the gas cap and slip their hand out of the product. CapGator is made of durable, machine-
washable rubber and comes in 4 different colors. The product retails at ten dollars and costs around sixty
cents to product a unit.
Value Proposition
The basic value proposition of CapGator is to provide an easy to use and convenient product that provides
strong protection against germs and bacteria. The real value being sold is the convenience of the product.
Once placed on the gas cap, it should fit seamlessly into a consumer’s gas pumping experience. The user of
CapGator will not give a second thought to keeping their hands clean, while pumping gas.
Audience
B2C
CapGator is currently targeting a business to consumer (B2C) market but is still looking to define its core
consumer group. Webster is trying to capture the female audience, who will go the extra mile to protect
themselves from bacteria. An opportunity in the UK exists, where according to a friend of Webster’s, many
people are more conscious of germs than they are in the U.S.
B2B
CapGator does not have any business customers, but Webster expressed interest in attempting to market to
businesses. The CapGator product has tremendous advertising potential for automotive and healthcare
related businesses. An advertisement could easily be printed on the top of the CapGator product and would
get weekly exposure every time a user went to fill up their car.

Communication
Website
CapGator currently has a live website which provides information on the product, the problems it addresses,
step-by-step instructions for use, a live contact form, and a platform for consumer purchase (Flugwerk
Design, LLC). CapGator can be purchased in sets of one, two, three, or in bulk by phone, with price breaks
occurring at each level. The website provides abundant information on the product and features a video
summarizing that content and promoting the product.
Video
The video featured on CapGator’s website excellently displays the problem addressed by the product and its
ease of use for the consumer. The video contains several suggestive phrases, such as, “grip your nozzle,” and
features a young, objectively attractivefemale reporter (Flugwerk Design, LLC). Therefore, it is a safe
conclusion that, although clever, the messaging tacticsof this video actually appeal more to male and
younger female consumers. However, the product may carry greater appeal for older female consumers,
such as mothers with children still living at home or elderly consumers.
Social Media
Facebook
CapGator’s Facebook page is an important
vehicle for reaching out to a massive base of
online users. It allows for bridging social media
accounts and provides the opportunity to share
relevant articles and product information. There
are a couple improvements that could be made
to help the page even more effectively reach
consumers. Although the page is currently
underdeveloped, Facebook will be an effective way to provide brief information, keep consumers up to date,
and share photos and videos categorically.
The page title is the same as that of the website, providing ease and consistency to the consumer. However,
it is also long and unlikely to be processed easily the first time. The page contains a profile picture, which is a
photo of the product in use rather than the company logo, a brief description posing a shocking question to
consumers, and a link to the website. The pagehas three likes, is categorizedas a “community,” and does not
feature a cover photo (CapGator vehicle refueling hand protection device). With the addition of content,
information, and user likes, the Facebook pagewill eventually be a mechanism for advancing product
awareness.

Twitter
As far as social media accounts for the product go, Twitter is reaching the greatest number
of people, but is still underutilized as a source of daily updates for followers of the company.
Business twitter accounts can be used to constantly update followers with relevant
information. The CapGator page has only made a couple posts and most of them direct
people to the website (CAPGATOR). Following pertinent businesses and people in the
industry is important for generating marketing press. If there is no updated information on the company,
Twitter posts should be made about information within the industry.
Pinterest
Pinterest is a rather unconventional form of marketing for a business and is surprisingly the
most fleshed out of all of CapGator’s social media pages (CAPGATOR by Flugwerk). Pinterest
provides a simple way for product users to share the device on any of their health and
wellness boards. Pinterest is growing in popularity as users flock to photo based social
media platforms. Women far outweigh men as account holders and its popularity spans
generations (Guimaraes). This indicates that Pinterest is well suited for reaching CapGator’s targetedusers.
Product Packaging
CapGator’s Product packaging
features logos and pictures of the
product in use alongside step-by-
step instructions on how to use
the product. The first word on
the product packaging is
“Introducing,” which may convey
to the consumer that the product
is new or underdeveloped. This
can imply the product is new or
its effectiveness hasn’t been
proven. The packaging very
thoroughly explains to the user
how to use CapGator and why it
is an essential item for frequent
car users. The instructions may be too thorough. For example, the back
of the package begins with a rhetorical question and then answers this question. This is a great convincing
tacticbut may unnecessarily take up space.
Kickstarter
Kickstarter is used to generatefunding, and CapGator could use it as a vehicle to generatesome serious
capital. Kickstarter campaigns tend to only generatetraction if they go viral. To go viral, a Kickstarter
campaign needs to be crazy or feature a genuinely revolutionary product. A good example of a viral
campaign is the exploding kittens game that easily exceeded its target number. A CapGator Kickstarter page

does exist, but it is currently private. For the campaign to be successful, it will have to include some sort of
crazy video that places emphasis on the germs at gas stations.
Competition and Challenges
U-Glove
U-Glove is an established competitor to CapGator. U-Glove has a slightly
different business model to CapGator as it primarily targets gasstations to buy
the product. The communication channels for U-Glove are similar, however,
because consumer demand for the product is what drives a gas station to keep
it stocked.
U-Glove has a slightly stronger social media presence than CapGator, but it still
isn’t that great. The U-Glove twitter pageis constantly updated and contains
tweets about the industry (U-Glove). The U-Glove Facebook page is similar to
CapGator’s, but does have the logo as its profile picture and a more distinct cover photo that depicts how the
product is used (U-Glove, Inc.).
The U-Glove website features a lively orange and white layout. Animated infographics display information
about how germ-ridden gas station handles are (U-GLOVE, INC.) . The key difference is the lack of filthy gas
handle pictures. Although pictures of dirty gas handles convey the benefit of the product, they can also leave
a negative image in a consumers mind.
Non-Fueling Specific Alternatives
Consumers can also choose to use items which they own for other purposes, such as gloves or hand sanitizer,
or paper towels that they find at the pump. Although they don’t have specific marketing, the argument that
these products are easier to use will always exist.

