Promotional Keychains - By: Dejan Petrovic

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As the marketing director of a local consulting company, I needed to come up with new ideas for promotion of our business. I knew that this would be a great time to seek consulting, as the changes in the economy have presented many new challenges for businesses, but I also realized that, for the same reasons, businesses would be much less likely to have the budget available for consulting services. Our business is set up to provide an initial free consultation, during which we assess the potential client's needs and explain what services we could provide and how they would help. Usually, our clients are satisfied with our professional manner and concrete ideas, and this first consultation often leads to a relationship. My task involved finding more businesses to make that initial call and set up the consultation - to convince strangers that we could help them too. Promotional products have always appealed to me, as they are a way to continually remind potential clients about one's company, even in a completely different context. Sometimes, this removal from context can be crucial: a client may not think about hiring a business consultant when he or she is at work, but when using a promotional item from our company in their own home, they could be in a more relaxed mood, and more apt to consider it. I needed to think of something creative but still useful as a promotional product. Then it dawned on me: promotional keychains! My house always seems to run short of keychains, as we each have our own set of keys, as well as the outdoor (garage & shed) keys and our spare keys for guests. Keychains are undoubtedly useful, and ideally would be something a client would use and see every day. I experimented with different key-related slogans to use on the keychain. I wanted something clever and eye-catching on one side, and my company's information on the other. "Need direction?" "The key to your success." "Found your keys? Now find new clients." All of these were potential ideas - something that would remain in a potential client's mind, and, ideally, lead to more business.