Clean Run - September 2014 - 62

when given as prizes; they're inexpensive items of limited value other
than as mementos. The selection of
merchandise available from specialty
advertising companies is infinite, so
your club will have to make some well
thought-out decisions on exactly what
tchotchkes they want to purchase with
treasury funds. Hold a brainstorming
session and discuss these questions:
„Will you use the promotional items as
gifts and/or prizes at fun matches? If so,
a pen isn't going to cut it. You'll need
something of more perceived value.
Logoed bandannas, mugs, or totes
may fit the bill.
„Are they items your own club members
want to use? Let's say a couple folks
have asked for sun visors or water
bottles. These are great graduation
gifts for handlers who just completed
a foundation course. They're also
good door prizes at club parties, and
perfect for filling raffle baskets.
„Are they affordable in quantities?
The more you buy of these items,
the cheaper the per-item cost. But
beware! You may see a key chain
advertised for just 19 cents, and then
realize you have to buy 2,000 to get
that price. Do you really want to tie up
$380 of your club funds in a giveaway
trinket that may be tossed into the
recipient's junk drawer?
„Do you plan to sell the items for profit
or just give them away? Let's get back
to the mugs and water bottles. They
have true value. Club members
would probably purchase them for

a couple dollars over cost. You could
even sell some to the general public
if you're putting on an agility demo
for a community event. These same
items could also be used as good
prizes at a match, or door prizes at a
party. The wider your usage and distribution, the more you get for your
specialty advertising dollar.
„Are the items of value to agility competitors? Most of your agility buddies
already have their favorite treat containers, doggy travel bowls, cookie
pouches, and leashes. They're probably not going to be that interested
in getting another with your club's
logo on it. So if you want to appeal to
the agility community, come up with
something different that they can
use at trials: bone-shaped carabiners to hold ex-pens shut, poop bags
imprinted with a fun slogan from
your club, a small whisk broom for
cleaning off mats, or a hand fan with
your club's logo on it. Think outside
the box, and don't limit yourselves
to looking in the "pet sections" of the
specialty advertising catalogs. Agility
competitors are picky about what
they'll use, and your club will make a
real impression if you come up with a
clever item that makes trialing easier
in some way. The true measure of a
successful promotional item: when
you overhear someone at a trial say
to the person tented next to her,
"Hey, that's really cool. Where did
you get it?" The answer, of course, is
printed on the item of interest; it's
your club name. D

You've chosen the
perfect tchotchke for
your club if...
„Your own members are eager
to purchase it from the club and
use it.
„The original purchase is within
your club's budget, even if you
plan to resell it at a profit.
„It appeals both to agility
competitors and the general
dog-owning public.
„It makes a good prize or gift.
„It will be valued and not thrown
in a junk drawer.
„It makes a good impression of
your club.

Where to Shop for
Promotional Items
Check your local Yellow Pages
for "Promotional Products."
Next, check with local print
shops; they frequently offer
specialty advertising items
as a sideline, and they'll have
catalogs with thousands of items
you can browse through. If you
can't find what you want locally,
go to the Internet.

Jan Manning helped launch the SunDogs Agility Club in Yakima, Washington and the Huckleberry Hounds Agility Club in northwestern Montana where she now resides.
Her agility partners are two American Staffordshire Terriers rescued from two separate supermarket parking lots, seven years apart.

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