Promotional Items – Do They Work???

There are many reasons your organisation should use promotional products. These products have been used for many years and as technology develops they open up to even more markets. Whilst many companies use promotional products many don’t realise just how important they are.

Promotional products are an extremely powerful tool in marketing.  The obvious use for promotional items is simple, to attract new customers.

But we think equally as important as attracting new customers is keeping your current ones.  (one of our favourite sayings is “the best new order comes from an old customer).

Nothing lets your customer know you appreciate them like a gift.

You should show existing customers you appreciate them buying from you, one way to do this is through the use of promotional items. When trying to retain customers, don’t cut back on quality. The last thing you want is to buy thousands of pens to realise they don’t work. Spending money on promotional items is an investment and should be treated as such.

According to research, 85% of people who receive promotional merchandise do business with the advertiser afterward. Not a bad investment return, is it?

Here are our top 5 reasons why promotional items are vital:

1. Increased brand recognition

This means that customers can identify what your company is offering in an instant. Just the sight of your logo should be enough for them to remember what you do and what you’re offering. Everybody recognises Apple’s logo or KFC’s, and that’s because these brands focused on building brand recognition.

Those promotional items you give to your customers will help them remember your business in the long run and recognise what you’re doing. In our opinion, this is reason enough to give away promotional merchandise.

According to leading research the results are that 89% of people will remember the advertiser for two years after they have received a promotional product.

If you choose the right product, it will stay with them. It will be in their cars, offices, or homes for a long time. Six out of 10 people who get promo merchandise keep it for two years. It is a constant ad reminding them of your company. And then, when they go shopping or looking for services, they will remember you. And that’s your reward – when they need services or products you provide, thanks to that branded mug, bag, or USB stick you gave them, they will come to you rather than your competition.

Below is a perfect example of a promo item we produced for a customer to give away to their customers. They invested in travel mugs knowing full well they will be used day in day out.  Reinforcing their company with not only their customer, but anyone who sees their customer using it.

2. Effective, low-cost marketing

When it comes to small businesses, spending money on a huge advertising campaign that would overflow all sorts of media can only be a dream. However, these businesses don’t need such a campaign to achieve their goals. A low-cost promotional products campaign can help a startup stand on its feet for the first time.

3. Cheap everyday exposure

When a company advertises its products and services on social media, TV, or billboards, that ad is in front of your eyes for mere seconds. On the other hand, useful promotional gifts are with you most of the time. Right in your eye-line.

One of our big tips is to have 2 lines of promotional items.  One that is low cost (like pens) that you can hand out like a shot gun approach; giving one to anyone and everyone in order to get your logo seen.  The other is to go for something more specific to your business (like a tape measure for a construction company).  These slightly more costly items should be given out to specific targets or customers with the purpose of trying to win their business (or keep it) rather than simply getting your logo seen.

According to research, 76.1% of people who receive promotional products tend to remember the advertiser’s name if they received a gift within the past year. On the other hand, out of people who saw a magazine ad a week ago, only 53.5% could remember the advertiser’s name.

4. Customer loyalty

The goal of every business is to build a loyal customer base. You need people who will not only remember and recognise your brand, but who will also go to you for all their needs that are related to your field of business.

Building a good base of loyal customers is what every marketing specialist is spending the most of his time doing. And, as every marketer knows, promotional products will give them that quickly.

But, before you go off giving pens and fans, bear in mind that people tend to be loyal to brands from which they receive high-quality branded promotional merchandise. When you give a premium quality item to a first-time customer, they will remember you as a high-quality business.

5. Better than a business card

Plain and simple – your business cards are essential but are simply a way for you to introduce yourself and your company to your potential consumers. Promotional products do the same thing, just with more purpose.

When you’re giving away products that are related to your business, you’re helping people get to know you and what you do. it’s said that  71.6% of people who received promotional merchandise were able to remember the name of the company that gave it to them.

These items should always have your business’ information on them – the logo, a slogan, and images. These don’t have to be given only at assemblies or during events. They can be a part of your campaign on social media, whether you use hashtags for Instagram, or make Facebook giveaways.

So there we have it; our top 5 tips to why every business needs to include promotion items in their marketing.

If you would like some inspiration, take a look at the HUGE range of promotional items we offer HERE