Hello, I’m Donna Bender, and I am a Marketing and Branding Expert. I have been involved with branding throughout my entire career, working with: Calvin Klein, Salvatore Ferragamo; Eddie Bauer; New Balance; Laura Ashley; Major League Baseball, to name a few. So I understand what it takes and what goes into developing and building a brand, but does everything have to have your logo?
Let me tell you why I am bringing this up. My username on Twitter and Instagram for the last seven years has been Logos_On_Swag. It is very identifiable--It is easy to remember, and you might have a good idea of what I do. HOWEVER, this is only a part of what I do--
When I am working with my clients or a prospect, I like to share my knowledge and personal experiences as often as I can. My goal is to lead them in the right direction about what products to brand and help them understand that there is a difference when giving a gift. Baseball caps, bags/totes/ T-shirts, drinkware, etc. Anything that could be in full view, and seen by a large audience where the number of impressions is exceptionally high, is considered great outdoor advertising. However, if you want to give a special gift to your clients, and you put your brand on it, would they use it, or would it be put away in the back of a closet or drawer?
I can give you some examples. I had a client who spent thousands of dollars during the holidays on Waterford Crystal candlesticks for all their employees and clients, and they wanted to put their logo on the candlesticks. (Not the bottom, but on the front of the candlesticks). I gave them several reasons why they should not do that. WHY? Very few people will brag about beautiful Waterford Crystal candlesticks received as gifts with the company brand front and center. Of course, like everything else, there may be few exceptions where they would want to place this in full view- (maybe the gift was from an infamous person). Let’s face it, we ALL love when we get our Amazon packages, but would you want to receive Waterford Crystal candlesticks, with AMAZON running down the candlestick? OR…would you prefer to see etched (underneath the bottom of the candlestick), four words, Thank You, Jeff Bezos
There is great significance and importance placed behind carefully selected and purposeful gift giving. I like to educate my clients and prospects about the WHY, WHAT, and HOW of it all.
Here’s another question. Say you want to provide several of your clients a set of great-looking, higher-priced, and very cool Ray-Ban sunglasses. Do you think they will want to see your logo on the temples of the frame?
When you are GIVING A GIFT, and it is the right gift, it will exemplify and be an extension of who you are --There is no need to add your logo to their gift-- It is a gift….. They will remember you.
I will use myself again as an example. I love giving gifts-- I love how it makes people feel and witness the delight it brings. I have given many different gifts throughout my entire career, and I have given gifts without my logo. I cannot tell you how many phone calls I receive, the number of social media posts (with photos), emails, thank you notes, all thanking me for the gift.
I don’t recommend that my clients put their logo on a gift. There are other things they can do- a custom box, hangtag, customized tissue paper, or a unique notecard in the box. When someone uses that gift (in this case, it was a beautiful blanket in a keepsake box with a large wired bow and ribbon), they still (6+ years later) contact me because they think of me when they use it and want me to know how that blanket makes them feel. It is so essential to create that emotional connection with a client. Ultimately it is what we all want!!
My goal is to build a strong foundation and lasting relationship and that critical level of trust where my clients know I will always lead them in the right direction.
We give to give! The relationships you are building are between you and your client. After all, YOU are Your Brand. Your clients are doing business with you, not necessarily your company, per se. If one day you decide to leave a company and go somewhere else or start your own, that client may give you an opportunity because you built a foundation and long-lasting relationship. (unless, of course, there are legal documents that say otherwise). I created my children’s clothing company because of the relationships I had fostered in my previous positions. I had an idea, and because of the relationships I had built in the Fashion Industry, top retailers around the country gave me the shot I needed.
There is an excellent quote by Scott Stratten-
“If you believe business is built on relationships, make building them your business.”
There is no question --logoed products play an essential role in marketing and branding your company. I would not be speaking the truth if I said otherwise.
However, when you want to stand out, be remembered, and build long-lasting relationships with your clients and prospects, giving unexpected gifts at unexpected times will grow your business; you will NOT have to SELL anything to your clients. There is no quid pro quo here.
I am very passionate about the importance of nurturing and building relationships to grow your business WITHOUT SELLING.
For more info and updates to our upcoming SUMMIT and Webinar..... Please give me a shout and LET'S CONNECT!!
As I mentioned earlier, Logos_On_Swag is only part of what I do, so you can now find ( all of me) on the links below--
**** There is one thing for sure, you will not see any of these logos on the front of a Waterford Crystal candlestick! :)
Clubhouse: donna_r_bender
Here's to your SUCCESS!
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