# Little extras with your product



## Robert H

I have heard many stories of people slipping in extras when shipping orders for online reatail. I am interested in such a thing and was wondering if anyone here has experimented?


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## normsbrand

I usually send a couple stickers with each order.

My brother-in-law prints Gig Posters, and he usually ships a little monkey with each order. He gets them at the Dollar store.


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## seibei

I sometimes throw in 1" pins in with the order, and I know some other companies do this as well.


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## monkeylantern

Yup, a whole truckload of goodies.

Everyone loves freebies.


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## seibei

I should also note that if your freebies are good and related to other products (I have 1" pin versions of some of my shirts, for instance) it can encourage people to buy other stuff that they might not have thought that they'd like. I've definitely had people tell me that they really loved a certain pin that was slightly related to their order, so they'd have to order the other shirt, now.


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## scpromos

We don't necessarily do online retail orders, most of orders are on the larger side. But we always try to throw in some free pens, sticky note pads, mints, magnetic memo boards, etc., etc., etc. Whenever possible we'll throw in a few extra business cards as well.


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## zagadka

we always put in a nice printed or cut vinyl sticker with ours. if it's an order of two or more, i'll put in a few extra stickers.

although they're not "extras", we have gotten many compliments about the way we present our product and the way its packaged. personally, i like getting and sending mail, so i like to dress it up a lil bit!


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## monkeylantern

I totally agree with seibei on the necessity of relevance.

Oddica do this well (although to my mind, possibly slightly over-board.....the odds and sods are lovely, but certain things, such as the packaging, I suspect would only be possibly with large economies of scale....and might give the impression to customers that a wad of their money went on "freebies", jacking up the price. Even though this may not be true, it's a fine line between impressing, and retaining, a customer, and making them thing "this would be $5 cheaper without this stuff")


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## seibei

yeah, I'm pretty jealous of Oddica's packaging - they posted a thread about it a while back, and I've done some research into similar stuff, and if you're prepared to buy the minimum 10,000 at a time, their packaging runs somewhere in the neighborhood of $0.40 per bag, so all of their extras and packaging probably run them about $1.50, though most people would think it was more...Oddica's prices are already terrific anyway, though, so hopefully people don't raise a ruckus about it...


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## oddica

> probably $1.50? ... D, not sure about your future on the 
Price is Right — it's about half of that. 

for years I have shipped pins, postcards, and stickers (and tees) 
to specialty retail and am lucky/fortunate to have all this stuff 
sourced at a low price. 

> neighborhood of $0.40 per bag
the small packages are ~25 cents, big ones ~40 cents.

a decent cardboard box from U-Line actually costs more.

I can see that some customers might scratch their heads and wonder
about the goodies and packaging. While on the other end of the 
spectrum, we have customers who get their first package and 
pledge to be Customers for Life.

dunno, different strokes for different folks.

I've been in the tee business since 1998, and when you get in the
trenches shipping to retailers, it's all about the bottom line.

Oddica was a chance to get away from the stressful/business side
of things, and do things a bit different without the usual fetters.


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## monkeylantern

oddica said:


> > probably $1.50? ... D, not sure about your future on the Price is Right — it's about half of that.
> 
> for years I have shipped pins, postcards, and stickers (and tees)
> to specialty retail and am lucky/fortunate to have all this stuff
> sourced at a low price.
> 
> > neighborhood of $0.40 per bag
> the small packages are ~25 cents, big ones ~40 cents.
> 
> a decent cardboard box from U-Line actually costs more.
> 
> I can see that some customers might scratch their heads and wonder
> about the goodies and packaging. While on the other end of the
> spectrum, we have customers who get their first package and
> pledge to be Customers for Life.
> 
> dunno, different strokes for different folks.
> 
> I've been in the tee business since 1998, and when you get in the
> trenches shipping to retailers, it's all about the bottom line.
> 
> Oddica was a chance to get away from that side of things, and
> do things a bit different without the usual fetters.


Don't get me wrong, I think you do things beautifully, and are one of the tightest ships out there.

It's just that some people might think...."Sweet zombie Jesus! This is a lot of cool stuff! How much did this stuff *actually* cost me!", even though it's not much at all.


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## oddica

Nick, we'll definitely admit to being overboard in many areas. 

House Industries remains a huge influence, and they are the
self-proclaimed kings of going overboard.


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## oddica

i know what you are saying Nick. We get that "Sweet Zombie Jesus!"
email at least once a month.


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## monkeylantern

Ahhhh, House Industries. Mmmmmmmmm


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## oddica

re: little extras

books such as the Big Moo and Brand Gap have
definitely influenced what we do.

http://www.agency26.com/The_Brand_Gap.pdf


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## monkeylantern

If you can wait 4 months, we are in the process of developing a whole new level of free cool stuff


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## seibei

Brian,

Half of that? Killer - I actually never had any idea of the exact number of things that went along with the order, but I had heard about stickers and tell cards and such and pulled out the first number that popped into my head.


