Here’s a great article to help you maximize your ROI and VALUE when you choose your next promotional product for your next marketing campaing. Enjoy! Jen
Promotional Strategies: The Magic Of Promotional Products By J. R. Roren
When used effectively in a creative and enticing marketing campaign, few things can add an “abracadabra” to your response rate like logoed specialties…
There was scene in Godfather II, near the end, when Michael Corleone visits Cuba. There’s a meeting with all the Cuban dignitaries and American industrialists to celebrate the partnership and growth plans of the new alliance. The chairman stops the meeting to thank American Telephone and Telegraph Company for their gracious gift, a gold-plated telephone (no doubt embellished with the AT&T logo).
The gift, like the millions of other business gifts given before and after, is the cornerstone of the promotional products world; a creatively chosen, tastefully decorated product that serves as a reminder and everlasting expression of the benefactor’s wishes. It’s no wonder that “business gifts” top the chart of most popular uses of promotional products, according to recent industry estimates. But as I will soon reveal, promotional products are much more than a business gift with a logo.
Promotional products are the nucleus of an ever-growing industry that’s often misunderstood and worse yet, underutilized. While most people concentrate on the promotional products available and the sale prices attached to them, I think we need to go deeper. So join me in my mystical quest as we look to uncover the magic of promotional products.
America Loves Promotional Products
In America, the proliferation of symbols, tokens and mementos are everywhere. Early Americans branded their cattle. That was our currency. Branding was taken so serious, that taking an animal that carried someone else’s brand was a capital offense. Championship fights are centered on the transfer of the belt. The World Series is played every year for the coveted ring. Hollywood bows to a golden statue called OscarTM.
Our military goes into battle in proudly decorated uniforms that are adorned with badges, medals and ribbons. Remember how powerful and intimidating General Swartzkopf looked in his uniform on TV briefs during the Gulf War? It’s hard to imagine him in checkered shorts, a white crew neck T-shirt and black socks up to his knees. Is it the uniform that makes the man? Many times yes, but it’s also the badge, button, pin, emblem and ribbon as well.
What is the first thing we do after a baby is born? Take footprints. Bronzed baby shoes and personalized blankets are promotional products that celebrate life’s most precious gift. Promotional products are everywhere. Picture This Ever think about the phenomenon of pictures? Our obsession with capturing a moment in time has built billion-dollar industries in photography, art, film, processing, paper, printing, etc. And what is a photo, really? A piece of life, captured onto something we can hold, collect and treasure. And even though the industry is now all but digital, the phenomena continues even more so.
Why do we get excited about watching a video copy of what we just experienced in real life? Because we love capturing, saving and showing life. Polaroid’s dominance during the ’60s and ’70s has been hugely eclipsed with the digital revolution. Most people think this is proof of how antiquated processes are naturally replaced by high-tech methods that are much faster and cheaper. This is true. But my point goes further. It goes to the real difference, or better yet, similarities between your Dad’s Polaroid and your daughter’s digital cell-phone camera.
Polaroid’s success was built on our human need for immediate gratification, the ability of a consumer to instantly turn a moment in time into something that could be held, saved, framed and kept for a lifetime. But it’s most unique virtue was the fact that it was instant. We are addicts of life. All of us. We want memories captured in the highest resolution, able to reproduce on a key chain as well as a 40 ft. wide banner, but we want it saved on a disk smaller than a half dollar. But why do we want it saved? Why do we want it to be of the highest resolution? To be shown, displayed, printed, embellished, copied or hot-stamped onto something. And as soon as we do that … magic happens. This magic can turn a pickle jar into an ice-tea jar. How? By taking a plain generic pickle jar and imprinting a drawing of the sun accompanied with two words: “Sun Tea.”
The Art Of Promotional Products
A promotional product is a tangible item; an otherwise ordinary product that many times is a simple consumer commodity. But when that product is carefully chosen to fit your target audience and decorated with a powerful message, magic happens. Whether they’re treated as useless trinkets or the coveted ring is all in the perception and the usage.
My suggestion is that you don’t take them lightly. If you agree that American people are an extremely symbol-crazy lot, then you’ll begin to see the huge potential in promotional products. The ability to choose either a common consumer product or a highly creative new creation, choose your target audience, carefully craft your message and execute the plan is an art. That art is not only the basis of the promotional products industry, but is the basis of any great marketing plan. Let’s get back to our photo.
As it is, this photo is nothing more than one of billions of pieces of paper or film that capture a moment in ti
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