Re: MSNBC: Giving it away and online/offline adv

From: Jane <Idealpower_at_aol.com>
Date: Tue 28 Dec 1999 12:17:35 EST

RAMON RAY WROTE:
> MSNBC had a nice article about how companies are giving
> away products to extend brand. I suggest you all take a
> serious look at it http://www.msnbc.com/news/349944.asp


Ramon Ray -

I looked at the article about product giveaways that
you recommended because I am in the promotional
products biz. It makes some good points, BUT I would
like to add:

1. You don't have to search through catalogs (online or
print) to find product ideas. Especially if you have
a limited budget, contact a distributor and give them
your budget, your goal (increase sales, introduce new
product/service, change your image, etc.) and your
target market (e.g., new or existing customers) and
ask for recommendations. This is part of their
service whether you want a single product or a
multi-part promotional campaign designed for you.

2. Always request a sample of a product that sounds
interesting before you order. Samples should be free
(unless it is a very expensive item). You can also
ask for a "preproduction proof," if you want. This is
an actual product printed with your message after you
place an order, but before the whole order is
imprinted. But ask about the cost of doing that,
because it can be rather pricey (depending on the
artwork, the product, quantity ordered, etc.)

3. Ask about the quality of the product and what
guarantee you will get. For example, pens are a great
giveaway because people hold onto them. And there are
"really cheap" pens that might look like a fabulous
deal. But, if the imprint starts wearing off
immediately, you have obviously wasted your money.
Your distributor knows which are the good quality items
and what's on sale. I spoke with a woman recently who
had thought she was getting a "great deal" on pens.
What she got was a bad imprint. And her distributor
(or former distributor) wasn't returning her calls now
that she had a complaint about the order... It is a
good idea to ask a distributor for references from
existing customers & check them out before you do
business with them. If someone won't give you
references, find somebody else right away! (Sad to
say, but there are some distributors who just want to
make a quick sale and don't care about providing you
with customer service or building a relationship with
you.)

Hope this is helpful.

Jane




Received on Tue Dec 28 1999 - 11:17:35 CST