Custom-branded merchandise is a powerful marketing tool that can benefit a wide range of companies and their business marketing strategies to enhance brand recognition and get closer to their target audience. Most promotional products are used for the following marketing goals: To expand advertising exposure, to raise brand awareness, to build staff and customer loyalty, to increase traffic and sales and to boost direct mail response. A physical item branded with a company’s name, logo, and slogan or message doesn't only influence the recipient but the people in their networks too. This can give your business the social lift you need to get ahead of your competitors. Regardless of the purpose for which they are used, it is a fact that promotional products make a difference.
Therefore, please find below four reasons that showcase the power of promotional products and how impactful they can be for your marketing and branding success.
and as the conclusion: Why PROMOTIONAL PRODUCTS ARE WORTH THE INVESTMENT!
improve brand recognition and stand out among your competition
“Promotional giveaways branded with your logo and message are unique in their way and will help your business stand out from your competitors and make it easier for customers to recognise your brand instantly.”
It can be challenging to get people to remember your brand when they’re not actively in touch with it. Promotional products can bridge that gap as they enhance brand presence through repeated brand marketing: When you hand out a custom-branded item that carries your message, your audience will still be engaging with your company even when you’re not actively talking to them about it. In that way, promotional products effectively serve as a constant reminder of your brand, services and business!
For the impact to be truly felt and to use their full marketing potential, the promotional items gifted need to be meaningful to your audience! The attributes recipients are looking for in a promotional product they choose to keep are usefulness, quality, attractiveness, convenience, tastefulness, uniqueness and of course, longevity. The longer they see and can use the promotional item, the more they will think of you and your brand in the long run - They've the potential to be a years-long commercial generating impressions for an indefinite time. Thus, when deciding on the ideal promotional products, businesses have to consider the quality, the general appeal and the perceived value. Thus, branded merchandise is not only a free gift! These corporate promotional products are, above all, a reflection of the company that’s giving them out! Not only well-established brands, but especially small businesses and startups need to keep that in mind if they want to reach new potential customers and present their brand in the best possible way.
Generate leads and drive sales
It's quite obvious by now, that there is so much more to a custom branded product than simply giving away a free item. Some further benefits of promotional products for your business include:
It’s easier to ask for something in return for your giveaways
Promotional merchandise makes a powerful lead magnet in return for useful information about your audience: Companies use custom branded gifts as incentives and free giveaways to get people to sign up for their mailing lists or to follow them on social media to attract new clients or get brand referrals.
You can target your giveaways and
You can use these to grow your audience and increase sales
Custom branded giveaways inspire the audience to take action by selecting one particular company over all of its competitors. They are also effective lead generators and can increase and drive sales in the short- as well as the long run: Promotional products have proven to make a long-lasting impression on customers or at least help people remember the brand so that if not now, at one point in the future, they opt for it and do business with it.
A budget-friendly marketing tool for cheap everyday exposure
Everyone is familiar with business cards as they're used for introducing new businesses to potential customers and are one of the most budget-friendly methods to get the name out. They contain useful information for clients like the company's logo, slogan and contact details. Promotional products come with the same, and compared to other popular forms of advertising, they're also cost-effective while delivering your message in a more engaging way to your audience. This can be achieved with a cheap promotional pen or a more expensive notebook set. Generally speaking, there's a promotional product available for every budget! While most business cards land in the bin or among so many other ones in a wallet, custom-branded merchandise is an effective marketing tool that guarantees yearlong exposure of your brand when chosen carefully. Since promotional items are typically passed from one person to the next, your brand reputation will benefit immensely from increased impressions and reach.
Connect with your target audience as well as your staff
Promotional products are used in marketing for a variety of purposes: To thank customers for their loyalty, to introduce new services, products or facilities, to reinforce established services or to generate sales leads.
Think of it that way: If you hand out a custom branded cup, a promotional water bottle or just some corporate lollies to someone at an event, that potential new client will then get back home still carrying a piece of your brand with them - A promotional item that’ll remind them of your business long after the event is over.
Another reason that showcases the power of promotional products is that they also facilitate the connection with your staff and boost brand loyalty internally. Work-From-Home-Kits became a popular promotional item that companies sent their employees during COVID-19. These were mostly custom branded office desk accessories, that reminded them of the company they work for in a unifying, deep way. It's easier for employees to connect with a company that invests in them and shows appreciation. Thus, high-quality corporate gifts are a very real and tangible way to make your staff feel valued. It's proven that when an employee feels connected with the company, they’re more likely to keep working for that business and be loyal to it.
PROMOTIONAL PRODUCTS ARE WORTH THE INVESTMENT!
“You’ve likely come across some promotional products throughout your life as a consumer yourself. It's a powerful marketing tool that can help your business to create a long-lasting customer relationship and a positive brand experience - Resulting in a loyal customer base that’ll keep on supporting you and giving your brand referrals.”
Additionally, promotional products allow you to connect with your audience on a deeper level and show that you care about your customers by creating a seamless customer lifecycle. They can also be used to encourage product trials and repeat purchases, and to raise brand awareness by motivating customers to try more from your company. The whole purpose of these products is to pique interest, get attention and generate business. They keep your audience engaged and loyal, and can also be a crucial catalyst for word-of-mouth marketing. Even though everything is happening virtually in the digital era we are in right now, custom-branded merchandise still offers high ROI in marketing.