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Corporate promo item sends child to hospital

Posted on 16. Oct, 2008 by PJS in Promo items and concepts, War Stories

This story has it all: Coin cell batteries, promo items, doctors and a frantic account manager.  Fear not, this story has a happy ending.

Several years ago, after a show, I received a frantic call from an account manager/upset father.  At the time, one of the promotional items we used at our tradeshows was a bubble clock.  It was a new, cool little item, and at the time everyone seemed to love it.   But Mr. Bubble Clock turned on us and here is the story. 

Mr. Bubble Clock’s lifeline was a small, cell coin battery… I believe it was a 3 V.   Well my account manager, we will call him Sanjeev, came back from a show and gave his son a bubble clock.  Now Sanjeev’s son was very young, maybe 1 year old, but old enough to figure out how to disassemble Mr. Bubble Clock and eat Mr. Bubble Clock’s lifeline (the battery).  Sanjeev… start saving for college, this kids going to MIT.

The Bubble Clock community was outraged over this merciless slaughter of one of their own.  On the other side, the human community was equally upset as now there was a child with a battery stuck in his digestive system. 

The first initial reaction from everyone one was to blame the person who picked the item… ME.  Remember emotions were running high.  Of course in my defense I went with the initial “the item is meant for prospects, not for kids”. Now I am a dad and can totally relate to the situation, but let’s not blame to poor marketing guy for this mess.

The reality though is this.  Many of the promotional items handed out at shows are not kept with prospects, but often given to the prospects’ children.  It’s common as dear ol’ dad is gone for a few days at yet another show…the kids miss him and so he makes up for being away by bringing home promo items.  Lighted pens, stress balls, lighted balls, stuffed animals etc, etc.  

Moving forward, as the battery was lodged in the digestive system we first had to figure out what type of battery was in the clock.  We’re not talking merely the battery type we’re talking who manufactured it.  Apparently various batteries are made up different compositions based on the manufacturer. Some are safer than others and for the child’s safety, it was crucial to know the content.   

We asked Mr. Bubble Clock, but he was dead now.  We interrogated his bubble clock friends, but they were not talking.  So we went to the source, our promotional company.  In theory this seems like a really simple process but there was a major problem. 

The promotional company does not make these evil bubble clocks, a manufacturer (in China) does and so we had to call them.  Besides the barriers of language and time zones, a new challenge hit us.  The manufacturer uses many different brands of batteries. It depends from month to month on which brand is the best buy.  So now the manufacturer had to attempt to figure out which batteries they were using at the time of the order.

All this time Sanjeev has me on speed dial.  I felt like House MD.  I felt horrible about the situation. I’m Googling batteries, digestive systems, medical procedures.  Sanjeev wants answers and I have none.  Sanjeev WANTS THE TRUTH.

What felt like a week was only about 2 days in total.  In the end we did find out the exact battery brand and Sanjeev’s son luckily passed the battery through his body and came out unharmed.

Conclusion:  For the most part, corporate promotional items are geared for adult, not for children.  Reality is promotional items do get in the hands of children.  I find it hard to believe that parents will religiously read the “Child Safety” warnings on toys they BUY for their children, but when something is free they don’t give it a second thought. 

There are many great promo items out there that are not suitable for young children.  While marketers can not based their promo selection on this criteria, we can go the extra mile and forewarn people to NOT let their children play with them.

BUT WHAT ABOUT MR. BUBBLE CLOCK?

Mr Bubble Clock also came out of this situation unharmed.  He was given a new battery and made a full recovery.  He now comfortably resides on Sanjeev’s desk at the OFFICE, free of small children.  
 

Tags: batteries, children, conferences, danger, giveaways, items, promotional, tradeshows