Promotional Items. Input??

[glenneena]

I was making a list of promotional items for my new business. A car lot and bill pay/cell phone/money transfer service, etc.

Custom printed designs, etc.:

Pens
Key Chains
T Shirts
Playing Card Decks

Those are the every day type of things, trying to stay away from the junk no one uses or wants.

I thought about ball caps?????

Larger items for give aways and special promotions:

Satin Jackets

BBQ sets with Utensils.

Thoughts????

[SnellExperts]

Magnets are always good, I know its generic and been around forever. But people still put their magnets on the fridge, and when they need someone thats usually who they call.

[Patrysha]

Magnets are always good, I know its generic and been around forever. But people still put their magnets on the fridge, and when they need someone thats usually who they call.

Which only works with a certain demographic and only until the fridge is full. I prefer the humorous ones I chose for my kid's artwork and the calendar/chore chart...not ads.

Why not go for things that relate to your business...I was thinking with cell phones some sort of cover, but those are expensive and people prefer to choose their own I'm sure, and I think the cell phone jewel phase passed a couple of years back...

If you're one of those check cashing type places than a credit card holder/cover makes sense...

[JacobBergeron]

The items you have listed off are quite common in my industry , and are relatively safe bets as far as staying away from "junk". You seem to be on the right track, you may need to figure out how much your willing to invest in promotional products and then prioritize your list based on necessity and price. If you need any assistance, or have questions don't hesitate to shoot me a message or email. Best of luck!

[cbscreative]

Glen, I used to work with promo products, so I've seen some very unique items. One that always stood out to me (and I still have because I like it so much) is a patented key holder called Le Clasp (http://www.quagtum.com/). You can remove keys with such ease it takes only a fraction of a second. I used this feature this morning because I brought my car in for service. Sometimes, if I need to run back in the house, I can easily pull the house key without having to shut the car off.

In addition, these are jewelry quality so no one is going to throw this away. Another nice feature is the longevity of the logo. Most key chain designs lose the printing very quickly from use. This product seals the logo in a domed protective covering.

Now if only they had a good site...that web site is horrible, but I can vouch for the product in spite of their poor choice of a web person.

For other ideas, I suggest you meet with a local promotional products dealer. Find one who is a member of an organization called ASI. Also ask them if they have the "ESP" system (not all dealers do) which is a computerized database showing many of the products available. This system doesn't just store the product data and images, it has some nice tools to generate ideas based on the theme you want to use, or even your type of business.

[KristineS]

Key chains make sense for a car lot. That's almost a given. New keys to a new car come on your key chain. Ball caps are popular, as are t-shirts and jackets.

Steve has good advice about looking at ASI and their members. You might find some promo items you hadn't considered. There are new things coming out almost every day.

[huggytree]

i do fridge magnets....if you ever look on the side of a fridge they all blend together...mine is bright blue w/ bright yellow writing and i can see it from across the room

a friend (an electrician) does really nice coffee cups...the insulated ones with a button on the handle to open up a slot in the top....he says it works very well for him.....i cant justify the $8-10 he pays for each one...too much value

[cbscreative]

Magnets have been mentioned a few times now, and as classic as they are, they do make sense for certain businesses. A pizza place is the best example. Also a service biz like plumbing or HVAC. For a car lot, I don't think it's the better choice.

I do think huggy's suggestion of a nice travel mug makes perfect sense when you're selling cars. The higher end ones are certainly more money, but they also get a lot of mileage when people actually use them because they're too nice to resist.

I should have mentioned this earlier because you might not think of it as being the same service. The promo products dealer you use for pens, mugs, key holders, etc., also can supply your dealer emblems you place on the back of your cars. License plate holders are also a good idea. Even those who object to having the emblem (some customers will) will sometimes be receptive to a license plate holder.

[glenneena]

I have always believed in high traffic locations, advertising and promotional items.

[cbscreative]

Don’t you feel you are spending and thinking too much about promotional items? I mean this is what I opine, you must be having your reasons too.

That depends on the business model. In this case, we're talking about a car dealership. For a dealership not to use promotional items is silly. Where it may be optional for some businesses, which is arguable, it is expected from a dealership. If I bought a car and didn't get at least a key chain, it would be nearly insulting. Granted, the promotional items aren't likely to make or break the deal because I either want the car or I don't, but a nice gift I can actually use certainly is appreciated.

[J from Michigan]

I was making a list of promotional items for my new business. A car lot and bill pay/cell phone/money transfer service, etc.

