Promotional products have really stood the test of time in the marketing world. You know them: they are those branded gifts that have your company’s name and or logo on them. They are one of the oldest forms of marketing, advertising, and branding. However; they are still effective marketing tools even in today’s digital marketing world. You may think of promotional products as something that is only used at trade shows or conventions, but they can be effective tools for branding and promotion anywhere and anytime.
Here are 5 reasons based on their research and surveys why you should at least try out a promotional product campaign in the near future.
Promotional products are less expensive, yet more effective for brand recollection than other types of advertising, including: print, radio, and television.
79% of promotional product recipients are likely to do business with that company.
66% of recipients could remember the name of the company or brand that had given them a promotional product.
60.1% of promotional product recipients feel a positive reaction to this type of advertising. That is almost double all other mediums combined.
34.3% of promotional product recipients agree that they have a favorable impression of the advertiser.
The 3 Keys for Effective Promotional Products
The best way to ensure the most success with branding and making a memorable impact, these are the three keys to go by when choosing a promotional product.
Useful to the recipient
In order to be able to be effective in advertising your company or your brand, a promotional product must be useful to the recipient. By useful, we mean something that they will hold onto and continue to use on a regular basis. The research from the British Promotional Merchandise Association has shown that useful promotional products can be kept for anywhere from one to three years on average, and that keeps your logo and company name top of mind for a very long time. When products are kept for a long time, there is a good chance that other colleagues, friends, and acquaintances might see the product and some transference can occur. On the other hand, not all promotional products have to be kept for a long time to be effective.
Relevant to your brand
Whether it is an inexpensive pen or a more expensive item, the risk is the same. Just because you spend more on promotional merchandise doesn’t mean it will be effective. Plenty of inexpensive pens make it to a recipient’s desk and are used often; however, does it remind them of your company? That is the key point here. The item should be relevant to your brand in some way. This will help them remember your company when it comes time to buy your products or services.
Must represent your company well
Oftentimes companies will chose the least expensive item to cut costs; however, if something is poorly made or doesn’t function the way it is anticipated, it can do more damage to your company’s brand than good. Even though this is a free gift, in general recipients will become disheartened or upset if their received something that doesn’t work right and is obviously cheaply made. This is why it is important that your promotional gifts represent your company well. Not only should they be useful and relevant to your brand, but the branded merchandise should be of good quality too.