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## Rodney

seibei said:


> yeah, I'm pretty jealous of Oddica's packaging - they posted a thread about it a while back, and I've done some research into similar stuff, and if you're prepared to buy the minimum 10,000 at a time, their packaging runs somewhere in the neighborhood of $0.40 per bag, so all of their extras and packaging probably run them about $1.50, though most people would think it was more...Oddica's prices are already terrific anyway, though, so hopefully people don't raise a ruckus about it...


Yeah, I'm in the oddica fan club myself.

I'm one of those that saw the packaging and goodies and went, holy crap, this is the coolest. Right away I had to buy a shirt for a buddy/co-worker so he cool bask in the coolness. Still proclaims it as his favorite hoodie EVAR 

I haven't found any shirts there that *grab* me like my first purhcases though...although I do go back to the site often to check.


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## Rodney

seibei said:


> Brian,
> 
> Half of that? Killer - I actually never had any idea of the exact number of things that went along with the order, but I had heard about stickers and tell cards and such and pulled out the first number that popped into my head.


I posted some photos of their packaging and cool library card here.


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## Moonie

I always toss a BMW Z4 Roadster into the bag with a shirt. Customers really.... no.. wait.... I mean a free pen. I always get those two confused.


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## global epidemik

oddica, where is your packaging manufactured? and does the packaging change with the t-shirt design?


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## innovproductions

Has anyone had a bad experience with a promotional sent item ? Something totally unapropriate ?


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## Rodney

global epidemik said:


> oddica, where is your packaging manufactured? and does the packaging change with the t-shirt design?


If you search through some past posts by Brian, he talks about where and how get got them made.


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## oddica

packaging comes from ... overseas  ...

we have two sizes, with a different design on each side,
so occasionally, the packaging matches the T-shirt.


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## monkeylantern

Without wishing to be a party pooper, if I was Brian, when you're doing something funky and unique, such as their packaging, I certainly wouldn't list my sources on this site.


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## Rodney

monkeylantern said:


> Without wishing to be a party pooper, if I was Brian, when you're doing something funky and unique, such as their packaging, I certainly wouldn't list my sources on this site.


It's not like we're using the same cool artwork that Brian has. That makes his unique and cool.

I've seen custom packaging done by other online retailers as well, but his was cool because it was artwork from his site which related to what he's selling.

If other's did it, it would be cool (or not cool) for different reasons. If you slap a logo on a bag, it's not going to be as cool (probably what I'd end up doing). But if you have the resources to put a full piece of art that relates to one of your t-shirt designs on your shipping bag, that wouldn't take anything away from what Brian's doing (in my opinion).


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## oddica

> If you can wait 4 months, we are in the process of developing a whole new level of free cool stuff 

who is 'we' = ?

forgive my ignorance


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## feilong

monkeylantern said:


> Without wishing to be a party pooper, if I was Brian, when you're doing something funky and unique, such as their packaging, I certainly wouldn't list my sources on this site.


thats what this site about, sharing information to help people build their dreams. i have shared planty of info, and so have alot of other people on these boards to help me acheive some things I probably never would have without the board. People share information here based on the beleif they are helping other people that are need of services and techniques, and that the people using this information will not copy are imitate their ideas directly but rather act as inspiration for a similar based idea.


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## dmm26

Rodney said:


> I'm one of those that saw the packaging and goodies and went, holy crap, this is the coolest.


LOL!! I'm the same way when I get extra things.! I think once I'm up and running I would like to throw in stickers,key chains,can cozies,patches...... I think that would be pretty good.


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## Robert H

oddica said:


> > probably $1.50? ... D, not sure about your future on the
> Price is Right — it's about half of that.
> 
> for years I have shipped pins, postcards, and stickers (and tees)
> to specialty retail and am lucky/fortunate to have all this stuff
> sourced at a low price.
> 
> > neighborhood of $0.40 per bag
> the small packages are ~25 cents, big ones ~40 cents.
> 
> a decent cardboard box from U-Line actually costs more.
> 
> I can see that some customers might scratch their heads and wonder
> about the goodies and packaging. While on the other end of the
> spectrum, we have customers who get their first package and
> pledge to be Customers for Life.
> 
> dunno, different strokes for different folks.
> 
> I've been in the tee business since 1998, and when you get in the
> trenches shipping to retailers, it's all about the bottom line.
> 
> Oddica was a chance to get away from the stressful/business side
> of things, and do things a bit different without the usual fetters.


How long did it take you to get to the point of adding tellcards and custom packaging? I dont suppose you did this from the start.

I dont think this option would be cost effective until you start to receive XXXX orders a month. Any advice on when it is the right time to do custom packaging? how did you make your decision?


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## sjidohair

Norm,
Is that a woman on your avator riding a fishing lure?
At our shop , whom we buy our Hangers from 
Supply Warehouse, they always throw a bag of Candy, in and I can tell you mY son cannot wait to help unpack those boxes. So on the side of the REtailer I love the goodies, and I remember who does and does not do that. 
 
