Vibrant Public Relations - What's Your Story!

Promo Items -

Pens. Note pads. Magnets. Letter openers. They’re everywhere. These items may seem like start-up staples for small businesses to help promote your business – and sometimes they are. The thing to avoid for any businesses is spending time and resources (creative and financial) on projects that don’t yield results.

Choosing the right promotional item is important because it is reflective not only of your brand, but also of how useful your company is. Sure everyone in business needs a letter opener, but is that how they’re going to choose a printer? An accountant? A dry-cleaner? Remember, everything you do in marketing or promotions should help tell your story!

When you’re ready to choose promotional items for your business, stop and take inventory of your strategies and tactics for generating new business. How will this item play into your overall sales or marketing strategies? Should you spend $.35 per plastic click pen to hand out to the masses at a local event, or should you spend $2 per pen on something a little nicer to leave behind after a sales call or visit? Do you want something that has desk-life to reinforce brand awareness or do you want an item that goes for the Wow-Factor?

Going for the Wow-Factor with kooky novelty items may grab attention at a convention, but may not be reflective of the professional brand you’re trying to establish for your company. Vice versa if you’re business is built on fun, choose something that’s interactive and unique rather than a boring office tool. A good promotion company should be able to help you choose the best item as long as you are clear with them about your company’s image, budget and the goals you want to achieve.

Most importantly, spend your money wisely. When you’re starting up or on a tight budget here are some things to remember:
• Don’t invest in branding disposable items.
• Have a distribution plan for every item you order.
• Buy in bulk for discounts only if the item has value and shelf-life.
• Avoid trinkets and invest in items that build your image. Remember - you get what you pay for.

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Vibrant Resources: My preferred vendor for apparel and promotion items is Gerry Fine. Love the quality control, insight, experience and creativity at Gfinelogo.

Vibrant Challenge: It’s time to get real with yourself. Are your promotional items too cheesy? Have you calculated your ROI?