The Petrie Dish

/ By

Every week there are articles published that are of interest to promotional products industry professionals across the land. To save you time, I have culled the internet for the ones you should read and the ones you should skip.

5 Impacts a Social Media Campaign Can Have on Your Brand – “Must Read” Article of the Week

Okay, so this is more of a book excerpt than an article, but it doesn’t change the fact that it is chock full of great advice – especially those who are wary of dipping their toes in the social media waters. From enhanced brand recognition to increased referrals, the author takes a step-by-step approach to helping the reader not only understand the significant role social media plays in increasing sales, but how to actually go about doing it. Even if you’re a social media pro, this is a really good article that will give you a fresh perspective.

Red Sox Cancel Giveaway of ‘Racially Insensitive’ David Ortiz Bobbleheads

In yet another instance of good promo gone bad, a set of Major League Baseball bobbleheads had to be pulled from distribution just hours before a game because they were deemed racially insensitive. Apparently it was the call of the Boston Red Sox team president who felt it was an “inaccurate portrayal of David.” Here’s my question: Why weren’t these bobbleheads reviewed when they were received –likely weeks or months ago? The answer is that they were but no one raised a ruckus until the day of the game. Regardless, a decision on the offending bobbleheads should – and could – have been made weeks ago.

4 Men Face Racketeering Charges for Selling Counterfeit Denver Broncos Merchandise

Almost every distributor and supplier I know has had some sort of request for “unofficial” merchandise for a favorite sports team. For almost 10 years, the four men sold merchandise falsely marked as official that originated in (shock) China. The bottom line is that it’s just not worth it to produce and/or sell licensed merchandise when you don’t have the license.

Swag Success: How to Use Customized Products for Branding

This article was narrowly beaten out for the “don’t waste your time article” of the week by the one below, but it was dangerously close. I have a few issues with this article:

1.       The use of the word swag – yes, I know many love it but I can’t stand it as it cheapens what we do and promotional marketing professionals

2.       The article suggests hiring a graphic designer – that would be what is called, “overkill”

3.       The author shares that trade shows are a great place to distribute said swag – really? I never would’ve thought of that

Even so, there are a few – very few – decent nuggets of information here that sort of make it worth reading. Sort of.

Trump Beating Clinton…In Ecommerce Merchandise Searches – “Don’t Waste Your Time Reading” Article of the Week

You can file this one under “no one cares.” If it were actual SALES of merchandise, then this article might have some redeeming value. But, no, this just tells the reader the number of Americans that have searched for Trump vs. Clinton merchandise. As if it matters, the author even shares that Trump is wining by a margin of almost five-to-one and exclaims, “score one for The Donald.” Wake me up when the election is over.