Sandy Jo


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## oddica

> How long did it take you to get to the point of adding tellcards and custom packaging? I dont suppose you did this from the start.

> I dont think this option would be cost effective until you start to receive XXXX orders a month. Any advice on when it is the right time to do custom packaging? how did you make your decision?

the tell cards are only a penny or two ... a business card cut in half. So you can do that any time.

the custom packaging, that was not based on projected orders ... it was a start-up cost that was done because I thought it'd be cool, and nobody had done anything similar. 

hope this answers your questions.


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## sid

We some times include a new custom product to what we think will be a good customer. Usually one of our journal books or maybe a new style bag, or a Tee,with their image on it. It always pays off. We are very selective in doing this.Iit is one of our marketing principles to expand our line with our existing customer base. We always get a thank you call or email and now we have another way of trying to make a sale instead of us calling them. Give aways are part of marketing and your easiest sale is from a customer who has just called to say "thank you".


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## Solmu

EnvyApparel said:


> How long did it take you to get to the point of adding tellcards and custom packaging? I dont suppose you did this from the start.


Oddica did things right from the start; which is why they had people actually anticipating their launch before they'd ever sold a single shirt, and free promotion putting their name all over the web. It's those finishing touches that help a brand stand out - not after they've established themselves (how exactly do you do that with a weak brand?), but from the very beginning.

Not everyone will have the budget to do it in big flashy ways, but (ideally) you need a point of difference from day one. Finishing touches are one good way to do that.


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## Jasonda

EnvyApparel said:


> How long did it take you to get to the point of adding tellcards and custom packaging? I dont suppose you did this from the start.


Aside from the marketing/word-of-mouth benefits that Solmu mentioned, there are financial benefits to doing it from the beginning as well. The price for the marketing materials can (and should) be calculated as part of your final cost for the shirt. Every time you sell a shirt you are getting back the cost of the materials.

If you do it later, you might not be able to raise your prices to account for the additional cost, so any money you spend will be coming out of your profit margin, which is never a good thing.


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## oddica

Envy, i replied to your private message, but you're not set up to receive them apparently. The info you sought:

Oceanaire Sportswear
2937 E Maria St.
+1 310.885.9626


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## Robert H

oddica said:


> > How long did it take you to get to the point of adding tellcards and custom packaging? I dont suppose you did this from the start.
> 
> > I dont think this option would be cost effective until you start to receive XXXX orders a month. Any advice on when it is the right time to do custom packaging? how did you make your decision?
> 
> the tell cards are only a penny or two ... a business card cut in half. So you can do that any time.
> 
> the custom packaging, that was not based on projected orders ... it was a start-up cost that was done because I thought it'd be cool, and nobody had done anything similar.
> 
> hope this answers your questions.


Wow, min 10,000 order is a huge commitment from the gate. what was the total $$$ investment for that? I assume they sat around for quite some time before they started to shoot off the shelf.

You must have had to work up quite the demand before your website launched.


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## Rodney

EnvyApparel said:


> Wow, min 10,000 order is a huge commitment from the gate. what was the total $$$ investment for that? I assume they sat around for quite some time before they started to shoot off the shelf.
> 
> You must have had to work up quite the demand before your website launched.


You don't have to always work up a demand *before* your website launches.

You can market and advertise to get your product out there. That's what a business plan is for. 

It can give you your goals and help you set your steps that you need to take (marketing/advertising steps) to get you to that goal.

Different brands start out in different ways. Not everyone is going to start out like oddica, and not everyone is going to start out like Affliction and not everyone is going to start out small.

You have to decide what you want to do to set yourself apart and what your business plan is.


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## Robert H

I was thinking of this for the past few days when I was hit with an idea. I am not sure if it would work as well as I think so I thought it would be best to run it by the forum. I have been thinking over and over how I can make the site/product launch work considering the economys state. The shirts are going to be $20 each with the possiblilty of a 2 for $30 deal all depending. This would be promoted with each shirt sold, on the site and on blogs. But the GREAT AMAZING idea that struck me was to offer a Sony's Micro Vault Tiny 2GB USB stick for the first 40 customers to purchase on the website. I can get a good deal ont he sticks and considering we are a technological society my customer base would love to have one thrown in. The sticks MSRP for more than the shirts, I think they started at $124 when they came out and are around $40 now. 

What do you guys think?

After those run out its just discount coupons and stickers with quality made Shirts.


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## FJV11

Sounds like a good idea to me if you can get the sticks at a low enough price that it's not killing you. I do tile murals as a side business to the shirts so sometimes I print a tile with the customer's logo on it and toss it in with the order. The customer is always happy with that kind of thing and it costs me next to nothing.


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## Robert H

The sticks wold be more than reasonable and I figure load them with wallpaper and other branded product, and send them off to the first 40 lucky people.

Thanks for the feedback.


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## reiyou

When deciding what freebies to include, think about your customers and what they would value, as well as something that is kind of unique for your line of tees. There is bound to be something that is unique, relevant, cool and also be inexpensive.

