Monday, May 30, 2011

Clipper Pen a Unique Sales Aid

Clipper pen with its unique
art deco clip.
There are hundreds, if not thousands of pens available for your custom imprint, from very inexpensive to somewhat pricy. The idea of using a pen as a giveaway or sales aid is the same though, regardless of the type of pen or its cost. People use pens every day and each time they pick it up, they see your company information and logo. In fact, custom imprinted pens are so ubiquitous that some of us in the business are referred to as "pen guys".

Of course, the vast majority of folks who are in the promotional product business handle more than that, but pens are, in fact, one of the best vehicles to get your name and marketing message literally into the hands of prospective customers.

The pen I'm highlighting in today's blog is the Clipper Pen. I was so impressed with its unique looks and how well it writes that I ordered a sizable quantity for myself. It's such a small detail, but the squiggly clip has an art deco look to it which really makes it stand out. The barrel is translucent and comes in four colors, green, blue, purple, and red, all with chrome accents. The Clipper Pen also has a rubber grip which makes writing with it a breeze plus, as I mentioned, it writes really smoothly.

You can hand someone this pen with your custom imprinted information on it and know that it's not going to skip or get gunked up. For such a low per unit price, the Clipper is an excellent value in pens. There are certainly pens available that are even lower priced than the Clipper, but I think this one strikes the perfect balance between low price and high quality.

At Seneca Promotional Products, prices for the Clipper Pen start at just 49¢ ea. (min. 250) plus a $10 set up fee and tax and shipping. For an order of 250 pens with your business name and logo, you're looking at just $132.50 plus tax and shipping. (Price accurate at time of blog posting. Price may change without notice. #B325).
Pens work as promotional items in almost every situation precisely because they are so universal. The key to standing out is finding a unique looking pen to hand out, and the Clipper Pen fits the bill. Contact me today to get your logo on a terrific looking Clipper Pen!

Monday, May 16, 2011

Golf Gifts Drive Name Recognition

With summer almost upon us, everyone's hitting the links and what a perfect time to put some golf goodies in the hands of your customers. From golf towels and custom imprinted tees to golf balls and gift packs, these accessories are an ideal place for your promotional message.

If you're in charge of buying for the country club or pro shop, these items are a natural, but they work for other types of businesses as well, especially those that are trying to target the typical golfer. According to the National Golf Foundation and U.S. Census Department, the average golfer profile looks like this (golfer defined as having played an 18-hole round in the past 12 months):

• 77.5% male, 22.5% female
• Average age: 46
• 68% of golfers are married
• 67% attended or graduated from college
• 50% are employed in a white collar education
• Average household income: $95,000
• 83% own securities
• 68% own a home
• 18% own two or more homes
• 80% took a domestic or business flight in the last year
• 73% dine out once a week or more

Those are some impressive demographic figures for golfers and if you'd like to reach that market, putting your logo on a custom imprint golf ball or towel will go a long way toward keeping your company top of mind.

Many small businesses are asked to sponsor a hole during a local golf tournament, but when you're considering this, how about complementing this effort with handing out, say, golf towels? This way you'll not only be remembered at the 14th hole, but throughout the round and beyond.

At Seneca Promotional Products, I have a very nice, high quality velour hemmed towel just waiting for your logo. It has a brass grommet and hook and measures 15" x 18". Image area: 15" x 11" (landscape orientation or portrait). Available colors: black, blue, green, and red. It's value priced at just $3.00 ea. (min. 50) plus tax & shipping. Set up fee $45. (Note: Pricing is accurate at time of blog post. Prices may change without notice. B1518HC).

Feel free to contact me with any questions about this custom golf towel or any other ideas for golfing-related promotional products.

Sunday, May 8, 2011

Calculators Provide Great ROI - Do the Math!

Lots of folks have the big, clunky calculators on their desks at work with the tape, but often you just need to do a quick bit of math or you're heading into a meeting and need to bring a small calculator. Sometimes you just need a calculator that takes up less real estate in a small cubicle. Small, custom-imprinted calculators are a welcome addition to someone's office or home, and the perfect vehicle to ensure that your business will stay top-of-mind.

Practically any business would benefit from using calculators as a promotional item, but the obvious ones are banks, mortgage companies, title companies, real estate agents, and any financial service companies. Banks can give them to customers who open an account as a thank you or use them at trade shows. They can also be used for employee awards.

