FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

1. “Why do celebrities get free stuff when they can afford to buy the merchandise themselves?”
Usually this question stems from (1) a lack of understanding of basic marketing and (2) the fact that people erroneously think we are going out and buying gifts for celebrities. Ours is simply a marketing program for companies interested in connecting with celebrities. Companies give away product to high-profile individuals who can potentially help their brand. We are not gifting movie stars and music icons out of a sense of philanthropy. We are gifting them for the same reason they are paid upwards of $20 million for a single film . . . because their personal brand has value as a commodity. When you compare the average wage of a box office star to the average American family’s income, there is also quite a disparity. People often look at our celebrity gifting promotions through the lens of jealousy rather than appreciating them as a very straight forward marketing endeavor. Juxtaposing companies’ willingness to give gifts to people in a position to help their brand with the wages of the middle or lower class is like criticizing Audi for spending millions on Super Bowl commercials rather than donating that same money to the poor. Companies must market and advertise in order to stay in business. The more successful they are as a result of these promotions, the more profits there are to support charitable giving programs. Everyone wins.

2. “Giving great gifts seems easy when you have a lot of money, but what about when you’re trying to find the perfect present on a very modest budget?”
Your goal isn’t necessarily to impress with the price tag but rather with your creativity, thoughtfulness or practicality. If someone loves coffee, show up at their office with a late afternoon pick-me-up latte. If someone has young children, give them something that won’t cost you a dime . . . your time (in the form of a gift certificate for complimentary baby-sitting services. Be sure to pay attention to the presentation of your gift, as an inexpensive token gift that’s presented nicely (think beautiful ribbon, a fresh flower as a garnish, etc.) will be perceived to have a far greater value.

3. “I’m having an event and want to create gift bags for all the guests. How do I get started?”
Be forewarned, this will be a lot of work for you. And if it’s not a highly publicized celebrity-oriented event it will also cost you a lot of money. Your first and most crucial step will be finding the bag itself. Whenever we do this, the sponsor/host of the event typically creates a vinyl or canvas bag with their logo on it. These can be obtained fairly inexpensively from any number of online sources (anywhere from $3-$30 per bag depending on the turnaround, quality and number of colors used). I recommend getting a smaller bag (as a small bag filled with stuff is much better than a large bag with a few random items floating around inside). Then you’ll have to start soliciting the product. For our entertainment functions, this means soliciting companies to convince them to donate product for the event in question. It will be a numbers game, and beauty products are always much easier to get than electronics or expensive jewelry. Keep in mind that this is simply a token gesture, so it doesn’t need to be super expensive to serve its purpose. I always recommend that companies who are trying to do this on their own with very small budgets stick with thematic items (or even a single item) that make sense for the recipients and/or the event. No, we do not offer this service.

4. “Do you have any extra stuff lying around your office that you’d be willing to send me?”
Although we get hundreds of e-mails asking for “leftovers,” we don’t have “extra” product available for distribution. We always request the exact number of items from our clients that we need for a particular event . . . and we are quite accountable to them in terms of providing a list of CELEBRITIES and MEDIA who received the products they so generously donated and paid us to distribute on their behalf. We do make numerous charitable donations throughout the year to qualified philanthropies. However, priority is given to requests made by clients and close work associates.

5. “I have a product I think would make a perfect present for Distinctive Assets’ gifting endeavors. How do I become a vendor you offer to your clients?”
We are always looking for fabulous new merchandise. Feel free to send a sample of your product, along with any catalogs or line sheets. If you’d like your product returned, please include your FedEx or UPS number, and we will happily mail it back to you after evaluation.

6. “Your company sounds amazing. Are there current openings for employment opportunities?”
Although we do not currently have any openings for employment, you are welcome to email your résumé to info@distinctiveassets.com. We do sometimes have a need for part-time or seasonal staffing. We keep qualified candidates’ information on file and will contact you when specific opportunities arise.