Audience Profile
Summaryof Target Audience
Promotional Item Providers
Promotional item providers, which we will refer to as PIPs, that specialize in working with companies in the
automotive and healthcare industries are our recommended target audience. PIPs have an assortment of
products that can be imprinted with any company logo. Distributing companies purchase a specific product
from the PIP in bulk, have their logo imprinted on the item, and give them away at trade shows, conferences
and events as company advertisement.
PIPs offer a vast array of product choices ranging from entertaining trinkets to products that complement a
company's product offerings, such as a Geico slinky or a Bud Light coaster. The promotional item business is
heavily relationship-based. Therefore, a strong initial target audience would include PIPs that already have an
established clientele base of automotive and healthcare companies.
Secondary and Tertiary Audiences (Concerns of PIPs)
PIPs arethe mediums in distributing items like CapGator, and the distributing companies are effectively our
secondary target audience. Furthermore, the end users of the product are essentially our tertiary audience.
When deciding to carry or purchase CapGator, each audience analyzes their subsequent audiences’
demographics, psychographics, motivators, and deterrents. Using such rationale, our target secondary
audience will include companies that are in the automotive or healthcare industries as the values these
companies want out of a promotional product will align with CapGator’s distinct differentiators.
Below is a table of the PIPs that we have decided to focus on, and their respective areasof expertise:
Company Area of Expertise
Rush Imprint Broad, Healthcare
4Imprint Healthcare
Staples Promotional Broad, Automotive
Empire Promos Automotive
Branders.com Broad
epromos Automotive
Below is a table of example distributing companies that would be particularly interested in purchasing
CapGator as a promotional item and their respective industry:

Company RespectiveIndustry
BMW Automotive
GM Automotive
Barnes-Jewish Hospital Healthcare
St. Louis Children’s Hospital Healthcare
Tylenol Health
Blue Cross Blue Shield HealthcareInsurance
Geico Automobile Insurance
Demographics
Our target PIPs have already established connections to distributors in the automotive and healthcare
industries. Environmental targeting is the act of selecting promotional items that complement your
company’s business, such as an internet provider giving away mouse pads. Since this is a key tacticin
selecting which promotional products to use as marketing devices (Marketing), companies in the automotive
and healthcare industries will be most interested by CapGator.
The promotional product market is limited and is dominated by a few major players cited above in the table.
Based on second hand information from Mary Webster, choosing a promotional product is not a critical
decision for most companies. For this reason, younger employees are most likely the ones making the
relatively insignificant portfolio decisions.
Psychographics
Contributing Factors for Decision Making
When trying to sell CapGator to PIPs, it is important to remember that these businessmen only have one
thing in mind: profits. Because PIPs and the distributors are primarily profit driven, CapGator must clearly
portray how placing a logo on the product will increase that distributor’s brand awareness, revenue, and
profits.
Client Relations
CapGator is an easier sell to PIPs that have existing clients within CapGator’s relevant industries. CapGator
has very clear ties to the automotive and healthcare industries, which is why we have decided to focus on
building business relations with PIPs that target companies in these areas.
Motivators
Novelty
CapGator is a new and unique item that PIPs would be able to offer to their clients to createa factor of
differentiation from other PIPs. CapGator is far more intriguing than a pen, for example. Someone might
want to get a good look at the unusual device covering someone’s hand while fueling a car, but may be
unlikely to stare at the pen used to sign a check. People areinundated with advertisements on a daily basis
with relatively low levels of engagement (New Research Sheds Light on Daily Ad Exposure), and novelty can
be a selling point for PIPs as something that will get distributors’ brands noticed.

