Everyone likes a good story. Stories can make us think and stick with us long after they are told. And old Native American proverb says, “Tell me the facts and I’ll learn. Tell me the truth and I’ll believe. But tell me a story and it will live in my heart forever.”
In business stories are created every day. They may not all “live forever in our hearts”, but they have power nonetheless. A good story about the sticking power of promotional items can have a greater effect than facts and figures.
So here’s the story…
Daniel started Midwest Stitch as a corporate apparel embroidery business over 21 years ago. At some point in this span he developed a relationship with a particular client who appreciated his work. In fact this client became a loyal customer coming back throughout the years for embroidered apparel. Even when the client changed jobs, he contacted Daniel again to outfit him with his new company logo.
Early in the relationship Daniel gave the client an embroidered Midwest Stitch cap which he passed on to his grade-school-aged son. Each time the client made contact over the years he would comment on how much his son likes that cap. Of course this type of feedback is always nice to hear, but not much thought was given to the power of that single cap until recently.
It had been awhile since Daniel heard from this client so he was happy to receive an email from him recently. Is said:
Daniel:
It’s been a while. Hope you are well and that business is good. And it’s been so long that I couldn’t remember your company name. But you had given me a hat a long time ago that I gave to my son. It’s totally ragged and worn out but he won’t throw it out… But it was there to remind me of Midwest Stitch… Of course if you saw the hat, you might wish it was tossed. My son has had it for a long time so there is apparently a sentimental attachment to his youth – the kid is 18 now.
Below you will see pictures of the cap and the one who wears it proudly.
Moral of the Story
Besides being a good story, there are lessons to be learned for your business. Do you see ways a properly placed self-promotion can keep you top of mind with your clients? This is an excellent example of how branded promotional items, particularly apparel, do this and generate exceptional return on investment.
Wearables, such as caps, are a top choice because they generally are retained for a longer time than other promotional items. If the youngster had received a promotional pen instead of a cap do you think he would have kept it as long, or felt emotionally attached to it? Not likely.
So the moral of this story is: think about branded apparel for your next company promotion. Who knows what stories are waiting to be told?
