A new sales associate recently asked me, “What are the best selling items?” I looked back at orders over the past year and it did not surprise me that our clients are sticking to the tried and true products, like pens, mugs, tote bags, sticky notes, magnets, etc.
The cost per impression on most of these items is pennies or less. Promotional products are a strong and effective part of any sales and marketing program. If you ask someone to put your sign on their wall, desk or car they would not even consider it, but if you give them a tasteful and useful product they will use it and it will serve as a constant reminder of your company and message.
We have lots of ideas to fit any occasion and any budget. Promotional products, “The Medium That Remains To Be Seen!”
How one realtor found a great (and inexpensive) way to keep her name in front of potential clients…
Sarah is an expert on listing and selling homes in a large gated retirement community. The complex has a country club and restaurant on site. She makes sure that all waitstaff & golf personnel have a steady supply of our Javalina pens imprinted with her name & contact information.
Because the pens are plentiful, they frequently end up in the hands of the residents. When those residents, or their friends & family need a realtor, Sarah’s information is literally at their fingertips!
Why do USB flash memory prices fluctuate so much?
02 Aug
Posted by Youssef Fadel as Powerful Promotions
Flash memory is traded like a commodity, simply put, it’s a matter of supply and demand. There are only a handful of memory chip manufacturers and therefore, a limited supply of chips.
Every day, large purchases of memory chips are made by companies from different sectors. Flash memory is used in a wide variety of electronic components including computers, MP3 players (like the iPod), mobile phones (think iPhone with their 8GB and 16GB memory chips), medical devices and of course USB drives. Companies from these sectors are buying large quantities of for their iPhone runs, it can quickly increase the price because there is less supply in the market.
It can help to imagine the memory chip market like the stock market. There are buyers and sellers and there are trades going on every minute. As the demand (the buys) increase, the price increases. But when demand starts to slow and the supply builds up, sellers of the memory chips start to lower their prices to move product.
USB Drives continue to be one of the most popular promotional items. Many of our clients pre-load information that they wish to distribute to their clients or prospects. So how do they know how much memory they need? Check out the chart below to find out!
More Memory Fun Facts….
Ok, so the heat wave here in New England might have even die-hard golfers heading to the club house, but we found a few items that we think are so cool we just couldn’t wait for the heat wave to break to share them!
The GClip is one of the most useful golf items to come along in a long time. Not only does it have a unique divot fixer, two wooden tees and a magnetic golf ball marker with a huge imprint area, it also has a Velcro patch to hold a golf glove. The GClip is a sure bet for any golf-related or themed event.
The prized possession of every golfer, whether they play every day or a couple times a season, is their clubs. We have the perfect item to protect those clubs when it rains. The “DrizzleStik” is an umbrella for golf bags and it really works. It takes very little space in the bag and is ready when rain drops start falling. It may not improve your swing but it will cover your clubs.
Last but not least, (and this one is absolutely free) have you ever been asked to work on a golf tournament or outing? There are so many things to think about and do to make it successful. One of our best suppliers has the perfect tool. It’s a complete Golf Planner and it is filled with good tips and ideas. Just download a pdf copy here and get to work. It even has a sample budget to follow to be sure you account for everything. Get ready to tee up for a great event!
Do you want your clients and prospects to look forward to your visits? Here’s a way to be sure it happens – everytime! Deliver a candy jar full of candy and tell them that if they keep the jar on their desk you will bring them a refill when you stop in to see them. It works!
Start with a great jar! One of our favorites is the Arrondi. It has a sleek, lightweight design, it’s break resistant AND Made in the USA!! Then you can bring refills of seasonal candy, individually wrapped mints, life savers, hard candies, chocolates, etc. Keep them guessing and looking forward to your visit!
The Flexi-Vase is one of my all-time favorite new items – and I’m not alone! It was awarded “Most Unique,” “Most Likely to Build a Buzz” AND “Biggest Bang for Your Buck” at an industry trade show this year!
Made of soft, flexible & shatterproof PVC, the vases ship flat and are prepackaged for individual mailing. Simply fill with water to form the vase and add fresh flowers, that’s all there is to it!
I used this item to promote NEPM at a recent Women’s Conference. I decorated each table with a Flexi-Vase and filled them with fresh cut flowers. I also put a Flexi-Vase at each place setting in its original packaging for each attendee to take home with them. What a hit!! I have quoted to two of the guests already and I’m hoping for a few orders!
One guest was from a local hotel and they are going to use the Flexi-Vase as a give-away for their summer promotion. What a nice touch in the guests room and affordable enough for them to take. They aren’t pricey items but very unique and beautiful!
Promotional products are an excellent way to not only enhance your brand, but also ensure that your message is noticed in a big way.
Here’s a great example; a client in the Health Care industry used our Laguna Sport Bottle as a thank you gift for participating in a recent trial. They used the carabiner clip to attach a thank you card as well as to deliver other important information and instructions for the trial to the recipients.
The Sport Bottles were a big hit & a great way to add emphasis to their message.
10 Points about effectively using promotional products
18 Jun
Posted by Youssef Fadel as Powerful Promotions
- Reinforce Ongoing messages with the medium that remains to be seen. Whether it’s the slogan in your not so inexpensive ad campaign or the theme of your internal employee incentive plan, the right promotional product will keep the message in front of its recipients. Now your message is in 3-D.
- Know who you are purchasing from. Your promotional products distributor is the link between you and the supplier who manufacture the products. An experienced distributor will help you differentiate between the good and questionable suppliers.
- Know who will receive the product. If you want an appointment with a company decision maker, you’re not going to get it with an inexpensive ballpoint pen or a ceramic mug. By the same token, a trade show isn’t the place to give away expensive watches.
- Establish relationships. While a direct mail or online distributor MAY save you a few cents OCCASIONALLY, They won’t be on the lookout for new items and one that may be appropriate for you next event or campaign.
- Quality not quantity. Given a choice between giving a lot of one item to everyone, or less to a targeted audience, always choose quality over quantity. For example, give a nicer gift to the people who take the time to hear your presentation at a trade show instead of a more generic item to everyone who walks by.
- Be prepared – Logo usage, etc. It’s Your Brand! You probably paid good money for Logo design. Be sure to have it in different digital formats, for use in color or Black and white as well as in small vs. large formats. A small investment during the planning stages will save you time and money when you’re up against a deadline.
- Budget and Planning ahead. The tighter your budget, the more planning time you should allow yourself and your promotional product distributor to find the right product at the right price for your project.
- Set Goals. What is to be accomplished by using this product? If you can’t think of a good reason, you’re wasting your money…don’t make one up (a reason)
- How Green do you want to be? You may not have the capability or the budget to be the “Greenest” company on the block, but using environmentally friendly promotional products could be a good place to start. How about using ceramic mugs instead of paper or plastic in your break room? How about promoting a carpooling program for your company or group of companies around you?
- How about those office supplies? How much do you spend on adhesive notes, pens, pads, pencils and recordable CDs? For pennies more, these and many other items can be customized to spread your message to employees, customers and prospects.