BrandExposure for Clients/Permanence
The average American commuter pulls up to the gas station 5 times per month, which adds up to 60 times a
year (Marketing at the Pump). Additionally, drivers spend between 4.5 to 5 minutes refueling their gastank,
where the consumer’s primary focus will be on their hands; therefore, their eyes will be pointed directly at a
company’s logo featured on the CapGator for over 270 minutes steadily throughout the year (Advertisers).
Based on a study of consumer and buyer reactions, integration of a product by users has more to do with
usefulness than the company it came from, regardless of how favorably users view a company (Consumer
and Buyer Reactions). As evidenced by the prior paragraph, CapGator’s repeated and frequent use is
unbeatable by almost any other promotional product. This repetition and frequency of brand engagement is
also compounded by the CapGator’s long, useful product lifetime, which is a motivator for making a
promotional product selection (Marketing). End users will have a steady reminder of the distributors brand
every time they fill up their gas and PIPs can use this as a compelling argument in selling CapGator to their
clients.
CorporateSocial Responsibility
PIPs market extensively to organizations related to health and wellness. An item that actually promotes user
health and wellness can have significantly higher appeal than other typical promotional products such as
pens, t-shirts, or backpacks. Companies looking to promote their brand at health conventions, dental/medical
offices, and informational speaking events have the opportunity to pick a product that is both suited to the
venue and promotes brand health.
Profitability
The factors listed above can all be used as selling points for PIPs which will contribute to an overall increase in
sales. This increase in sales combined with the margins per CapGator sold multiplied by the significantly large
bulk orders will contribute to an increase in profitability, marking the CapGator as a lucrative product for
these PIPs to offer.
Deterrents
Less Expensive Substitutes
Distributors give away promotional products for free, thereby expensing the products as a marketing cost.
Distributors predict that giving away the promotional products will directly increase brand awareness and
sales, but they take the risk that the cost will outweigh the increased revenue from distributing these
products for free. Convincing the PIPs that CapGator has a superior price-to-value ratio for the distributors is
important for combatting this deterrent.
When manufacturing the CapGator, the price comes in at $4.95/unit with a printed special ink logo or
$0.62/unit with an embossed logo (plus a one time fee of $300 for new plate). (Webster, Word of Mouth)
However, CapGator and the PIPs will want to markup the price in order to get a margin of profit per unit sold.
Many widely used promotional items are available to distributors at a significantly lower base cost. The cost
savings when choosing a lower cost item is compounded when thinking about the sizes of bulk orders that
companies buy from PIPs. Although CapGator can be sold to distributors at a higher price than some popular

promotional items, the providers may be making lower margins on the product due to the high production
cost with the special ink. Example base prices for several popular promotional products areincluded below
(Top Promotional Items):
Some Key Popular Promotional Items Price to Distributors
Backpack Cooler $24.99
Bobble $8.99
Lambswool Throw Blanket $17.95
Ballpoint pen and stylus $2.65
Tea Gift Box $6.59
Fruit Infuser Bottle $10.99
CapGator ????
Limited ProductAwareness
A possible deterrent for PIPs is the challenge of educating distributors about the benefits of CapGator.
Distributors may consider purchasing the product risky due to uncertainty surrounding integration of the
product by the end users. Therefore, limited general knowledge about the CapGator product constitutes an
obstacle for PIPs considering adding the item to their inventory of promotional product offerings.
Other Factors
Network development
As a startup, CapGator has to focus on developing connections with larger corporations looking to put
together a packageof promotional items. Because of CapGator’s current lack of exposure, making business
deals with companies may be difficult.
Overwhelming Choice of Products
CapGator’s primary audience of PIPs must select the promotional items that they want to feature in their
catalogs of inventory. The executives that pick which products to add or drop from their collection get
contacted about hundreds of new ideas every month.
Additionally, CapGator’s secondary audience, the companies that buy from these PIPs, have thousands of
promotional items featured in several catalogs to choose from. Therefore, both the primary and second
audience have a vast arrayof products to pick from that makes the process of buying promotional products
overwhelming and stressful.
In order to combat this, CapGator must focus on having a clear, concise, and immediately compelling
message to capture the audience’s attention and counteract the audience’s ability to choose any other of the
thousands of promotional products available.
Conclusion
Promotional item providers, PIPs, with preexisting ties to the healthcare and automotive industries would
serve as CapGator’s ideal target audience. These PIPs specialize in maximizing sales of unique products on
which companies can place their logo. Distributors may then give away these products at trade shows,
conventions, or as a promotional giveaway.

Companies choose to buy and distribute these promotional products in order to maximize brand awareness,
which drives the company's sales.
CapGator is an effective promotional giveaway due to its long longevity, uniqueness, and frequency of use.
In our communication strategy, we want to directly address the audience’s motivators of maximizing brand
awareness and originality while minimizing deterrents, such as costs and limited customer education.

Communication Strategy
Recommendation – PersonalOutreach
Vehicle – Direct Mail
Appeal
Direct Mail is a simple way to:
 Establish a connection with Promotional Item Providers
 Explain the use and purpose of the CapGator product
 Communicate CapGator’s value as a promotional item
 Leave the audience with a tangible item promoting CapGator
Messaging Strategy and Tone
Since direct mail is mainly an informational tool, it will need to communicate a heavy amount of content in as
little space and words as possible. It is essential to communicate the severity of germs on gas station pumps,
how CapGator addresses that problem, and the five components that make the item valuable as a
promotional item (novelty, industry appeal, permanence, exposure, and corporate social responsibility).
The two main factors for success of direct mail aredifferentiation and longevity. CapGator is already well
positioned to differentiate itself from other companies’ direct mail advertisements because it is such a
curiosity provoking item and logo. CapGator can sustain attention by sending the mail on at least three
occasions. Three is the minimum amount of times a target audience needs to receive a direct mail
advertisement for it to make an impression (Powell).
Include a call to action and link your audience to your other communication channels. In order to get the
most out of each strategy, it is important that they all tie together in some way. Direct mail is an opportunity
to direct your target audience to both the company LinkedIn page and the Custom Orders tab on the
CapGator website.
Costs
Low – Costs associated with direct mailing stem from time investment and product production.
Time investment is very low since promotional item providers are such a narrow audience. Time
consumption comes from ordering and waiting to receive the items from a printing company and then the
physical act of addressing and sending the items.
Product production is somewhat dependent on the number of promotional item providers that can
adequately be targetedat a time. This number is going to be small at first, but grow as product awareness
increases with overall cost/mail being about $0.10. For example, to target 100 different people associated
with selecting promotional items with three pieces of mail (postcard sized, two-sided, full color) would only
cost about $30 ( (DirectMail.com).

