Bite-size  and Beautiful

By Michael Cornnell

Small Problems

Tiny may equal terrific with edible promotions, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t any downsides. For example, shipping a few chocolate bars may be easier than a truckload of promotional haddock, but there are certainly still transportation concerns to keep in mind with tinier foodstuffs. “Our chocolate candy bars are a very big promotional piece, but usually they’re not sold as often during the summer,” said Mike Shulkin, president of A La Carte, Chicago. “Anybody can ship the chocolate without it melting by using insulated containers and cold packs or refrigerated trucks, but it adds to the cost and obviously they can’t be used outside in the summer,” he elaborated. To avoid these problems, Shulkin suggested items like granola bars or non-gummy, non-chocolate candies that will survive the heat just fine.

Aside from sensitivity to heat, imprinting can also be an issue with smaller edibles. Betty Norris, inside sales, ASI coordinator for Hospitality Mints, Boone, N.C., explained that with smaller imprint areas, like the 3⁄4x11⁄2" available on the company’s individually wrapped mints, about three to four short lines of copy is all that can fit. “Most people use their name, their phone number and their e-mail,” she said. Norris recommended flexographic printing on such individually wrapped items, saying it provides a cleaner, more detailed print, and can also be applied on both sides of the packaging.

THE IPOD SHUFFLE, 1.8x0.7x0.3". The Kawasaki Ninja 650R motorcycle, 82.9x29.9x50". A Jean Schlumberger Sixteen Stone ring from Tiffany and Co., with an inner circumference as small as 0.586". Even with light welterweight boxer Manny Pacquiao, or, for entirely different reasons, 5'2" actress Jennifer Love Hewitt, it's plain to see that plenty of amazing things come in small packages. And whether it's cupcakes or baby carrots, smaller foods are definitely not exempt from the greatness of littleness. In fact, perhaps the best of life's minutiae (or second-best, if you keep Jennifer Love Hewitt in mind), the excellence of tiny edibles is no small thing. Their greatness can be traced from the little corners that stick out on White Castle's Slyders, through pillowcases jammed with Halloween candy, to just how well a handful of small, imprinted mints or chocolates can function as promotional products. Really, as far as edible promotions go, smaller, low-cost items may be one of the best ways to achieve big success.

Universal Promoters

One of the best perks of being small, of course, is fitting everywhere. From trade shows to restaurants to political campaigns, there really isn't a place the smaller snacks can't be used. Mike Shulkin, president of A La Carte, Chicago, explained that unlike their large, more expensive peers, smaller edibles are not restricted conceptually to the premium and incentive market. "It could be new product introductions, it could be a contest. They're more geared toward an event, rather than a thank-you," said Shulkin. The good thing about events, of course, is there are tons of them going on all the time, making smaller items that much more salable.

Outside the (candy) box

With the near-limitless number of events out there that could benefit from edible promotions of the smaller variety, creativity may become an issue. After all, repeat sales of 10,000 candy canes in "Merry Christmas from Globodyne Industries" wrappers will only carry you so far. Luckily, like another tiny item, the Lego, small food promotions seem to be designed for creativity.

"A lot of times people will take advantage of some of the attributes of the candy," said Shulkin. "So for example, during the summer, they may use small bags of red hots for a 'Red Hot Summer' or something like that." He also gave a non-seasonal example of a similar promotion, involving a career search company giving out bags of banana-only runts imprinted with, "something like 'You work with a bunch of monkeys.'"

Betty Norris, inside sales, ASI coordinator for Hospitality Mints, Boone, N.C., mentioned another way to use edible items that doesn't stem from an individual candy's attributes, but rather from the nature of smaller, low-cost products as a whole. About an Easter parade where the company provided mints, she said, "We did the wrappers with Easter-egg colors, put the logo within and they were used in the parade." Norris added that the egg-wrappers matched the end-buyer's corporate colors, and assured, "It worked out great."

THE NEXT LITTLE THING

The above examples of creativity are certainly valuable, but what about the distributor who wants to add a little extra punch to a promotion and use a lesser known, less-carried or trendier product?

As is true with so many other areas in the promotional product industry, Shulkin recommended looking to retail trends for new product ideas, citing mints and blister-packed gum as two products first popular in the consumer world. He also put some of the onus of invention on distributors. "Some of our best-selling new items have come from distributors asking us 'Can you do this?'" he said. A few products in A La Carte's line have come from distributor suggestions, like ring pops from a distributor who wanted a promotion with "bling," and another from a customer who was looking for individually wrapped dog treats. "There are so many good ideas out there, and usually distributors are the ones that are on the firing line," he added. "They're the ones that come up with some great creative ideas." So distributors, take note: like being bopped on the head by a falling apple, little ideas can sometimes have a big impact.

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Bite-size and Beautiful