CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER'S MESSAGE

It happens more often than you would imagine. A key marketing executive arrives for a meeting to approve merchandise for an upcoming promotional campaign. They step out of their luxurious European automobile. If they are male, they are often times wearing a Rolex or Panerai watch. If they are female, they are often carrying a Louis Vuitton handbag and maybe wearing “red bottom” shoes. These are brands that are more than just expensive. These are brands that are perceived as representing high-quality and prestige. These are the type of brands that are generally worn by executives such as these, who are also, and most noticeably, consumers. These consumers identify with these brands not only as an affirmation of their level of corporate success, but also as a confirmation to themselves of their heightened social status. In other words, these brands make them feel like they have made it to, or near, "the top".

Along those same lines, these executives will not hesitate to spend tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of their company’s marketing dollars to sponsor various events. They do this just simply to keep their company's name “out there” as they understand, and value, brand recognition. However, when they eventually have their staff contact a promotional products company to order items for their said sponsored event, they “suddenly” present a noticeably tight budget? Wait. What? And it is this "small budget" that ends up driving their purchasing decision. The end result being, their customers get a few nice "cost conscience" items to take home with them. However, as the saying goes, could this be penny wise but pound foolish?

Retrospectively speaking is anything wrong with this? The answer is, of course, no. Tight budgets drive purchasing decisions in our industry almost everyday. However, if one were to dig a little deeper, as we always do here at Pitre Consulting, we could offer up an alternative solution. For us, the more informed answer is to make their promotional product purchasing decision by picking items that may elicit the same perceived "feelings" as does their luxury automobile, high-end watch, high fashion handbag and designer shoe choices. Or, at least, point their customers in that direction every chance we get.

I state this because the data is clear and available throughout the promotional products industry. Almost half of people given a useful promotional product will keep it for more than a year. Almost 3/4th’s of people given a promotional product will use it once per week. And, finally, half of people given a promotional product will use it, at least, once per day. The data varies slightly in a multitude of studies across the industry. However, the end results are almost always the same; promotional products have a huge impact on their recipients, because of both their high consumer retention rate, as well as their high consumer usage rate. 

At Pitre Consulting, we capitalize on these data points by consistently offering our clients several useful, high-quality, products at multiple price points. No company works harder at finding its clients better deals on quality items. We utilize our talent, creativity and merchandise shopping skills each and every business day. We also leverage our experience and detailed work ethic, along with our outstanding wholesale buying power, via our back office processor, Kaeser & Blair, that has been in business for well over 120 years. The end result being, we frequently source high-quality items at surprisingly reasonable prices, when purchased at our suggested volumes. Additionally, we offer long term, as well as short term, storage of customer inventory (even if it was not purchased from us), as well as shipping of this inventory anywhere in the free world. (Please click on our "Services" tab for more details.)

Accordingly, the next time you are in the market for a promotional item, let's remember -- this decision will place your company name and logo directly in the valuable hands and eyesight of your customer -- for what very well may end up being the next several years. Therefore, let’s not under utilize this opportunity on a “budget conscience” promotional item, unless you really have no other choice. In which case, Pitre Consulting can, and will, help you find some very nice products. However, whenever the right opportunity presents itself, let’s choose to collectively “raise the bar” together and make sure that any promotional item that represents your company going forward, will have as high of a level of quality as financially feasible. This way your company's brand perception will be trending steadily towards the same level of cachet, as say, the car, watch or handbag that you drive and wear to attend your important client meetings (wink).

Your Partner in Branding,

Dalon Jackson

Partner & Chief Operating Officer

Pitre Consulting