Metrics
Success of direct mail is going to be somewhat harder to measure since it is likely to be accompanied by the
efforts of the other communication vehicles. With that in mind, you will be able to keep track of which
targetedpromotional item providers follow up and connect with CapGator through the website after
receiving mail.
Feasibility
Feasibility for this recommendation is high, especially when executed in conjunction with the other
strategies. Since its purpose is to make an initial connection, introduce the product, and communicate its
value to item providers, it’s up to the other vehicles to actual hit it home and move the product.
Obstacles
One of the major obstacles is capturing attention. Print is a dying medium and it is very likely that the item
could get glanced over without really being read. Therefore, it’s essential that the direct mail grabs attention
at first glance.
Expected Results
Direct mail is expected to achieve three major goals.
 Introduce promotional item providers to the CapGator company and product
 Make a lasting impression on promotional item providers
 Connect item providers to online platforms
After receiving the three direct mail items, the promotional item providers should know what CapGator is
and why offering it to clients can be a major benefit to them.

Examples
Front
Back

Recommendation – Target industryevents
Vehicle – Events
Industryeventspresentaunique opportunityforcompanieswithlow exposure togetrecognizedby
majorplayersinthe promotional productsindustry. Whileahostof different exposwithanyrange of
productsexist,itisonlyworthwhiletoattendthe Promotional ProductsAssociationInternational Expo.
By devotingthe majorityof time tojustthe PPAIExpo,the chance of makingimportantbusiness
contacts isincreased. Preparingabrochure andaggressive productpitchstrategywill playamajorrole
ingeneratingconnections. Inensuingyears,purchasingastationat the PPAIexpowill helpCapGator
gainmore legitimacyinthe eyesof the PIPs.
Additionally,casuallyattendingconsumerautomotive andhealthexposwill playasmall role in
generatingsome interestwiththe companieslookingtopurchase the promotionalitemsfor
distribution.
Appeal
The major appeal of attendingthe PPAIExpoisthe personal connectionsthatcanbe made frombrief,
pointedconversations. The prospectof meetinganemployee of aPIPthat has the powertoadd
CapGator to the company’spromotional portfolioismore than worththe moneyandtime thatwill have
to be put intoattendingthe convention. A single connectioncouldmeanatenyearpartnership
providingthousandsof dollarsinrevenue. Marketingtothe PIPshasto be personal.CapGatorwill
become a necessary productina PIP’sportfolio.
General Tone
 Humorous
 Friendly
 Determined
 Passionate
 HealthConscious
Because there are overone thousandotherpromotional itemcompaniesthatattendthe PPAIExpo,a
friendlybutaggressive outreachstrategyshouldbe adoptedwhile attendingthe event. Aggressionwill
be incorporatedintothe three majorcommunicationchannelsatthe expo.
Brochure: The brochure shouldbe designedtoemphasize the advantagesof CapGatoroverits
competitors. The productsnovelty,longevity,frequencyof exposure,andhealthconscience approach
all shouldbe prominentlydisplayedinlarge lettersonthe handout. Otherthanthat, the onlyadditional
informationshouldbe explanatoryproductinformationandcontactinfo. Toa PIPemployeelookingfor
newproducts,the onlyquestiontheyare lookingtoansweris:whyshouldIadd thisproductto my
portfolio?

Exhibit/PersonalContact: Carl shouldimplementaHANDcommunicationstrategy. HAND,orhumor,
amiability,networking,anddetermination,usesCarl’sunique personalitytomake positive andlasting
businessrelations.If the pitchcomesoff asgenuine,funny,andpassionate,aPIPperson,anda human
ingeneral,ismore likelytobe convincedbythe brandthanif the messagingistooseriousandtrite.
Examplesof the tone thatshouldbe usedinthe personal messaginginclude:
 Humor
o “Let me teach youhowto grip yournozzle!”
o “CapGator will helpmillionsaroundthe worldgriptheirdirtynozzle.”
o “You looklike aman/womanwhohasgrippedone toomany dirtynozzles.”
 Amiability
o “How has yourday beensofar? I betmy productwill brightenitup.”
o “I’ve workedinthe autoindustryformany yearsand believe Ihave aproduct that is
perfectforthe promotional industry.
 Networking/Determination
o “What companydo youwork for?
o “How can I stay intouch withyou?I am veryinterestedinworkingwithyou.”
o “I am interestedinthe wayyourcompanyoperates,andIbelieve yourproductportfolio
isperfectforCapGator.”
Sponsorships: Again,anaggressive approachshouldbe takenwiththe sponsorships. Inthe firstyear,
CapGator will onlypurchase carpetspace withanimprintedlogo. People lookingtoaddpromotional
productsto theirportfolioare notgoingto stopat everysingle station;almosteveryone,however,will
walkovera hightrafficcarpet space. In yearstwoand three,more and more sponsorshipopportunities
will be acquirede.g.space onthe PPAIExpobrochures,email sponsorships,educationsessions,space at
productpavilions. The aggressivesponsorshipplanwill increase the subliminalmessagingandimprove
the chance of a PIPcompanypickingupCapGator as a portfolioproduct.
Cost
Year: CapGator Exhibit Sponsorships Total
1 $3,095 ~$1,000 ~$4,000
2 $2,945 ~$5,000 ~$8,000
2 $2,945 ~$10,000 ~13,000
(PPAI),(PPAI)
The costs associatedwithattendingthe PPAIexpoencompasstwomajorcategories:1) the cost of the
exhibit,2) the costof anysponsorships purchased. Inthe firstyear,the exhibitispricedslightlyhigher
and thena discountrate is offeredforrepeatattendees. The sponsorshipsare the biggestfinancial
expenditure andwillbe variable fromyeartoyear. In the firstyear,CapGator will makesitspresence
knownwithsimplyaprintedcarpetgraphic. Insubsequentyears,more sponsorshipswillbe purchased.
The thinkingbehindthisissimplywithincreasedexposure,there willbe increasedinterestinthe
CapGator brand.

