It all began with a pail of optimism and a box of pencils. You may suppose we were getting ready to clean out the office supply closet, but no. We brought those bright pens with the logos on them with Positive Media Promotions. I put them in people’s hands, mailboxes, and even behind the couch. People remembered us. Who would have thought that a cheap pen could last longer than a great TV jingle?
At every trade show, we saw people with jealous eyes follow anyone who had our tote bag. I first thought, “Come on, it’s just a bag.” But weeks later, buyers called us and told us exactly what our bag looked like before they remembered our brand name. It’s like we made a magic carpet by accident, except instead of flying, it was useful.
Our accountant received a stress ball that looked like a lemon. He was still squeezing it during budget talks six months later. He smiled at that lemon. But more importantly, it helped him remember us. I finally believed what my mom said: “The little things get remembered.” She could have meant birthday cards and casseroles, but it’s also true for business.
One day, an old friend from college came into our store. She pointed to her mug, which had our logo on it. “Oh, I grab this every day!” She became a walking advertisement, drinking lukewarm coffee and getting her pals to stop by. Her mug almost did all the networking for us. We began to give out more mugs. Why spend money on showy advertising when someone’s kitchen shelf does all the work?
It got worse. We gave away USB drives, sticky notes, and cool keychains on purpose. Some people acted like they had won the jackpot. We were amazed by how thankful they were. But the real kicker is? The first six months of sales calls went well. People knew our brand right away. People knew our brand right away. I heard someone say, “You guys with the blue pens, right?” We weren’t strangers right away.
This made us want to try things out. We added calendars with strange designs and magnets that looked like small houses. Our rate of returning customers went up all of a sudden. Promotional items did more than just make things more visible. They got people talking, made connections, and turned boring meetings into great leads. At networking occasions, when things became awkward, just whipping out a branded coaster might sometimes get the conversation going right away.
Was everything great? Not quite. We tried using fragile refrigerator clips. People complained about losing their grocery lists. Learned a lesson. Even with free stuff, quality was important. Every thing we made kept our brand alive. We stepped up our game, and goodwill grew.
Our sales manager, who is known for rolling his eyes, even said, “Okay, so people really love free stuff.” He began to carry a stockpile of branded goods with him wherever he went. He termed them his “secret weapons.” He was right; little things make a tremendous difference.
What was our biggest success? At a neighborhood function, a child won a bespoke yo-yo with our company’s logo on it. His parents still wave to us when they walk by, thanks to a toy that let them recognize us. Who would have thought that a yo-yo would be a spokesperson for our company?
Sometimes, corporate magic doesn’t need big budgets or big actions. A pen, a cup, or a goofy stress ball shaped like a lemon. You might be shocked by the results.