When A Mug Is More Than A Mug: Staying Unique In Promotional Products


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When A Mug Is More Than A Mug: Staying Unique In Promotional Products

Issue: 2009mar

Henry Ford is famous for telling customers they could order his Model T automobile in any color, so long as it was black. In the promotional products world, customers have a access to a broader spectrum. But just as a new color doesn’t make one Model T different from another, a coffee mug in blue, purple, neon green or metallic silver is still just a coffee mug.

So how do suppliers maintain a distinctive presence in the industry? The short answer might be: by design. New product design may be as complex as introducing a truly unique, never-before-seen product or as simple as taking something familiar and making it new by form or function. Be warned, though—not every new idea sells in every market.

Peter Herz, CAS, says it’s best not to go too far afield when coming up with new products. “You still need to stay in the realm of something many people can buy,” he says.

Herz, CEO of Stamford, Connecticut-based supplier Jornik Manufacturing (UPIC: JORNIK), cites as one example a product his company tried to market that didn’t go over so well despite its seemingly useful purpose. The item, which was designed to flash when incoming e-mails were received, “was so unique, people didn’t want it,” he says. “You don’t want to train people how to do something differently, and you can’t make it so new that people don’t want to use it.

“When you are trying to develop a new product whatever you come up with has to offer good value that many people will either use, display or hold onto,” adds Herz. “For our industry, it has to take a great imprint because that’s what this is really all about --maximum ad exposure.”

Herz says much of Jornik’s focus is on taking something that exists already and modifying it so that, among other things, it might perform multiple functions. He says brainstorming for new ideas is a continuous team effort. Ideas are developed often as the result of playing one thought off another, and that the process is always in play. “We’re always trying to come up with something.”

But in an industry where the competition for attention to detail, form and function can be fierce, the potential for offering more of the same is always high. Herz says to combat product “fatigue”, his team immediately begins researching available products in case the idea they want to develop has already been brought to market by another company.

Herz says the product is searched online by describing it in as many ways as possible. “We look for something to see if anyone’s got it -- if it fails [meaning a product has been developed] we see what they’ve got and what they’re doing with it.”

Another form of research intended to help Jornik avoid repeating good ideas has been the tradeshow search. Herz says while some suppliers have expressed concern that he’s trying to “rip off” product ideas, “when I walk around a show, I’m looking so I don’t come out with the same thing.”

If you believe you have an item that deserves to stand on its own, it may be worth your time to research intellectual property rights. Click here for a brief guide to the types of intellectual property and applicable labels recognized in the U.S.

Tucson, Arizona-based supplier Ecosphere Associates, Inc. (UPIC: EcoSphr) is one of those companies with a product that many do consider one-of-a-kind. The Ecosphere® has been around in its current form for two decades, says Michele Harmony, vice president and co-owner of the company.

While the product has been marketed in the retail sector -- it's carried in museum shops and used in conjunction with education -- Ecosphere delved into promotional products just a few years ago.

"At the tradeshows we've had great acceptance," says Harmony. It has been the tradeshow circuit that has taught Harmony the most beneficial way to market unique products like the Ecosphere is up close and personal.

"Because our product is so unusual, people need to see it to understand it," she says. To that end, the supplier revamped its show booth early on, paring down the printed elements and highlighting the product itself; a giant version of the sphere is often on display.

"We also work with distributors to help them fit the ecosphere into what they're doing," says Harmony. The company will often provide case studies to clients to help them create a suitable program that centers on the Ecosphere and ensures it remains relevant to the message. "We draw on our history and mold what has been done to fit what is being done."

Harmony says for a product that does stand out above others, or has no obvious competitor, personal attention is key.

"You can spend all the money you want (on print advertising) but it won't make a difference...you need to be where people can see you," she says. "Distributors are serious about their businesses and they make use of those opportunities."

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