Communication through the commodity is a powerful means of building customer loyalty and improving its reputation. To be effective and optimize your response, it’s important to have thoughtful communication and quality items. To learn more, we met with an expert in this field: Cathy Labonde, Chief Account Manager at BV L’Agence Objets Media…
Interview Cathy Labonde, Principal Accounting Manager BV Agency Objets Media
Hello Cathy, can you quickly introduce yourself to our readers?
I joined the BV team 18 years ago, I am the Chief Accounting Manager and Project Manager (Product Collection Establishment, Sourcing)
If you had 3 tips for establishing effective commodity communication, what would they be?
There are 3 very important points that will allow you to succeed in your project and achieve the desired result:
- Choose your specialist in Communication by Object: Analyzing your project, understanding between client and consultant is essential. You should be guaranteed to work with a professional who has accurate knowledge of their suppliers, products and marking techniques.
- Build your specifications (brief) so that your consultant can provide you with the product that will allow you to achieve the desired results such as: enhancement of your image, product launch, sales stimulation, customer loyalty, promotion of your services etc.
Price isn’t particularly the sole criterion of choice.
- Don’t base yourself on price alone. The cost of a communication item is complex and many parameters come into play: product origin, certification, manufacturing method, delivery method… You have to think about your image. If you give a pen that only works once, it definitely hurts your brand image, even if you weren’t the one who made the pen! In addition, today it is necessary to take into account the environmental impact when choosing a product. We wrote an article about the cost of communication goods,
What are the current and future trends in commodity communication?
Today, the ecological media object has been clearly put forward and is becoming a big trend. Today, customers are more and more concerned with confirming the CSR policy, and are more attentive to the way the commodity is produced. A recent study shows that 85% of French people believe that ecological criteria are important in media objects. On our side at Biwi, we are very attentive to socio-environmental issues, both internally and for our customers.
That’s why the choice of items is essential: it is not only used to convey your advertising message, but it carries the image of your brand, and makes it possible to educate a larger audience.
What are the stages of a commodity creation project?
For the success of a project, several steps are necessary: A good analysis of the specifications for a good understanding of the customer’s expectations: type of operation, goals, customer expectations, budget, deadlines to be respected, graphic information… .
These elements allow us to find and offer solutions tailored to the needs of the client. When the product is certified and launched into production, a proof is submitted for verification prior to final production and delivery.
Each stage is critical to the success of the project.
Did I see you have an augmented reality on offer of items? Can you tell us about the benefits?
Since 1989, BV has always demonstrated our ability to offer our clients the best innovation in Communication by Commodity, this is our DNA: We have been offering AR on Commodities for almost 2 years, which helps our clients Allows to enhance their communication thanks to the media object.
With Augmented Reality, you connect your media objects.
Augmented Reality is a technology that allows the insertion of 2D or 3D elements in real time from a smartphone or tablet. These elements can at the same time be picture, sound, video, game, selfie, 3D model etc…
When applied to an object, AR will increase its communication capability. This will become the heart of your media plan! This will allow the people you offer to live it a new and captivating experience!
AR will allow you
- To engage the user in a fun and interactive way.
- To differentiate oneself from the competition.
- To give a positive and innovative impact to your brand image.
- To measure the results in real time and hence your return on investment.
80% of people remember the message on the item and 85% favor high-tech advertising items. Until then we could only print a logo with a slogan on something without being able to measure the return on investment accurately.
Today, you can scale up your communication campaign on a pen, a hat and many other media!
You have implemented CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) policy, can you tell us about it?
For many years, we have had a real CSR approach: building an ecological building in 2013 benefiting from” Passivhaus Certification Released by “Association La Maison Passive France”. This labeling is specifically for buildings with very low energy consumption (less than 15kw/m²/year) and therefore environmentally respectable. And we have also installed 3 tanks to collect water, 450m² solar panels, etc.
But we are also very proud to have obtained the ISO 14001 certification in addition to QUALISERV and ECOVADIS certifications (Gold Level) in 2019.
Today we are able to respond to our customers who have high demands and expectations on compliance with standards, product traceability, and share common values that foster collaboration and development of a project in compliance with social and environmental standards .
We place this CSR approach at the heart of our activity, both in terms of production and internal company values.
NB: you can find Agency’s CSR Policy By following this link.
What advice would you give to a company that wants to communicate through object while respecting the environment?
We must give the means to have a genuine ecological approach in its communication through the commodity, knowing that today the ecological and environmentally-responsible media object has become truly democratized with a very wide range that responds to all budgets and all needs. allows to give.
You’ll have to trust commodity experts who don’t do “greenwashing” and who just won’t give you bamboo products. Experts who have gained solid market experience and in-depth knowledge of: advice on commodities, choice of factories, manufacturing process, product traceability. At BV, all this knowledge enables us to recommend “genuine” ecological and eco-responsible items today.
A word for the end?
The advertising commodity market represents a turnover of € 1,252 billion in France, it is 4 . isth Advertising investment items, in front of radios or billboards and it accounts for 4.4% of the communications market (excluding media and media)
Communications budgets are getting tighter today, and ROI is essential, but the best way to invest is to understand what you’re buying: The advertising item may sound generic but it is quite possible to turn it into a powerful marketing tool, and we are here to help you succeed!
Find agency by following this link: BV, Agence Objets Media
Article written in association with BV, Agence Objets Media