by Kirby Hasseman
Welcome to a super awesome blog post series for Hasseman Marketing called:
“Brand-ecdotes!”
Each week we will talk to a branding all star about what make the Promotional Product advertising media so special!
This week we talk to Commonsku’s Chief Content Officer Bobby Lehew! Bobby is a gifted promo ambassador and amazing content creator! Today we get to get into the head of Bobby…and learn more about SWAG!
What is your all-time favorite Promotional Product and why? Journals. Journals are tactile, they appeal to our senses, and just as the Russian poet Pasternak said that “a book is a living being,” a journal can serve as a living reminder of the essence of our days. Much of what we work in now (email, social media) is digital, ephemeral. Journals are waypoints and reminders. In the pic are three journals I use and love, each serves a unique purpose. The felt journal (pictured on top of the books) is a design from the creative brain of Isaac Childs and the artisans at Rustico. Their attention to detail is what transforms a journal from a utilitarian notepad to a work of art. I use this one to keep notes for a Buddhism class I’ve been attending at the local monastery. Writing in a separate journal, for different experiences, fixes my mind in that framework, a quick way to give your ideas and thoughts context. 
The skubot leather journal was one of the few journals I’ve ever had that I wore completely out, a gift from our friends at Snugz. I love the suppleness of the leather and the accents and it’s the perfect size to carry anywhere. I use it mostly for notes about what I’m reading or random thoughts. The tan journal beneath it is a gift from Pierre and his team at Chameleon Like, a “Travelite” journal, I’ve enjoyed writing in it, the paper is a unique fabric material, luxurious to write on, and the cover is vegan leather, the thinness of it means I can throw it in my bag without bulk; I use it for business notes. Another fave: matchbooks. I have always loved matchbooks. Matchbooks are mini-canvases. In the pic are a few I’ve picked up, one from a local restaurant, the design reflects the vibe of their retro bar, the perfect product for a throwback experience. I’ll go to R&J’s to get a drink when I run out of matchbooks. How’s that for leveraging a promotional product to bring in customers? Also pictured is a matchbook I picked up while visiting Nick Fouquet’s hat studio in Venice Beach. I had to have that matchbook, it’s one of my favorite promotional pieces, the product reflects the simplicity and elegance of his craft and when you visit his website you’ll see it has become a part of his identity. 
Can you name a Promo Product that you have that STILL reminds you fondly of an event, person, organization? If so, can you tell us that story? A brass letter opener (pictured in the photo above). No one uses letter openers anymore, but it was an iconic campaign for me. It was a campaign we created for a local museum who wanted to give their donors a unique gift; the requirement was that it needed to resemble a stake and yet also be an elegant piece with a high perceived value, so we did these beautiful deep-etched medallion letter openers. The reason it is so important to me: As I sat across the desk from the museum’s director, listening to the story about the founding of their museum, I realized we, as an industry, had been doing marketing all wrong. We were telling stories from the perspective of the product; we needed to tell stories from the perspective of the customer and their objectives, with the product serving as a minor (but important) character in the story. It was my epiphany, how we could reshape the perception of our medium and ignite the imagination of future buyers. I keep it to remind me that, regardless of what you sell, stories are what move buyers. What is the current product you use all the time? Aside from the journals, a coaster. The one pictured above is from High West Distillery in Park City, UT where the Snugz team treated us to dinner. I love it when brands take such intricate care, (on even a coaster), to authentically reflect their brand, the material is rugged, wild, and unfinished, like the wilderness of Utah. I also have a favorite coaster I picked up at blue bicycle Books in Charleston; both companies know that a product is a blank canvas for art. What is an idea/product that you think organizations UNDER use? Drinkware. Why drinkware? I still see drinkware as the “t-shirt for the desktop (or car).” Drinkware-as-underutilized is a ridiculous assertion, since it’s one of the largest categories, but I think we underutilize it as a canvas. Too many short-sighted promotional products end up with just a logo and no copy that bonds tribal unity or creative design that inspires the recipient. If we thought more of our products like art canvases (like the coasters, like the matchbooks), we would create more imaginative campaigns. We should elevate the lowly drinkware product to the stature of a cool t-shirt by our kick-ass copy and beautiful design. What do you think is the best thing about Promotional Products as an advertising media? In an article for PPB, I wrote that every product sold in our industry is intended to serve a purpose. Even when the client just needs “something to give away: and is nonchalant about its intent, the product still serves a purpose. Many a marketing coordinator has called a distributor to order a product for an event and been ambivalent about the outcome, but don’t let this corporate lethargy fool you: every product still serves a purpose. And worse, when a product doesn’t fulfill its purpose, it furthers the “trinkets and trash” myth that we all detest. Find the purpose (or, as Mark Graham says, “solve the problem”) and you’ll find the right product. I realize that much of what we do for clients is sourcing, but the real magic happens when we solve problems through imaginative branding (art) that then produces a desired outcome (commerce). Playing and winning at the intersection of art+commerce is the best thing about promotional products as an advertising medium.
