Promotional Products as Entry Level Advertising

If you're a business person with a limited marketing budget, promotional products may very well be your most cost effective advertising option.

Think about it. All of the other available vehicles - online, direct mail, radio, newspaper, cable TV (do I dare still mention yellow pages?) require a significant financial investment. Promotional products, on the other hand, do not.

Say you give a prospect something as basic as a business card size magnet. For a $100 investment you can buy 500 of these promoting your brand and marketing message. You go to a networking event, meet someone you want to connect with, hand them a magnet, and that magnet goes up on your contact's refrigerator or office file cabinet shortly thereafter.

That magnet then gets viewed 4 times a day, 5 to 7 days a week, 12 months a year...think about the cost per ad impression that this 20-cent magnet delivers!

And you can apply the same concept to a pen, can coolie, jar grip and lots of other promotional items that cost little and deliver lots and lots of 'views' in return. And consider this, unlike other forms of advertising, there's very little waste because you decide who gets the promo item and who does not.

No other advertising medium can do this period, let alone do it for the low cost of a basic promotional product campaign built around one of these items.

That's why I often refer to promotional products as 'Entry Level Advertising' for the small business owner. If you're in business, you need to market and no medium allows you to effectively do it for as little up front cost as promotional products

Some Trade Show Marketing Tips

Trade Show Tips Trade Shows are a big market for promotional products. Shows provide a great opportunity for companies to present their products/services to potential clients and even existing clients in an atmosphere that's a little more relaxed than an office or meeting room. Promotional products, of course, are important for keeping your brand and marketing message in front of the people you meet at a show long after the show has ended. Here are some tips for getting the most out of your next show. If your show display table does not include a tablecloth, be sure to get one that complements your display and represents your company’s image and color scheme. Even if a tablecloth is supplied, bring your own or at least something to add some depth to your table (i.e. a table runner). Try to make your space stand out. Trade show hand outs work. Most people who attend shows are expecting to take home some goodies. The key with these items is to first determine the objective behind them – i.e. do you want to deliver a verbal ‘pitch’ to make a strong first impression on visitors who aren’t yet clients or keep your name in front of prospects in the days following the show? Or do you have a new marketing slogan and want to hand out items that play off of it? There are strategies (and products) for all scenarios. Consider a drawing for a prize – and have it be a good prize that people really want and that complements your business in some way, if possible. Have visitors and entrants sign a guest book, fill in a ticket, or drop their business cards into a fish bowl or gift bag. The great thing about this type of technique is that you can then use this information at a later date to make a follow up contact. Have a portfolio of your work available as part of your trade show display. Print off some of your best projects, put them into plastic sheet protectors, and arrange them in a binder. Then lay out the binder where visitors can flip through the pages. Don’t Forget the Follow Up- Companies that get the best results will market continuously to the qualified contacts they meet at a show until the start of the next show the following year. There are several techniques for doing this and I’d be happy to share my views on this subject if you’re interested. Promotional products can be very helpful in this area, but they are not the only method of staying in touch. And some of those methods don’t cost anything.

New Child Product Safety Regs Impact the Promotional Products Industry

It didn’t receive much fanfare, but earlier this month, President Obama signed into law legislation that further tightens the restrictions placed on lead in toys and other items (like promotional products) primarily aimed at children. The amended law also clarifies several ambiguities that have existed since the original Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) was passed in 2008.

What got tightened (even further) is the amount of lead allowable in children's products. It dropped from 300 parts per million (ppm) to 100 ppm on August 14. Products produced before this date are grandfathered –so only products that are manufactured AFTER August 14 will have to adhere to the stricter limits.

The Background

It’s interesting. Back in 2007, Nissan bought 100,000 ceramic coffee mugs directly from a factory in China and distributed them in Japan to anyone who took a test drive in one of their cars. The mugs contained excessive lead to the tune of 100 times the legal limit (Japan’s) and a lot of people got sick.*

Later that year, The California State School Board forced a recall on 50,000 lunch bags after testing found excessive lead in the lining of the bags. Then came the Mattel toy recalls that made headlines worldwide. And by the end of that year a total of 448 product recalls had taken place – 52% of which involved children’s products – and 100 of which involved excessive lead in paint on the products. The vast majority of these products were manufactured in China.

