Suggestions on Office Professionals w/ High Traffic for Office Desk related product

[andy_ric]

I have a new drinkware product launching soon. It has a novelty aspect to it, so it's definitely a conversation piece. I am currently brainstorming on ideal professionals to give out the item for free. I'm looking for professionals that have a lot of clients or have a lot of traffic near their area to get the most exposure per free item given away. Please add your suggestions. I've currently came up with:
- The lobby security desk for large office or apartment buildings.
- Realtors
- Local politicians
- Dental Offices

[vangogh]

Without knowing more about the product, I'm not sure we can come up with ideal professionals to give it to. What's the novelty aspect? I'll be honest when I hear the word novelty, I usually don't associate it with the word professional. Is the idea that you want the professionals to give it to their clients so their clients become your clients or customers?

[Harold Mansfield]

Forgive me for being so blunt, but this is kind of 1950's. I'm sure the occasional person may walk past a desk and ask "Hey where did you get that?". but most people won't, and won't care. It's also probably the least amount of work you can do and I can't even call it actual marketing.

The way to get the most exposure for a product is promotion, advertising, and other forms or marketing. Not sitting it on a desk and hoping to get lucky.

When I hear "novelty", "desk", and "business" together I think schwag like the kind of stuff that companies put logos on and pass out a trade shows and such.
If that's your market, then you need to go after it. Not sit back and hope someone will walk past a desk somewhere and see it. I seriously doubt you will ever make any sales that way. At all.

[andy_ric]

Forgive me for being so blunt, but this is kind of 1950's. I'm sure the occasional person may walk past a desk and ask "Hey where did you get that?". but most people won't, and won't care. It's also probably the least amount of work you can do and I can't even call it actual marketing.

The way to get the most exposure for a product is promotion, advertising, and other forms or marketing. Not sitting it on a desk and hoping to get lucky.

When I hear "novelty", "desk", and "business" together I think schwag like the kind of stuff that companies put logos on and pass out a trade shows and such.
If that's your market, then you need to go after it. Not sit back and hope someone will walk past a desk somewhere and see it. I seriously doubt you will ever make any sales that way. At all.

I see I wasn't clear. This isn't my complete marketing strategy, only a very, very small part of it. Its standard practice for most companies to give out freebies. As I am starting off with a lean budget, I want to be as strategic as possible when I can. Since I am only giving out so many, I wanted to get the most out of it.


Without knowing more about the product, I'm not sure we can come up with ideal professionals to give it to. What's the novelty aspect? I'll be honest when I hear the word novelty, I usually don't associate it with the word professional. Is the idea that you want the professionals to give it to their clients so their clients become your clients or customers?
No, ideally the professional would have the item displayed on their desk, and a client or co-worker may inquire about the item. //I'm using the word professional loosely. A gave a friend of mine, our first model. He brought it to work at his small office. He got a "positive" comment from one co-worker and another co-worker who wanted to buy one. I am trying to replicate this in a larger setting. It's a line with different varieties.

[Harold Mansfield]

I see I wasn't clear. This isn't my complete marketing strategy, only a very, very small part of it. Its standard practice for most companies to give out freebies. As I am starting off with a lean budget, I want to be as strategic as possible when I can. Since I am only giving out so many, I wanted to get the most out of it.

OK, no problem with freebies. Yes many people do it. But make it work for you and give them to people who can make decisions to purchase. Not just random people with desks. Those people also know other people who buy such things. If budget is tight, don't waste freebies on people who aren't potential customers or influencers,.

[KristineS]

Harold is right, find the influencers. It's not about where your product sits, it's about who has it and is using it. That's why advertisers will go after popular bloggers or vloggers or YouTube personalities to try to get them to write about or mention their products. Influence is another kind of capital these days. So you need to figure out who would be the influencers in the market you want to sell to and then get the product in their hands.