Q: “Denise, I am thinking about getting water bottles for my open houses with my branding on them. What do you think?”

A: While I certainly applaud the use of your brand on just about anything, I wonder if this is consistent with your goals which, in this case, are to provide brand recognition for the next time they might run into you and to provide something of value.

I am going to play devil’s advocate and ask a few questions:

• What if they are steadfast environmentalists and would never use a single-use plastic water bottle?
• What if they have their own water bottles in the car?
• What if they are not thirsty?
• What if they take that water bottle, fill their dog’s water bowl in the car, and then throw it away?
• What if what they really want is information on the house and area? After all, that is why they stopped by.
• What if what they need is a report that shows the five-year growth in the neighborhood compared to surrounding neighborhoods?
• What if they need information on other listings in the area and may even want to go view them?

I am sure you get my point. While a water bottle with your brand may be a way to get your brand out there, you are much better off providing something with some staying power that has your brand on it. While a water bottle may have visual impact, visual impact with the power of data behind it is even better. Save your money and create a report for people to take instead!