The Bush administration, Food and Drug Administration and the Congress reacted to all this by quickly passing the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA) which placed sharp limits on the amount of lead allowable in products aimed primarily at children ('children' being defined as anyone age 12 or younger).

About Lead

It’s cheap, it’s everywhere and in industry, it has many uses. At the time of the events I’ve just detailed, China was dealing with some major economic challenges – among them rising salaries, skyrocketing gas prices, high material costs and the margin pressures associated with doing business with some of the big American retailers. Frankly, some manufacturers cut corners and no one noticed till it was too late.

What it Means

The potential for liability, negative publicity and brand erosion. Where the antennae need to be raised is when a promotion is intended PRIMARILY for children ages 12 or under.

Bottom line is products intended for kids in this age group cannot contain lead.

And as for what defines whether a product is "primarily intended for children ages 12 and under" - that unfortunately is a bit of a gray area. There are numerous factors, like functionality of the item, what the imprint looks like (i.e. does it have a cartoon-like caricature), how it’s being distributed etc. In total, there are about 30 different factors, so the best suggestion, we've been told by experts on this, is to simply use common sense.

Our Concern

In an industry with 3500 to 4000 suppliers, we’re concerned that the number of suppliers that will to pay attention to the tougher CPSIA may be a lot lower than one would expect. And given the pricing pressures that exist right now, we expect that many will totally ignore them – which exposes buyers (and sellers) of these products to the negatives that I’ve noted above.

However......

While the events of 2007/2008 caught the entire industry by surprise, there are some who realize the seriousness of this issue and are now trying galvanize the rest of the industry to embrace this issue.

Here's a link to an interview with Geiger CEO, Gene Geiger and and Rick Brenner, the CEO of industry supplier, Prime Line highlighting a recent summit that the two of them chaired to raise awareness about these recent developments.

Where this is headed is anyone's guess, but my biggest fear is that latest round of regs will sour some people to promotional products and the benefits that they provide. At a time when new jobs are not exactly plentiful, making it more difficult for companies to brand themselves to users of their product or service isn't good for anyone.

Four Factors of Successful Promotions

Promotional products, when utilized effectively are an extremely powerful and cost effective tool for building or enhancing any brand. While just about any use of a branded giveaway will generate a degree of value for an advertiser, there are some factors that should be considered to maximize the chances of any campaign involving promotional products succeeding.

1. Audience Appropriate Product- The most compelling marketing message in the world will be missed by the recipient if the item that bears that message is not appropriate for the person receiving it.

2. Effective Marketing Message- Too often it seems, promotional products convey only company names or logos without any strong benefit statement, positioning statement or call to action. A simple tag line beneath the logo usually doesn’t cost anything extra but it can have a dramatic effect on an entire campaign. Consider using one.

3. Targeted, Qualified Product Recipients- One of the big advantages of promotional products vs. other advertising mediums is that the marketer controls the distribution. By capitalizing on this, organizations can limit waste and make sure that every recipient of their message is a qualified prospect or customer. Therefore each promotion should be geared toward the individuals most likely to generate positive results.

4. The Right Time- They say timing is everything in life. That’s certainly true with marketing. Deliver the right message to a receptive audience when they’re ready to make a buying decision and you will be successful. Deliver the message too soon or too late and you won’t be nearly as effective.

Let's Talk Polo Shirts

Scott Boyages Promotions

Mid May marks the start of polo shirt season – or at least it seems that way. We have sold a lot of polo shirts over the years, and clients buy them year round. However I really notice a spike in client requests around the time that things warm up to the point that you can wear polo's outside – in other words, right about now. With that in mind, here are some brand new polo styles that seem poised to be big hits this year.