Metrics
The successof Carl’stime at the PPAIexpowill be determinedbythe numberof legitimate business
contacts he makes. Quite simply,if Carl isable togarnerthe interestof asingle PIPcompany,his
attendance atthe eventwill be asuccess. Foreach year,the numberof contacts he gainswill be tallied.
Additionally,successcanalternativelybe measuredbythe acumenbestoweduponCapGator.Winning
the PPAIBestin Showawardwouldmeana lotfor the effortsputforthby CapGator.
Feasibility
Medium– It shouldn’tbe aproblemtoattendthe expo,butcommunicatinginaninterestingwaytothe
PIPproviderscouldprove tobe a dauntingtask. The thousandotherpromotional itemsatthe expowill
make it difficulttodifferentiate. Sponsorshipsare acapital expenditure andwillvaryinfeasibilitybased
on the company’sbudget.
Obstacles
The biggestobstacle isthe size of the expositionandthe amountof companieslookingtodothe exact
same thingas CapGator. Gettingnoticedwill be the numberone priority whenattendingthe expo.
Since the cost of attendingthe expoishigh,there isabig riskof capital expenditure thatendsupturning
intoan unnecessarycost. The industryishighlysaturated,sothe possibilitythatall the time andmoney
put intopresentingCapGatorgoesunnoticed.
Expected Results
Usingthis approachto targetingthe PPAIexpo,CapGatorshouldexpecttogenerate ahostof relevant
PIPcontacts. Withinthree years,itisestimatedthatCapGatorwill generate around200 new contacts,
increasingexposure bymore than10 fold. CapGatorwill turnintoa companythat marketsto PIPs,and
one that will have awell-recognizedname withinthe industry.

Example
(Webster)

Recommendation – Build Digital Presence
Vehicles – LinkedIn and Website
LinkedInisthe primarysocial networkthatbusinessexecutivesuse tonetworkwithprofessionalswithin
theirindustryandlearnaboutnewtrends,information,orproductsthatare relevanttotheirjob.
LinkedInhasbecome averycommonand standardform of professional networkinganddevelopment,
makingitthe de facto social mediastrategyformostB2B businesses.CapGatorwillincreasetheir
presence withinthe PIPindustryonLinkedInbyjoiningandbecominganactive memberwithin4PIP
networkinggroups,sharinglongformpostsoncurrentindustrytopics,andestablishingacompanypage
that includesrecentcompanynews.
Websitesare the culminationof anycompany'soverall brand.A companyhascomplete control of the
content,design,andfeaturesofferedontheirwebsite;therefore,it’sveryimportantthatthe messaging
and contentpresentona website isexactlyhow youwantyourtarget audience tosee it.
By addinga newCustomOrderstab to CapGator’sexistingwebsite,CapGatorwill be able to
demonstrate whyit'sthe perfectproductforeveryPIPtocarry intheircatalog.Additionally,byallowing
any companyto place theirlogoonthe CapGator and orderit inbulkdirectlyfromthisnew page,the
CustomOrderstab will capitalizeonall the new digital connectionsandviewsfromLinkedIntoincrease
overall sales.
Appeal
LinkedInisanincrediblyimportantsocial mediaandnetworkingtool forbusinessprofessionalsinthe
21st century.Fora businessthatusesaB2B model,the role of LinkedInisevenmore prominentas62%
of marketersbelieve thatLinkedInisthe mosteffective platformforconnectingandmarketingtoB2B
companies (Pulizzi andAnn).Additionally,CapGator’spostsonrecentPIPindustrytrendswillbe an
especiallypowerful methodtosolidifyits’presenceinthe PIPindustry, becauseover73% of
professionalsuse LinkedIn“tokeepupwithindustrynews”and“discovernew ideaswithinthe industry”
(Baker).
By targeting4 specificPIPnetworkinggroupsthatalreadyexistonLinkedIn,CapGatorwill have aclear
target marketonLinkedInthatitcan approach,reach outto, and gainleadsfrom.A table below displays
the name,numberof memberspresent,anddiscussionshostedwithineachof the 4 mostpopularand
relevantPIPnetworkinggroupsforCapGator:
Group Name Numberof Members Numberof Discussions
Promotional Productsand
AdvertisingSpecialtyForum
(Muratore)
6,970 4,249

