You can be a big-name comedy star, late night show sidekick and podcast host, but you’ll still pay attention to a good promotional product when you get one.
Andy Richter, known as Conan O’Brien’s longtime partner in crime, discussed one branded product that surprised him with its thoughtfulness and high perceived value while talking to actor Randall Park on his podcast, “The Three Questions with Andy Richter.”
As the intro music faded out, the show cold-opened with Richter saying, “Best swag I ever got.”
So, naturally, my ears perked up. Mind you, I was listening to this on a run on my own time – it wasn’t like I was in my Content Mode where I’m scouring the internet for promo stories.
“This is swag,” Park asked, surprised.
“This is swag,” Richter confirmed.
At this point, I had to know what it was that had them both so excited. On an audio-only platform like a podcast, I couldn’t really get much of a hint when Richter instructs Park to look at the back of the product, where there was the “Conan on TBS” logo.
Park said it was “amazing.”
What the heck was this product?
That’s sort of how Richter responded, too, when he got the box.
“When the show ended, they said, ‘The network is sending over a gift to your house.’ I was like, ‘OK, what kind of fleece, hoodie, sweatpants … And this box came. I took the wrapping [off] and it said Rolex.”
Not bad, huh?
Then they start talking about how it’s definitely worth a lot. But, really, the value comes from it being a one-of-a-kind piece that Richter can hold onto from his time on one of the most celebrated shows in recent history.
He’s likely to do that, too, since a watch he once received from Conan himself got stolen by a former employee.
The point here is that, while products like apparel and other common promotional items are good and accomplish a task, it’s important to also bust out that “wow” factor when you can. It doesn’t have to be a branded Rolex watch worth tens of thousands of dollars, but creating something that has that extra feature to stand out, or add some perceived value to a branding experience can start conversations.
Heck, it’s how Richter started his conversation with his podcast guest. So, obviously, this product got people talking.