A nice surprise this morning!

I wake up to my cell phone beeping this morning. Got a message on my facebook fanpage, and the notification went to my cell phone.

It was the head of an organization that does a lot of work with local communities, and does a lot of community clean ups!

Anyway, they stated that they were searching a company that would handle the disposal of any and all electronics that they collect. She stated that they have done this for a few years, and people were always disappointed that they couldnt drop off their tv's and computers.

I told her, that VIP Recycling would be honored to be a part of community clean up, and to offer our services.

So my company name and logo will be on all their advertisements, flyers, etc while promoting the event.

Now, here is a question that I have.

I want to show up with business cards, and other little advertisement goodies that I am allowed to bring with me.

For those of you who have gone to events to promote your company and services, what marketing material have you found to be the most popular?

Like water bottles, post cards, flyers, pens, magnets, hats, t shirts, etc?

May not work for you but the absolute BEST advertising thing I ever got was a card holder that the top flips open. Still have it and use it for my cards. It may be advertising HIS business but it's useful for holding MINE. It's covered with fake leather, so looks classy, too.

Originally Posted by Gangel

I always thought it was ironic that companies that promise to do more for the environment and clean things up always have a bunch of little pidly advertising junk that wasn't/isn't good for the environment. Just a thought. People love free stuff but at what cost?

The organization that is contracting my company, is handling everything that is dropped off, aside from any and all electronics. All my electronics that I collect get recycled 100%. Nothing at all goes to any type of landfill. What can't be sold on ebay, gets sent to a buyer

What the organization does with what they collect, is all on them. I was just given permission that if I wanted, I could bring along some advertisements that I could pass out, to get the name out there to even more people. Not like I am charging anyone to take a flyer, post card, or whatever I might have.

Originally Posted by Headhunter

But if I had magnets made out of my business cards, I would give them that. Something they can stick on their fridge and not something they will throw away. Ever been to a conference when you collected swag? What did you do with it? What was the company name on those 3 color markers that looked like a triangle? Can't remember?

I was thinking about magnet business cards. By the time June rolls around, I will need to be ordering more cards, so I was thinking of doing 1,000 regular, and 1,000 as magnets. This way, I can give 1 magnet to all customers, so they can stick them wherever they want.

Aside from that, I am just trying to think of things I can do for the adults, and something that kids would like as well.

Originally Posted by Mick

May not work for you but the absolute BEST advertising thing I ever got was a card holder that the top flips open. Still have it and use it for my cards. It may be advertising HIS business but it's useful for holding MINE. It's covered with fake leather, so looks classy, too.

You know, I have been looking for a good business card holder for mine. All the ones I see are "crappy" looking lol.

Will definitely look into that.

George:
My background is in Marketing and I spent a number of years in the promotional products industry. Do a search of an "ASI distributor" in your area while googling "Promotional products" The industry is a tad tricky- you can't buy direct from the producer and you have to go through a distributor- but if you set an appointment with an ASI distributor and get to go into their office- your head will spin. They have everything from towels, to stress balls cups, magnets, keychains, pens etc.

I worked for a company named Buztronics.. The ASI line is at Home page
I loved working for them.. everything they make lights up.. we KILLED at industry trade shows.. Everyone wanted our swag!

The point of any promotional product is that:
1. They will KEEP it within eyeshot (and thus your logo) that keeps you "top of mind"
2. They relate the coolness of it with the coolness of your company!

The stuff this company makes had everyone from kids to grandparents light up like a 4 year old. People would walk around the show and say "What booth did you get that at" Can't put enough of a price on that!!

So in a nutshell:
Find an ASI rep in your area
Ask if they carry "Buzline" or any other line you think is cool
Place an order.. and Begin pulling in the customers :-)

Aaron

Originally Posted by sledge42

George:
My background is in Marketing and I spent a number of years in the promotional products industry. Do a search of an "ASI distributor" in your area while googling "Promotional products" The industry is a tad tricky- you can't buy direct from the producer and you have to go through a distributor- but if you set an appointment with an ASI distributor and get to go into their office- your head will spin. They have everything from towels, to stress balls cups, magnets, keychains, pens etc.

I worked for a company named Buztronics.. The ASI line is at Home page
I loved working for them.. everything they make lights up.. we KILLED at industry trade shows.. Everyone wanted our swag!

The point of any promotional product is that:
1. They will KEEP it within eyeshot (and thus your logo) that keeps you "top of mind"
2. They relate the coolness of it with the coolness of your company!

The stuff this company makes had everyone from kids to grandparents light up like a 4 year old. People would walk around the show and say "What booth did you get that at" Can't put enough of a price on that!!

So in a nutshell:
Find an ASI rep in your area
Ask if they carry "Buzline" or any other line you think is cool
Place an order.. and Begin pulling in the customers :-)

Aaron

Aaron,

Thanks a lot man. Stuff like what they offer, is exactly what I am talking about! I will definitely look into them, and contact them to see when I need to place an order to have stuff before June 1st!

