Download The Tchotchke Is Alive And Well…And Thriving

The Tchotchke Is Alive And Well…And Thriving
POINT/COUNTERPOINT by Paul Bellantone, CAE, PPAI President & CEO
Recently I had the opportunity to respond to a lighthearted blog post by Todd Wilms, SAP’s senior director of social
media marketing, on The Sad Death of the Beloved Tchotchke. Although humorous in nature, I take this type of
commentary seriously. On behalf of our “beloved tchotchke”, this was my rebuttal.
Allow me to present a somewhat different view of promotional products—perhaps one never
considered—in support of the ‘beloved tchotchke,’ a.k.a. promotional product.
An imprinted t-shirt raises more than $7,000 for a teenager battling the cancer and unites a community
around hope. On a winter day in New York, imprinted blankets distributed to the homeless transform into
a message of hope, caring and community. A key chain with a whistle handed out to students at a selfdefense class becomes an empowering tool. A t-shirt given to children at a
summer outdoor program is a memorable, functional keepsake. When the shirt
is decorated with the phone number to call if the child is lost, the imprinted
shirt becomes a prudent safety precaution.
An imprinted t-shirt, blanket, a functional key chain—they help save lives.
They create community. They stir hope and purpose. They have an undeniable,
beneficial impact on our world.
The items you perceive as obsolete are anything but. The truth is this form of advertising is stronger than
ever. In fact, some of the salient points raised in your post are exactly why promotional products are one
of the most effective, cost-efficient and longest-lasting media used by advertisers, marketers, social media
aficionados and SAP. Compared to other media, promotional products are the sixth fastest-growing
advertising medium, ranking eighth among traditional and digital media in annual expenditures at $18.5
billion.
To savvy advertisers and marketers, promotional products are the secret weapon in the marketing arsenal
because they are the only tangible advertising medium with the ability to deliver a touchable, taste-able,
seeable, hearable and smell-able sensory engagement—the total brand experience. More importantly,
promotional products are the only advertising for which consumers say, “Thank you!”
The message is pretty clear, when used as part of an integrated advertising strategy or as a standalone
medium, promotional products deliver some pretty impressive results.
We couldn’t agree more with the message on the SAP merchandise site,
“All products function, design or benefit are
linked to how we want to be perceived as a
company. This shop provides products that
convey the strength of the SAP brand, that will
inspire and enhance a true sense of belonging.
Enjoy!”
Merchandise Site
Paul Bellantone, CAE, PPAI President and CEO
When professionally designed and produced, and used as part of strategic plan, promotional products
generate interest, action, sales, referrals and loyalty—in short results. These results distinguish them as
one of the most effective and arguably the longest-lasting and best-loved advertising media in the world.
Wilms’ blog: http://blogs.sap.com/innovation/innovation/sad-death-beloved-tchotchke-0589178