March Madness is in full swing on the hardwoods of many arenas and coliseums across  the  country. The madness has a grip on the country, as everyone anxiously awaits the  winner of the year-end championship tournament. However, a different kind of “madness”  has its own effect on companies and employees this time of year as they close in on the trade  show season. 

Most companies are still in their pre-season stage of preparing for their annual trade shows.  Budgets have been set. The booth space has been rented. The layout has been determined  and some of the decorations have been chosen. It’s getting into crunch time now and you’re still not sure how to really make an impact with your customers and stand out from the trade show “noise” and clutter. You panic. The show’s in 10 days and you don’t have that one great idea yet that’s going to set your company apart and make you look like a superstar.

Finally, you think, “What the heck, we’ll just throw our logo on a bunch of pens and hand them out to everyone. If we do a couple thousand then surely people will remember us. Won’t they?”

To use a sports analogy, you choked. You froze. You buckled under the pressure. That’s easy to do if you don’t put in the preparation and time necessary to be great. You revert back to last year’s order or take whatever you can get with a rush order and the inevitable rush charge. But great ideas – ideas that can truly make an impact with your company – take some time to mold.

In the case of promotional items, it’s no different. Promotional items are meant to be another asset in your marketing toolkit to create a unique connection to your audience and ultimately create in them a desire to move towards your company. Some of the most unique promotional items can stand on their own to create a unique message. Others, while in a simpler form, can be used in conjunction with other ideas to create a lasting impression.

Let’s look at an example that illustrates just how creative you can get. ABC Company was an exhibitor at a recent tradeshow to show off their fancy new product with the latest and greatest new features that were going to gain them substantial market share. Unfortunately, much larger companies scooped up all the premium booth space on the show floor. ABC Company was relegated to the back of the convention center where it would take smoke signals and an Eagle Scout for their customers to find them. Their product launch was doomed.

Definitely a concern, but not one that couldn’t be overcome with some creativity. Inject a great idea and a unique promotional item. The fix came when ABC Company chose to purchase two-way radios (walkie-talkies) branded with their company’s logo.

The radios came in pairs. One month prior to the trade show, ABC Company mailed a marketing piece to their customers to announce their presence at the show. The mailing included one radio and a note to encourage the customer to come to ABC Company’s booth to receive the other radio in the pair. The customer was also prompted to contact the company via the two-way radio when they arrived at the show to be directed to ABC Company’s booth.

They were a hit! A huge hit! The promotional items not only had a high perceived value to the customer as a takeaway from the show, but by engaging the customer in such a unique way, the ABC Company strengthened the relationships with their customers. The buzz generated from that one idea helped to attract many new customers and catapult sales through the roof.

At Proformance Logo Products and Apparel we strive to help our customers find those great ideas along the way that will turn them into marketing superstars. Pens, key chains and koozies certainly have their place in the corporate promotional landscape. But dig a little deeper and you’ll discover a hidden gem of an idea that’s waiting to push your company to new heights. Contact us today to see how we can help you.

Start With a Small Group

It is tempting to think of promotional marketing exclusively as a way of gaining more brand recognition when in fact it is more important your branded giveaways inspire brand loyalty. Business owners that miss this crucial distinction often go for a quantity over quality approach and shower their clients with koozies and cheap pens. While koozies and pens have their place, they are quickly replaced and discarded. In short everyone gives out koozies and pens.

Starting with a small group gives you a larger budget per person and allows you to personalize your branded giveaways.

Be Willy Wonka

The fabled Willy Wonka didn’t provide a single thing that people needed. He provided them with what they wanted. A branded giveaway, when done right, should spoil your clients with something that they would not have bought for themselves. Think: guilty pleasures.
And because we’ve kept our target audience small to begin with, we can afford to splurge on some nice home goods or electronics.

Hit Them Again and Again

If you’ve started with a small group and managed to wow them with a wonderful gift, why not do it again? You didn’t become loyal to your friends in one interaction so don’t expect your clients and customers to do the same.

Each time you see members of your target group, you will get a positive response because you bring them things.

And each time you bring them something you also increase the odds of them doing business with you in the future.

So what are you (possibly) ignoring about promotional product marketing?

To answer that, consider the other forms of traditional marketing like tv, radio, billboards, print, and even on-line. What does promotional marketing have that they don’t?

Answer: Physical interaction. No other marketing channel *forces* the consumer to interact with the brand. If Google runs a commercial on TV, I take that as permission to take a break to use the restroom or reload on snacks. But if a Google representative hands me a set of Multi-Function pliers with an LED light, I’m going to: a) thank them and b) think of Google whenever I use their giveaway.

