I've said it time and again: bribery works.
Something I ordered from Hickoree's Hard Goods arrived in the office a few minutes ago. Normally this wouldn't merit comment, as packages land on my desk nearly daily, and it arrived in a standard 6x9" padded envelope stamped with Hickoree's logo. Nothing special here.
But then I opened the package, and found this promotional carpenter pencil sitting alongside my purchase. This freebee is brilliant for a few reasons. First, it reinforces the "hard goods" brand by combining two kinds of tools. Next, by imprinting a 6" ruler on the product, it becomes something functional and therefore less likely to be tossed aside. The same functionality that will make a user hold on to the product will keep the company's logo and website present. Lastly, it was completely unexpected. Shipments from online retailers usually include flyers or business cards (more on that here), which are tossed aside with the packaging. This pencil stands out from the standard marketing piece, and includes the same information in a much more visible format.
Plus, when someone unexpectedly receive something thoughtful, he or she will tell other people about it. Normally I wouldn't talk about a new toy on PromoMarketing.com, but because they included an usual promo piece in the shipment, I'm telling people about it. Sure, maybe the average recipient will only show the pencil to one or two people, but sometimes the person who receives it is a blogger who will write about it on a website that receives thousands of hits daily. Not bad for something that probably cost them $0.50.
And that's it for today. A quick and dirty Friday post because it's 76 degrees in March and I want to go play outside. If you've received, or worked on, a similarly creative promotion that stands out let me know. And then go outside, because seriously, it's 76 degrees in March.
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How to Get Free Press with Promotional Products
I've said it time and again: bribery works.
Something I ordered from Hickoree's Hard Goods arrived in the office a few minutes ago. Normally this wouldn't merit comment, as packages land on my desk nearly daily, and it arrived in a standard 6x9" padded envelope stamped with Hickoree's logo. Nothing special here.
But then I opened the package, and found this promotional carpenter pencil sitting alongside my purchase. This freebee is brilliant for a few reasons. First, it reinforces the "hard goods" brand by combining two kinds of tools. Next, by imprinting a 6" ruler on the product, it becomes something functional and therefore less likely to be tossed aside. The same functionality that will make a user hold on to the product will keep the company's logo and website present. Lastly, it was completely unexpected. Shipments from online retailers usually include flyers or business cards (more on that here), which are tossed aside with the packaging. This pencil stands out from the standard marketing piece, and includes the same information in a much more visible format.
Plus, when someone unexpectedly receive something thoughtful, he or she will tell other people about it. Normally I wouldn't talk about a new toy on PromoMarketing.com, but because they included an usual promo piece in the shipment, I'm telling people about it. Sure, maybe the average recipient will only show the pencil to one or two people, but sometimes the person who receives it is a blogger who will write about it on a website that receives thousands of hits daily. Not bad for something that probably cost them $0.50.
And that's it for today. A quick and dirty Friday post because it's 76 degrees in March and I want to go play outside. If you've received, or worked on, a similarly creative promotion that stands out let me know. And then go outside, because seriously, it's 76 degrees in March.
Kyle A. Richardson is the editorial director of Promo Marketing. He joined the company in 2006 brings more than a decade of publishing, marketing and media experience to the magazine. If you see him, buy him a drink.