8 Ways to Sell Calendars and Planners Year After Year

By Elise Hacking Carr

CASE STUDY: A Blast from the Past

Item: The Daily Date Bookbound Calendar from Elliott Calendar Company/Hour Glass Calendar Line

Product Details: Immortalized by Norman Rockwell in "The Marriage License" painting, the Daily Date Bookbound Calendar was once the go-to item for banks, insurance companies and towing. Today, newer businesses are capitalizing on its nostalgic feel. The calendar features a rich embossed alligator grain bonded to a 0.125" thick chipboard back. It has a boldly printed 365-day tear-off pad, along with a custom photo and company message. Backboard sizes range from 5.5x8.5" to 10.5x14". Pad sizes range from 3x3" to 6x6".

"A beer distributor needed to legally post the drinking age at all of its point-of-purchase retailers. The goal was for all of its customers to use this product to comply with the law and to provide a useful item that reminds them who to call when they are running low on supplies. Combining the usefulness of a daily calendar, the message is clear that whoever utilizes this is serious about only selling to those of age, keeping their store and neighborhood safe. All of the [beer distributor's] customers used the Daily Date Calendars and continue to reorder complete calendars because the drinking age year must be increased annually."
- Greg Coffman, president, Elliott Calendar Company/Hour Glass Calendar Line

Netflix resurrected "Arrested Development" from the TV graveyard over Memorial Day weekend by debuting all 15 episodes of a new fourth season.

We don't want to reveal any spoilers, but there was something about the season opener that particularly stood out: Michael Bluth's cellphone calendar was stuck on 2003. His college-age son's solution? Hit the "today" button. Simple enough, but this three-minute joke could've easily been cut had a paper calendar been present.

While they may lack the trendiness of the latest iOS device, promotional calendars and planners continue to turn a tidy profit. But how can distributors stand out in a market heavily marred by tradition? Here are eight tips to help strategize your next promotion (and, perhaps, bring Michael Bluth to 2013).

1. INCORPORATE GRAPHICS
Amberlea Barnes, CEO of Drummond Printing Inc., Stuttgart, Ark., noted that digital printing makes custom photographs more attainable. "We see many small companies and organizations submitting their own photos such as local scenery, company personnel in action, animals available for adoption from the local shelter, or volunteers at work," she said. Barnes related an anecdote where a real estate developer mailed wall calendars featuring photographs of custom built homes to more than 500 customers and prospects. "We inserted the calendars in envelopes making it easy for the end-buyer to mail."

2. STRATEGIZE WITH COLOR
Tim O'Boyle, president of JournalBooks/Timeplanner Calendars, Charlotte, N.C., cited full-color printing as a popular trend among calendars and planners. "With today's digital technology, customers can bring their brand to life with full-color images on the cover or throughout the planner in low quantities at affordable prices," he noted.

Although full-color printing can make a message pop, some customers prefer a more subtle look. "Customers can opt for plain black or add colors to reflect their company brand colors," said Sharon Menssen, director of marketing, Beacon Promotions Inc., New Ulm, Minn.

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Elise Hacking Carr Author's page

Elise Hacking Carr is editor-in-chief/content director for Print+Promo magazine.

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