I’m talking about good copywriting here, not the bland, pablum that you see most often these days.

Both should have a hook. With a promotional product, you have a few seconds when your client/prospect takes a look at the item you gave them and decides a) into the dumper or b) this is pretty cool, I will keep this - for awhile. Good copywriting is the same - client/prospect looks at the headline and says to themselves a) into the dumper or b) maybe I will read more.

The number of our clients who spend good money on a promo product and then don’t use the billboard area, aka, the imprint area, to the maximum is much higher than it should be. Unless your company name is a brand as well known as Pepsi, you need to tell people what your message is. This is what separates you from the rest of the competition.

Many people think that their company name is the most important part of the imprint. They wail “How will they find me?…” Ok, try this on for size “Pipes busted? Water everywhere? Call 555-123-4567″ or “John’s Plumbing, 555-765-4321″. I know who I’m calling.

It comes down to your USP - your “Unique Selling Proposition”, thank you Jay Abraham, I did listen. A silly little refrigerator magnet can be more powerful advertising tool than a full page ad in the Wall St. Journal. Why? If you can figure out why you are different from the scores of others competing for the same clients and then keep your message in front of them over and over again, you win. Simple as that.

Here is a real world example:
If you were in the aerospace world and received a pen that had an imprint of

Solutions for the aerospace industry and defense industry
Call 555-123-4567

or

IBM
Call 555-123-4567

which would you remember?

Copywriting and promotional products. Hand and glove.