For the love of god, stop handing out plastic drawstring backpacks with your logo on.
Karl is happy. The conference is over, and he got a lot of sales leads. And a lot of attendees have his details too, on a business card that is three times longer than the standard size. “I had them made specially,” Karl says. “If my card is in a pile of cards, mine stands out from the rest. By about three inches. Pretty unforgettable.”
Karl’s company name, SWAG, speaks for itself. How does he beat out the competition? “That’s all about swag too,” Karl laughs. “It’s not about putting your logo on swag; it’s about putting swag on your logo.”
“Stress relief squidges are the best seller, especially among the environmental agencies,” says Karl handing me a squidgy water drop with ‘Save the Planet’ stamped on it. “And because they’re made from polyurethane foam the message will be around for decades if not centuries. Great bang for your buck, just don’t let any pets eat them. Or put them in the ocean.”
Post-it note holders are a Karl favorite. “Everyone knows how post-it note blocks are always sliding all over the desk. These things are a godsend.”
“Wall calendars are essential office items,” Karl says, while loading several unclaimed boxes of the same into the back of his car. “But fanny packs are out. At least until next year.”
While Karl’s warehouse full of fanny packs waits to be trendy again, what he never offers is smart phone accessories. “Whoever is giving those away will be sorry when the fad suddenly finishes eh?”
