I have friends in this game and they will kill me for saying this, but promotional products, in terms of bang-for-buck, are an utter waste of time.
But.And like Nicky Minaj it’s a very very big but.Those promotional products are of real use to who your target customer is. So before you sink a few grand in to some stupid-ass squeeze balls with your crap logo on them, think of these three things.
- Would my target customer have any use for this item?
- How long would it take before my target customer throws this out.?
- Is what I have had printed on this dumb thing tell them anything about what it is that I do or sell?
For me, the best kind of promotional products are ones that have a long shelf-life, are visibly useful and tie in to something you do, so it makes sense to have your logo and info on it.Here’s three ideas to run with;
Fill it up
Mugs and cups with logos on them are useless. Unless they are filled with something that take a bit of time to consume, like jelly beans, breath mints, hard candy or chocolates. Basically anything that would give someone a reason to keep it at their desk long enough to consume the contents. After that, it’ll be relegated to the office kitchen, thrown out or lost to Bev from accounts who steals anything that isn’t bolted down.
Charge it up
If you’re in technology a branded phone charging cord could be pretty awesome. We’re always needing them, they tend to be used on desks in offices a LOT and they are very very useful. When you need one, you’ll be glad you have one. So when someone picks one up, they get that nice warm, fuzzy feeling about you because you have solved a problem for them. Nice huh?
Avoid the kid factor
Anything that will land in the hands of the customer’s kids is a waste of money. Stickers, balloons, fidget spinners, squeeze balls and toys are not gonna get you much mileage if it’s gonna be stuffed in a handbag and given to the kids at home. The prospect will only see it as that damn sticker they had to peel off a wall at home, a fidget spinner that the kid keeps leaving on the kitchen floor or that squeeze ball that you keep almost tripping on in the hallway.
So don’t be a dickhead with promo gear. Be smart. Be sensible. And don’t fall in to what is trendy. Go with what gives you the best mileage.