Young Entrepreneur Forums  
en•tre•pre•neur –noun Entrepreneur, translated from its French roots, means "one who undertakes." The term Entrepreneur is used to refer to anyone who undertakes the organization and management of an enterprise involving independence and risk as well as the opportunity for profit.
Find Qualified Vendors
 Welcome to the Young Entrepreneur Forums   
NBTL NBTR

Find Business Partners Get Involved in Startups Commercial Real Estate Startup Jobs Find Business Opportunities


Young Entrepreneur Forums » General Business » Marketing & PR » How to Choose a Supplier for Quality Promotional Items



Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Rate Thread Display Modes
Old 08-01-2009, 10:48 PM   #1 (permalink)
Junior Member
Activity Longevity
0/20 1/20
Today Posts
0/0 ssssssss2
Location: Carmel Valley CA
Lightbulb How to Choose a Supplier for Quality Promotional Items

When you decide to put your logo on a promotional item, you’ll want to make sure its quality meets your expectations in advance, mainly because -once you've made your decision- hundreds of them will be around, and they'll reflect how you conceive your own company. Promotional items reflect the essence of your company. That's not quite so; in fact, they project what it wants to be. Imagine the following situations: on one hand, a start-up company which still hasn't got any clients, but whose owners dream of something big. So, they create the logo, they have a hundred key chains made, and they have them made meticulously perfect, checking every detail. On the other hand, think of a multinational company that has been handing out the same promotional ball point pens for years. Although the first one is a mere vision, a dream, it projects that dream strongly; because behind their promotional key chains you feel the owners' enthusiasm. No matter if your company is already established as a successful one, having promotional items made is a good moment to look back to that original dream and capture it again.

So, before you order promotional items, it is recommended that you ask the supplier to show you a portfolio of their current clients, or at least samples of their products. Do they have promotional items made for themselves? If they don't, that would be pretty silly, so they surely will. Ask them for one. But don't let them give you a "standard" item with a sign that reads "Your company logo here." Ask to see one of their company’s own promotional items. Analyze the item on your own: is it well done? What's the quality? Does its function or utility take you back to the supplier's motto?
A good supplier will help you find a suitable item for your company. They should be interested in getting to know your products, if they don't already. They should study your target market. All this affects the final shape of your promotional item, it's functionality. A tip: don't have too many of them made. Someone might tell you, "Hey, you want your company logo to be everywhere, right?". It's a better idea to have something of good quality and low quantity. If people see your items everywhere, they will stop noticing them. Instead, if they sporadically come across that amazing brass cash stash with your company's name on it -a cash stash whose owner won't let go- they'll want to have it.

This can’t be stressed enough: a quality provider will shape a perfect item. They won't suggest that you put your logo in pens, mugs, t-shirts, and in your employees' foreheads. They will consider your target market, and then they will propose a certain function and style. This is important, because everybody's so different, that the only way to guarantee a minimum impact is to study your target. For example, if I am given a t-shirt as a promotional gift, I may never wear it, although I may end up using it as a dishcloth. But I still use the cash stash I was given at my bank’s first anniversary party.

If you enjoyed this article, please feel free to post it to your site or blog and forward this link to to your friends. Have a great day!
sunshineproductsusa is offline  
Digg this Post!Add Post to del.icio.usBookmark Post in TechnoratiFurl this Post!Spurl this Post!Reddit! Wong this Post!
Reply With Quote
Sponsored Links
Old 09-26-2009, 09:32 AM   #2 (permalink)
Junior Member
Activity Longevity
0/20 1/20
Today Posts
0/0 ssssssss3
i think internet is the best way to find those suppliers. all you need to search and find the right one for your purpose.

Promotional Umbrellas
europromotional is offline  
Digg this Post!Add Post to del.icio.usBookmark Post in TechnoratiFurl this Post!Spurl this Post!Reddit! Wong this Post!
Reply With Quote
Old 09-29-2009, 06:12 PM   #3 (permalink)
Junior Member
Activity Longevity
0/20 4/20
Today Posts
0/0 sssssss13
Interesting. ...also consider cost targeting, and relevance. I build and promote websites (mine and clients), mainly for small businesses so something appealing to office users are fine, but I don't want something only appealing to golfers for example. A pen is kind of generic still. A creative mouse pad might work for me if it's in my price range.
MasterOfTheWeb is offline  
Digg this Post!Add Post to del.icio.usBookmark Post in TechnoratiFurl this Post!Spurl this Post!Reddit! Wong this Post!
Reply With Quote
Old 10-16-2009, 04:03 AM   #4 (permalink)
Junior Member
Activity Longevity
0/20 1/20
Today Posts
0/0 ssssssss3
good article.....

thanks for sharing....
kelvin0904 is offline  
Digg this Post!Add Post to del.icio.usBookmark Post in TechnoratiFurl this Post!Spurl this Post!Reddit! Wong this Post!
Reply With Quote
Old 10-18-2009, 09:24 PM   #5 (permalink)
Junior Member
shariROCKS's Avatar
Activity Longevity
0/20 1/20
Today Posts
0/0 sssssss14
Send a message via Skype™ to shariROCKS
Thanks for sharing..great article. I work with Promotionalimprints dot com. Liz Urban truly rocks. Not only does she provide effective products for my business she has assisted me with my client list. I think because she is a small business owner she understands needs, cost and quality. She offers superb customer service. I can't tell you how many last minute oops no one ordered X for the trade shows she has gotten me out of. She ROCKS!
shariROCKS is offline  
Digg this Post!Add Post to del.icio.usBookmark Post in TechnoratiFurl this Post!Spurl this Post!Reddit! Wong this Post!
Reply With Quote
Reply


Thread Tools
Display Modes Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread:

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On


Navigation
Register! - Join Now - It's Free
Registration at YoungEntrepreneur.com is completely free and takes only a few seconds. By registering you'll gain:

- Full Posting Privileges.
- Access to Private Messaging.
- Optional Email Notification.
- Ability to Fully Participate.

To Register now click here
Quick Register - It's Free
User Name:
Password:
Confirm Password:
Email:
Confirm Email:
Birthday:  
Check to Agree with the forum rules. 
Follow me on Twitter!


Forum Sponsors


Click here to inquire about advertising
SEO by vBSEO 3.2.0
Powered by vBulletin® Copyright ©2000 - 2009, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright 2007 YoungEntrepreneur.com Inc. / YoungEntrepreneur.com : Entrepreneur Marketing Forum