What Are Your Promotional Products Saying? Everyone Is Listening.
My husband recently brought home a "thank you" gift that his employer gave out for meeting a certain quarterly goal. Sounds like something to be excited about, right? Not so much. Sadly, it was a very poor quality aluminum water bottle customized with their company logo. The plastic lid was so frail that I felt like I could break it with one hand if I tried hard enough and the bottle itself had zero insulation.
Being the opinionated promotional products lady that I am, I immediately told my husband that the bottle was total "junk". Personal bias towards my double wall insulated PROMOrx bottle (available here) may or may not have influenced my initial judgment.
Nonetheless, he took it with him to play tennis just to test it out. As soon as he got back home, he told me that I was right - it was indeed junk. It didn't even keep his water cold for half an hour! He then gave me the ok to chunk it in our garage sale pile.
Knowing the company that he works for (a Fortune 500 company that shall remain nameless), I must say that my expectations were set a little high. After doing a little research I was disappointed to learn that the bottle only cost a little over $3 each, yet I was not surprised in the least bit. They got exactly what they paid for.
Make no mistake that we here at PROMOrx understand and appreciate budgets. They are a wonderful thing and they greatly help us narrow down what product is right for your event. However, we feel that it is very important to also understand that brand disconnect is not so wonderful.
The item that you choose to put your logo on speaks volumes and is a direct correlation to your company brand. Regardless of whether your business is barely a year old and just starting to grow or if you are a Fortune 500 company known by millions, you have a brand and an image to live up to. The public has some sort of opinion of your company.
While I'm sure my husband's employer meant well, they clearly didn't take the time to do proper research on what items were available to fit their budget and, as a result, left at least one employee (and probably dozens more) disappointed with a less-than-exciting gift. And it doesn't necessarily stop there - your branded products can also end up in the hands of others besides your employees or clients. Don't spread the wrong message.
Knowing what items are available to fit your budget can help you avoid a situation like this. Whether it's laptop bags, pens for a trade show giveaway, or eco friendly gifts for employees, we are here to help you find options that you can be proud to put your logo on and guide you in making a smart branding decision.
Thanks for reading! I'm Mandee and I've been in the promotional products industry for four years. I love what I do and I enjoy helping others. When I'm not nose deep in promotional product research, you can typically find me hanging out with my awesome husband and our three fur kids/cats. I'm a concert loving foodie with a passion for traveling.
