6 Great Gimmie’s

Last month, I talked about escaping from the pens…

Well, really, it was about why you should find something else besides an imprinted ballpoint pen to use as a promotional item to give to clients and prospects… and wouldn’t you know it, I had a few people ask me if I had any other bright ideas.

Bright idea? Heck, it’s my middle names.  1. Key chains? Maybe. I also have more key chains than I can count –or use. Or would use, since most of them are of the cheap plastic rectangle variety. If you’re going to use them…be relevant! If and when I give ‘em away, they’re going to have alligators on them -what says “swamp” more than those toothy critters? (Yeah, you could argue muddy water but that’s a bit too much out there…)

Perfect for video peeps!

There’s one key chain that makes sense for videographers to use for giveaways. It’s a mini-version of a film-type clapboard, and I was introduced to it at –of all places –a video convention! Very nifty little item, since most everyone is enamored with the movie industry, and you can have these key chains imprinted with your logo, website address and phone number for about a dollar each. Suppliers include www.casad.com and www.companycatalog.com.

What about your business? Research firm: magnifying glass! Microbrewer: bottle opener! Accountant: abacus! Relevancy counts here.

2. Personalized gimmies. One of my video producer friends tucks a store-bought bag of microwave popcorn into every photo and film transfer order that they produce. That’s hot. What would be hotter would be to go the extra step and hand out popcorn with your own logo and web address printed right on the bag.  Branders.com www.branders.com is just one of several places who provide personalized microwave popcorn bags. These nifty gimmies also run about a dollar each in quantity.

3. Want a refill? Personalized coffee cups are cheap enough; the problem is they’re not all that unusual and people generally have a good collection of ‘gimme cups’ already in place. How about providing a personalized coffee cup and a bag of custom-imprinted coffee? The coffee is a little more expensive, but I think it’s a nice touch. You’ll find several varieties of  preprinted coffee bags at www.gccustomservices.com.

4. An attractive idea. Most people use and appreciate refrigerator magnets. One popular variety these days is the magnetic business card. You can have your business card printed on magnetized plastic just about anywhere, including online at www.VistaPrint.com, or you can order them at your local office supply store. You can also just buy pre-sized adhesive-backed business card magnets and build your own. A nifty little idea and cheap enough.

5. Rulers don’t rule. Rulers, squeeze balls, drink cozies and those little plastic envelope openers provide questionable value to your clients and prospects. I recommend you consider something that’s both useful and somewhat out-of-the ordinary to set you apart from the competition.

For example, if you’re considering a modest direct mail campaign or want to give a small gift to your existing clients, put some thought into what might be an appropriate lagniappe; perhaps it’s a small tape measure bearing your company imprint. Run a sign company? Send these to prospects (they’re about $1.50 each in quantity) with a letter headlined “Does your storefront sign measure up to that of your competition?”

Tags: business marketing, direct mail