In my case my customers are female dancers, and are generally pretty young. When I ship them dancewear, I have been including a colorful hair scrunchie or inexpensive fashion jewelry such as a bracelet or a ballerina cell phone charm. I also hand these out as free gifts with each purchase when selling face-to-face. I get these wholesale from a store near the Denver Merchandise Mart for about 50 cents each.

However for larger orders (over $100), I'm about to try something new. Next week I am going to start sending a sterling silver charm and box chain, in a little velvet gift bag. My wholesale cost is based on the market weight of silver, but a tiny sterling silver ballerina charm is about $1.50, a 16" chain is about $2.50, and a little velvet bag is about 50 cents. I get these items from Blake Brothers, which has an outlet in the Dever Merchandise Mart (but they also have a website, Blake Brothers Homepage) 

So, for about $5 or so I can send a gift along with my larger orders that is elegant, is relevant to girl dancers, and that hopefully has a bit more wow factor because it is sterling silver, and thus be more memorable. I don't quite know exactly how memorable yet, since I am about to try this starting next week.

For your theme of tees and the customers who buy them, perhaps there is something you can include as a freebie that can really delight them.


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## Solmu

EnvyApparel said:


> the GREAT AMAZING idea that struck me was to offer a Sony's Micro Vault Tiny 2GB USB stick


I would have thought more or less everyone who wants one would now have one. I know I impulse bought a 2gb last year because it was on the counter - that's how cheap they've got. I've got about three (512mb, 1gb, 2gb), so they're certainly something you accumulate, but you don't generally actually _use_ more than one. Free stuff is good, so it might work... but I'm skeptical how much value people would actually see in them. It's also a bit gimmicky... with the connection between t-shirts and technology not really being there I'd be concerned about looking desperate or shonky.



EnvyApparel said:


> The sticks MSRP for more than the shirts, I think they started at $124 when they came out and are around $40 now.


$40 for a 2gb memory stick? You have got to be joking. They're ten bucks for a non-name brand, maybe double that for a name brand. They're so cheap the price has become nominal (which is why I would guess just about anybody who would want one, already has one).


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## Robert H

Solmu said:


> It's also a bit gimmicky... with the connection between t-shirts and technology not really being there I'd be concerned about looking desperate or shonky.


As long as the connection is made with whats on the drive I dont see the issue. My demographic would use this or be attracted to it even though they may have one already. This would contain exclusive content that is branded by the shirt company and may have other very limited items on there.




Solmu said:


> $40 for a 2gb memory stick? You have got to be joking. They're ten bucks for a non-name brand, maybe double that for a name brand. They're so cheap the price has become nominal (which is why I would guess just about anybody who would want one, already has one).


Anyone can get an off brand product for cheap, but when giving things away the implied value of a brand name helps. This sony stick isnt your standard bulky plastic USB. You should google it.


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## Solmu

EnvyApparel said:


> As long as the connection is made with whats on the drive I dont see the issue. [...] This would contain exclusive content that is branded by the shirt company and may have other very limited items on there.


That is indeed where it's an interesting possibility. Can you generate enough content to make that of value? Desktop wallpapers aren't really going to thrill. I'm not sure what would work, but content can be more valuable than material goods. Portishead's latest album comes with a USB stick with the limited edition vinyl version. In their case one of the band members is a filmmaker, so the stick has some short films, and the album in MP3 (particularly useful since most people don't have a vinyl to mp3 converter). In that case the benefit wasn't the drive, but what was *on* the drive, and it definitely added value. So yes, there is potential with your idea.



EnvyApparel said:


> This sony stick isnt your standard bulky plastic USB. You should google it.


1) There's no such thing as a bulky USB stick these days. Just like mobile phones there's a certain point beyond which there's no need for them to get smaller.
2) I actually did. They cost a lot less than you think they do. *And* they're overpriced.


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## sjidohair

If I was buying tees and had that thrown in, I would love it.
 
Sandy Jo


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## Jasonda

EnvyApparel said:


> Anyone can get an off brand product for cheap, but when giving things away the implied value of a brand name helps. This sony stick isnt your standard bulky plastic USB. You should google it.


If you're concerned about the implied value of a brand name, why not have your own brand name imprinted on a very nice looking USB stick? You can have this done for very little $$ by almost any promotional products provider.

Either way, paying _retail price_ for a promotional giveaway item is ridiculous, no matter how cheap it is or what the brand name is. You should be getting it at wholesale.

Mark is really doing it right by offering an affordable item that will "click" with his customers, something unique and special that they will actually keep and use.


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## Robert H

Jasonda said:


> Either way, paying _retail price_ for a promotional giveaway item is ridiculous, no matter how cheap it is or what the brand name is. You should be getting it at wholesale.


I only mentioned retail price. That is not what my cost was. 

As far as the content goes, I am a designer and have plenty of items that would be on there that are branded. I am in the process of getting more exclusive content on there.