Ash City EDry Silk Luster Jersey Polo- This is a cotton/poly blended polo that combines EDry Moisture wicking technology with amazing comfort & feel. Available in men’s and women’s cuts – men’s sizes run to 5XL. A favorite for travelers, this luxurious Silk Luster sport shirt keeps you cool and comfortable with moisture-wicking PimaCool technology. It's perfect for warmer climates and summer wear because it's easy to care for and feels great against your skin. Great pricing too: $24 each in quantities of 12+ Red House Honeycomb Performance Pique Polo I’m a big fan of Red House, a high quality line of shirts that's inspired by California’s wine region. In particular, this Honeycomb Performance polo is very impressive. It's an awesome mix of technology and comfort because this 70/30 cotton/poly honeycomb pique combines easy-care cotton with moisture-wicking performance to keep you cool in any situation. Flat knit collar, open hem sleeves, Red House engraved buttons and right sleeve Red House branded embroidery. Cost: $30.00 each for quantities of 12+ - embroidered. Greg Norman Play Dry Performance Pique Stripe Polo The Greg Norman line is one of the better – albeit under-publicized polo name brands. The Norman name has always garnered great respect in golf circles and his line of apparel stacks up very well to the Ashworth’s, Nike’s and Cutter & Bucks. The Norman line’s strength is its Play Dry moisture management technology which keeps moisture off the skin—and also keeps wind out. This striped polo is a terrific shirt. It's 97% polyester & 3 % spandex and is a terrific combination of style and comfort. It also carries the famous Norman ‘Shark’ branding on the back neck - subtly placed so as not to detract from your own logo. Cost: $45.00 each for quantities of 12+ Men's Tipped Collar Dry-Mesh Hi-Performance Polo Here’s a great lower priced Performance Polo…the 1575 from Edwards Garment is a lightweight, 100% polyester shirt with a mesh weave that wicks moisture. It got an AP-360™+ Antimicrobial Fabric Shield that blocks bacteria, Prevents odors and ensures freshness. It’s also fade, shrink and wrinkle resistant. Comes in Men's and Women’s styles. These start at $21.00 for a dozen (embroidered) and go down from there. Or a Proven Winner.... The new stuff is always interesting…..but how about something – new or otherwise – that’s simply one of the top selling polo shirts in our industry? I'm referring to the K500 Port Authority® - Silk Touch™ Sport Shirt. This one has it all: Comfort? Yes Wrinkle/Shrink Resistance? Yes Huge Size Range? Yes Tons of Color Choices? Yes Men's, Women's & Long Sleeve versions? Absolutely! This is a great 'uniforming' shirt for any type of business. One of the top sellers in the industry – it comes at a great price - $16.14 each - and delivers great value at the same time.

The Ongoing Challenge to Teach the Value of Promotional Products

The following article first appeared on the blog site Technorati under the title: California Bans State Agencies From Buying Promotional Products.

I wrote it because stories like this one seem to be coming down the pipeline far too often these days. There is a sentiment out there among some that promotional products are about 'trinkets and trash' or 'swag'. With all due respect, my response to that is that those who feel that way really don't have much of a concept of what marketing is really all about.

Anyway....here it is.....

You know the expression 'penny-wise and pound foolish'? That's California Governor Jerry Brown. Governor Brown this week banned state agencies from purchasing promotional products — a move that figures to save the state in the neighborhood of 7 to 8 million dollars over the next 3 years.

For those unfamiliar with the term, a promotional product is a useful everyday item that carries an ad message — be it an imprinted pen, a t-shirt or something a bit more elaborate like a computer flash drive with a logo printed on the casing.

Read more: http://technorati.com/business/advertising/article/california-bans-state-agencies-from-buying/#ixzz1EwjE1npF

Promotional Product Trends - Feb., 2011

In the most recent edition of my newsletter I focused on current trends in the promotional product industry. January & February mark the onset of the trade show season, the time when our suppliers introduce most of their new products for the coming year. It’s also a good time to assess where the industry is headed in terms of product trends and also to gauge the general feeling of the kind of year that lies ahead.

You can access the full article here:

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