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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