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## Solmu

EnvyApparel said:


> As far as the content goes, I am a designer and have plenty of items that would be on there that are branded. I am in the process of getting more exclusive content on there.


The other thing to consider is how much value this adds, versus how much value a nicely produced CD would add. Obviously the CD doesn't have the same wow factor, but at a _considerably_ lower price, it might still edge out in front.

I suppose you could do both: USB stick to the first X customers, CDs to the rest.


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## Robert H

It would take a considerable amount of effort and cost to do the CD's for all other customers. The USB stick will take no time to load, cost nearly nothing and I feel will drive people to be the first to purchase. I do not feel offering people the same content will work in the way I have planned.


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## Rodney

Just to keep adding to this thread with "tips" on little extras that you can include with your product:

I found a really nice little extra is a nicely worded thank you note.

Not the generic ones that sound like they came from a template. "Thank you for shopping at our store. We appreciate your business. If you have any questions...blah blah blah".

Write something really unique and in your own voice. Make it funny. Make it real.

It's amazing how people react to something like that included in their package. 

This isn't my original idea  I was just very impressed with the "transactional emails" and "thank you notes" from my purchase from cdbaby.com, I just had to try it. And it works. It helps to make you memorable.

You may want to change it up every now and then if you have a lot of repeat customers.


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## Robert H

Rodney said:


> Just to keep adding to this thread with "tips" on little extras that you can include with your product:
> 
> I found a really nice little extra is a nicely worded thank you note.
> 
> Not the generic ones that sound like they came from a template. "Thank you for shopping at our store. We appreciate your business. If you have any questions...blah blah blah".
> 
> Write something really unique and in your own voice. Make it funny. Make it real.
> 
> It's amazing how people react to something like that included in their package.
> 
> This isn't my original idea  I was just very impressed with the "transactional emails" and "thank you notes" from my purchase from cdbaby.com, I just had to try it. And it works. It helps to make you memorable.
> 
> You may want to change it up every now and then if you have a lot of repeat customers.


Can you show an example of one you wrote yourself?

Was this just some text on plain paper, handwritten or...?


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## plan b

I have a coffee roaster and I use to send a little sample of fresh roasted coffee, then I figured out that the coffee aroma sticks with the shirt ,so now I add some special tea that you can't get at most stores.


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## Rodney

EnvyApparel said:


> Can you show an example of one you wrote yourself?
> 
> Was this just some text on plain paper, handwritten or...?


No, not hand written at all. Just the regular packing slip that you print out to go with each order.

Most shopping carts allow you to customize that text that gets printed out, I'm just suggesting that you give it a unique voice.

I can give you an example of the CDBABY text here:



> "Your CDs have been gently taken from our CD Baby shelves with sterilized contamination-free gloves and placed onto a satin pillow.
> 
> A team of 50 employees inspected your CDs and polished them to make sure they were in the best possible condition before mailing.
> 
> Our packing specialist from Japan lit a candle and a hush fell over the crowd as he put your CDs into the finest gold-lined box that money can buy.
> 
> 
> We all had a wonderful celebration afterwards and the whole party marched down the street to the post office where the entire town of Portland waved 'Bon Voyage!' to your package, on its way to you, in our private CD Baby jet on this day, Sunday, November 18th.
> 
> 
> I hope you had a wonderful time shopping at CD Baby. We sure did.
> 
> 
> Your picture is on our wall as 'Customer of the Year.' We're all exhausted but can't wait for you to come back to CDBABY.COM!!
> 
> 
> Thank you, thank you, thank you!
> 
> 
> Sigh...
> 
> 
> Derek Sivers, president, CD Baby
> the little store with the best new independent music
> CD Baby: let's find you some great new music... (503)595-3000"


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## jaycen29

I did something like this when I made a custom product for a forum...they were shipping out in december so I had a small note inside that said "Thanks for your purchase. Please enjoy your enclosed free gift from me. Merry Xmas" with my signature. Then I attached free stickers relating to forum I was doing this for. I just used a handwriting type font for the note but you could just write a note in your own handwriting and then scan it in and print multiple copies on a sheet and cut them down...may look more personal that way, but I have horrible handwriting lol.


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## jaycen29

That CD Baby note is great Rodney lol


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## xbrandon408x

yea haha that is a really great note thats a good idea to cause it adds a little something to your business .
haha for me i was thinking of having a goodie bag it would have two stickers one for yourself and one to give to a friend it would also have two pins that would do the same  i was also thinking of putting like an action figure or some toy from the past in there that would remind my target market of their childhood. haha thats easy to cause you can go to a garage sale and find old action figures and cards for $25 each


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## jaycen29

OK so these are just kinda some rough ideas but do you think some people would get upset at these notes??

"Congratulations

It has been such a pleasure doing business with you that we have decided to refund 100% of your purchase price. We held a company wide meeting to debate the best way to get your refund back to you and in the end we settled on what we felt was the most economically feasible method in light of the recent rise in fuel costs. Your refund has been placed in a bottle along with a note addressed to you and tossed out to sea. Please be sure to check for it next time you are at the beach. Allow 7-10 working days for delivery." 

