Promotional Products - Avoiding the Arts and Crafts Trap

Paint Splash graphic I am so lucky to work with some very creative clients and graphic designers. They come up with some incredible ideas for promotional products. Always helps me stretch in terms of sourcing and finding solutions. However, their creativity can sometimes lead to unproductive and profit-stealing ideas.

Here’s what sometimes happens. They have an inspiration for a giveaway that is a perfect tie-in with a theme or company image. They propose the idea to their companies or clients and get buy-in. That’s when they call me as a promotional products distributor. Unfortunately, the products they often envision don’t exist. Let the sourcing begin!

At that point, I usually have to do an extensive database search to find something close. But whatever I find just doesn’t quite meet their artistic visions. The search continues. After coming up short, they now have to go back to their companies or clients and offer something completely different. More time wasted and potentially unhappy clients and bosses. And I feel awful for not being able to turn someone’s dream into reality.

Let’s look at a few examples to illustrate.

I’ve had requests for custom figurines from a few clients. Very, very cool idea! And an idea that would have tremendous impact. Are custom figures possible? Sure. However, unless you are a very large corporation, the investment in design and mold fees make this idea unworkable. I usually get requests like this from organizations that need maybe 50-500 of the items to use for their very best clients and prospects. For this type of item to make sense, you usually need to be looking at a quantity of 10,000 to 100,000 or more. Plus, if the item even has the possibility of being considered a toy, it now must pass safety inspections (particularly for lead) which can run into the hundreds. On top of this, add the time it takes for custom manufacturing, often overseas. Try months.

Reaching a dead end for the custom figures, the client or designer sometimes looks to buying a similar item from retail and doctoring it up as a promotional product. Custom handmade labels, paint, strings, bows, glue… it becomes an arts and crafts project. Plus, there usually is a scramble to find the necessary quantity in retail. A treasure hunt of local stores ensues.

Need to see this in action? Take a look at some winning self-promotion campaigns in the graphic design magazines. Arts and crafts extravaganzas! (I have seen these manifestations in real life, too.) Imagine how many hours and dollars are poured into these projects that could have been spent more productively, such as in networking or other sales producing activities. Even worse is that if they’re using these promotions for themselves, chances are they are suggesting similar, time and money consuming ideas for their clients.

Sometimes it’s not the item that’s the problem. It’s the decoration. Most common problem is with T-shirts. “Wow, wouldn’t it be cool if we could have the imprint running around the neckline, along the shoulder, down the sleeve, and then from the front to the back?” Cool? Yes. However, some of these “cool” decorating schemes require special handling and may not even be possible on standard decorating equipment. As well, some ideas would require decorating prior to construction. Again, only a huge quantity might make this viable.

So how can you avoid the arts and crafts trap in buying promotional products?

Get Your Promotional Products Distributor Involved Early – As a marketing or graphic design pro, your distributor can be a great friend. Partner up with a distributor who is marketing oriented and is a member of one of the major promotional product associations such as the Advertising Specialty Institute. Members have access to thousands of items and sources. Let him know what you’re thinking about before offering an idea to your client. This will avoid disappointment for all and save time in getting to a viable solution.
Understand the Limitations of Imprinting – Your distributor can provide you with the imprinting specs (area available, locations, etc.) for promotional items of interest. He can provide guidance and information on available imprinting processes so you can choose what’s best for the project and the product.
Realize that Time is Money – Every minute you spend crafting a whiz-bang, one-off type promotion is one minute you need to bill or write off. Clients and bosses are paying you to be a marketing or design expert, not a piecework worker. And if you outsource the crafting, the cost of the promotion can increase dramatically.

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