Promotional materials? (insurance, agent, sell, cost)

[jeff.k]

In the era of Internet marketing, social networks and less and less face-to-face contact with customers, are promotional materials such as pens, calendars, gadgets, etc. with your logo on it still necessary?

[cpg35223]

As in trinkets and trash?

I suppose there's still a need for the occasional one, but I would use it more for customers you already have rather than as a way to elicit more business. And it really needs to be distinctive stuff, too. I cannot tell you how many pens, paperweights, and other junk I've simply flung out 20 seconds after receiving. Unless it's a keepsake item, you're essentially contributing to the landfill with a very high cost per impression.

The other thing is people confuse that stuff with marketing. If it is part of a unified, coherent marketing plan, it has its place. But if you think a magnetic refrigerator calendar is going to get you biz, then you're loopy.

That being said, I think the premise that fewer people need face-to-face is really dependent on the business you're in.

[jeff.k]

I owned a small bio shop with vegan food and supplements, but we recently set up an online shop and decided to close the local one. I was thinking in lines of giving our regular customers something like this [url=http://www.promosonline.com/Product/Browse_By_Event/Holiday/Earth_&_Go_Green/-_Non_Woven_Tote_Promotional_Bag_1516EGB.html]-]Plastic Beer Mugs, Glass Steins, Calendars, Frisbees, Bottles, etc.[/url] Non Woven Tote Promotional Bag - PromosOnline.com and having the goods delivered in them.

[cpg35223]

See, I would offer that that's kind of relevant to the customer experience.

[Hemlock140]

I used to be a dealer for Kaeser & Blair, back in the 90s such items were huge. Now they are pretty much limited to giveaways at conferences. Let me ask you a question, have you ever used an insurance agent because you had a pen with their nae on it, or called a realtor to sell your house because he sent you a refrigerator magnet?