We’ve all seen the ads for Online Promo Product Sellers, or Big Box Office Supply Stores… Custom Imprinted Pens for ONLY 17 cents each! “WOW! What a deal!” You might think, “I could promote my business for next to nothing!” Well, not so fast… There are a few things to consider before you get burned by a bad promotional product experience. Here’s how cheap promo products cost you more than you think.
“Shopping” Online Wastes Time
Let’s be honest… Online product peddlers and box stores really don’t care about your promotion.
“Ouch. That’s cold Ryan! How can you say that?”
Okay I know it sounds harsh, but the reality is, these companies aren’t structured to create winning promotions or products. It’s all about the transaction for them. They are just order takers, and you are just a credit card number.
Companies like these offer you their database or catalog, so you the customer spends all your time searching for a product. Sounds fun for those of us who enjoy online shopping – but remember, this is a “promotional tool” designed to create new opportunities for your business – not a pair of shoes or coffee table book.
The stakes are much higher, and online “shopping” will cost you valuable time.
Cheaper = DIY (AKA, You’re on your own)
“Okay” you’re saying, “but the products are cheaper!”
Sure, they can provide products for you at the cheapest price because of their nationwide exposure and buying power. But their goal is the sale, not necessarily quality service. If you have important questions about how to distribute or integrate their product into a marketing campaign, don’t expect to find helpful answers with them.
Without a seasoned promotional consultant, you could be buying the wrong, or inferior product and you won’t know it until it’s too late. Money wasted!
Quality Control
If you’re not careful, you could be setting yourself up for a product nightmare. Online Stores, and even Office Supply stores won’t always take the time to qualify your artwork. If you send them artwork that looks good on screen, but isn’t good for print, they might not alert you and print the job anyway. You may not find out until your finished product arrives – ugliness and all – the day before your Trade Show. Gah! Promotion ruined!
Hidden Fees
Another problem with these companies is that they advertise low prices, but don’t mention the extra costs associated with setting up the job until say, you get to the final checkout page (talk about annoying). Manufacturers and screen printers alike require screens or pads to imprint the product with your logo. That’s going to require labor and materials – and some added cost.
You might get gouged at checkout with last minute shipping fees ($239 freight for 24 mugs! Are you kidding me?) And sometimes the price per piece advertised is only available if you buy 10,000 pens – not the 500 you had budgeted for.
If you do buy online, make sure to get all the facts up front. It may not be as great a deal as advertised.
Straight to the Trash
No matter who you buy from, the biggest mistake you can make is giving a cheap, faulty or irrelevant product to your customers. I know of a customer who once bought a thousand cheap click-style pens (from a different vendor than me of course!). Anytime you plunged the the plunger, the end would fly off across the room! More money wasted!
And if it’s not completely relevant to your target audience, it will be useless to them. You can get a screamin’ deal on a sale item, but that doesn’t mean it will be appropriate for your audience. Your money would be better spent on a non-sale item that gets results!
Image Problem
And that brings me to the last problem with cheap products. You’re not fooling anyone. Your customer knows they’re cheap… and they’re not impressed! This can cost you in the minds of your customers if you’re not careful. They could be looking at you thinking, “They’re not that successful… what’s wrong with them?” or “If they’re cutting corners on their own stuff, won’t they do that to me?”
Promotional Products are an important investment for your image and marketing efforts. Don’t sabotage a good thing with cheap products. Get with a good Promotional Consultant and your money will be well spent.
Check out 10 Reasons Why You Should Be Using a Promotional Consultant.
