Today I want to talk to about promotional products. You know you’ve got them. Take a moment, and do a physical count of just the promotional items you can see in and around your office if you’re at work or your study if you’re home—anything that’s got the logo of a company, an organization, a prominent person (or someone what wants to be prominent), a program, samples—just about any kind of product. How many do you see? What are they? Even a sparsely furnished office probably has ten or twelve—things like, pens, pencils, organizers, folders, mugs, notepads, calendars, paper clip holders, rulers, preprinted Post-It notes. The list goes on. Let’s talk about some of the most common promotional products. What specifically are they? Who buys them? Who gives them away, and why? In other words, what are their primary uses, and why do they work? Sometimes they’re relatively inexpensive items, but they’re well designed, or they’re clever, or they’re especially useful. They have a perceived value because of a contact you’ve made or because they help you get things done. Take Post-It notes. You can buy blank ones in all colors and sizes; you can buy the kind that come stacked or that you pull out of a dispenser. How often do you see them with some person or organization’s name imprinted on them. They’re an extremely useful item that probably has the lowest cost per impression. Basically, what this means is that you look at those PostIt notes imprinted with someone’s name all the time; then you tear them off a stack and write on them, and every time you do this you see that person or organization’s name. There have been studies that have concluded that you see a PostIt note on average 17 times. So you have a PostIt note on your desk and you have a stack of a hundred. That’s 1,700 impressions just for that one stack of PostIt notes. Isn’t that amazing? Look at the mug on your desk. If you’re like me you’ve got two: one holding pens, pencils and highlighters and the other I’m drinking from. How many times have you or each person who’s approached your desk you seen the logo on those mugs? Remember, the main reason those items are on your desk is because they’re useful. The writing instruments, the pens, the pencils, the highlighters—all useful items and each one imprinted with the person or organization’s name that donated it to you or rewarded you with it. Yes, some of those items cost you dearly. You gave a sizeable donation to receive that special mug or that theme calendar. Calendars are a great example. These are items that you prize because they represent something you believe in. Look around your house or your business. I bet you can find a bunch of them in all formats—magnet calendars attached to something, desk calendars, wall calendars. What do they all have in common? They’re functional and they will stay with you a minimum of 12 months.

1. An Opportunity Knocks:
Sourcing and Product Ideas
Dave Burnett / db@aokmg.com
How Would You Define
a Promotional Product?
And Why Do You Think It Works?
Take a moment and physically count the promotional
items you see in and around your office: anything with
the logo of a company, an organization, a prominent
person, a program, samples—count them. How many
can you find? What are they? Make a quick list.

2. I bet most of the items you find are on
this list: pens, pencils, organizers, folders,
mugs, notepads, calendars, paper clip holders,
rulers, preprinted Post-It notes, USB drives.
Why do they work? (Translated: Why do you have them?) Because they’re
relatively inexpensive, well-designed, clever, or really useful — or all four.
They have a perceived value to you because of a contact you’ve made or
because they help you get things done.
For the reps who gave you the items, they are
relatively inexpensive, attractive, useful items
that they know you will keep and use over time.
And the lower the cost per impression, the more
likely they are to use it as a promotional product.
Let’s look at Post-It notes as an example.
Dave Burnett www.AnOpportunityKnocks.com

3. Studies show that a single Post-It Note
is seen on average 17 times!
Imagine that! For a stack of 100, you can generate 1,700
impressions. You can imprint Post-It notes in all colors and
sizes; you can get the kind that come stacked or the kind
you pull out of a dispenser; you can get them in paper or
clear, see-through styles. Just think how often you see imprinted Post-It
notes. They’re an extremely useful item that probably
has the lowest cost per impression of just about all the
promotional products. Basically, what this means is
that every time you tear one off a stack and write on it,
you see the organization’s imprint and it makes an
impression with you. It’s as easy as that.
Dave Burnett www.AnOpportunityKnocks.com

4. Why do you like that mug so much?
Because you use it every day and it
represents something you believe in.
If you’re like me, you’ve got two mugs: one for pens, pencils
and highlighters and the other to drink from. And the main
reason all those items are on your desk is because they’re
useful. Everyone who approaches your desk sees the logo of
the organization or person who gave it to you. It may have
taken a sizeable donation to receive that special mug or that desk calendar.
That’s what that logo says. I bet you can find a bunch of calendars around
your house too—magnet calendars, desk calendars, wall
calendars. What do they all have in common? They’re
functional and they will stay with you for a long time.
How’s that for an effective promotional product!
Dave Burnett www.AnOpportunityKnocks.com

5. Do you ever think about
the impression you make carrying
around a promotional product?
You’re actually endorsing those products and that company.
When someone sees a brand-name promotional item on your
desk, he or she knows you have a connection
with that business or person. When you carry a
brand‑name bag over your shoulder or wear a
logo shirt, or when you’re seen writing with a certain
branded pen—all those things indicate that you
are comfortable with that brand; you are identifying yourself
as someone who supports that organization. Those items
serve a purpose for you, but somebody is relishing the fact
that you’re doing their advertising for them.
Dave Burnett www.AnOpportunityKnocks.com

6. From a vendor’s perspective,
the greatest feature of a promotional
product is that it carries influence.
If a vendor has given you something—an item you’re holding in
your hand or a polo shirt you’re wearing , anything with their
name on it—they’re delighted. They know , the more familiar
you are with them, the better they’ll do when it comes quote
time. These promotional products are influencers. Just look at
the influencers in your life—individuals like your
boss, your wife, your husband, your social network contacts—
and see what they’ve got. If they’re carrying a brand‑name
product or wearing sports-brand apparel, then they are
influencing you (even if you’re not conscious of it) to endorse
those same brands.
Dave Burnett www.AnOpportunityKnocks.com

7. An Opportunity Knocks:
Sourcing and Product Ideas
Dave Burnett / db@aokmg.com
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