The reason why most marketers don’t go beyond brand awareness as a goal for promotional item marketing is because it takes thought. You have to know your audience extremely well…and know that koozies do not inspire loyalty. You have to dig deeper.

Here’s where Proformance Logo can help. We know our catalog  intimately and have years of experience matching the right product to the right situation. Yes, our website offers a complete one-stop shop for everything from logo golf balls to watches and jewelry. And, yes, you can shop privately without needing to call in for shipping prices or imprint fees.

But sometimes we need help from professionals. And, with Proformance Logo, that help is just a phone call or email away.

Giveaways for conferences and trade shows are a lot like that Christmas greeting. When choosing what product to give out, the cheapest and easiest solution might save time and money in the short term, but products designed to last have the potential to work much harder for you over the course of their lifetime. A cheap but forgettable tchotchke like a pen or a keychain might be used for a few days, and even a few months if you’re very lucky, but the vast majority of these “trinkets and trash” will quickly fall out of use and out of the mind of clients. On the other hand, products that will remain on desks, in the kitchen, and in plain sight will turn your fleeting trade show giveaway into a long-lasting, positive message.

Years ago, I received a flash drive as a giveaway at a trade show. It’s a quality piece, and I’ve never needed another one. I keep it in my purse at all times, and not a week goes by that I don’t use it. I can’t count the number of times I’ve seen that company’s logo. I know exactly who they are and what services they offer, because I’ve visited their website time and time again. They are permanently ingrained in my memory, all because I’ve used that fantastic piece of technology to transfer endless files.

Now imagine your logo on that flash drive. Every day for years to come, the person with whom you had a brief exchange at a trade show remembers who you are when they use that product. On  top of that, every person who has been handed a branded flash drive to upload files has been introduced to your company as well. Your wisely chosen gift has put your brand in front of countless prospects and left a lasting impression, generating potential leads and potential sales, paying for itself time and time again. We like to call that return on investment.

Simply put, a high quality, well-considered giveaway is the gift that keeps on giving—right back to the giver.

Every communication you choose to share your company’s message makes a statement about your brand, so it pays to carefully consider what you want that message to be.  When you choose a branded product, it’s imperative to ask yourself how that touchpoint speaks to who you are as a brand. After all, as Marshall McLuhan said, “The medium is the message.” The promotional product you choose to represent your brand speaks just as loudly as what you have to say.
If you pick something expected, what message does that send?  Does it suggest that you’re just another company making a half-hearted effort to break through? You know that couldn’t be further from the truth. Your company offers something special. Unique. Valuable. Innovative. How can a pen or notepad accurately capture the essence of who you are and what you offer?
We don’t mean to knock the humble company pen, but a truly interesting product that suits your brand can help you stand out in the mind of consumers, leaving them with a more accurate impression of what you offer.
Let’s use an example. Say you own an eco-friendly coffee shop. Branded coffee mugs are the obvious choice, right? But you offer something more than coffee. Your commitment to environmentally responsible business practices is what really sets you apart from the caffeine-slinging herd. So why not choose a environmentally friendly promotional item that speaks to that aspect of your message, like our Bamboo Chute or Potted Herb Set? Unexpected gifts that truly encapsulate your unique selling proposition communicate your message far more effectively than something ordinary.
Much like coffee shops and coffee mugs, tech companies and USB drives are a natural fit. But why give a USB drive when you know that every other tech company in the country is handing them out like candy at Halloween? Stand out from the crowd and give something like our USB coffee warmer. It’s a geeky conversation-starter that’s sure to make your company stand out from the IT herd—the kind of giveaway that speaks loud and clear: “We’re creative, out-of-the-box thinkers who understand our target and their needs.” A branded product that can send a message that clear and distinct is the Holy Grail of swag.
Check out our best selling items to see some of the products that can give your company an edge when it comes to standing out. Whether you’re looking for a traditional product like a coffee mug, or something that says something a little different—like an Aztec soup bowl, a “beverage babe” can holder, or a pedometer—we’re the best place to start your search for the right products to speak for your brand.

If your company takes part in this movement, eco-friendly promotional items could be exactly what you want to send a positive message out.  There are a wide variety of this kind of item, so there is likely something for every kind of company. If your company isn’t yet working on any green initiatives, why not start by utilizing green promotional items?

Bamboo Stripe Pen Holder
This Bamboo pen holder is pretty stylish and looks good on a wide variety of desks. It qualifies as an eco-friendly item because bamboo is a renewable resource that quickly regrows. This type of product doesn’t have to send a message, but can add a bit of smoothness on your desk.

