There are so many ad-specialty dealers
out there—so why use a consultant?
We will give you unbiased advice
on the best ad-specialty items for your promotion and
help you develop a marketing strategy.
We will coordinate with the factories
to ensure you get the best items for the best price.
We will always look for and pass
factory discounts on to you.
We always quote you the total price,
including all extras, so you are never surprised.
Art
Questions? We have answers.
How to Make Advertising Specialties Work for You
Where do I begin?
With more than a half-million advertising
specialties to choose from, deciding where to start
can be daunting. We suggest you start with 4 questions:
What is the event or product
we want to promote?
Who is our target audience?
What is our deadline?
What is our budget?
Note that budget is the last question
to ask, not the first. Depending on your goals, it
may be better to have a thousand inexpensive items,
or two dozen very nice items. Successful ad specialties
are designed to hit a target, not meet a per-item budget.
How do I pick the best ad-specialty?
Advantek will help you with this task at no charge and
with no bias. After you have answered the above 4 questions,
we can give you a short list of about a dozen choices.
After further discussion, you should be able to narrow
the list down to two or three good candidates. At this
point, you can decide, based on personal preference or
focus group feedback.
Quoted Price vs. Final cost: Why don’t they always match?
Many first time customers fall into a costly pricing
trap when comparing quotes. Dealer A says an item is
$1.00 each when ordering 1000 quantity, and Dealer B
says an item is $1.15 each when ordering 1000 quantity.
Which is cheaper? You can’t tell, based on this information.
Ask for a Total Cost including any set-up, art work,
extra color or rush charges (if applicable), and shipping.
Many dealers will deliberately misquote to make unit
costs seem lower than the competition. These "extras" can
add more than 30% to your total cost.
Special
Pricing—How do I get discounts?
Dealers periodically
receive special pricing structures from their factories.
Some offer free shipping, free set-up, or less-than-minimum
quantities. Another deal is called "End Quantity
Pricing," or EQP. This means you get the price
discount usually offered only when you buy a huge
quantity, even when you order the smallest quantity.
For example, if an item sells for $2.00 each at 100
quantity, but only $1.00 each at 10000 quantity,
an EQP offer allows the dealer to sell to you at
the $1.00 price, even if you order only 100. Many
dealers won’t pass these savings on to you, so ask!
Advantek always informs customers of EQP offers.
Is there one item that always succeeds?
There is no "magic bullet" ad specialty. However,
some items have more universal success than others. When
picking an ad-specialty item, decide whether your goal
is to have multiple exposures to one customer, or to "saturate
the area" for a short period of time. Multiple exposures
to one person requires that the item is retained, and
placed in an area of high repeat visibility. Desk Accessories
and refrigerator magnets are good examples. To saturate
an area with your message, think about hats, bright colored
buttons, plastic bags, yard sticks, bumper stickers and
lanyards. Also, be sure to ask your dealer about "trendy" items
that may be new to the ad-specialty market. Being the
first on the block with a new item can sometimes get
you remembered.
Production Time—How long does it take?
Normal production time for items can vary from several
days to several weeks, depending on factory, availability,
season, and market conditions. Try to allow as much time
as possible, to take into account any unforeseen delays.
In a pinch, Advantek offers many items available in less
than a week with no rush charges. Other items are available
in a few days, but rush charges could apply. Always ask
your dealer if you are paying rush charges for fast turnaround.
How do I order?
Advantek will complete the order for you, and track
your order through to delivery. If you choose to order
elsewhere, depending on the dealer or factory, the order
process can be simple, or complicated. When ordering
directly from the factory, you will have to fill out
their forms, get your artwork "camera-ready," and
follow up with the factory.
