Maybe it’s the shininess. Or the weight. Or maybe it’s that the sight of an unopened iPhone, in its pristine white box, reminds us of that Christmas morning when we couldn’t wait to open the present we just knew was a Super Nintendo. (Sure, it ended up being a knit turtleneck from Grandma, but you get the idea.) There’s something about electronics that makes them irresistible.
Unfortunately, there’s also something about electronics that makes them expensive. It’s why we never did get that Super Nintendo, and it’s why, for some, the idea of an electronics promotion is scarier than one of Grandma’s Christmas sweaters. But it doesn’t have to be. Below are two great ideas for electronics promotions for budget-conscious clients, plus everything you need to know to make the sale.
USB Drives
Why They’re Good:
Forever hip, USB drives are now becoming more affordable. And like many tech items, USBs have a high perceived value. “Gadgets are always higher-valued,” said Michele Donaho, sales coordinator, Midwest region, for Houston-based KTI Networks/KTI Promo. “People like to keep them and use them since they are trendy.”
They’re also relatively inexpensive, making it easy for anyone to get in on the tech trend. “Electronics have come down in price in recent years,” Donaho noted. “Many are now more purchasable for advertisers and, ultimately, end-buyers.”
Where to Sell:
Donaho explained that USB drives can be sold to just about any market, but some markets offer untapped potential for sales. “I haven’t seen many orders come through for realtors, and how perfect would that be?” she said. “The realtor could put links to the houses they want to show their client on a handy USB and pass it along.”
What to Watch For:
USB drives are subject to significant fluctuations in price, due to supply and demand issues tied to the production of flash memory. According to toptai.com, anything from large purchases by major companies—Apple once bought four months worth of Samsung’s flash memory production—to earthquakes that disrupt flash memory component factories in Japan can have a global effect on the price of USB drives, so much so that many suppliers don’t list USB pricing on their websites.
This might seem like cause for concern, but Donaho urged distributors not to worry. “Suppliers get stock in batches, but batches deplete rather quickly and the next batch may be of a different price, causing the pricing to shift weekly. It may fluctuate and affect everyone, [but] so far the shifts have been small,” she said.
Mobile Cases
Why They’re Good:
Cost and decoration area. Richard Flashenberg, managing director of the Colemax Group, Glen Rock, N.J., explained that cases provide a low-cost way for users to protect their expensive electronic investments. They’re also much easier to brand. “The brandability and overall logo exposure is more distinct and visible than on the device itself,” he explained.
Where to Sell:
“A key market that has been overlooked is college bookstores,” Flashenberg said. He also suggested corporate events where tablets or e-readers are given to attendees, as well as industries that rely heavily on iPads and tablets, such as real estate, logistics and hospitality.
What to Watch For:
There are now six different versions of the iPhone, 24 styles of iPod and innumerable Android-equipped phones and tablets. Each of these devices has distinct design quirks and dimensions, which can make finding the right case problematic. “The biggest obstacle is understanding exactly which device the case needs to fit,” Flashenberg explained.
He advised against offering universal cases, explaining that they “fit everything equally as poorly.” Instead, he recommended the old-fashioned approach: research. “There are at least six Kindles on the market, all slightly different,” Flashenberg noted. “Throw in the other readers and tablets, and the customer has to make sure they know the exact device they need to support, or everyone looks bad.”
