The Advertising Medium That Remains To Be Seen

My last few blogs have focused on changing communication strategies, lack of innovation and ongoing challenges in our industry. This time, let’s pause a moment to talk about a communication aspect of our industry that really does work.

You don’t have to look too hard to find someone’s column or opinion on how the Internet has affected how we live and do business. Personally and professionally, the manner in which we communicate has been upended in the past 20 years. And if you haven’t been working for 20 years yet, stick with me. There is a point for everyone ahead.

It always is interesting to see the divergent opinions on the effects the Internet has had on our industry. Some people think it is the greatest thing since sliced bread. Other more traditionalists see the end of the promotional products industry as we know it.

I’m in the middle on the topic. I like to slice my own bread, but I also think reports of our demise have been greatly exaggerated. In fact, I think the digital age means even greater opportunities for the promotional products industry.
Think about it. We are all connected to each other, the brands we like and the information we need. Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, e-mail, websites, commonsku, blogs, etc. have changed our lives. These tools make communicating within the marketplace easy and inexpensive. But what it all lacks is a tangible, personal touch. There is much less face-to-face communication and even a smaller amount of paper-to-paper communication now. Gone are the days when a business transaction came with handshakes and emotions, like smiles, were real, not just emoticons.

But promotional products are different. They are 3-D, hands-on, message-delivery pieces. They are everything that the digital age is not. Think about all of the descriptions you have heard to describe promotional products: The advertising medium that remains to be seen, the five senses media, the lasting, personal medium.