Outstanding Sales
Results and Techniques
Aramark Uniform Services
Philadelphia , PA
 A
UNIVATOR recipient last year, Aramark is being honored
this time for its Cool to the Core Campaign. We at UniformMarket
are particularly fond of this entry, for although the company’s
motives were (rightly) selfish, the effect could wind up
being more altruistic. “This campaign focused on
bringing non-traditional wearers into the industry,“ notes
UniformMarket New Magazine’s Publisher Rick Levine
. “More end users means more business for all of
us in the long run.”
A leading supplier of uniforms and career apparel, Aramark’s
goal was to develop a new, motivating promotion to increase
sales of its TeamCasual image program with non-programmers.
Proprietary
research conducted by Aramark revealed that non-programmer
prospects are aware of the value an employee image has
for their businesses but are unsure of how to implement
such a program. Therefore, the company developed an integrated
campaign called “Cool to the Core,” which specifically
targets non-programmers who are interested in improving the image of their
company.
In addition to a wide selection of items including Aramark’s
TeamCasual line of business casual apparel, Cool to the
Core allows a company with a small-business budget to enhance
its image with a differentiating, professional look for
its employees.
 The campaign represented a sophisticated blend of three
direct-mail pieces, incentive programs, and leave-behinds
that highlights how employee esteem can be developed by
implementing an image enhancement program. Sales representatives
were also provided with key messages and scripts to help
open the dialogue with non-programmers.
The Cool to the Core rental program was rolled out to
a region in the southeastern part of the United States
over the course of the summer in 2005. As a result, non
-programmer sales in the region increased 33 percent compared
to the same period last year, and average non-programmer
sales per account manager increased 17 percent.
The campaign offer included:
An Esteem Makeover Evaluation, in which the sales representative
would talk with the client about how an image program could
boost their brand. The evaluation was free of charge and
did not require a purchase from the client.
A $50 gift certificate that could be applied toward the
purchase of any one item from an Aramark ApparelOne catalog.
Non-programmers would receive this gift certificate when
they met with an US representative for an Esteem Makeover
Evaluation.
Non-programmers who signed up for a five-year contract
with a minimum average weekly rental volume of $100 were
also entered into the Esteem Makeover Challenge. One winner
would then be selected to receive a public relations and
marketing campaign that included a joint press release
announcing the customer’s new image program; a local
newspaper advertisement announcing the customer’s
new image program; a photo shoot showcasing the new business
makeover; a featured case study on the AUS Web site; and
a direct mail piece sent to 100 of their customers announcing
their new image program. “This mammoth campaign shows
that there are untapped markets out there. While other
companies may not have the budget or resources of an Aramark,
they can, however, use their creativity and perseverance
to boost their own sales,” notes Levine.
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