Originally Posted by Gangel

It's not about charging the people for what you give away. It's about reduce and reuse. People bring stuff to reduce and then take back stuff that just re-clogs their life. I would think a banner on the side of the trailer with your logo and a trifold display with pictures of where stuff goes would have more impact. Just don't show the "money" on the display. People get turned off fast when they find out you make any money off their "donation". This might be a xhance to say you'll donate a penny a lb to the group for every lb you get.

Gangel, I totally understand what your referring to. However, I can almost guarantee that individuals and companies who donate items, dont care if you resell it or not. They are just happy to get rid of it.

With what I am referring to, is little promotional items. Stuff that they might use all the time with my company logo and contact information on it and remember VIP Recycling for when a need arises.

The organization that will be taking their donations, doesn't resell the stuff. They collect, and distribute to those in need. Homesless shelters, Churches, families in need, etc.

They are just taking a lot of the work away from individuals who dont have the time or resources or know how, on how to distribute the items.

Just be prepared to take the good with the bad and possibly in large quantities.

Curious who your buyer is for all the TV's you will be getting? And will you be charging them to dispose of anything?

Originally Posted by KzScrapper

Just be prepared to take the good with the bad and possibly in large quantities.

Curious who your buyer is for all the TV's you will be getting? And will you be charging them to dispose of anything?

There is a local scrapper here that will take the crt tube tvs. I dont know who is contacts are, but he has someone for all of it.

For the flat screens, we just turn them in for $1 per

i use vista print for my promo materials, make sure you save the receipt on what you spend for your taxes. I would definetly do cards and fliers, pens and keychains are always good also.

Originally Posted by GeorgeB

You know, I have been looking for a good business card holder for mine. All the ones I see are "crappy" looking lol.

Will definitely look into that.

Some pictures of mine. You can kind of make out the name, etc, on the front. Not mine. http://i1209.photobucket.com/albums/...dholder010.jpg


http://i1209.photobucket.com/albums/...dholder006.jpg

http://i1209.photobucket.com/albums/...dholder005.jpg

Originally Posted by jghilino

i use vista print for my promo materials, make sure you save the receipt on what you spend for your taxes. I would definetly do cards and fliers, pens and keychains are always good also.

Yeah, I think I am going to come up with about 5 to 10 good items, and order them in advance.

Originally Posted by Mick

Some pictures of mine. You can kind of make out the name, etc, on the front. Not mine. http://i1209.photobucket.com/albums/...dholder010.jpg


http://i1209.photobucket.com/albums/...dholder006.jpg

http://i1209.photobucket.com/albums/...dholder005.jpg

Thanks Mick. That doesnt look to shabby. I know, it was given to you, but have you ever seen anything like it in a store anywhere?

I have looked in several stores around here and they all look to cheaply made.

Originally Posted by DWJ

George, I believe what Gangel is saying is there are companies which claim to be environmentally friendly or even "eco-solutions" who hand out useless stuff that will quickly end up in a landfill. My town has a large parade every summer,last year one "Eco-Friendly" cleaning service handed out several thousand glow sticks with their name and number embossed on them, not very "eco-friendly" after all. If you do use "environment" as a part of your sales presentation, I would recommend small notepads with your name and logo printed on 100% recycled paper, or reusable water bottles made of 100% recycled plastic. Good luck to you on this cleanup partnership!

My apologies to Gangel, I get what he and you mean now.

Whatever marketing method stuff I plan to take, aside from perhaps a little brochure, I plan to make it something that they will hopefully keep and use for quite a while.

Then again, people can throw away anything for any reason.

Originally Posted by happyscraper

George, you said in one post that that 100% of all the electronics you get will be recycled and nothing will go to a landfill. Then in another post you said that you have a guy that you bring tv's to but your not sure what he does with the CRT. How do know he doesn't throw the CRT in a dumpster? I would also like to know where you send your plastic to be recycled. I hope your ready to handle all the electronics that your going to get. I wish you all the luck in the world.

99% of the TV's that I get, work. Those get sent to Goodwill's to be sold, or to local charities and non profits to be used, in whatever manner they get used for.

The other 1% that doesn't work, for whatever reasons, get sent to our eco friendly landfill. Here, our landfills have to dispose of anything and everything in an environmentally friendly way. This includes TV's. They recycle every bit of it.

Now, this particular guy in question, he sounds out the plastic shells for our recycling days here in our town, which is really awesome.

I forgot what my client said he does with the glass, but he recycles them or sells them to someone. They don't get trashed.

I may not be in the position to do everything yet 100% on my own, but I will only work with individuals and companies with the same attitude as me. Reputation is everything in any business you are involved in, and I hold mine pretty close.

If I am ever working with someone that isn't 100% honest with what they are doing with something, and it will hurt the environment, I cut the ties to the relationship.