The pen holder on my desk is filled with various company logo pens. I have one from the Radisson Hotel, one from the Gale Company (a real estate and construction firm), one from McGladrey & Pullen (a public accounting firm) and one from Lucent Technologies. I have either worked for or done business with every one of these companies.

The companies I've done business with--the Radisson Hotel and Lucent Technologies--I have recommended to other people. In fact, my experience with Lucent products wasn't particularly great, but I still recommended their phones because Lucent fell within my personal, limited frame of reference. I continue using several of their corporate logo promotional items and I continue recommending their products. The mind works in mysterious ways.

Finding the Right Blend

As the research pours in, marketers are discovering some disconcerting things about advertising, the most expensive form of marketing. Consumers have hundreds of channels from which to choose and remote controls that allow them to surf the various networks whenever commercials interrupts their programs. Large corporations spend millions every year on advertising only to have their audience switch to the History Channel when their ads air.

This is why the "marketing mix" exists. Businesses have to find different ways to communicate with consumers and potential employees. If they don't watch your commercials, perhaps they'll see your billboards. If they don't see that, perhaps they'll use your company logo pen. If that doesn't work, maybe they'll catch your ad in the most recent version of Newsweek.