Brown Bag-it Sack
This quality bag is intended to replace the typical brown paper bag for employee lunches. It’s more sturdy, washable, and of course- you can get your logo printed on it!

Single Chute Bamboo Pot
The second bamboo desk enhancement product in this list is actually living! If you’ve never had a plant on your desk, it’s hard to describe how nice it can be to have one. If you have, you know that desktop plants add a soft bit of green to your desk, and are all around nice to have.

Eco-Soft Mousepad
This soft and comfortable mousepad is made from 100% recycled rubber, and is both non-skid and antimicrobial. Mousepads are the kind of thing people don’t want to think about. Giving them a product like this ensures that when they do think about it, they’ll be thinking positively.

Blue Spruce Tree
Without a doubt, this is the most unique green item on the list. Giving people an actual, living tree is a bold move. You can’t simply put this in a closet or drawer and forget it, it’s a tree after all.

Now that you’ve gotten some inspiration, why not check out the rest of our Eco-friendly items!

Let’s take a look at a few specific items that we sell, as well as our competitors. We charge $27.99 for Titleist DT-Roll golf balls, and have a minimum order of 12. This price includes logo printing, and shipping is free. The total price for 12 boxes of printed DT-Roll balls is $335.88. Meanwhile, Motivators (one of our competitors) charges $39.48 per box for the same product, and has the same minimum order. Each separate product has a $35 “printing setup charge” applied, bringing the total for these golf balls to $508.76! The worst part is, this figure is pre-shipping.

You are not given the shipping price until your order is prepared for shipping.

Perhaps the single biggest thing difference you’ll see with us is our “one low price”. Almost all of our competitors show you the lowest price, but have tiered pricing for different amounts of the product. This gives you the initial impression that a product you want is priced very low, only to find that in order to get that price you need to buy much more than you need. For example; we sell a 1gb mp3 player, and our 1 low price is $36.99. Motivators advertises the same Mp3 player “as low as $36.50″. The problem with this is that to pay $36.50, you need to purchase 200! Our minimum order is only 12, and if you want to buy only 12 players from our competition, the price shoots up to $52.56!

Individual Pricing Shown

As you can see, we’re big on not throwing in additional fees or displaying prices lower than what you’ll likely pay. We simply don’t like to lead people in with pricing that is substantially lower than what they’ll pay, and we’d rather incorporate shipping into our price than hit customers with a huge charge after they have customized their order.

Beyond happy existing customers, you can reach new audiences with logo golf balls. By providing balls for a local tournament or other golf event, you can place your logo directly in front of a specific audience. Anyone who has been handed free anything, courtesy of a company, likely is happier with that company. Giving potential customers a useful and fun gift like golf balls can greatly increase their likelihood of doing business with you. Golf balls aren’t cheap, and people know that. Purchasing golf balls for clients and potential customers shows you are dedicated to your relationship with them.

The bottom line is that golf balls are fun, and reach customers while they aren’t working.

Request a consultation. Your promotional items company should be more than an online store. You should expect them to offer a strategy session and advice on which items with which messages are right for your particular audience. Schedule a call to discuss your special event, your target audience and campaign or theme, then brainstorm about the right item to complete it.

Select items that encourage leads. Does your imagery inspire the customer to call you after your event? Instead of just printing a logo, consider adding a call to action directly on the giveaway. For example, if you choose to mail items before the event, add a note to visit the booth and mention the item to receive a nice gift at the actual event. Hotels and restaurants can include a 10% off your next stay or a free appetizer if you present the item upon arrival. 

Remember the impact of shipping costs when you plan the budget.  The cost of shipping 500 coffee mugs is astronomical in comparison to shipping 500 ink pens. Consider the weight of the item you are selecting and how it will affect your overall budget. Evaluate how many items you need to cover your target audience and ensure that shipping costs won’t leave you with a short order on what’s really important – the quantity of your promotional items.

Try before you buy: Order samples. Before you order dozens or hundreds or thousands of any item, from a pen to a computer bag - you should know exactly what you are getting. Colors, imprint areas, functionalities and quality differ widely between pens, koozies, coffee mugs and other promotional items. Order a sample of your preferred item(s) before you place a larger order to avoid a potential headache later.

Ask for peer recommendations. Who has used your promotional provider in the past? Was the experience a solid one? Would they use the vendor again? It is equally as important to shop for the right vendor—who can become a trusted strategist and a key extension of your branding team— as it is to shop for the right promotional item. Ask your vendor for current testimonials, customer references and case studies.

You can expect more tips like these in future blog posts at www.ProformanceLogo.com/blog. And remember to follow us as www.Twitter.com/proformancelogo.