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According to Wikipedia, the free internet encyclopedia: "A promotional
item is merchandise given away free of charge to the public
in an effort to promote a business or increase interest in, or
sales of, a product. These items are also referred to by the slang
terms schwag and tchotchke. (The latter is derived from a Yiddish
word meaning "trinket".) Promotional
items are used in massive way by companies to promote their
brand or particular message. Examples of promotional
items include branded t-shirts,
caps,
keyrings,
mugs,
pens,
umbrellas,
etc.
Promotional items have the power to be understood universally
and according to the Promotional Products Association International,
corporations spend close to £1.2 billion a year on this
type of advertising - that's more than one-third of what's spent
on TV.
A survey conducted for Promotional
Products Association International (PPAI) by LJ Market Research
reveals the power of promotional products by measuring how end
users respond to organisations that use promotional products as
part of their marketing mix. The survey, Promotional Products
- Impact, Exposure and Influence: A Survey of Business Travelers,
was conducted by interviewing business travelers at Airports.
More than 71 percent of travelers indicated they had received
at least one promotional product in the last 12 months. The study
also showed that respondents' ability to recall the name of an
advertiser on a promotional product they had received (76 percent)
was much better than their ability to recall the name of an advertiser
from a print publication they had read in the past week (53.5
percent).
Recipients of promotional
products
do remember the advertiser's name
Business to business
gifts are a good way to maintain a positive presence within
your client base. They can build brand awareness within the professional
community as well as amongst the general public. The next time
you launch a new product or service, try introducing it with an
imprinted business item. When gifting to clients within your industry,
it is particularly important to choose a promotional item that
relates to your field. For example, if your new service will save
the public time and effort, introduce it with a customised clock
or calendar.
By introducing a new product or service to clients with a clever
business gift, you maintain a strong industry awareness of your
company. It is also important to choose a quality method on the
imprinted business items. Stick to metal
pens, quality conference
folders and corporate clothing.
Break away from the promotional item pack
People tend to copy each other and assume that if most people
do things a certain way, it's the way to follow. Don't follow,
be a leader instead. People love pens,
but the truth is, everyone of us has at least a dozen promotional
pens right now with different company names and logos inscribed
on them, and if yours is one of them, the next person most likely
couldn't find it to call you if she searched all day and night.
But if she had, say, a branded
clock or a branded calculator
on her desk, with your name and address on it, well, that she
could definitely put her eyes and hands on - which means she would
be able to call you. Bottom line, don't be afraid to do something
different. Do a quick research, see what's trendy, look for novelties.
If your budget permits, get something people will not throw away,
like USB
drives, a promotional
MP3 player, an imprinted watches,
etc.
Try to deliver your promotional products
in different, creative ways
For example, instead of mailing 1,000 promotional
mouse mats with your company logo on them, have 300 or so
hand delivered. Hand delivering promo items will earn you enough
business so that you can afford to hand deliver the next 300 and
so on.
Let the professionals handle it
Hire someone specialised to advise you and develop your promotions
and promotional
ideas for you. Let a design company create your promotion
and print it for you. Yes, you'll spend a little more money upfront,
but you'll have a promotion where all the pieces and parts work
together to get your message and call to action across to your
customers - which means your customers will be more likely to
call you instead of the other guy.
Remember that there is more to an effective
promotion than handing out one item
There are pieces and parts to it. It takes a consumer an average
of six to seven times of seeing and/or hearing your promotional
message before they "get" it and take action of any kind - even
saying "no thank you". No, it's not because your target audience
is dumb, it is because they're constantly being bombarded with
marketing promotions from all sorts of businesses. Know your target
audience. If your promotion is for teens and young adults, for
example, don't give them refrigerator magnets-they don't usually
have refrigerators! At least not of their own yet. Give them a
cool promotional
keyring or promotional
CD holder, give them something electronic, something trendy
and colorful. If your target audience is leaders of corporate
UK, don't give them lottery scratchers or highlighter keychains,
don't even give them a calculator, since they have accountants
dealing with their numbers. Give them instead a nice promotional
writing set for their desks, give them some nice executive
accessory that you know they will not be ashamed to display on
their mahogany desks. And if you are really on a budget, a nice
luggage tag, a passport holder with your company name, logo and
address, or even a promotional golf ball will do. No matter how
wonderful and unique a promotional item is, if it's given to the
wrong target audience that has no use for it, they will have no
use for you.
We at Ideasbynet are here to help you with
your promotional gift requirements. Call us: 0870 787 5527
- Our Promotional Staff are highly experience and will provide
you with the dedicated professional service you would expect from
a major corporation.
Browse our massive online Promotional
Gift Catalogue for a diverse
selection of products all at great low prices.
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