PSIPromotional Products
NetworkingGroup
(Bartelniewöhner)
512 102
Buy USA Made Promotional
Products (Ropfogel)
1,736 32
Image Matters Promotional
ProductsLtd (Carter)
422 120
As youcan see above,LinkedInwill notonlybe averygoodvehicle toreacha large,butrelevanttarget
audience,butalsoaneffective tool of networking.Byattractingmore attention,gaininglegitimacyand
respect,andestablishingrelationships,CapGator’snew LinkedIninboundmarketingstrategywill
increase traffictoCapGator’swebsite by54% (HubSpot).Thisincreasedwebsite conversionrate isvery
importantas websitesare still rankedasthe #1 channel formarketers toadvertise theirproductandfor
professionalstolearnaboutcompanies (Murphy).The new CustomOrderstabwill be CapGator’s
primarymethodtoconvince andexplaintoPIP’swhytoinclude the CapGatoras part of their product
portfolio.
Because CapGator isattemptingtopositionitself asaprominentandrespectedindustryplayer,the
messagingstrategymustbe veryfocusedtowardsits’targetaudience.Forthisreason,we will continue
to highlightandplayoff of CapGator’sfive differentiatingfactorsthatmake ita great promotional
product.These five factorsthatare crucial to relayto PIPsand promote asCapGator’s comparative
advantagesare:novelty,permanence,frequency,niche,and corporate social responsibility.
CapGator isa veryunique andnewcompany;it’sthe firstproductto enteritsmarket!Forthisreason,
CapGator alreadyhasa veryspecial anddifferenttone andmessagingapproach.It’simportanttostayin
line withthis original edgystartupculture thatCapGatorpossessesinordertostayauthentic,butit’s
alsohighlycritical thatCapGator representsitself inaprofessional waytoPPIexecutives.Inthe end,PPI
executivesare the onesthatmake the decisionwhether ornotto carry CapGator intheirproduct
catalog,and theyhave thousandsof otherchoices.Therefore,CapGatormustkeepinmindthe balance
requiredbetweencatchyadvertisementsanda heightenedsense of professionalisminall marketing
materialsmovingforward.
Cost
Costsfor the digital presence recommendationare verylow.All marketingonLinkedIniscompletely
free;however,if Carl wouldlike tocreate aSalesNavigatorProfessional accounttobe able tosee more

statisticsonprofile views,get suggestedleads,andimprovedindustry-wide search,itwouldcost
$779.88 peryear(SalesNavigatorProfessional).We donotrecommendthathe purchasesthispremium
account at thistime,butif he findsthatLinkedInplaysan evenbiggerrole ingainingleadsthan
previouslyexpected,the rewardof the accountwouldgreatlyoutweighthe cost.
To assistinsocial mediaaccountmanagement,Carl mentionedthathe wasinterestedinhiringasocial
mediaintern.Thisinternwouldmostlikelyworkforfree togainexperience,butCarl mayhave to pay
for workspace and some sponsoredfood,snacks,ordrinks.
The cost for the website wouldbe the exactsame asitis now,because he issimplyjustaddinganew
tab to hisexistingwebsite,whichwouldbe free throughhiscurrentwebsite editingtool.We donot
knowthe termsof the price for hisdomainname andcost of traffic,butthe cost may increase
marginallyinthe longrundue to highertraffic.
Metrics
For discussionstarterswithinthe PIPnetworkinggroups,the mostimportantmetricwill be the number
of viewsthatCarl’spostedconversationgetsandthe numberof responsesthatitreceives.Withhigh
metrics,Carl will knowthatthese questionsanddebatesare beingwell received.
Whenthinkingaboutthe metricsforlongformposts,the most importantdatawill be the numberof
viewsandnumbersof sharesthateach longformpost attains.Shareswill increaseCapGator’sexposure
withinLinkedIn,leadtomore views,thatwillthenhopefullyconverttoa significantnumberof
connections.
For CapGator’sLinkedIncompanypage,the mostimportantmetricstotake notice of are the numberof
followers,connections,andcontentpiecespresent.The numberof followersandconnectionsthat
CapGator receiveswill representthe networkwithinthe PIPindustrythatCarl hasbeenable to
accumulate bybeingmore involvedinthe LinkedIncommunity.Increasingthe numberof personal
storiesandexcitingupdateswill demonstratetoall of these followershow dedicatedthe companyisto
achievingtheirgoal of puttingCapGatorinthe handsof a billionmotoristsandthe stepsthatCapGator
has takento gettingthere.
To take advantage of CapGator’sprominentLinkedInpresence,the website shouldbe able toprovide
importantstatisticsonthe amountof increasedwebtrafficandsalesfromthe CustomOrderstab. If
implementationgoesasexpected,we expecttosee adrastic increase inwebtrafficaswell asa good
streamof smallerorders,while Carl willneedtomake dealsforlarger,bulkorderswithPIPsoverthe
phone.
Feasibility
The feasibilityforall recommendationswithinthe digitalpresence recommendationishigh.Joiningthe
4 PIPNetworkingGroupswillonlytake 5minutesof time;if he isnot acceptedtoone of the groupsat
first,Carl can firstestablishhiscompanypage andbeginningposting2longformposts permonthto
establishabaselinepresence andlegitimacyandthenreapply2monthslater.CreatingCapGator’spage,
whichincludesalogo,banner,andcompanyprofile,shouldonlytake aweektocreate.Then,Carl simply

