How Do I Decide Which Promotional Products to Give Away?
By Douglas Rost
 You have decided that you want to give away some promotional items, some tchotchkes, and your first thought is "What do I give away?" That question is not the first you should be asking yourself, it should be " What is my goal?" The second question should be "Where or how am I giving this away?" The third should be "What is my budget, either per piece or for the entire campaign?"
Once you identify these three key areas, you are in a much better position to start drilling down on what the item(s) should be. So let's briefly address these key points.
"What is my goal?" Well of course you are going to say "Build more business", that's pretty much a given, so let's look at it a little closer. Do you want to provide your customer with something of value that will aid in their everyday life? Do you have a product launch coming up that you want to present something as a teaser? Do you want to simply splatter your name all over? Do you want to have your sales force have a reason to engage a stranger in the aisle of a trade show?
"Where or how am I giving this away?" Are you mailing the item, or hand delivering it? Are you handing this out at a trade show, or will this be a thank you gift for a purchase? Having an item that you are storing and distributing yourself will not have the logistical challenges of an item you send to send in bulk to a trade show and then expect people to carry in order to hand out. You must also consider how the person you're giving the item to will transport it. Can they carry it with them or should you add a shipping fee into your budget?
"What is my budget?" Well of course you consider that, but are you looking at the entire cost? There are many factors beyond the cost of the item itself. Shipping is one that we have already mentioned, but be sure to plan for postage, taxes, set up fees, artwork design, labor for implementation, and in some cases permits. Once you add all of that up, you will see that your cost per customer is much higher than the cost of the item alone.
About the Author
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| Douglas Rost, Black Frog Marketing
123 S Eastwood Dr, Suite 224
Woodstock, IL 60098
8472179194
Contact Author: request info
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