If you were concerned that promotional products had lost their value in the age of all things digital, then a new study will put your fears to rest. It found that promotional products are still of great value to audiences and have the power to improve brand value and drive purchases. In fact, logoed mugs were found to be a more effective form of advertising than radio or television.
Of those that have acquired promo product, 53% use it once a week, with six in ten keeping a product for up to two years. 55% of people had already done business with a company before they received their product, while 85% went on to do business afterwards. In most instances, 55% of the time products created a more favourable view of the advertiser.
Many are choosing to place most of their spend in the online world as they see it as a cheaper alternative to traditional forms of advertising – after all, social media is free to use. However, promotional products are one of the most powerful tools a business can use when it comes to connecting with their audience and increasing brand recognition; 89% of people agreed this was the case, stating they could recall the brand of a product they received in the last two years.
Promotional products are one of the oldest forms of advertising. Psychologically as consumers, when we receive something, our automatic response is often to give something back. Take this into the digital age, and it could be something as simple as a thank you on Twitter (meaning the brand then reaches another audience), or a business gets the highest form of thanks – a sale.
With 83% of marketers stating they are set to increase spending on promotional products in the future, now is the time to consider if your business should be using promotional merchandise. Remain unconvinced? Here are a few reasons why it should be in your marketing strategy and how to make it work for you.
Increase brand awareness
74% of respondents said that the main reason they used a promotional product campaign is to raise awareness and interest in a brand.
It’s easy to see the thought process behind this; a gift provides an immediate response of gratitude, consumers instantly associate the brand with this feeling, and therefore brand awareness is increased. Once a consumer has made an emotional connection with a brand, a customer is motivated to consume even more – in some cases doubling their lifetime value to an organisation.
Give useful products
When investing in promotional merchandise, you should question how useful the product is. If it doesn’t add any value to your target audience’s lifestyle or resonate with them in any way, then it will end up in the bin.
Remember the niche that you are targeting. You wouldn’t provide corporate clients with a sweatband or a fitness orientated customer base with a pen. Think about the kind of products your audience would naturally use and be engaged with. A useful product is likely to be used daily, acting as a daily reminder of your brand. For example, for business clients opts for pens, notepads and USBs.
High quality
Your brand is going to be associated with the products that you give, so you will, of course, need to ensure that they are of a high quality. Hand out an item that has your logo or brand messaging on and is of poor design and manufacturing, and you’ll have the opposite of the effect that you intended.
Personalise items
Remember how when you were younger if you saw a store selling named merchandise you would run to find out if they had your name in stock? Well, it still has the same effect. You don’t have to forgo your company logo, but an item which has been personalised with a customer’s name or other personal information can create a deeper connection. Of course, this approach isn’t possible for every campaign, but where applicable, it can improve results.
Choose how to distribute
How you plan on distributing products is likely to have an impact on the products that you choose, and who you’re trying to reach. Attending a trade show? Then you have a wide audience to reach so your product needs to be universally appealing. Reaching out to existing customers? Then you can perhaps offer something which is tailored to the individual.
Remember digital
Lastly, the promotional merchandise that you offer doesn’t always have to take the form of a physical product. This could take the form of a digital gift such as a bespoke offer through an email campaign or something as simple as a personal message which increases the emotional response to your brand.
Products don’t have to be costly or complicated; the goal is to communicate your brand, its message and what you have to offer your audience. A useful, quality product will act as a daily reminder of your proposition and have the potential to increase business too.
By Richard LeCount, sales and marketing director at USB4Photographers
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