Paper Made Of Poo...Really I'm not joking!!!

Earth Day is right around the corner, April 22nd to be exact, so all of my vendors have been busy sending out Earth Day Flyers on new or exciting products for us to try and sell.

A lot all of them have been show casing the latest and greatest eco-friendly, foldable and reusable bags...some pens...but the one I received yesterday was one that I'm just not sure about.

My first impression was EEEWWWW...second impression was GROSE...and third impression is just WHY?

OK here it is (giggle, giggle) Elephant Poo Poo Paper! Yes folks, someone has actually made paper out of Elephant Poo. See you're asking yourself why too aren't you!

The notebooks come in 3 different sizes and in the description they actually make a point to say that it is "Odorless"...really? See to me that means that when this item first hit the market and people first laid hands on it, they were lifting it up to their noses to see if it smelled, so much so that they felt they had to note that in the description of the item. AND probably because it has Poo in the name.

Also noted is that because of the fibers used in the process of making the paper that "no two notebooks are exactly alike". I guess it depends on whether the poo in question was collected from an elephant that has a high fiber or protein diet. (Sorry I had to go there :-))

Where do they get the poo you ask your self?...well it is collected from various Elephant Conservation Parks and is boiled and cleaned and processed into a pulp (still grose). A good thing is that a portion of the proceeds do go to benefit elephant welfare and conservation products. Well of course it does...you need to protect the source of the poo empire!

I don't know, I guess it's a good thing because it's one less tree that is chopped down and they are giving some of the money back to help protect these animals...but its still Poo!

The Reality of Promotional Products

First off I want to apologize for neglecting my blog. I promise to work harder in updating on a daily basis.

Promotional products should be a reflection of you and your brand. Choosing the right promotional item(s) that tie into your event or branding strategy is something that most marketing departments think about but sometimes never follow through on.

Let’s use pens for example. The only time a company should give away a pen, in my opinion, is as a throw away gift. By that I mean as a giveaway item that just sits out for everyone to get their hands on...because we all know that everyone loves free stuff. But if your message is of another nature such as being "Eco-Friendly" then you should spend a little more to invest in an "Eco-Friendly" pen and I don't mean the kind that is made of card board. I mean the ones that are made from Corn Plastic and are 100% Biodegradable.

This is an option that a motivated and knowledgeable Promotional Professional, such as myself, would know to ask, suggest and provide.

Now...for the nitty griddy down and dirty facts:
1. More than HALF of consumers are impressed with an advertiser on a promotional product, versus 33% of print, 27% for TV and 11% for online advertisers
2. 20% of consumers make a purchase after receiving a promotional product, versus just 7% who do so after seeing a commercial
3. 74% of consumers can recall the advertiser and product/service/message featured on a promotional product, versus 60% of TV commercials, 55% for print ads and 29% of online ads.
4. 8 out of 10 people like receiving promotional products while 7 out of 10 people find online advertising to have a high annoyance factor
5. 9 out of 10 people own a promotional product
6. This one I think is the most important one to remember...7 out of 10 people keep their product if they can use it.

**the above statistics were based on How the Media Compare on Reach, Recall & Reaction and Effectiveness of Promotional Products As An Advertising Medium - a 2009 two-part study conducted by PPAI Research and Fielding through MarketTool, Inc.

My goal is to position myself as an extension of your marketing department and to be available for banter back and forth about what would work best for your ultimate goal. I'm not saying you have to listen and take my advise but at least take note...this is what I do...and what I love doing!