can use the example contentthatwe’ve providedtocreate anew CustomOrderstab on hiscurrent
website,whichwill be verysimple.
To have the most effectiveLinkedInpresence,Carl will needtocontinuallyaddnew contentinthe form
of longformposts,statusupdatesonthe companypage,anddiscussiontopicsinPIPnetworkinggroups.
Thismay seemlike anoverwhelmingobstacleatfirst,butwhendivingdeeper intoeachcategorythe
feasibilityincreasessignificantly.
Carl onlyneedstopost2 longformpostsper monthat the minimum;he canget inspirationonwhat
topicsto write aboutby readingaboutthe industryorfromany of the meetingshe willinevitablyhave
withmanyplayersinthe industry.If Carl is evertoobusy,he can also simplyshare otherpeople’s
contenton industrytrendsandadda thoughtor opiniononthe article toserve asan importantmedium
for relevantindustrycontent.
Sharingnews onwhat iscurrentwithinCapGatorwill be verysimple forCarl aswe are positive thathe
will have manymilestonesalonghisexcitingjourneythathe will wanttoshare withall stakeholdersof
the company.Thinkingof a newdiscussionstarterforeachgroupeveryweekmaybe a little stressful,so
if Carl has a busyweekhe can reuse a questionhe hadpreviouslyusedinadifferentgrouporsimplyask
somethingthathe’scurrentlyinterestedinhearingfeedbackon.
Obstacles
There are tworisksassociatedwiththe digital presence recommendation:maintainingthe thinline
betweenapersonal butprofessionaltone,andmaintainingacontinuousstreamof content.
It’simportantto representyourself andyourcompanyhonestlyonall formsof social anddigital media,
howevercompanieswillexpectanypersonthattheybuyproductsfromto maintaina certainlevel of
professionalism.Itwill be veryimportanttobe aware of thisparadigminorderto have the mostunique
and edgycompany,while garneringrespect withinthe industry.
The biggestriskisthat Carl will be toobusymaintainingclientrelationshipsordevelopingnew
connectionsthroughpersonal outreachmethodstofocusondevelopingnew contenttofurtherhis
LinkedInpresence.Thiswouldundermine the entire digital strategyasPIPswouldnothave areasonto
lookback at CapGator’scompanypage withoutkeepingthe name andlogoat the “top of theirmind.”
We donot expectthistohappenas we fullybelieve thatCarl will be able toimplementthe
recommendationsforthe reasonsstatedinthe feasibilitysectionabove anddue toCarl’sdesire to
eventuallyhire asocial mediaintern.
Expected Results
Combiningall of the recommendationsforthe digitalpresence strategy,we expectthatwithin6months
CapGator will have accumulatedover2,000 viewsonall conversationstartersandlongformposts,over
500 connectionsandfollowersonLinkedIn,over50 veryplausible leads,andovera75% increase inweb
traffic.Combiningall of these impressivenumberstogether,the digital presence vehicleswill leadtoa
massive increase inawarenessforCapGatoranda sizeable numberof bulkordersales.

Examples

Recommendation – Follow Up to Seal the Deal
Vehicle – Phone Calls
Appeal
This is an incredibly personal communication vehicle. It allows for CapGator to specifically tailor its approach
to the needs of each individual client. Every promotional item provider is going to need convincing on a
different front about why it’s a great item to carry, and phone calls allows for an entirely individualized
approach to securing deals.
The phone call is occurring in the final stages of communication with promotional item providers. At this
point it, is crucial to be both helpful and accommodating. The targeteditem provider has some trepidation
over carrying the product (otherwise they would have pulled the trigger already) and is looking toward you to
put them at ease. You know your product the best out of anyone, and are the best vehicle for communicating
its unique value.
Some essential keys to success in this vehicle include (19 B2B cold calling tips for sales success in 2015):
 Talking value, rather than focusing on price or numbers
 Having prepared responses to likely questions
 Focusing on what you already know about the receiver from previous interactions
 Avoiding multi-tasking to give the receiver all of your attention
Costs
Low - Time investment is the only major cost associated with phone calls. Even this can be minimized by
using the previously discussed vehicles to do all the major grunt work.
Metrics
The success of phone calls is relatively easy to monitor. At completion of the call you will be able to know one
of three things: (1) the conversation secured a deal (2) the conversation did not secure a deal or (3) the
conversation requires follow-up to secure a deal.
Feasibility
High – About one in ten cold calls results in a follow up appointment or conversation. One in ten of those
follow ups results in a secured deal, making the overall success rate 1% (Atwood). This is a pretty typical
figure across any industry and is still a strong proportion of calls. Even one successful phone call can result in
huge financial gains for CapGator. However, making a call to a nurtured lead improves your odds by 47%
(Atwood), and by combining all four vehicles, your sales calls will be even more effective than standard cold
calls.
Obstacles
This vehicle has relatively few obstacles. The only problems arethe possibility that promotional item
providers don’t answer the phone, or the possibility that they are still unsold on CapGator after the
conversation. These are further reasons why developing a relationship before making the call is crucial.

