Apr 17, 2007

Ballpoint pens, and so much more; Promotional Products help drive salesBy Vito PilieciCanada.com

The Internet may be all the buzz in the marketing world, but traditional advertising methods — even the time-honoured coffee mugs and ballpoint pens bearing company logos — are far from obsolete, says the promotional products industry.

And some of these handout goods, says Kurt Reckziegel, chief executive of the Professional Products Association of Canada, can even help companies bridge the gap between traditional advertising and new media.

“People have to have some physical feely-touchy.” Mr. Reckziegel insists.

He says the market for promotional products in Canada has grown by more than 159 per cent in the past decade and now is worth more than $2.1 billion annually.

Mr. Reckziegel’s organization represents companies in Canada that put corporate logos on pens, napkins and T-shirts.

He was in Ottawa yesterday as part of the Travelling Optimum Promotional Show, a showcase of companies’ goods that will make eight stops across Canada over the next few months.

Read complete article.