He urged the bank to consider the demographics of the customers it would be courting with the promotion. The advice worked. The bank chose high-quality sweatshirts, backpacks and thermoses to give away. P-F Unlimited provided 500 of each item, and by buying in bulk, the bank was able to lower its price per item. The best part, Hiatt says, was that each item had a much higher perceived value to bank customers than the actual cost to the bank.
People are appreciative of the gifts.
The reason this was a success was that we listened to what the bank wanted to do, then really guided them through the product choice. Nelson Specialties has found a niche providing high-end wearables. The distributorship has provided clothing ranging from T-shirts to work jackets for clients such as hospitals, banks, manufacturing companies and construction firms. Not every company is so willing to budget freely for ad specialties though. We want the end user to use the item instead of putting it in their desk drawer.