Recognition Factor

Three Most Important Ways of Getting out
Your Company’s Name: Advertise, Advertise, Advertise

by Janet O’Mara

There are at least three good reasons to use promotional products as part of your advertising plan, according to Steve Meyer, owner of Logos Etc…. in Anacortes. “It gets your name out in front of potential customers; it is a ‘thank you for your business’; and it lets customers know they are appreciated,” he notes.

When deciding what kind of product to order, choose what will have the best visibility. “It should be on the wall, in the hand or on the desk,” he explains. Promotional items have what he calls a “shelf life,” too — the average time customers will use them. For example, calendars are obviously posted for about a year; coffee mugs stay in use for about two years.

Meyer emphasizes that even employee-recognition gifts, especially clothing, have additional advertising value as employees wear them in the community. More and more businesses are realizing this, he says, resulting in “wearables” increasing from 5 to 30 percent of the market in just five years.

If you’ve ever had any doubt about the value of promotional products in your advertising budget, consider the experience of a recent customer of Dawn Latimer, general manager of Mister T’s Trophies on Mount Vernon’s West Side. The customer, a retailer for truck parts and supplies, recently sponsored a popular event in Eastern Washington for large, four-wheel-drive trucks. In addition to sponsoring the event, the business wanted to make sure that its name would be remembered when it was time to add or replace equipment. Wanting to use part of the logo, a globe, Latimer searched a unique database, acquired through “Advertising Specialty Institute,” that has information from thousands of manufacturers. The computer search found nearly 400 globe products from which to choose. They selected a “stress ball,” imprinted with a map of the world and the business’s name and phone number.

Latimer says it was an amazing success and the imprinted globes were in great demand. Everyone took at least one of them home. Of course, the point is that every time potential customers look at the ball, there will be product identification and memories of a good event sponsored by this business. And the next time they order a product for their trucks, they will probably remember that name first.

 

Value of branding

Whatever you choose, by putting your name on something, Latimer notes, it automatically increases the value of the product and of your other advertising, too. “It’s hard to measure the value of it, because you can get hundreds of dollars worth of advertising on a simple $5 item,” she explains. “Each time a person uses an item or even looks at it and sees your name, it’s putting an impression in their minds, so the next time they need that service or product, they’ll remember to call you.”

• Marketing consultant Susan Friedman, The Tradeshow Coach, Lake Placid, N.Y., says that the same questions apply to choosing promotional products for local customers as for trade shows. Writing in a recent article in “Trade Show Ideas,” (Trade Show Exhibitors Association, Springfield, Va.), Friedman lists 10 questions to ask yourself when trying to decide how to use giveaways and which ones to choose.

• What do you want to achieve? “Your giveaway should increase your memorability, communicate, motivate, promote or increase recognition,” according to Friedman. “It is important that not only the message, but also the item itself have a positive impact.”

• What will you give away? Define your objective; choose your product.

• Who is your audience? Some businesses use different quality gifts for different levels of customers.

• How does your giveaway tie in with your marketing theme?

• What’s your budget? The greater the quantity of your order, the lower the individual unit price.

• What must visitors do to qualify for a gift item? Avoid just leaving items out on the counter; this diminishes value.

• Will your giveaway directly influence future sales? “Consider handing out a discount coupon or a gift certificate that requires future contact with your company.”

• How does your giveaway complement your exhibiting (or advertising) goals?

• How will you inform your target audience about your giveaway? Announce it ahead of time; send an invitation.

• How will you measure the success of your giveaway? If it is a gift certificate, for example, code and track it.

In Skagit County, there are several other suppliers of promotional and business gift items, in addition to Logos Etc…. and Mister T’s Trophies, each with slightly different products or suppliers. The following suppliers are among those who can help with selection and can order products in quantity or often even one at a time.

 

Promotional companies abound

Custom Embroidery, La Conner and Mount Vernon, and M’Broidery D’Signs, Burlington, embroider all manner of products to order. Both OfficeMax and Office Depot have catalogs with thousands of promotional products: everything from pens to ice chests, each of which can be personalized with a business logo. Chris Whan, vice-president, sales and marketing of Smart Stuff Products, Mount Vernon, sells locally designed computer accessories with logos and brand names on them. Smart Stuff has a number of large pharmaceutical companies as customers, for example, who buy such products as copyholders with a new drug’s name on it. The parent company is Form First, Inc.

Signs and banners, T-shirts and balloons are staples for promotions. ASAP, Burlington, does banners, signs, bumper stickers and buttons, in a wide range of prices and often with very quick turnarounds, according to owner Tim Lindenman. RiverCity Screenprinting, south Mount Vernon, imprints sportswear for companies to give to employees as incentives, awards or uniforms and as advertising giveaways to clients, says Kyle Davis, owner. RiverCity also can supply decals, signs, bumper stickers, refrigerator magnets and larger magnetic signs. Bill MacDonald, owner of Multilabel Corp., also makes refrigerator magnets, as well as secondary labels for the fast-food industry. Balloon arrangements are the specialty at Details Unlimited. Sharon Cole, owner, notes those balloons can be effective advertising with your logo or message printed on them.

Although there is an overwhelming variety of ideas, most advertising experts agree that finding the right promotional products can be valuable. Promotional products offer business owners a chance to be creative and unique.

Meyer, who has been in the promotional and incentives products business for 10 years, supplies advice and ideas as well as thousands of products. He believes in the value of advertising, properly planned and guided, and carries a card in his wallet, titled “Killing a business in 10 Easy Steps.” The steps are, “don’t advertise, don’t advertise, don’t advertise . . .” for all 10 steps.