Let's consider advertising in todays world. Keep in mind this will be a little self serving.

I sell custom printed promtional items. You know, the items you keep at your desk, or use to write with
on a daily basis, or hang on the wall in a certain place year after year, after year (aka calendars).

Now, keeping in mind that all wisdom is selfishly pointed at my brilliant deduction on advertising, let's ask an
open question, shall we?

Unless you are a collector of advertising memorobilia, do you have any items on your desk, or in your pocket book,
or in your glove compartment, that you can recall the name of that's printed on the item? I bet you can.

Here's my for examples; I have a leather coaster on my desk that has been in the same location since 1997.

I know the name on the coaster and the telephone number, even though I no longer use this company's services.

I also have a 6-in-1 screwdriver tool that I received as a THANK YOU gift for purchasing a car from my dealership, that of course accompnay's their logo and that I use on a weekly basis. As a matter of fact I have it close enough where I can touch it right now.....there I just did.

I bet you can name a few items around your office, or home, that are your favorite logo-carrying items. I bet you can name them without even looking for them to find what name is on them. How do I know that? Well, even though I'mthe guy who sells customed printed items, I'm also participant in this thing we refer to as "LIFE," as you are, which leads me to believe that we have similar tendancies. And if we have similar tendancies we are likely to use similar items.

So, when considering advertising (even though most have dropped any form of advertising because the the economic
situation we're in) keep in mind two simple things:

1). What advertising avenue will carry your name and message longer than any other advertising form? (I'll slip in my answer hereand go with nothing, as newspaper, magazine, Internet, direct mail are viewed only for a millisecond, but I'm not trying to persude you).

2). Ask yourself, is the promotional item I want to distrubute with my company's name and message, something I would use, and do I see other people already using it?
If you would use it and you see others using the same thing then roll with it!

Scott Rauber, Authorized Kaeser & Blair, Inc Distributor for the past 12 years.
www.TheJavelinPen.com