We do more than Military Coins
Although we are best known for our challenge coins and military coins D & R does much more. As a full-service advertising specialty company we offer the full range of specialty items and promotional products. Over the years we have learned a great deal about this service and I would like to share some of what we have learned.
Quality is an Interesting Thing
Clearly we are all looking for quality. We learned that right away as we sought to ally ourselves with some of the best challenge coin factories in the world. You can see the difference and that difference has made us a quality leader running toward two decades. The key thing is that quality does not necessarily have to cost more.
Custom Clothing is a Great Example
The phone call begins, “do you have genuine John Smith shirts? The ones with the fish on them”? Of course we do offer all of the name brands from Adidas to Zorrel. If this is what you are looking for we are happy to supply it.
Are the Name Brands Worth It?
This is a complicated question. I guess we have to say, it depends what you are wanting the shirt (and we ill use shirts for our example) to do for you. Name brands speak to prestige and high perceived value. The companies making this merchandise work hard to ensure their quality and spend fortunes promoting their products through advertising, product placement and sponsorships. There is a reason that Nike sponsors Tiger Woods. He helps them position their shirts and other merchandise in the high end of the prestige market. Who doesn’t want to dress like Tiger Woods? And Nike merchandise is, in my experience, high quality to go along with the prestige labeling.
So why choose Nike for example? Because you are saying to the person you are giving the shirt too, “you are important, valued and worthy of a “high-end” present. There is more. Your presentation item is a form of “branding”. You are getting your brand into the public eye every time someone wears their shirt with your logo out in public. With your crest on the chest and Nike’s swoop on the sleeve you are positioning your organization alongside of Nike. Is it a subtle message? Not really. It is pretty overt and decidedly high-end.
Imagine that you are signing into a golf tournament. You receive your welcome packet. In it is a beautiful challenge coin. Think of the “wow” factor. Imagine that you get a genuine Adidas shirt with the tournament logo on it. The message will not be lost on you at all.
What if Budget is a Consideration?
We run into this in the military coin business all of the time. A unit wants a very fancy, very large custom military coin but the budget just won’t handle it. Do they have to settle for less? Not really. With our expertise we can make an affordable coin look like it cost much more. That shirt is no different.
So can you get high quality shirts (for example) without spending the money that a name brand shirt costs? Absolutely. We have access to many brands with models and specifications that match the quality of name brand offerings. The key is those specifications. We understand the clothing business and can spec out a shirt to give you the look, feel and quality of a high-end shirt for far less money. You don’t have to spend $40.00 on a custom embroidered shirt to get wicking material, sleek appearance and light weight. You can get them for far less.
So that is the second way to look at it. Why pay more for name brands when you can wow people with your quality anyway for far less money?
When Brand Names May Not Be Appropriate
Here is a word of caution. Sometimes companies object to placing another company’s logo on their branded merchandise. Other times it is considered important to offer USA made shirts and hats. It may be desirable to have Union Made clothing for your campaign. We have the resources to offer either or both.
We have had government agencies who are particularly careful of this. They have specified that no company logo be visible on the shirt. They have considered that it might be questionable to spend US Government money on items bearing a company trademark. We have been able to accommodate them easily enough with this.
HOW DO YOU SORT THROUGH THESE ISSUES?
That is where you call on a professional. We have resources to research your needs and the expertise to match your needs to a particular product. Beyond that we can help you understand and work to an affordable solution with your branding. You know what you want to accomplish and we know how to help you do that. We can advise on your design with an eye to impact, coordination and practicality. We can help you avoid the pitfalls so many companies encounter. The only thing better than learning from your mistakes is learning from someone else’s mistakes.
So give us a call or write to me at [email protected] I enjoy taking about this stuff and we can go over your project together.