The world of marketing is a world that not only allows for, but also encourages innovation. If someone is going to market a product, then they need to implement creative methods for increasing the product’s visibility. So, it is safe to say that while there are marketing basics–a set of rules to properly and effectively market a product–there is also a great deal of room for innovation that encourages a sort of guerrilla approach. In other words, think outside the box. In this case, think outside the lunch box.

While a lunch box may not readily present itself as a means of marketing a product, it is one of the most effective promotional items that can be employed everyday. However, before discussing the potential of a lunch box to act as a promotional item, it is important to identify why one might decide to use a lunch box to promote an item. If there is an item that a person wants to promote, then that person must first identify the situational context of that item. Specifically, the promotional item must be aligned with a specific consumer base and purpose. In the case of a lunch box, there are a few major factors concerning the situational context that can be highlighted before deciding which product to market.

First, a lunch box is used chiefly by youth, specifically young children that are still in primary school. So, the consumer base for lunch boxes will be young children. Even though parents will be responsible for purchasing the lunch boxes, the lunch boxes will function best as promotional items in the proximity of children. Second, lunch boxes will be used at a specific time–lunch. Therefore, a person could count on the approximation that a lunch box would be used everyday, at lunch, by a young child. After identifying these influential factors about lunch boxes, one can better decide on which products could be promoted most effectively with lunch boxes.

So, it is probably safe to say that lunch boxes would not be an effective means of marketing or promoting men’s razors. This would not work because children have no need to shave. Therefore, one should ask what children do. What do children like? What might children discuss over lunch? Well, answering these questions will be the most important task in determining how best to use a lunch box as a promotional item. After a person has found the answers to these questions, then it is time to promote the product.

Tags: , promotional items