Give Aways? Where?

Over the past several years I’ve received a bunch of little gifts from recruiters, clients and suppliers. Some of them I’ve really appreciated and others have struck me as nothing more than really cheap logo carriers. Is anyone really flattered when they receive a Bic pen with a company’s name on it? Does this simple gesture really improve brand awareness or inspire someone to purchase from you? My guess is that it doesn’t. In fact, it may do just the opposite. But let’s assume you’re lucky and it does work, do you really want a client that has chosen your company based on the free plastic soda bottle opener you gave them? Of all the things I’ve received over the years the item I appreciated the most was a little black Moleskine® book. It’s a nice notebook given to me by a good friend and vendor for the purpose of recording blog ideas. I’ve carried it around with me for several months and draw from its pages many of the topics I write about. It doesn’t have his company’s brand on it or a note from him on the front page. It was just a blank notebook. The thing is, I use it all the time and when I do, I think of my friend and his business. It’s a high quality gift that I’m not afraid to carry around with me. As a matter of fact, I take it to nearly every appointment with clients and prospective clients and I’ve told many people about my friend’s business and how cool I think the book is. I suppose he could have taken me to lunch or bought me a couple boxes of Bic pens for the same amount of money but I don’t think he could have given a more appropriate item. What are you giving your clients?