Ad Specialties Across
America
Want proof of the versatility of ad specialties as an advertising
medium?
Check out Counselor’s road trip, where we cover events
in each of the 50 states to see how ad specialty items were used
in a wide variety of programs.
By Andy Cohen, Betsy Cummings, Shane Dale, Ron Donoho, Kenneth Hein, C.J. Mittica and Dave Vagnoni
illustrations • ingo fast
Welcome to Ad Specialties Across America,a special feature that examines how ad specialty items
are being used at events throughout the whole country.
From spring break parties in Florida and a bowling tournament
in Nebraska to an incentive trip in Alaska and an
anti-drug march in Montana, we covered an event
in each of the 50 states that took place within the
past six months. And we asked one very simple
question: How were promotional products used in
the marketing or promotion of the event?
The result is not only an impressive display of
the sheer versatility and usefulness of promotional
products, but also a guide for the wide variety of
customers that distributors can call on these days.
When’s the last time you sold products for a
bar mitzvah? We’ve got that covered – in Michigan.
Looking for a way to get a foot in the door
at your local school? Check out our report from
a science fair in Connecticut. Have a big carnival
coming to town? Make sure to take a look at our
first-hand account of how promotional giveaways
are vital to corporations connecting with fans of a
massive rodeo and fair in Austin, Texas.
Of course, we also have a bar opening in California,
a dentist association trade show in Arizona,
street teams marketing a concert in New York, and
a Safari Club meeting in Colorado. Oh, there’s also
basketball promotions (it was NCAA tournament
time in March, after all), charity drives, a political
rally, and one barbecue contest in North Carolina
where a pig-shaped trophy is the big prize.
Yes, we spanned the map looking for some of
the most unique ways that promotional products
are used at events.
Roping In Customers At A Rodeo - TexasLuAnn Steele is a happy camper. The mother of two young kids – Tyler and Jennifer – simply can’t contain her enthusiasm for a certain item she just put on her head. “I just love this,” Steele says about the bright red bandanna emblazoned with Dodge Truck logos that is holding her dark brown hair in place. “I need something to hold my hair up when I’m cleaning the house and gardening. I go through these things so quickly, so I’ll definitely put this to good use.”
Steele is an attendee of the Star of Texas Fair & Rodeo, which took place in Austin from March 13-28. She’s one of thousands of Texas locals who are bombarded by corporate messages and giveaways during the two-week event. In fact, on the night Steele came, it was
Dodge Truck night at the rodeo. The first 2,000 people to pull into the parking lot driving a Dodge truck received the very bandanna that Steele is sporting. Mixed with a concert and Pro-
Rodeo competition each night, this annual Austin staple includes a carnival for kids, livestock auctions and outdoor fair cuisine at its finest. One of the main attractions three times a day? Pig races. Yep, the little porkers run around a short track – four at a time – and the crowd gets whipped up into a frenzy. On this late March day, pig number three took home the gold
medal in the 6:00 pm race. It was a popular pick, as the audience of about 200 cheered their favorite pigs on.
Oh, and of course there are companies just dying to attract the attention of these folks and the more than 10,000 people who come to the event every day – companies like RedMan and Grizzly. The two chewing tobacco brands each had a tent at the rodeo where marketing reps hand out samples of their products, as well as some promo products to remember the company by. Call it The Battle of the Tobacco Brands. “We’re meeting 100-200 people a day here,” says Rodney Smith, a representative from Mobile Marketing Solutions, the marketing firm hired by Red-Man to promote its items at the fair. “It’s a great opportunity to connect with consumers who are interested in our products.” And to continue that connection when consumers leave the
rodeo, the two brands are handing out promo items. Grizzly is giving away pens, koozies, notepads, and plastic bags emblazoned with Grizzly logos and marketing messages so visitors can tote their samples around. RedMan, operating out of a booth fit for a trade show, is handing
out T-shirts, pens, stickers and magnets. Plus, the company has logoed guitars, sweatshirts and televisions on display in its booth at the rodeo. Every person who comes into the RedMan booth walks away with a koozie. For this brand, and with this audience, it’s the most effective promotional product. “We’ve done the research on the rodeo audience,” Smith says confidently.
“We know they drink a lot of beer and they’ll use these things to keep their beer cold. These will get a lot of use. They’ll be cooling a lot of beers around Austin for the next year or so.
That’s good for the brand.” – AC
For promotional products for your next event contact us at
nowand4ever@sc.rr.com, visit our website at
www.nowandforevercreations.net or give us a call at 803-727-7928. Let us help you plan your next event from when to get the word out, giveaways, and how to keep them coming back.
