Marketing has become incredibly complex. No matter where we turn, there’s advertising of some sort coming at us. Whether it be television adverts, bus ads, magazine adverts, online banners, social media, sponsored ads – it seems to be never ending.
And yet, more traditional forms of advertising, such as promotional products, are still going strong. Whilst many people may have assumed that this form of advertising and marketing was dead in the water, the ‘touch & feel’ of branded merchandise and promotional products makes them an incredibly powerful marketing tool that seems to defy both time and technology.
Are Promotional Products Still Relevant?
Absolutely. Your business is real, your products or services are real so putting a little piece of your brand in your prospects or client’s hands makes it real for them.
Promotional products allow people to see your brand, associate your brand and recognise your brand. All these things are important as the more people who become aware of your brand, the better results you will see in sales.
What Products Should I Brand?
It’s not just about sticking your brand on any old product, it’s about looking at your clients and your business end goal and selecting branded products that will resonate with your clients and help you achieve your goals.
For example; a pest management had always used DL flyers to foster brand retention with their clients. You know, the little flyer that sits in ‘that drawer’ with all the takeout menus? They felt that this medium was no longer working as it really served no real purpose and inevitably ended up being shuffled to the bottom so, they selected a slimline branded LED torch with magnet attached.
Suddenly their brand had an active presence in their clients lives and they were getting noticed… and more importantly, remembered! Plus, you could also use it to spot bugs in tight spaces… bonus!
Think about how your business interacts in your clients lives and look for products that enhance that experience.
Avoid Over Branding
The temptation is sometimes to shout out your brand message on promotional products but research has told us that recipients prefer subtle branding and are much more likely to retain a product if the branding is not over the top.
Sometimes the old ‘what would I want if it were me?’ is a good test. If someone else was offering you a branded product, what would you find appealing? If the product is something you want your clients to actively use in their everyday lives, you need to make sure the branding is subtle.
How Do I Get Them Out There?
This depends on you and your business goals;
Perhaps you’re looking to catch the eye of a potential client or customer? In which case, sending them a free gift (in the form of a promotional product) is a great idea, as they’re more likely to pay attention to your business and brand if you’ve made the effort to send them something.
You might give them away with every product or service you sell, in fact, why not give away two so one ends up in someone else’s hands – another potential customer!
You might distribute them during a trade show, an open day or just out in public? Giveaway promotional products are a great ice breaker – you’d be surprised at how much attention “free stuff” will earn you. We call this ‘brand interrupt’
Where Do I Start?
That’s easy. Start with your end goal and work backwards to find a product or products that resonate with your clients and encourage them to do business with you… again and again.
That said, we know sometimes that’s hard to do when you’re intimately involved in the day to day operation of your business (as most of us are) so, that’s where we come in. Take break, sit down with one of our Brand Ambassadors and talk it through. We think you’ll be positively surprised at the outcome!
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