Several years ago, NBC Television came up with a smart concept to promote its summer season of prime time reruns: If you haven’t seen a particular episode of a series (e.g., Friends, Frasier), then that episode is new to you and you should tune in and watch it.
How does this relate to you?
Every January, thousands of new promotional products are introduced in the marketplace. So this is the time of year when we are frequently asked, “What’s new?” by clients and prospects. Some products truly are new. A few years ago, for instance, the Pick ‘n Mint™ and SwabPlus were among the top contenders for an industry award because they were so innovative.
We enjoy attending trade shows, reviewing new catalogs from the factories we work with and reading industry publications to find new and unusual products. But we also continually review the 600,000+ imprintable products already in the market. Almost any logo-able product has the makings of an effective promotion provided it’s appropriate for its target audience.
Take mugs and writing instruments, two of the most common products available. As a buyer you have thousands of choices of styles and colors in a range of price points. But when you think of giving mugs or pens as a promotional gift it doesn’t sound very exciting, right?
Now imagine you want to create goodwill with new clients by sending them a Thank You gift. Unfortunately, you don’t have a big budget. With help from your promotional products consultant you come up with a solution: After each client’s first order has been filled, you send a mug decorated with your logo and contact info but fill the mug with pens decorated with their logo and contact info. You also include a short note expressing your appreciation for their business, and explain that you hope this gift will help spread the word about their products/services. It’s a simple promotion but it’s thoughtful, useful and, best of all, is certain to get used.
Feel free to ask us “What’s new?” at any time. But also keep in mind, that there are countless ways to strengthen ties with your target audience using tried and true products, too.
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