If your company specializes in items such as cups, magnets, pens and key chains emblazoned with a different logo every day, you’re probably in the promotional goods industry. "Promo" items, also known as giveaways, are what businesses use at trade shows, conventions and meetings to get their name in front of prospects. Although the logo printing industry is crowded, with some good marketing strategies, you’ll be the one in demand to create those logo items.
Sending Samples
Whether you’re just starting out with your logo product company or you’ve been stamping logos for years, keep an eye out for new businesses opening in your local area. These are great marketing targets for you because they may not have a relationship with a logo product vendor yet and they may actually be seeking ways to get their name out into the community. Newspapers are a good way to watch for "Coming soon!" or "Grand Opening" announcements. When you notice a new store, check to see if it has a website. If so, copy a version of its logo and have your design staff produce a couple of pieces along with a welcome basket, business card and information about your services. A new bar, for example, may appreciate seeing its logo on shot glasses, napkins, stirrers or coasters.
Computer Quick Change
It’s not always possible, or financially friendly, to make up sample items with a customer’s logo. It takes part of your inventory away, plus ties up your die cutting and printing machines. This doesn’t mean you can’t create a catalog filled with potential items for a customer featuring the organization’s logo. A computer graphics program such as Photoshop (available in the Adobe Creative Suite) or Paint (included in Windows installations) offers you the opportunity to open a plain photo of an item you sell and quickly add a customer’s digital logo directly on top of it. The customer can then see how the item would look without the cost of actual production. When you’re courting a new client who doesn’t exactly know which logo items to order, you can quickly drop the logo onto a number of your most popular products or items you think would work, then print a catalog. When the next customer comes along, swap out the logos and you’re ready to go.
Instant Gratification Upload
Although making a catalog featuring potential customers’ logos on your items is an attention-grabber, computer-savvy clients may want something much faster, such as a way to upload their logo to your website and instantly see it on the product. Through various coding and website enhancements, website such as Branders, Go Promos and ePromos make this happen. A customer who has a digital version of the company logo (usually a file called a .JPG, .GIF or .BMP) clicks a button on your site, which brings the logo front and center onto products such as a cup, polo shirt or flask. Some sites let users reposition and recolor the logo to see how it would look as a final product. With instant gratification, you may start getting more instant sales.
Tags: logo items, logo product, their name, would look