Bringing Sexy Back to Schwag...

I think it's fitting that we start this party off right with an info-graphic. Just so that everyone is on the same page regarding the power of Promotional Products (aka "Schwag") 

I give you exhibit A)

Okay...so hopefully you agree that based on the numbers provided by info-graphic above that Promotional Products do indeed "work". However, Schwag seems to have become something of a cliche' or given a bad rap when it comes to being sexy whenever you have a marketing media lineup. Well, my goal is to convince you that this perceived ugly duckling in the marketing world is really a sexy swan just waiting to flaunt her stuff:)

To begin I think it's important that I give you a little history about yours truly. I have been in the Advertising Specialty sector for over 20 years now. And if your doing the math you probably have already assumed that at my age how can I possibly know anything about bringing "sexy back" to anything much less Shwag (shame on you...lol)  Well, your just going to have to go out on a limb and trust me on this one. To date I have worked on both sides of the fence in the Promotional Product Industry..13 years on the Distributor side and 7+ years on the Supplier side. I like to consider myself well rounded and very optimistic regarding both points of view regarding our industry. I am currently back on the Distributor side of the fence as the CMO (Chief Marketing Officer) of a small distributorship in Austin, Texas.

So let's click the rewind button back to the beginning of my Supplier role which proceeded my 10 year tenure as a distributor. (okay...you can click the stop button now:) The case study I would like to share with you is one that involves towels---yes towels. The scene is the PPAI Expo Las Vegas, NV. and I am literally into my 2nd week as the SW Factory Rep for a top towel manufacturer. Being that I had been a distributor up to 3 weeks prior I honestly had become somewhat disenchanted with the creativity and sexiness that Schwag was perceived as having. I was also concerned that Schwag was losing it's position as the top contender or  the "go to" for businesses to market themselves. No offense but I felt that she had lost her luster, that she was letting herself go a little bit. She wasn't working out the way she used to, she was eating the wrong things or sometimes she wasn't eating enough. I just felt she just wasn't as creative as she used to be. So I found myself taking quick glances at sexier media such as witty You Tube Videos,televised commercials ,Glossy Magazine Ads, Glitzy Google Banners...the list goes on and on. 

To be honest I was a bit ashamed because I still honestly loved Schwag, after all we had been together a very long time. She was a beautiful swan when I first met her, she was creative and exciting and her ROI exhilarated me. I just knew that Schwag and I would never lose the spark we had at the beginning of our relationship and that our love for each other would never fade. Schwag had never let me down,sure she could be difficult at times but I knew we would always be together through thick and thin. But over time this new generation of electronic branding came on the scene, it was so confident,smart and cutting edge...it suggested that Schwag was outdated, that she was old school and companies didn't think she could still attract their customers the way she used to. I mean,I actually considered separating with Schwag believing that she had peaked and the flame was flickering out. I started to believe a relationship with another media would
change everything, that the grass would be greener on the other side of the fence. I started to buy in to the thought that the sexier method of branding was the "New Age" of electronic marketing. 

But something deep inside of me was whispering otherwise...it was telling me that if I really looked deeper I would see that Schwag hadn't lost her luster at all, that actually I had been hypnotized--lured if you will by the Siren song of radio,cable, broadcast television. Seduced by the temptation of newspapers, magazines, direct mail and yellow page ads to position my clients brand and service. I had somehow convinced myself this was the only way my clients could compete. But then something happened ...an angel in the form of a towel snapped me out of it. I remember it like it was yesterday...I was working a vendor booth on the floor of the PPAI Expo--I was excited with my new role as the SW Factory rep for a top manufacturer/supplier of towels. Now if I'm going to be honest I still had my reservations if Schwag was really was still the best option to market a companies brand, and I honestly didn't know how a towel was going to reignite my faith and passion in Schwag. But little did I know that this towel had something else up his sleeve,and was going to show me that Schwag was just as sexy if not more so than she had ever been. So how did a towel bring the sexy back to Schwag for me? Well, I'm glad you asked...


Ok....where was I? Oh yeah...I was manning our booth on the floor of the PPAI Expo Show when I overheard a southern gentlemen talking within earshot of our booth. I noticed that he was reluctant to enter our booth for some reason. He continued to eye our products and displays for quite some time but for some reason was restraining himself from entering our booth. Now mind you this was no ordinary booth...we had cushioned flooring, a large inviting Caribbean theme with beautiful displays,a cabana and a friendly/fun atmosphere...what's not to love? I couldn't understand why this gentleman wouldn't at least walk into our booth if nothing more than to soothe his aching feet. So...I decided to step outside of our booth and spark up a conversation,being a southern gentleman myself I felt it only proper to do so. Within seconds I could see that he was struggling with something, it was as if he was trying to piece together a puzzle but couldn't find the missing piece. 

