My Best Promotion

This month's My Best Promotion was submitted by Bob Gatta, president of Novacon Promotional Products, White Marsh, Md. Gatta spoke about his experiences providing safety incentives for a local steel company. By understanding his client's needs and personality, he was able to sell a much higher-end and more expensive product that was not only well-received, but also ended up generating a significant number of leads within the steel company.

Promo Marketing: Could you describe a promotion that you consider one of your best?

Bob Gatta: I think the Peterboro Drum Cooler will always remain my favorite promotion because it involved the meeting of two great minds (mine and the client's).

Joe was a big, burley lifelong steelworker, managing a 525 employee division of a major steel company. Joe was fun to work with and he really enjoyed promoting safety. We had done many jackets, caps, duffels, etc. over the years and Joe yearned for something new and different. I knew the cooler was out of his budget, but I also knew he could find the money if he really liked the item.

As we usually met with other members of his safety team, I filled the cooler with ice and soft drinks prior to the meeting (and carried it up three flights of stairs). I pushed the concept that the cooler with a bold logo and message on the lid would remain in the home for years to come as a constant reminder of the safety achievement. You could feel the excitement in the room and Joe not only bought into the promotion and found the budget, but took it a step further by filling it with soft drinks and juices for every weekly group safety meeting. Employees were told that if they worked safe for one year, they would each receive one.