Penciled In

Every December, each Promo Marketing editor receives a large desk calendar for the following year. Throughout the year we write down meeting times, due dates and vacation days. We keep track of our upcoming issues and thrill in crossing out assignments when we finish them. The best part of these desk calendars is that at the end of each month, we can tear off that sheet and reach the next month. This glee continues until we reach December and the next month is not a month, but cardboard. What will we do to mark our trips to the beach or trade show dates? Then another desk calendar arrives and we are appeased.

That's what is so wonderful about calendars and planners: users need new ones every year. This means continued sales for you and continued advertising for your clients. Offer your clients this enduring promotion by using the 11 tips below.

1. Keep It Simple
Bill Mahre, president of ADG Promotional Products, Hugo, Minn., suggested keeping calendars and planners simple to gain the most exposure. "Make it simple and functional enough for the end-user to want to make it part of their everyday activities," he said. He warned against making planners too complicated, because extras can distract from the purpose of the product. "Too often people try to become overly creative and the promotional item (in this case a planner) ends up being the proverbial 'trash and trinket,'" he said.

2. Add a Pen
Calendars and planners are great, but only if you can mark them up with important events and meetings. For this, Mahre suggested adding a pen. "Pen and planner [sets] are also becoming more popular, especially when they are personalized," he explained.

3. Don't Focus on Material
Mahre advised distributors to avoid high-price materials because the products are only meant to last a year. "Most [planners] are price-sensitive since they are intended to only last for a year and vinyl is a popular outside cover material." Don Guthrie, vice president of sales for Payne Publishers Inc., Manassas, Va., agreed, adding that higher-price materials are available if an end-buyer requests it, but lower-price options are the most popular. "There is not really a best material. It all depends on what the client wants and the budget involved," he said. "Our less expensive leatherette cover is our top-selling cover material."