 

My other idea is to have stickers with my web address on them made and then place a few of them in the box attached to a note reading:

"Important Warning Please Read:

Attached you will find 5 special stickers. DO NOT throw away or let these stickers just sit around your house. You must pass these stickers on to 5 of your friends. If you fail to pass these stickers on then the first time you wear your shirt it will begin to shrink around your body constricting blood flow thus leading to unconsciousness and possible brain damage. The last person to ignore this warning now sits in a padded room all day watching re-runs of 3 stooges. You have been warned.


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## TeddyRocky

Jaycen, lol Clever. However I wouldn't use those letters just in case an anal customer decides to use it against you some how. Lawsuits are so common, I don't think you'd want to take that chance. "IM SUING YOU!! I waited at the beach for my refund for 10 days and I was struck with a coconut and passed out." lol who knows......


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## Daniel Slatkin

I always through in a sticker, and a discount coupon for their next purchase.


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## jaycen29

TeddyRocky said:


> Jaycen, lol Clever. However I wouldn't use those letters just in case an anal customer decides to use it against you some how. Lawsuits are so common, I don't think you'd want to take that chance. "IM SUING YOU!! I waited at the beach for my refund for 10 days and I was struck with a coconut and passed out." lol who knows......


Yeah Teddy thats what I was thinkin too...can't have any fun with people nowadays lol


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## COEDS

I enclose proper laundry instructions to keep the garment looking best. I enclose a business card and a short note thanking them for their patronage. I have the note ntyped out, but I try to sign all notes myself or my wife . I think hand signing is extra work, but it shows the customer you are aware of them. .... JB


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## CUSTOM UK

*Hi. The little extras I give with my products are good communication, excellent customer service and a* *big 'thank for your purchase'.*

*If someone places an order for multiple products, I will enclose a badge, or keyring with the order. A small token to say thank you.  *


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## yellowguy

Absolutely include something for free... if even a sticker... it is free marketing if it has your brand on it. You should always include your information on your stickers. Website or myspace... even a phone number if you want - remember - everyone looks at bumper stickers.


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## Jasonda

yellowguy said:


> remember - everyone looks at bumper stickers.


I can't even remember the last time I saw a bumper sticker. I think they are going out of fashion (here in Vancouver at least).


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## sjidohair

Guys,
Talk to me about stickers and bumper stickers,
how are you making these>? to be waterproof ect on cars..
Thanks a ton
Sandy JO


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## CUSTOM UK

*Hi. I print on vinyl, then use a UV coating to protect.*

*I use standard inkjet ink, but it gives them a useful life of over 12 months.*


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## Rodney

jaycen29 said:


> OK so these are just kinda some rough ideas but do you think some people would get upset at these notes??
> 
> "Congratulations
> 
> It has been such a pleasure doing business with you that we have decided to refund 100% of your purchase price. We held a company wide meeting to debate the best way to get your refund back to you and in the end we settled on what we felt was the most economically feasible method in light of the recent rise in fuel costs. Your refund has been placed in a bottle along with a note addressed to you and tossed out to sea. Please be sure to check for it next time you are at the beach. Allow 7-10 working days for delivery."
> 
> 
> 
> My other idea is to have stickers with my web address on them made and then place a few of them in the box attached to a note reading:
> 
> "Important Warning Please Read:
> 
> Attached you will find 5 special stickers. DO NOT throw away or let these stickers just sit around your house. You must pass these stickers on to 5 of your friends. If you fail to pass these stickers on then the first time you wear your shirt it will begin to shrink around your body constricting blood flow thus leading to unconsciousness and possible brain damage. The last person to ignore this warning now sits in a padded room all day watching re-runs of 3 stooges. You have been warned.


Jaycen, the sticker idea is better than the refund idea. The refund idea sounds kind of offensive, but the sticker wording just sounds funny.


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## Rodney

sjidohair said:


> Guys,
> Talk to me about stickers and bumper stickers,
> how are you making these>? to be waterproof ect on cars..
> Thanks a ton
> Sandy JO


Best to start a new thread about how to get bumper stickers made 

You can find some info here: stickers related topics at T-Shirt Forums


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## CUSTOM UK

jaycen29 said:


> The last person to ignore this warning now sits in a padded room all day watching re-runs of 3 stooges. You have been warned.


*Now THAT would be cruel.... LOL*


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## Yazakisan

we were thinking about doing sticker tags... think that's overplayed?


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## Rodney

Yazakisan said:


> we were thinking about doing sticker tags... think that's overplayed?


Not to your customers. They've never got a stickertag from you  That's sort of like asking are t-shirt designs overplayed.


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## kyznet

My business is still small, so I send a personal Thank You note to all customers with a sticker in the same design as the shirt that they bought. 

i really like the idea of sending them a discount voucher for their next purchase. Will have to look into that one!!


