Where Did You Get That?
When is the last time you got a really cool promotional product or gift? One that was so unique, it prompted you to run into your CMO (Chief Marketing Officer’s) office and tell them that you found the most unique product out there and that you absolutely have to get it for all of your clients? It’s been a while hasn’t it? Selecting the right promotional products for your business can be a very tough thing to do successfully. With all of the business metrics in the world, we have yet to see one in practice that measures the effectiveness of promotional marketing and gifting strategies.
We believe the reason for this is that much like in life, most of us tend to think about gifts or giveaways last. Giving; is something that we love to do here at ETCHUS but we also recognize that many companies don’t operate the same way we do. Everything we do and all of the decisions we make all get one BIG question. Will this item create what we call the “Where Did You Get That Moment”? This is the moment we all hope to achieve with our gifting and promotional strategies. It’s a small price to pay for the cheapest level of marketing we all so desperately desire; Word of Mouth Marketing. If we can’t get someone to ask a recipient of our gift this single question, then we have failed and need to try again. However; once the question gets asked; the very free and very viral word-of-mouth marketing begins and continues to gain momentum.
The question is; what is this worth to you? What is it worth to your company? Sometimes these items can be expensive and sometimes they can be very cost-effective. The reality is, it costs something to stand out in the crowd, but if done correctly you can do a great job qualifying clients, driving desire, and creating the buzz, the word-of-mouth marketing effect that helps us run our businesses and keep clients coming through the door!
Since gifting time, tradeshow season and budgeting planning are right around the corner, this might be a good time to give you a few examples, and hopefully, give you a little more vision into how this could work for you.
Example 1: Pens
For as long as I can remember, businesses always seem to be a fan of giving out pens. Until we took our business into the promotional marketing space, I never really understood why. Frankly, I still don’t. I don’t understand how companies will spend $.80 - $5.00 on average per pen for a chance to end up in someone’s pen cup on their desk. A cup that has been there for years, perhaps one of a few sitting on the desk. This means if the average person takes a free pen and throws it in their cup on their desk, you get on average a 1 in 50 chance of the pen being used. Go ahead. Look at that cup right there on your desk, right to the right side of your monitor, inches away from your keyboard. When is the last time you used a pen from that cup? Have you ever called a company because you had their pen in your cup? If you have, please send me an email. I’d like to know what made you do it! However, if you haven’t, you may still be with the rest of us. The way we see it, if you can’t give that person a pen that becomes their favorite pen, you are simply wasting your money. I’d rather see our clients buy 100 high-quality pens than 1,000 mediocre pens. The lower quantity will make the sales team more aware and really give them more focus on qualifying a client or even presenting it as a promotional gift to an existing client. That client needs to receive the pen, and have it become their favorite so it gets used constantly. They don’t go anywhere without it (much like you expect them to behave with you once they hire you for the job). They go to internal meetings and co-workers ask about the pen, they go to external meetings, and clients and other vendors ask about the pen. Word of Mouth spreads and people are all up in this pen. The whole time your client gets to tell their colleagues how nice you are and how awesome this pen is that you gifted to them. At ETCHUS, we have pens that we give away. They are the nicest feeling writing pens that we can find, and yes, they have a stylus too! Clients regularly ask us if they can take one. One even told us that their significant other stole his pen and asked if he could take another. We were happy to oblige! Even happier to know we selected the right pen for the job!
Example 2: Insulated Tumbler Drinkware
Since YETI introduced the insulated stainless-steel tumbler in February of 2014, they have been one of the most popular promotional items on the planet. It’s rare to see a company that doesn’t have some sort of insulated tumbler with their logo on it. YETI has built its reputation on a high-priced item that is perceived as being super high quality by the masses. They get top dollar for all of their items and oddly enough, people feel good about having a YETI logo on their tumbler. Sort of the same way folks feel about the Nike Swoosh. It just emits the feeling of quality. Since the introduction of the insulated stainless steel tumbler in 2014, many other brands have come to market. Fascinating enough, many of these drinkware vessels are created in one of the same 4 factories in China. So at the end of the day, what makes the tumbler special or unique? Most companies we deal with firmly believe that putting their logo on a YETI tumbler is ultimately what everybody wants and they are willing to spend whatever it takes to make it happen. The challenge we face is much like the challenge with the pens. If I have received 30 different YETI-style cups, which one ultimately gets used the most? How do you ensure the item that you spent all that money on to market your brand, actually gets used and shown and asked about? One of the many ways we have learned this can be done is through the use of personalization. Adding a name or inspirational quote to the tumbler can quickly make it a fan favorite. This is especially unique because not only do not all people have an insulated cup or insulated water bottle with their name on it, but most people don’t know where to get that done. When the cup gets used (and it will because it has been branded with someone’s name), they all get asked; “Where Did You Get That?”
Example 3: T-Shirts
This will be the last example we discuss on this blog. There are literally hundreds of examples we can take you through. T-Shirts are one of my favorite items to sell and to give out. There is so much that goes into making an effective t-shirt that most folks don’t realize. There is material, size, quality, print style and so much more. I am not here to reveal all my secrets, but what I can tell you is that if you don’t put out a t-shirt that quickly becomes your recipient's new favorite t-shirt; then you are wasting your money. There is nothing more I love to hear than when our clients tell us they sleep in our t-shirts, or secretly wear them a few days in a row (it’s not gross, you know you have done it too), or the best one is; people ask where they got it. The moment we all want to happen. Nothing better than wearing your favorite shirt and people asking you where you got it because it's so damn cool. Most of us don’t even realize it has happened. Over the many years of our lives, we have received hundreds of free t-shirts. Many of them don’t get used, end up on the bottom of the drawer because the fabric is so rough, or worse yet; they get donated to Goodwill after sitting for 12 months unused. Great for Goodwill but not so great for your brand. If you didn’t get Where Did You Get That Moment; you have failed.
We can literally go on and on about the concept of the; Where Did You Get That Moment. Our clients come to us specifically for our expertise in identifying or coming up with the most unique and creative items that stand out and get noticed. This isn’t the only strategy we employ with our clients, but it is one of the most popular ones. Promoting your business isn’t about budgets, it’s about relationships, it’s about quality, and it’s about putting out promotional items that best represent your brands. I know I speak for most when I say that a $0.45 pen that runs out of ink is not how you want your company to be remembered.
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Ready to take your gifting game to the next level? Give us a call at 866-738-2487 today, and let's create something remarkable together. Your satisfaction is our mission, and we can't wait to help you make a powerful statement with our exceptional products.
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