And…that’s the another edition of Brand-ecdotes! Thanks to Bobby Lehew for taking the time to jump in on this project! Awesome stuff here!
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by Kirby Hasseman
“Never argue with an idiot. They will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience.” I always joke that this is “Kirby Hasseman’s Number 2 Rule of Life.” It’s my rule, but I really struggle to follow it. It seems like the “idiots” are the hardest people not to argue with! They are so clearly wrong. I just need to let them know! Then they will surely proceed to lead a more productive and happy life! Surely I am doing the world a favor by setting them straight. There are a few problems with my rule though. First, it seems like every time I go into an argument sure I am right, it keeps me from learning anything. Sure. Sometimes people are just wrong. But most of the time, they just have a different perspective. If I spend all of my time trying to convince them, I lose out to hear a new way of thought. Second, the moment I call someone an idiot (or any other name for that matter) I will never convince them of anything. No one has ever changed their mind after being insulted. Want to make sure you never miss an update? It’s easy. Just sign up for our VIP newsletter. Each week we do a weekly recap of the content, and sometimes we throw in some specials too! Sign up here.
by Kirby Hasseman
The Delivering Marketing Joy Podcast is back! Our goal here is to attack 2018 with a vengeance! The Delivering Marketing Joy Podcast will provide some inspiration, motivation and education to make it happen! Consider this your 10 minute “kick in the pants” to get your week started off right! This week on the podcast I talk about the challenge that all of us face at some point. We lose control of our thoughts. We get swept away. It’s so important to get control of those thoughts first thing in the morning. Listen to the DMJ Podcast today to start getting control of those thoughts now. Even before I open my eyes. That’s when the thoughts start to rush into my head at full speed. At that hour, especially before I am paying attention, they are agonizingly stressful. These thoughts talk about what I have not done, what I need to do, how I have failed, and what people think of me. It’s a constant barrage of negativity. These thoughts are the seeds of fear and panic. Then I wake up. It’s at this point that my day gets shaped. At this point I take a breath and search for other thoughts. These thoughts are usually focused on what I have to do today, the people I will see, the people who I love, the things for which I am grateful. Different thoughts for sure. This is the moment that determines my day. Which of these thoughts will I focus on? It’s my choice. Just like it’s yours. That wraps up the message from the DMJ Podcast today. Please make sure you subscribe the DMJ Podcast in iTunes, Soundcloud or wherever you listen. Oh…and make sure you never miss an update! Sign up for our VIP newsletter here!
