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Promotional Value
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Business New Haven
10/20/1997
By:
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The promotions industry has come of age, generating nearly $7 billion in annual sales of imprinted products.
They're not all “pens, pencils and coffee cups,” either, says Win Oppel, president of Ad-Merica. The Shelton businessman says specialties are going upscale. Plastic may prevail, but today's catalogues also boast items made of fine woods and crystal.
While some organizations still hand out imprinted freebies indiscriminately, many have begun to put more thought behind the products they give away to reward customers, build front-of-mind awareness among prospects, or motivate employees.
Like many of his colleagues, Terry Magun advises his clients how to use promotions strategically. For the principal of Magun Promotions in Woodbridge the process involves “a lot of homework” to learn his clients' businesses, as well as the demographics and value systems of their target audiences.
That consultative approach likewise works for Hillman Associates in Woodbridge. Steven Hillman elaborates, “We follow through with distribution, make sure that everything is aesthetically pleasing, that the copy is conducive to the product,” and that the quality of the product reflects the client's image.
To further differentiate themselves from competitors, distributors employ a variety of strategies. Some, says Magun, carry lines such as Cross pens that are “relatively exclusive in who they franchise.” Several maintain local showrooms. Woody Ford, who reps for Worldwide Promotional Products, says his Branford showroom lets people “put their hands on products.”
Still other vendors focus on specialty lines. Signature Marketing in Simsbury bills itself as “the environmental promotion company.” Evelyn Golden, the firm's majority owner, says she and her partner, Jonas Stremaitis, began concentrating on products made from recycled materials to reinforce the message of the recycling awards that their clients were presenting. The choices have expanded tremendously as demand has grown. Even pens and pencils may now be “made out of recycled blue jeans or post-consumer money that's gone back to the Treasury to be shredded,” says Golden.
The latest trend in advertising specialties seems to be pre-paid phone cards. Woody Ford's own firm, One Company, manufactures plastic display items, mainly for the pharmaceutical industry. The North Haven concern has been producing phone cards for some 18 months. Ford says the cards have been big in Europe for quite a while and are finally making their mark in the U.S.
Steven Hillman likes the opportunities the cards offer to control multiple elements of a promotional campaign, including target, value and repetition of the client's message. “For a mass giveaway at a trade show, give them five-minute cards,” he says. “If they have a qualified prospect in their booth, give away a half-hour card.”
Hillman's involvement doesn't end with the imprinted card but extends to the recording that plays when callers reach the access number. “Every time you use that card, our client's message is heard.”
Terry Magun suggests caution in choosing a carrier. “There are companies that sell pre-paid cards that don't have a long shelf-life or don't give you clear lines or quick access,” he says. “If there's a problem with the call, who do you call?”
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