In the non-stop world of social media should there still be room in your marketing strategy for Promotional Merchandise?

In the non-stop world of social media should there still be room in your marketing strategy for Promotional Merchandise?

Absolutely YES! Branded Promotional Products take centre stage in the Marketing arena for business and organisations looking for effective vehicles of communication and for merchandise which will continue to promote their brand long after any event.

I think we can all remember a time when we have been given a branded product, most of us use these items daily and many can be found on our desk! Promotional products are powerful tools for strengthening your brand, building strong customer relationships, fund-raising, staff retention, NEW product launches, conferences and events.

Some marketing professionals have chosen to overlook the benefits of promotional products and by doing this have lost out to competitors who reap the rewards of a balanced marketing strategy.

Don’t leave your brand out of sight and out of mind, use Promotional Merchandise to strengthen your on-line presence and create a memorable experience.

Below are some Statistics that Promotional Products do work - this was based on a study done by Promotional Products Association International (PPAI) (USA).

Eight in Ten Consumers Owns A Promotional Product.

• 88% recalled the advertiser.
• 62% recalled the message.
• 85% did business with the brand after receiving a product.
• 59% have a more favourable view of the brand.
• 47% of people keep promotional products for a year or more.

Below are some ideas on how Promotional Products, added as part of the overall Marketing campaign can assist you and your Brand.

1. A different way to discount and promote your retail products - Instead of discounting your product, consider adding a free gift item. The branded-gift item should be worth less to you than a proposed monetary discount, but should be perceived to be worth more to the customer. For instance, instead of discounting a carton of beer by £5.00 cash, you could consider giving away a customised key-ring bottle-opener with a perceived value of £8.00, but with just a cost of £2.00 for you. This would enable you to maintain higher gross sales margins while also enhancing your brand value within the consumer’s mind. The thrill of a free gift lets customers feel special through their purchase and they believe they got a good deal. This feeds back into the overall positive feeling your customers get when they think of your brand again in the future. 
2. Your customers are your ambassadors - Whenever you see someone wearing an item of clothing such as a t-shirt or baseball cap with a logo on it, that person has become a personal mobile billboard for a brand. Some brands do this exceptionally well through use of interesting and cool designs that are enticing for people to wear, or by simply providing the customer with practicality, such as a free backpack to carry sports clothes when they join a new gym. If your customers wear or use your promotional products as part of their everyday life, you have succeeded in making that person become a public ambassador for your brand and a mobile advertising board wherever they go.
3. Three-dimensional advertising. In today’s digital world, so many giveaways come in the form of an impersonal discount code or an email link. However, despite the technology, humans are still very much the same, and people still love something that they can touch and feel. Receiving a free tangible object is exciting for most people, and usually far more interesting than any digital promotion. Creating an item that is tactile, personalised and meaningful enhances brand awareness. The resurgence of vinyl records in the digital music age is an example of the need for people to have and hold something physical. People like things that they feel are ‘for them’ or ‘about them’. The next time you are thinking of a promotional item, consider that a tangible product can have far more meaning to someone than anything in the digital world.
4. Access to valuable advertising space - The majority of people are at work for 8 hours a day, and many sit in the one place, at their desk during that time period. If your current or prospective client is using your branded materials or promo gift in the office, you have secured the most valuable advertising space in the world – right on their office desk! A well-selected promotional product can become a permanent billboard of your brand and your message within a workplace.
5. Create lasting awareness - Research from the Promotional Products Association International (PPAI) shows that 62% of people remember the name and details of a company that gave them a promotional product. A good promotional item should become an ongoing reminder of your brand, every day that it is used. Customer loyalty and even improved customer relations can result from the clever use of a promotional gift, creating an immediate appreciation and gratitude that forges a positive link. By including your contact details on a product, new customers are also more likely to call you as you are at such easy reach. It’s a great long-term business card!
6. Employee Incentive - Promotional products can be given not only to customers but also to employees to thank them for good performance, or to motivate them to perform with the reward being a gift of some sort. Consider creating an awards program that best-suits your work-culture, employees and your corporate goals. There are many different types of products that have high -perceived value to your staff but are relatively low cost for you. This can help increase positivity and energy within the workplace, particularly in a sales environment where incentives are great motivational product, and can be given not only to customers but also to employees to thank them for good performance, or to motivate them to perform with the reward being a gift of some sort. Consider creating an awards program that best-suits your work-culture, employees and your corporate goals. There are many different types of products that have high -perceived value to your staff but are relatively low cost for you. This can help increase positivity and energy within the workplace, particularly in a sales environment where incentives are great motivators

With your unique branding requirements in mind Indigo Promotions can present creative and innovative Branded Merchandise solutions to support your marketing strategy. Contact our experienced team to receive your FREE inspirational sample pack and support.