I introduced myself and asked if he was enjoying the show. He said yes he was. I then asked if he had a specific project he was working on. He said yes he was. I then asked if he had a specific objective he was attempting to achieve. He said yes he was and that he was impressed that I had taken the time and consideration to pose the question. Then he went on to explain that he had a client he had been working with for many years. His client was in charge of purchasing for a High School in San Antonio, TX and that she was in charge of sourcing gifts to be given out to each of the 700 students that would be graduating soon. Up until this year every graduating student had been given a T-shirt or some Schwag decorated with their school logo and the year of their graduation. He went on to explain that his client had become tired of the same items given out year after year and that she felt their was no value or heart in these gifts. She said she and the school were looking for something sexier than the same old Schwag. She wanted something the students would take them back to a moment and hold on to for years to come after their graduation. She even said that she was considering doing away with Schwag altogether and go another route entirely. She just couldn't see how giving Schwag away to the students would meet the objectives she was trying to achieve.

Now mind you...this school wasn't just giving away Schwag to recognize the students but also to represent the school and all the sponsors, parents,booster clubs etc that had supported these students throughout their high school years. In other words, this school did indeed have a brand, a brand that they took pride in and they wanted the world to know it.

After gaining this knowledge I proceeded to ask this southern gentlemen why he was eyeing our booth but reluctant to step in? But I stopped him before he could answer, because I too had been a Distributor less than 3 weeks prior to our meeting. I deducted that he wasn't stepping into our booth because although he thought a towel may be a good,dare I say sexier option than a T-shirt (or some other schwag), at the end of the day it would be too expensive for him present to his client. He explained the school had a very tight budget and that towels just wouldn't fit into that budget. I then realized that I had been in his same position just 3 weeks prior and that I too would have been reluctant to step into our booth given his circumstances. But then it struck me ! It was as if the promotional product gods had given me a gift right then and there. I asked if he had considered having all the students sign their names on a towel, possibly even add their personal graffiti or whatever they might add to a yearbook when signing it to be remembered by their fellow students and friends. I went on to suggest adding the school logo so the students would have something that they would keep for years to come, something they could take with them to the beach after graduation and possibly hang on their college dorm room wall. I mentioned the students might even pass these towels on to their own high school graduates one day. I mean honestly...when's the last time you threw a towel away? Much less a towel that has all of their friends signatures on it. Friends that they had bonded and built strong relationships with over the years prior to graduation. I was certain that this would meet the objectives his client was so desperately trying to achieve.

I guess my logic was sound enough to convince him to enter our booth. We went over the numbers and after exhausting every discount I could the cost still ended up being 2x what his client was budgeted for. So I suggested he sleep on it, present the idea to his client when he returned to San Antonio, and get back to me if anything developed. Mind you I knew that we did not have this item in our catalog, I only knew that we had the capabilities to produce such an item. Imagine my surprise when I received a phone call 3 weeks later from this distributor and he excitedly informed me that his client had convinced the school board to double their budget! His client believed that this promotional product would not only be well received but that the emotional value of this item would be worth every penny. His client went on to explain that this product had met every one of their objectives and that their booster club wanted to add an additional 300 pieces to their order as they were convinced that every parent would buy one regardless of the price. I mean honestly, if I were to have a student show up on my doorstep selling towels with every one of my sons or daughters graduating class signatures on it...I wouldn't care if they were $50 a piece--"I'll order two thank you":) Well, imagine my surprise when I also learned learned later that the booster club sold out in two days and had to place an additional order to cover the overwhelming number of orders they had received. This school has re-ordered the signature towel every year since and will probably do so for years to come. College and Pro Teams, Safety Programs, Annual Corporate Picnics, High School Anniversaries, the list goes on and on, have made this piece a best selling item and the success of this piece has been overwhelming.

At this point you may be asking yourself how did this towel regain my faith and bring the Sexy back to Schwag? Well, actually the towel was just the messenger. Schwag has always been sexy...but more important Schwag has always been the most consistent, cost effective, highest return on investment and yes relationship that a brand will ever have. Marketing 101 dictates that in order for someone to even take notice of your company/vision/message/service/dream that your brand must get as many views over the life of your advertising as possible. And Schwag achieves that--always has always will. Hey,if you don't believe me scroll back to the top of the page and view the infographic again. Schwag will continue to prevail because today's and tomorrows promotional products are more exciting,technical,practical,functional,fun,personal and smarter than ever. And every one of these products can have your brand, your message and your dream displayed on them.

So what's the moral of the story? The moral is that every time you see a pen, a cup, a cap, a shirt, a koozie, a towel---heck, anything that has a logo displayed,printed,embroidered,embossed,debossed,etched or sketched, take a moment... and see the diamond in the rough. Because those little beauties are going to make you allot of money and friend that's just downright Sexy!

http://austinpromotionalsolutions.com