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## Yazakisan

kyznet said:


> i really like the idea of sending them a discount voucher for their next purchase. Will have to look into that one!!


you could create a tag with the discount code on it. so that when they get it, it's on the tag, with the code and the website so that you dont have to do a bunch of extra printing and it's advertising at the same time. Plus then it seems classier rather than having a discount voucher added in there like a coupon.


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## aoshi1

When I order things online, I dig getting the extras. I figured I would do the same, start with some stickers, maybe move up from there. Everyone liked stickers, and it's like free advertising (well, depending on where it's stuck at, lol).


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## sjidohair

How about this, we do this

My t-shirts are called Monkey MeMe.
I have a Monkey with attitude hang tag, with, washing instructions, ect . I will try to post it here, and then I have another tag, 
Really a business card, with all my info on it, but it also have 20 punches, lil monkeys, with every dollar they spend , in 10.00 increments.there is one punch punched, well i start them out with 2 or 3 punches all ready stamped, it is actually a stamp not a punch, because they could be punching there own card, so i had a special stamp made.
when the card is full they get $20.00 of product free.
They keep this in their wallet, and everytime they look in there wallet,, there I am..
Sandy Jo


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## kyznet

sjidohair said:


> Really a business card, with all my info on it, but it also have 20 punches, lil monkeys, with every dollar they spend , in 10.00 increments.there is one punch punched, well i start them out with 2 or 3 punches all ready stamped, it is actually a stamp not a punch, because they could be punching there own card, so i had a special stamp made.
> when the card is full they get $20.00 of product free.
> They keep this in their wallet, and everytime they look in there wallet,, there I am..
> Sandy Jo


That's a sensational idea Sandy Jo. Just like getting a card from your coffee shop - the tenth coffee is free. I love it.


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## sjidohair

Kyra,
Yes just like the coffee shop, and dont know about you but love that free cup,, 
I also love your tees, and your site was very easy to get around, great job
sandy Jo


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## kyznet

Thanks - lovely of you to say so. That's even better than a free cup of coffee!!


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## SamuraiAesthetic

zagadka said:


> we always put in a nice printed or cut vinyl sticker with ours. if it's an order of two or more, i'll put in a few extra stickers.
> 
> although they're not "extras", we have gotten many compliments about the way we present our product and the way its packaged. personally, i like getting and sending mail, so i like to dress it up a lil bit!


I am just starting and was curious to how you mail out your shirts. Like how you package and personalize them. When I get everything up and running I want to be as professional as possible.


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## SamuraiAesthetic

Anyone know where I can get some vinyl stickers printed out at a fairly decent price?


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## Robert H

sjidohair said:


> How about this, we do this
> 
> My t-shirts are called Monkey MeMe.
> I have a Monkey with attitude hang tag, with, washing instructions, ect . I will try to post it here, and then I have another tag,
> Really a business card, with all my info on it, but it also have 20 punches, lil monkeys, with every dollar they spend , in 10.00 increments.there is one punch punched, well i start them out with 2 or 3 punches all ready stamped, it is actually a stamp not a punch, because they could be punching there own card, so i had a special stamp made.
> when the card is full they get $20.00 of product free.
> They keep this in their wallet, and everytime they look in there wallet,, there I am..
> Sandy Jo


Are you strictly a brick-n-mortar? If not, how do you stamp the cards if it is an online order?


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## crazygolucky

Personally I send out stickers, a button, lollipops, print out fliers, and a thank you note with all my orders.


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## iwearyourshirt

I just want to say that when a company sends a couple extra goodies with a shirt, I love it. Especially stuff that is fun. Stickers are great, but I am not 5 years old anymore. Send some stuff that is funny, will grab a laugh with friends and might have some utility. Especially with most throw-ins being cheap to make, spend an extra $100 for 1000 units and get something good!

I'm not criticizing anyone here, just a generalization...


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## shaian

i normally send out some kind of sweet. like a lolly or a chew bar. i dont mention it. just send it with the order. most times i get a thanks email or on ebay some good feedback. costs like 10p. and works.


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## customistic

I have a retail store, and with every order, a customer gets the following:

The garment gets a tag with essentially our business card on one side, and recommended washing directions on the other side (we print them in house on card stock and just attach them with garment taggers). The tag is more for advertising than the washing directions.

The paper bags get a paper stabled to them with our logo then a few fun facts, like if they email us a pic of them wearing the shirt, they get 10% off next time, we have everything we make in the computer by the day, etc...

They get a brochure with pricing information.

Depending on the customer, they either get a bottle opener keychain with our logo and info, or we made notepads to be given out during the holidays to advertise, and our customers love them, we put magnets on them, and people use them on their fridges as shopping lists and it's everyday exposure to our brand.

And, if we know it's a gift, we give them tissue paper matching the shirt (we pre-prepare in bundles of 3 sheets).

Everyone LOVES the tissue paper thing, and it's the cheapest thing we do.

Hope this helps...


