"Keytags: Unlock Their Potential!"
By Cynthia Ironson
Advantages: 2004SEPTEMBER
They're universal and useful; two undeniable reasons why keytags are a great fit for many promotions. People hang on to them a long time, so it's no wonder the keytag has a long history in the industry.
Count how many keytags you have in your possession, around the house or at your place of business, and you'll probably be surprised by the high number. They are necessary, everyday items that hold more than your car and house keys. If you own an RV, boat or other motorized vehicle, it has a key and, probably, a keytag.
Look deeper: Keys are used for lawn equipment, storage closets, sheds, gates and other things that are locked up. And our spare keys need tags too! Look around the workplace and more uses for keytags pop up. Offices, supply closets, filing cabinets, desk drawers and more are locked up, and those keys need tags or they may get lost in the shuffle.
People will find a use for your client's keytag gift, and if not, they'll pass it on to their child, a relative or friend. Then that person will see your client's imprint every day. As Eddie Blau, president of Innovation Specialties (asi/62660), points out, "[Keytags] are great items because everyone uses a keytag, pulls it out of their pockets or purses several times a day, and they last a long, long time." Longevity and visibility are certainly two admirable attributes for a promotional product.
"Core Product"
C.B. Tuite, director of sales and marketing for Lorente (asi/67961), sings the praise of the keytag and makes a few suggestions for distributors. "It's a core product that every customer can use and needs, so open with this category," he says. "Like anything else, think outside the box with custom packaging, 'catch phrases,' designs and finishes."
If you aren't already presenting the keytag as a primary product to your clients, here are a few reasons why you should - reasons that may also convince clients of their merit. Keytags are universal: They are suitable for promoting any size and type of company or organization. "Distributors can sell keytags to any business, from big corporations, small businesses, clubs, associations, schools, banks and real estate companies," offers Mindy Chen, manager at Medo Co. (asi/70310).
Keytags also come in an array of materials, finishes, styles and colors - even with full-color, photo-quality imprints. With various imprinting options and custom work offered by suppliers, there are plenty of ways to get creative. Many keytags are enhanced with special features or add-on products, like LED lights, flashlights, magnifying lenses, utility knives, carabiner clips and bottle openers. Also, clients can get a keytag made of an out-of-the-ordinary material like floatable or squeezable rubber. These facts ought to convince a client keytags are anything but boring.
The Perfect Tag
With so many keytag options available, finding a good match for a client's promotion will take some investigation. Chen suggests distributors find out the following information about potential keytag buyers:
- The client's industry
- The promotion's budget
- The keytag's function
- The value of the tag they want to present to the recipient
- The kind of logo or design they have or want
- How fast they need it.
"We check the needs of the customer and we go from there," Chen says.
For example, in addition to stock key holders, Medo creates custom die-struck or brass-etched keytags which would be a good fit for holiday gifts or for commemorations, to name two instances. "Custom-made, die-struck keytags can even come with antique silver or gold plating or sandblast silver or gold to enhance the value of the keytag," she adds. Medo recommends a process based on the customer's design, which brings to mind an important point: Use the supplier's expertise to help you determine what the best imprinting method will be for your client's artwork on a particular keytag product.
Many of your clients can use mid-to-lower priced keytags for trade-show giveaways or in direct-mail pieces. Innovation Specialties offers a number of keytags with multiple-color imprints. He also points out that the company's new LED light carabiner keytags and flashlight carabiner keytags are rugged, which would appeal to a slew of clients, like camping and recreational equipment manufacturers, sunscreen makers, travel agents, environmentally-conscious companies/non-profits, magazines that cater to sports or outdoor enthusiasts and makers of sports utility vehicles or pick-up trucks, etc.
Personalization also attracts attention and makes a big impression. Lorente's Color Magic technology allows for imprinting on some keytags in unlimited colors or digital graphics with an option to imprint the name of the recipient on the tag. Tuite says this personalization is half the price of engraving and has a quicker production time.
Distributors may opt to make a spec sample of their keytag idea to make sure it's a perfect fit for the client. They can take advantage of Lorente's Virtual Proof service. "They are digital images that look virtually like the real product that can be emailed to distributors, which in turn can be emailed to their customers," Tuite explains. "The clarity and actual detail is amazing. It saves everyone time and money vs. an actual sample, and if any changes are needed, it's much quicker and easier to do vs. remaking the product."
'Tag'-lines
There's no shortage of slogans or taglines that would work well for your client's keytag promotion. Here are some suggested by Lorente:
- "Drive Home Sales"
- "The Keys to Victory"
- "Open the Door …"
- "The Keys to Success"
- "Driving Home Our Brand"
- "Key In To Sales."
Keytag promotions can get symbolic too. Here's an example given by Chen from Medo: "We made the order for a distributor customer. At the time, Citibank was merged with another bank," she explains. "So, they ordered carabiner keytags with one bank name imprinted on one and the other bank name imprinted on the second carabiner. Then, we linked the two together. We drop-shipped to 100 different Citibank branches from our Los Angeles office. It was an interesting project."
So, next time your client wants a promotional product to celebrate a milestone,
merger, new product, new location, etc., present them with an idea centered
on a key-tag a tried-and-true product with staying power, and "saying" power!
Cynthia Ironson is a contributing writer for Advantages.
Used with permission of The Advertising Specialty Institute copyright 2005
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