Custom printed designs, etc.:

Pens
Key Chains
T Shirts
Playing Card Decks

Thoughts????
I was a sales manager at a dealership. Since I am no longer, I'll freely give you my favorite promotional item.
Bottled Water- we offered it to everyone who walked thru the door.

We had our logo/name on the label.
At first we had our receptionist put the sticker over the original label, but later just bought them pre-labeled.

If our customers DID happen to walk out... they were advertising for us, at the next dealership they went to.

[henryz]

Hi Glenneena, I think you have the right ideas for your giveaways, specially in the type of business your are in. you could consider water bottles, either plastic or Aluminum, pens of course, keychains, small tool sets are always cool and remember as long as it's free people will take them.
let me know if i can help you with anything, I'm in the promotional product business.

[KerryAll]

What about those new credit card sleeves, that shield a card from scammers with those new RFID scanners, who can read your card by walking near you in a mall, on the street, etc?

[duniaputri]

it's gonna be good to have, Customers' Mouth to Mouth Advertising. well, in Bahasa it was said (lemme translated it for you all): when it's good, tell others. when it's bad, just tells us.

and it's not traditional i guess. it's like, what to say? Conventional Marketing Way? means, the common ways we use mostly in our daily.. whaddaya think guys? :cool:

[SnellExperts]

What would be a good swag item for a restoration company that does things like mold remediation, water damage repair, and fire damage repair. There really aren't a lot of things that relate to our industry in these terms, at least none that I can think of. Any ideas would be appreciated :)

[henryz]

It's a little tough to find a product that fits in well with your business, I did come up with a couple of things: let me know if you like to see images of these or any other products.

House shape stress reliever.
Mini flashlight with your logo engraved.
House shape fridge magnet - maybe put a calendar and hotline #.
Baseball cap or t-shirt.
Car sun visor-great exposure for any business.

[SnellExperts]

I like the house shaped stress reliever. Image if you have one would be nice. Is this stuff that your company makes?

[henryz]

Yes, this is one of the items we sell, even though we only have a few hundred on our site, their is well over 500,000 products you can display your logo or information on. Here is a picture of a house. Let me know if you like to receive a sample.

[jamesray50]

One of my favorite promotional items that I have received was a piggy bank. This one has KY CPA Society on it and was given to the CPA firm I worked at during tax season. We only got one and I grabbed it. But, I love piggy banks. It is a clear acrylic bank and sits on my dresser and I fill it with change when my wallet gets too full. It wouldn't be something you would give out to everyone who walks through the door, but if you could find some in the shape of cars and put your company name on them and then you could give them out to special customers. Small change can add up to that down payment.

[dynocat]

My all time favorite promo items are among the most used items in my home and office.

Coupon cutter to cut a coupon, article or photo out of a newspaper or magazine
Envelope slitter to open envelopes or taped magazines and fliers
Staple Remover--the straight one, not the squeeze type.

[SnellExperts]

I would definitely be interested in some samples. What do you need from me?

[henryz]

SnellExpert, I will send you a private message.

Thanks

[linderobrands]

Another great promotional gift is the driinn charging station used for cell phones and other electronic devices.

184 (http://www.linderobrands.com/driinn-charging-station)

[j.dunning]

My all time favorite promo items are among the most used items in my home and office.

Coupon cutter to cut a coupon, article or photo out of a newspaper or magazine
Envelope slitter to open envelopes or taped magazines and fliers
Staple Remover--the straight one, not the squeeze type.

Useful promo items are great but but a lot of people miss the overall purpose of promo items. I can't recall ever picking up a pen and thinking "Oh I'm going to use this insurance company because they gave me a pen."

That's not to say that promo products aren't important but you need to focus on what their ultimate purpose is. A lot of people mistakenly think that promo items are sales tools. Yes, you want your promo products to, well, promote your company, but their main purpose should be to enhance your image.

You don't to just throw keychains at everyone who walks through your door.

Someone in an earlier post mentioned license plate frames for the dealership portion of your business. I strongly second that. It may not be likely that you'll get dozens of calls from having license plate frames on the cars you sell but it will help enhance your credibility. If someone sees all your license plate frames on cars all around town instinctively they'll know you're a reputable company who's sold lots of cars so when they do come through the door the sales process will be easier.

If you sponsor or participate in any local charity events you can use promo products as specific reminders of those events. Then they're tied to you and the event which also boosts your rep. Say you sponsor a charity marathon. Print up some water bottles with your info as well as info on the event.. instant cred.