by Kirby Hasseman
We live in an instant gratification culture. When we are starting (anything) we want things to happen fast. We want success. We want attention. We want sales. We want all of those things…and we want them quickly. The problem is, despite the stories of “overnight successes,” that is not really how the world works. Maybe there have been people who have been “lucky” and have been “discovered” that have not put in the work…but I don’t know them. And my guess is, neither do you. Most overnight successes have been 10 years in the making. That might seem frustrating in the short term. Because while we are in the weeds, trying to get a project or career or company off the ground, it seems like things are taking forever. But my hope is that it is encouraging news. You are not stupid. You are not doing it wrong. You are not slow. This is just how it works…for everyone. That is why Gary Vaynerchuk talks a lot about Patience. Building a company, a brand or an audience that matters takes time. It takes time in the trenches. It takes repetitions. In the short run, we get frustrated because “it’s not happening fast enough.” But take solace in knowing that success in nearly anything is more like farming than hunting. We have to plant the seeds, water them and let them grow. Then we get to harvest. The other side of that, though, is action. When you hear patience, it doesn’t mean you just wait for the world to serve up success to you. You have to make the calls, write the posts, attend the meetings. You have to do the work. And you have to do it consistently. It’s not a one time flurry of activity. It’s every day. But when you put the two together, you can really build something. Action + Patience = Power. Now go put in the work. If you want to make sure you never miss an update, make sure to sign up for our VIP newsletter here.
by Kirby Hasseman
I love the book “Living with a Seal.” It was one of the last books I listened to a few years ago and it fired me up completely. It was raw. It was funny. And it made me look at the ways I am holding myself back. (You can find it here). So when I saw this interview with Jesse Itzler titled, “How to stop being realistic and shoot for the moon,” I was interested. But I did what we all do. I looked to see how long the video was. Ugh…it’s just over 44 minutes! Who has that kind of time? So I did the other thing we all do. I kept scrolling. Luckily I saw it again. This time I had a few minutes and decided to dig in and listen to what Jesse and Tom Bilyeu were discussing. I was so glad I did. There were a ton of “aha” moments for me in this interview. But probably my favorite was the concept of the “Life Resume.” Jesse talks in the interview about getting a low SAT score and how that could have held him back. But instead of focusing on that score or his shortcomings (and trying to build an actual resume), he worked to create a resume of his life. I love that. As you look back at the life you have created so far…do you have experiences you are proud to put on your resume? My guess is you do. On the other hand, it’s almost never too late to start building. What are the things you want to ad to your portfolio? Who are the people you want to meet? What are the things you want to try (even if you fail)? Now make the list…and let Jesse Itzler be your inspiration. Go take a risk. Create a life resume you will be proud of. We are creating a lot of content…it’s hard to keep up! An easy way to see all the things you want to check out is to sign up for our VIP Newsletter! Sign up here.
by Kirby Hasseman
I love a good quote. When I hear the right words at the right time, it can re-frame my mindset. It can fire me up to get started or keep going. With that in mind, here are a few quotes that I have loved over the years. I hope you get some “mental juice” out of them too! “It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog.” Archie Griffin “Begin by always expecting good things to happen.”Tom Hopkins “Confidence is going after Moby Dick in a rowboat and taking the tartar sauce with you.” Zig Ziglar “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” Margaret Mead
“Success is never what you deserve. Success is what you earn.”Jeff Haden “Success… seems to be connected with action. Successful people keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don’t quit.” Conrad Hilton “The ones who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.” Unknown “I find that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have.” Thomas Jefferson “Success is walking from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.” Winston Churchill “I do not have superior intelligence or faultless looks. I do not captivate a room or run a mile under six minutes. I only succeeded because I was still working after everyone else went to sleep.” Greg Evans “What’s the point of being alive if you don’t at least try to do something remarkable.” Unknown “Be miserable. Or motivate yourself. Whatever has to be done, it’s always your choice.” Wayne Dyer So regardless of what you want to achieve in life, there will be challenges and there will be hardships. If it were easy, everyone would be doing it. So find the things that help to light your fire…and keep moving toward your goal each day. Now go get it. It’s time to become a VIP! Sign for our VIP newsletter here. We will send you nuggets of motivational goodness each Monday. Seriously…now. Join here.
