Roland-Barthes.com

Free challenge coin artwork seems to be all the rage these days. Customers want to see what their custom coin is going to look like before they order and custom challenge coin vendors gladly fulfill the prospective customer’s desire with hopes of attaining a new customer.

The prospective customer’s point of view is easy to see. What person, group or organization doesn’t like to get what they want, especially for free? I am a member of the, “I like free stuff majority” believe me. However I disagree with the free challenge coin artwork practice. I understand the logic behind it but disagree nonetheless.

The idea of giving something away in an effort to obtain business or customer information is not anything new. This practice is known as the law of reciprocation.  Non profit organizations have employed this strategy for years. The best example I can think of off the top of my head, is the free address labels I used to receive in the mail. You’re probably familiar with what I’m talking about. The address labels that were included along with some information about how you can make a donation as a thank you for the “free” address labels.

I believe that all challenge coin artwork is free. As a matter of fact, I know it is. I can’t think of a single custom coin manufacturer that charges for artwork. Artwork is part of the process of creating a custom coin order and you are NOT charged anything for the artwork itself. Another thing that irritates me about “free” challenge coin artwork is the companies that are supposedly giving away free artwork seem to charge their customers more in an effort to make up for the lost time and money that was invested in the free artwork that didn’t convert into a challenge coin order. Asking a graphic designer to invest their time into anything for free devalues the entire design industry. Would you tell a house painter to paint your house for free so you can see what it’s going to look like? Not likely. Then, why in the world would you ask a company to provide you a free rendering, proof, artwork or whatever you wish to call it without any form of a commitment or obligation? Such a request makes no sense. It’s good for the customer but sets a horrible precedent for the challenge coin industry as a whole. Prospective customers expect all custom coin companies to join in these reindeer games, which is a preposterous notion to say the least.

I will finish by saying that prospective challenge coin customers are still going to get their free challenge coin artwork from ten different companies, pick the least expensive option and custom coin vendors are still going to do free artwork without a commitment. All I have accomplished here is just another blog post.