We're only human, so we feel no shame in admitting occasional jealousy.
We're a teeny bit jealous of 26-year-old Jason Sadler, who has pulled off the stunning career move of convincing businesses to PAY HIM to wear their t-shirts. If you pay his rate, Jason will pretty much wear pink Care Bears or ballerinas. His only rule is no profanity and nothing offensive or vulgar toward women or any ethnic/religious group.
He raked in $85,000 in salary and sponsorships this year -- just for wearing t-shirts and blogging, Twittering, YouTubing and Facebooking the heck out of the brands he promotes each day. You can read all about the clever insanity on his IWearYourShirt.com Web site.
Jason's success is a result of his personality and hard work, but it is also a testament to the value of promotional merchandise -- the power of the printed word. Jason is a human billboard. Everywhere he walks, even when he enters a public restroom, he is silently broadcasting his sponsor's message.
You can make this happen, too. On a rainy day, your bright-colored promotional umbrella will flash like a beacon in the fog. Your promotional coffee mug will serve as a constant reminder of your products or services, regardless if the mug is actually used for coffee or is repurposed as a pen and pencil holder. And your company's handsome document folders that package important papaers and documents will likely be kept for years to come.
Yes, printing is an expense. But even more so, it is a branding opportunity that may provide unexpected dividends. You never know who owns the set of eyeballs that cross paths with your logo and product slogan. Promotional merchandise is your opportunity to fill the world with Jason Sadlers -- all of them working for you!