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## taglessthreads

stickers are good ! Most of my clients have us drop ship stickers in with their customer's orders ! If it is sticky people will want to stick it somewhere ! 

Best of luck ! 

TT Team


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## Random Obj

Something extra with an order is a MUST! I send stickers and a "special" gift with all my orders. My customers really like it, and that is what is important! It adds to the experience.


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## queenVee

great tips.. 


customistic said:


> I have a retail store, and with every order, a customer gets the following:
> 
> The garment gets a tag with essentially our business card on one side, and recommended washing directions on the other side (we print them in house on card stock and just attach them with garment taggers). The tag is more for advertising than the washing directions.
> 
> The paper bags get a paper stabled to them with our logo then a few fun facts, like if they email us a pic of them wearing the shirt, they get 10% off next time, we have everything we make in the computer by the day, etc...
> 
> They get a brochure with pricing information.
> 
> Depending on the customer, they either get a bottle opener keychain with our logo and info, or we made notepads to be given out during the holidays to advertise, and our customers love them, we put magnets on them, and people use them on their fridges as shopping lists and it's everyday exposure to our brand.
> 
> And, if we know it's a gift, we give them tissue paper matching the shirt (we pre-prepare in bundles of 3 sheets).
> 
> Everyone LOVES the tissue paper thing, and it's the cheapest thing we do.
> 
> Hope this helps...


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## AmericanBandit

I wish I could give away sunglasses with each order... but until then ill just do the lil quirky stuff thats fun, ie ninja certificates lol


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## ishredbanez

If you start out giving too much and it gets to become costly, if you cut back, won't customers see that negatively, though...? Or if you don't package the same thing every time that is good, but it should be of equal value. (Good unless one customer posts a thank you online or show a friend about getting a certain extra, then having another customer say "Why did this person get that and I got this/nothing?")

Hopefully they wouldn't get "nothing", though.


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## rlaubert

With our embroidered clothing we are giving away a mouse pad with the same emblem printed on it. We also give away coffee mugs with our logo and website info on it.


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## ReversedDesigns

Considering offering a freebie like a "paid sticker" or postcard size print with each order. Like people have said in this thread, everyone loves goodies.


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## hawaiianshirts

wow, long thread. lots of great ideas. has anyone considered throwing in a shirt with all your business info on it?


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## berlinbonez

we´ve just got into selling sticker packs so a couple of random stickers or a pin badge lands with an order. They also make great give aways at events like skateboard contests. The web adress is also worked into the sticker design so each one is a kind of mini flyer....people love stickers!


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## ReversedDesigns

Both the stickers and t shirt are good ideas, but if I did the latter, I'd make it a contest and every 13th buyer gets a free tshirt with their order.


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## hawaiianshirts

good idea with the contest. with my last business (that we just sold) we used to do contest on facebook and it worked pretty well to get people interested on there


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## ReversedDesigns

Facebook's a good idea, even though I don't really like the site. It's popular. So if I did a contest, I'd do it on defacedbook.


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## izzimj78

I would do either a magnet calendar or a magnet business card.


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## FPF

monkeylantern said:


> Without wishing to be a party pooper, if I was Brian, when you're doing something funky and unique, such as their packaging, I certainly wouldn't list my sources on this site.


 This mentality is what I hate about this site. So many times I come on here hoping for some advice about something unique and no one will reply...assumingly because they don't want someone else using the same idea. Why even have a forum if that is what the attitude is going to be?


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## treefox2118

Because we're here to help each other, but we're also competitors.


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## maryellen1234

I have the 4" dye sub coasters and I am starting to put the customers design on it. When I do dye sub, I will just fit the design in an open area on the paper. I will be putting my info on the coaster also, but they only cost about $0.40 printed. Something a bit better to leave on their desks. Larger orders I may do 3-5 of the coasters.


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## j4k

When I do an order of tees, I put the same image on 2 or 3 canvas bags, usually the same color as the tees, and pack the tees in the bags. The customers love the bags and I usually end up getting an order for bags.


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## Walk Away

Thank you all first, for all the great ideas. If we didn't have this forum, it would have been really hard to get to where we are now.

When we first launched a few weeks back, we were placing a free shirt and cap, every few orders. People immediately started to engage with others on FB and leaving great post with pics, likes and shares. We still slide free shirts in random orders but we have stuck with the free cap on all orders for now, seeing how our reviews on our caps have been great. 

I love the sticker idea, and seeing how we have more than enough extra's (Used for our caps) we will implement this and others we found here as well. 

We will also add a flyer with with our current FB (and future promo's) information and discount codes inside.

The packaging and little extras go a long way, I realize not everyone can offer free shirts and caps on a lot of their orders but it has helped with getting our name out there. We were blessed with a lot backing and a decent line to start our launch, and it has helped a dream, begin to turn into reality.


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## LizaF

Yep, I do little extras with my products. Specially for regular customers. A little loyalty appreciation. Getting something extra whether it's just a small thing or not will make the customer feel special. Specially when they thought it was specifically given to them only and not to everybody


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