PPB February 2020

Slater has worked to develop quality donor gifts such as mugs, pens and edibles in addition to traditional stickers, banners and yard signs. “Rally branding, like logoed chocolates, napkins and cups, and rally takeaways, like magnets, Post-it note pads and hats, are always popular.” Slater cites the attention that the Trump “Red Cap Campaign” has generated over the past three years. “This is a perfect example of how a promotional product can become an integral part of a campaign,” he adds. While some Americans’ eyes glaze over at the preponderance of constant political partisan reports, supplier The Book Company has within its vast collection of book offerings two recently published books that take a gentler tone in this highly charged political environment: 1001 Things Republicans Get Right: A Complete Guide for Voters and 1001 Things Democrats Get Right: A Complete Guide for Voters . But before distributors choose which book to order for a client, The Book Company wants them to know that both books are actually blank inside. “Since we take the approach of finding the right book for the right audience, a lighter optionmay be the perfect fit," says Roni Wright, MAS, vice president, The Book Company. "These blank humor books offer clients a slightly different option for the upcoming primary season." Cindy Scardino, marketing coordinator at supplier Gill Studios, Inc., says that nomatter the position, it is vital to get the voters’ attention. “The race is always on in politics and paying attention to the details can go a long way.” Gill’s 2020 Political Product Catalog is a compilation of promo items designed to keep voters thinking about the candidate and the message. Scardino says typical promo products like yard signs and bumper stickers will continue to be crowd pleasers, but items like door hangers, magnets, stickers, banners andmemo books are products that can take campaigns to new levels. In addition to the political campaign itself, national and local candidates often have special causes they support. Promotional products are employed to heighten awareness and fundraising for projects that are close to a candidate’s heart. For instance, Specialty Incentives, located near Denver, Colorado, works with a group attempting to stop stripmining in one of the state’s tourist towns. The distributor has created hats, shirts, stickers and other items for the group to sell to raise funds and draw attention to its mission. | FEBRUARY 2020 | 49 GROW