You may think that promotional products are old news. To some business owners, they are probably the last century’s marketing tool. In the world of modern technology, social media has taken the marketing industry by storm. Therefore, dismissing promotional merchandise and business gifts isn’t a far-fetched conclusion.
However, it is still far from the truth. Sure, Facebook and Twitter are amazing platforms. They allow you to reach a much bigger audience than any other means of marketing. But, that doesn’t make promotional products obsolete. Tactile brand marketing has been around for a while. Thus, it’s a perfected means of promotion.
Social media might be hard to navigate to some. On the other hand, promotional products are easy to figure out.
Promotional Products – A Thing Of The Past, Or Future Stars?
Tactile brand marketing gives you a chance to leave a long-lasting impression. Of course, an ad on Facebook will reach a significant number of people. However, chances are, they will skim over it without giving it a second glance. The situation is much different with promotional products. You can’t ignore something that’s in your hand. Nor will you decline a freebie. Therefore, it seems that the benefits of promotional items are still relevant.
What’s more, the industry of custom promotional products is continually expanding. That brings more opportunities for promotion and representation of brands each day. Promotional products aren’t what they used to be. A simple branded pen won’t do the job anymore. Now, there is a selection of unique and memorable promotional items out there. With the expansion of the market, promotional items are still something worth investing in. Since they are practical and popular with customers, they are real moneymakers.
Are you still having doubts? Well, here are some incredible statistics, courtesy of The Promotional Products Association International.
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Promotional products are:
- memorable – 88% of people claim that they remember the advertisers better if they received a promotional product from them
- valid – 85% of people claim that the promotional products prompted them to go into business with the advertiser
- remarkable – 80% of people say that they can remember the printed message that was on the promotional items they received
- compelling – if you give out promotional merchandise, you increase your chances of getting new customers by 83%
- favourite – 70% of brands and businesses think that promotional items are still relevant, effective, and a sure way to reach marketing goals
So, these numbers seem great, but what’s the point? Well, the moral of the story is that promotional items get the job done. Furthermore, they do it well. Look at the numbers above. Quite a compelling story, right?
Promotional items leave a long-lasting, strong impression, not to mention that they help build brand exposure and increase revenue by attracting new customers.
VALUE FOR MONEY
Promotional merchandise has excellent value, which is why you’ll see an immense return on investment. Depending on your business strategy, that investment might be steep. However, you really can’t put a price on a positive brand impression.
Promotional products and corporate gifts bring many benefits to your business. First of all, their reach is more complex than that of other means of advertising. Yes, you can reach a lot of people with a social media ad. However, that way you are reaching just them. With a promotional product, you are expanding your brand impact to the people around your customers. For example, your printed tote bags, promotional mugs or branded keyrings will compel someone to become your customer. But, other people around that person will be exposed to your name and logo, as well. Thus, you are reaching your customers and their entire social circles.
Not to mention that you can use promotional pens or branded notebooks for example as mailings. Instead of sending a bland ad, send your customers a branded item. That way they will feel special and appreciated, which will do wonders for your brand image.
Lastly, promotional items allow you to spread your charm much further than just to your customers. You can use them as gifts or performance rewards for employees. They are a great way to boost morale in the office.
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Make Your Customers Happy With Promotional Merchandise
Here is what promotional items can do, regarding customer satisfaction:
- likeability – more than 83% of people say that they like promotional items
- impact – 83% of people state that the promotional products gave them a positive impression
- usefulness – 81% of people will use or just keep a promotional item for a year or longer
- prevalence – 80% of people state that they have at least one promotional item at home or in the office
- frequency – 53% of people said that they use one or more promotional items frequently, at least once in seven days
If that isn’t enough, then read on for more fun facts. The Advertising Specialty Institute did a Global Ad Impression Study a couple of years ago. They investigated which promotional items people most frequently received. The results showed that:
- 58% of people received promotional t-shirts
- 53% of people received branded drinkware
- 50% of people received promotional paper products
- 50% of people received printed water bottles
- 50% of people received promotional bags and promotional clothing
These numbers show the most popular promotional items. However, what should you do when you’re targeting a more specific crowd?
If your target audience is 55 years of age or older, consider promotional wall calendars. Over 76% of people in this age group stated that they own a promotional calendar. What’s more, they have it on display in their homes. On the other end of the spectrum are the millennials. If they are your target audience, then go for promotional power banks or printed reusable coffee cups. People aged between 21 and 34 also love items such as promotional hoodies or branded phone accessories.
Your marketing campaign will surely benefit from promotional items. However, for best results, make sure you know your audience. Give them an item they need – something that will suit their interests. That guarantees success.
