ABSTRACT
The first thing I look for in a gimmick is something that the recipient is likely to want to keep rather than throw away. Over the years, I have used a wide range of promotional gimmicks-including rubber penguins, high-quality candy (stuff you wouldn’t find at the corner store!), origami figures, jazz CDs, small plastic nuns, and even ice cream parlor gift certificates. Be imaginative and try not to be cheap. Your goal is to appear as if you could have spent more money, but for discretion’s sake you instead chose a simple, fun, cool, and imaginative token. And try to think of the money you spend on promotion as a long-term investment. If such gimmicks increase your chances of obtaining even a single small article in a local weekly newspaper, the effort can generate a surprising amount of interest. Not to mention the fact that you have another “piece” for your promo kit!