Expected Results
CapGator will capture the deal of promotional item providers on the fence about adding the product to their
arsenal. Consequently, this will increase the number of promotional item providers that offer CapGator.
Additionally, this a great way to gain industry connections. Even if a phone call doesn’t result in a closed deal,
it may provide you with other people that could be interested in the CapGator product, as well as provide
you with general insights about promotional item providers to be applied in future calls.

Conclusion
CapGator essentiallyfacesone challenge,andthat’sgettingthe wordoutaboutthe extreme health
hazardsthat inevitablycomeswithrefuelingone’scar.CapGator isa thoughtful,first-to-marketidea
that has the potential togaintractionas an incrediblyusefulandunique promotional item.If CapGator
has the abilitytoimplementourproposedsuggestions,we believetheywill able tospreadthe word
effectivelyand,inturn, greatlyexpandthe company’sconsumerbase.Boastingastrongerdigital
presence,utilizingpersonal outreach,andattendingindustryeventswill affordCapGatoranincrease in
webtrafficandcrucial connectionstorelevantplayerswithininthe PIPindustry.Thesestrategiesin
aggregate will substantiallyincreaseCapGator’sbrandawareness,whichshouldultimatelyresultina
significantboostinsales.If all three aspectsof thisstrategycanbe implementedtotheirfullcapacities,
we believethat“grippingyournozzle”will be afixture infuelingactivitiesforyearstocome.
Overview
Strategy Vehicles Feasibility Cost ExpectedResults
Digital
Presence
LinkedIn,Website High Low LinkedInfollowers+increase in
webtrafficwill raise brand
awareness
Personal
Outreach
DirectMail, Cold
Calls(if necessary)
Mail -
Moderate
Calls- High
Low Establishconnections,expand
professionalnetwork.
Industry
Events
Networking,
Pamphlet
High Moderate Boostin brandrecognition,
establishrelevantrelationships.

Works Cited
19 B2B cold calling tips for sales success in 2015. n.d. <http://blog.close.io/b2b-cold-calling-tips>.
Atwood, Jake. 20 Shocking Sales Stats that Will Change How you Sell. n.d.
<http://www.slideshare.net/JakeAtwood1/20-shocking-sales-stats>.
Baker, Forest. "LinkedIn Marketing Solutions Blog." 10 June 2014. LinkedIn. 20 October 2015.
<http://marketing.linkedin.com/blog/announcing-the-2014-professional-content-consumption-
report/>.
Bartelniewöhner, Stephanie. "PSI Promotional Products Networking Group." 23 June 2011. LinkedIn. 20
October 2015. <https://www.linkedin.com/grps/PSI-Promotional-Products-Networking-Group-
3972331/about>.
Carter, Peter. "ImageMattersPromotional Products Ltd." 7 June 2012. LinkedIn. 20 October 2015.
<https://www.linkedin.com/grps?gid=4479169&trk=vsrp_groups_res_name&trkInfo=VSRPsearchId
%3A3231669911446518410374%2CVSRPtargetId%3A4479169%2CVSRPcmpt%3Aprimary>.
DirectMail.com. Printing. n.d. <http://www.directmail.com/dmcalculator/>.
HubSpot. State of Inbound. 2015. 20 October 2015. <http://www.stateofinbound.com/>.
Muratore, Christopher. "Promotional Products & Advertising Specialty Forum." 29 January 2009. LinkedIn. 20
October 2015. <https://www.linkedin.com/grps/Promotional-Products-Advertising-Specialty-Forum-
1786677/about>.
Murphy, Anne. "The Kapost Blog." 2 June 2015. Kapost. 20 October 2015.
<http://marketeer.kapost.com/b2b-product-marketing-infographic/?rs=Resources#axzz3rABY0SLq>.
Powell, Wes. Direct Mail Frequency: How Often Should You Send Out/Follow Up a Campaign. 2 April 2015.
<http://info.tmrdirect.com/direct-mail-frequency-how-often-should-you-send-out/follow-up-a-
campaign>.
PPAI. 2016 Exhibitor Info. January 2015. http://expo.ppai.org/exhibitor/exhibitor-information. 10 November
2015. <http://expo.ppai.org/exhibitor/exhibitor-information>.
—. Education. January 2015. http://expo.ppai.org/education. 10 November 2015.
Pulizzi, Joe and Handley Ann. "B2B Content Marketing." 2014. Content Marketing Institute. 20 October 2015.
<http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/wp-
content/uploads/2013/10/B2B_Research_2014_CMI.pdf>.
Ropfogel, Stephen. "Buy USA made Promotional Products." 16 May 2011. LinkedIn. 20 October 2015.
<https://www.linkedin.com/grps/Buy-USA-made-Promotional-Products-3912846/about?>.

"Sales NavigatorProfessional." 2015. LinkedIn. 10 November 2015.
<https://www.linkedin.com/premium/products?&family=sales>.
Webster, Carl. CapGator Homepage. November 2015. http://www.capgator.com/. 10 November 2015.

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