The secrets of swag
When good stuff goes bad
At first glance, it doesn't seem like a bottle of bubbles or a small thing of hot sauce can say much about a bank or hotel, respectively.
But add the right slogan - "Business checking that won't blow your budget!" or "We're doing something hot over here!" - and distribute them to the right people, and these relatively inane items become powerful marketing tools.
And businesses aren't shy about spending on a miscellany of items sporting their logos. Nationwide, more than $18.6 billion worth of promotional items and ad specialties were sold in 2006, according to the Pennsylvania-based Advertising Specialty Institute, the country's largest media and marketing organization.
But successfully using swag - the millions of branded pens, keychains, magnets and bottle openers (in other words, junk) - is moving away from just giveaways to building brand recognition and creating an image with potential clients.
The trend represents a shift in the way relationships are built, said Mike Allard, director of retail and marketing for Westborough Bank.
"Community banks have gone from giving away a toaster to the million pen strategy," Allard said.
Carole Donovan, owner of Image Boosters, a North Grafton promotional products and marketing services company.More than a pen
"Promotional products are marketing pieces," said Carole Donovan, owner of Image Boosters, a North Grafton promotional products and marketing services company. "The key is to put the message with the product."
Donovan's company offers literally thousands of products on which to put a company name, ranging from the ubiquitous ballpoint pen to ice cream scoops, clocks, puzzles and games.
Each piece can be effective with the right message, Donovan said.
They can also be a colossal waste of money.
"If you go to a trade show, you see people grabbing a handful of something, keychains or pens. That's a strategy I don't particularly like," said Allard. "It all ends up in a bag or someone's trunk and never sees the light of day. It just wastes money."
"Without a proper strategy or someone to work with, it just ends up being a lot of wasted money on products people don't really need," Donovan agreed.
For companies just starting out, it can be easy to blow a meager marketing budget on trivial items. It is important to remember traditional business values like face time and visibility are the first step towards recognition, not just a novelty pen, said Karen Chapman, vice president of Corridor Nine Chamber of Commerce.
"Be visible if you're new," Chapman said. "It's about getting to know people first. Invest in something people will remember you by, absolutely, but be visible first. Put yourself in the places where there are people that will do business with you."
Chapman said that companies should always have something to leave with potential clients. In the business world, it's never easy playing catch up.
"If you show up to an event without something to give away, and everyone else has something, that's gonna hurt you," said Monique Rose, marketing manager for Shrewsbury-based Central One Federal Credit Union.
Central One Federal Credit Union was behind the aforementioned bubble promotion. The bubbles were a big hit, as are the credit union's annual calendars, Rose said.
Allard and Donovan both recommend using promotional items as complementary, rather than primary, marketing tools.
That same bowl of magnets that is such a waste of money at a trade show, for example, can be doubly effective when used as part of a direct mailing campaign, Donovan said. The trick is to eliminate the steps from trade show table to refrigerator door.
"It's much smarter to use that same magnet as a follow-up piece," said Donovan. "Send it to the office or home in an envelope, so the client opens it up, turns around and puts it on the fridge. In that case, it's not a waste of money."
Allard said he likes to combine his giveaways with a tried and true business card to reinforce client connections.
Westborough bank recently gave away mouse pads to promote their online banking initiative. The branded mouse pad and business card combo was complementary, Allard said.
"If someone just looks at the business card, they'll think 'What did I talk about with that guy again?' But then they see the mouse pad, they say 'Oh yeah, internet banking, I'll check it out,'" Allard said.
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