Summer Dog Days Sales Event? Maybe print up some frisbees or dog bowls.

The key is to get creative. We've all seen promo items before so make the message unique and they'll be memorable.

[queenvictoria]

I received a lot of promotional items in the past and what I treasure the most are those I still have at home. Some promotional items do not last long. It’s important that you go for items that your customers can use for a relatively long period. A well-designed drink container, such as mug or tumbler can make a really impressive promotional material.

[henryz]

I totally agree with you queenvictoria because it's said that 75% of people could
remember the advertiser’s name on promotional product they received in the
past year and said they kept it because it was useful.

[queenvictoria]

Yeah, henryz, the more frequent the consumers see your trademark on the items they use, the more chances that they’ll use what your company sells when the need for this product or service takes place.

[Creative Pile]

I think you'll do great with Pens and key chains. Free pens are great for your car.

[BNB]

You need to be creative with promotional products. The fact is, promo products DO work. Customers love getting them and if you are smart, you can create them very inexpensively. No one response here can help you determine the right use of the products as every mission is different. That's why it's important to work with a good, professional promo product representative and not just someone trying to sell you anything and everything with your name on it. Come up with a solid plan - recognize who your customers are, your market, and make a sound decision. For instance, realtors use calendar magnets all the time. These work great because it reminds you of them. An oil change company may do the same thing. Are you just trying to brand your company or are you trying to directly generate new business?

[patrickprecisione]

You need to be creative with promotional products. The fact is, promo products DO work. Customers love getting them and if you are smart, you can create them very inexpensively. No one response here can help you determine the right use of the products as every mission is different. That's why it's important to work with a good, professional promo product representative and not just someone trying to sell you anything and everything with your name on it. Come up with a solid plan - recognize who your customers are, your market, and make a sound decision. For instance, realtors use calendar magnets all the time. These work great because it reminds you of them. An oil change company may do the same thing. Are you just trying to brand your company or are you trying to directly generate new business?

I was reading that sales of promotional items has been increasing over the past 3 years. I think they absolutely work because when people tend to get something for free, they feel like they owe you.

[kylekam]

I think there's nothing wrong with those "junks" you're talking about. Promotional items, whatever it is, would still help you promote your brand. Anyway, ball caps would be a good idea because the demand of ball caps right now is kinda good (you can see people everywhere wearing ball caps nowadays). If you want to come up with designs, I can help you out, Glenneena. :)

[ryantc]

Some of the best promotional items would be pens, magnets, notepads, cups, mugs, bike bottles, grocery totes, lanyards, umbrellas, key chains, luggage tags, calendars, bottle openers, bottle stoppers, t-shirts, etc.

[Richt]

I've used travel coffee mugs, water bottles, and mouse pads, they all have worked very well especially when selling big ticket items. the water bottles with imprinted logo was the least expensive. It really depends what your promoting the heaviest, if it's the car sales I like the High Quality Key Chain or Travel Coffee mug because your customers friends will also notice them, giving you some traction. If you're promoting the small services you still need something that will be seen by others and will be in front of your customer most of the time so when they need to use the service your business name is right there. Definitely get creative with it and maybe even find some unique item people really like. A few years ago stuffed owls with Logos where popping up everywhere and people were even sharing pics of their owls on social media.

[WhiteRhinoMedia]

I was making a list of promotional items for my new business. A car lot and bill pay/cell phone/money transfer service, etc.

Custom printed designs, etc.:

Pens
Key Chains
T Shirts
Playing Card Decks

Those are the every day type of things, trying to stay away from the junk no one uses or wants.

I thought about ball caps?????

Larger items for give aways and special promotions:

Satin Jackets

BBQ sets with Utensils.

Thoughts????

No offense, but who would want most of that stuff? A satin jacket?

I have never been a fan of putting a brand on a thing and thinking that will
lead to a better position in the marketplace. Most of the stuff listed here
is in people's 'junk drawer' in the kitchen. You know the one.

Focus more on sales or lead generation and less on some unwanted vanity
piece that only costs you money. The best way to punch your brand into a
marketplace is by selling to more people, more often.

[mickey]

i think the best promotional items are pens, USB drives, scratch pads, lighters, calendars and stuff like that. small but useful with your logo on it as a reminder

[chantal86]

I think promotional items are a win-win sort of thing. Your customers get useful items, and then you get free publicity.

People like getting free stuff, or cheaper things even if they have logos and numbers on it. :)

[David Hunter]

I love note pads and pens! I never have to go to the store and buy any. ha