My sad backpack, and favorite pen

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Deep in my basement, I have a sad backpack.

It’s not that the bag itself is engineered to evoke tears, neither are the contents.

It’s filled with smartphone chargers, elegant notepads, comfortable socks, and other relatively useful swag… covered in the logo of an extinct company.

I had taken a redeye home from a conference in 2019, swung by home to drop off my bags and shower before heading into the office… to sign the final documents to sell the company.

Within hours, that swag went from being something we eagerly gave out as promotional items, to memorabilia of a once-beloved brand.

It’s pretty common to give clients, prospects, and partners something with your logo on it.

Take a step back for a second, though. What’s the purpose of this gift?

Do you want them to remember you?

Or do you want them to market for you?

In my office, I have a pen I will never get rid of.

Over the years, I’ve received a lot of nice pens with a lot of nice logos, given to me by a lot of nice people. They all end up in a cup, drawer, or car. Except for this pen.

I attended a conference in Chicago one summer day. I remember it was summer because, after the usual day in windowless rooms, we were eager to be sitting on an outdoor patio for dinner.

As we found our seating, we noticed each place setting had a plain box. In each box was a Fisher Space Pen - again, no branding or anything.

While the plates were being cleared, the host gathered everyone's attention. Holding up one of the boxes, they told all of us a business parable, with the pen as the main character.

The story is irrelevant for today - what mattered was all of us left clutching our pens.

That simple object - which would normally end up forgotten in a cup, drawer, or car - now had real meaning. It was part of a story, and we rarely forget stories. And I will never forget the person who gave both the pen and the story to me.

Genius!

Taking Action

The next time that you’re considering a gift, ask yourself -

Is this for them to remember me? Or to represent me?

There’s no right or wrong answer. But you might think twice before you send them a pen with your logo on it.

Further Reading

While it’s not directly related to relationship building, Jason’s post got me thinking years ago about the difference between marketing and relationship building wrt gifts.