Other users could be auto dealers, home improvement stores, contractors, accountants, tax preparers, and IT companies. The key in selecting a promotional product is finding an item that people will actually use. There are a lot of products on the market to put your logo on, but you want to make sure they don't get thrown away or shoved in a drawer.

Calculators are inexpensive and get a lot of use. Even if it's not being used, chances are it's still sitting on the desk and being seen. That's a lot of exposure for a small investment.

I have an attractive 8-digit curve-shaped calculator available in red, blue, black, or lime (pictured). It measures 3" x 4¼" with an imprint area of 1¼" x ¼". Prices start at just $2.15 (100 min.) plus tax and shipping. Set up fee $37.50. (Note: Prices are accurate at time of blog post and may change without notice). The calculator includes the battery and is gift boxed at no additional charge.

Saturday, May 7, 2011

Flashlights Shine a Light on Auto Sales & Service

Both the new car dealer, the corner used car lot, and the auto service business can benefit from offering custom printed flashlights to their customers. Presented to new buyers after completion of the paperwork, or as part of a grand opening or anniversary, small flashlights can be stowed in the glove compartment or console of the customer’s vehicle and are ideal things to have handy. Even if they’re not used often, every time the customer opens the glove compartment they’ll see the dealer’s name and phone number – a great reminder for service and maintenance.


Household flashlights as promotional products lend themselves to many types of businesses – electricians come to mind, as well as contractors, home builders, and real estate agents. That’s the power of specialty advertising items. Featuring your company name and logo on an item that people will use keeps you top of mind. If you’re located in hurricane or storm-prone areas where summer power outages are frequent, offering customers your flashlights is appreciated and remembered.

Auto dealers especially are always on the lookout for unique, impactful promotional items as customer rewards and thank you’s. Flashlights fit the bill nicely and make a nice “topper” to a sale, and allows for follow up service business.

I have a Mini Mag-Lite set that includes AA batteries in an attractive gift box. It’s made in the USA and has a lifetime guarantee. Available colors are black, blue, charcoal, green, red, or purple. The flashlight size is 5¾” x 1″ x ¾” and the imprint area is 2¼” x ½”. Prices start at $13.77 ea (min. 12) plus tax and shipping. $50 set up fee. (Note: Price is accurate at time of blog post. Prices may change without notice #BM2A).

Magnets - Sticky Billboards

For the first recommendation of this blog, I want to examine the effectiveness of magnets as promotional products. It’s my guess that you have at least one custom imprinted magnet on your refrigerator right now. I know I do. In my case, it’s from a local plumber. I needed the services of a plumber four years ago, found one in the Yellow Pages, and he came out and took care of my broken toilet. He left a magnet with his company name and phone number on it and I promptly put it on my refrigerator.

In the four years since, I have glanced at his magnet literally every single day. And in those four years, I’ve called that same plumber twice more for other things I needed done. Without the magnet, I probably would have forgotten his name and gone back to the Yellow Pages and perhaps picked a different provider. But instead, I’ve now used that same plumber three times in a four year period.

I don’t know how much he paid for those magnets, but I’m confident that it was a profitable investment for him. Why do custom imprinted magnets work so well as promotional products? They are rarely thrown away and are often displayed prominently (refrigerator, filing cabinet, etc.). A regular business card may not be discarded, but it’s usually filed away somewhere and out of sight. The magnet provides “top of mind awareness”, a crucial aspect of any marketing plan.

Magnets are a good idea for practically any business, but are especially useful for service type industries like plumbers, electricians, mechanics, A/C, etc. Would a local grocery store benefit from a magnet stuck on a customer’s refrigerator? Sure, but a service business would benefit more. It all has to do with the “thin market” concept. You go to the grocery store regularly and you rarely call them. You don’t need a reminder of where they are.

By contrast, you call a plumber far less frequently. So when you do have a need for one, if you’re the plumber, you want to be “top of mind”. And the way to be top of mind is to have your name in front of your customer every single day.

How much does it cost to attain this top of mind awareness through the use of magnets? It's more reasonable than you might think. For example, I have a variety of shapes available ranging in size from 2-4" and the investment level begins at just 35¢ apiece for a minimum quantity of 500. That's $175 plus tax and shipping and there's no set up fee! (Please note that pricing is accurate at time of blog posting. Prices may change without notice. #BMGSSM20).

If the plumber whose magnet is on my refrigerator paid $175 for his magnets, he most likely got his investment back on just my magnet alone!