Promotional merchandise has been proven to help businesses of all sizes and at all stages in their development. The list is endless, and based on the current trend towards personalization and bespoke everything, it’s no longer simply a matter of providing a one-size-fits-all solution. Rather, it’s about having a set of ideas or criteria that your business promotional merchandise must meet in order to be successful. Below are the top ideas any business that uses promotional merchandise, should think through before deciding on the final product.
Promotional material must be good quality
Regardless of what it is you decide to use as your promotional merchandise, it cannot be cheap and nasty just because you’re giving it away or selling it at cost. Remember, promotional merchandise is an extension of the brand that you are building and if you wouldn’t buy it yourself, then think twice about giving it away to potential and even current customers.
Furthermore, the idea of the giveaway is not necessarily suitable for all promotional items, and there may be a need to recoup costs and sell those that are either more costly or hold more value. Many businesses err on the side of caution when budgeting for promotional merchandise. This results in a giveaway that detracts from the brand instead of building it. It should rather be seen as an investment in the business. From pens to plants, if your business decides to use them for advertising and marketing, step one is to ensure that they work as they should and that it’s a quality product.
What will the receiver appreciate and use
It’s important to know what’s trending and look to cover as wide a market segment as possible. Great examples are custom printed trucker hats, which are a useful fashion accessory. They are trending among all ages and as such, as long as they are of good quality, you are likely to have them in circulation for a long time. Alternatively, your business marketing department needs to think about who the target market is and if necessary, have a range of materials and items for the different targets. Make it a useful or practical gift and the brand will remain in the public eye.
See the promotional merchandise as an introduction
Be ready for the response. It would be self-defeating to give out merchandise with all the company details and then not have the capacity to respond or man the communication channels that have been publicized. The gift or promotion is designed to elicit increased customer interest in your business, so make sure your ready for this.
It must be branded
It’s the last idea noted in this article and is the most important aspect of promotional merchandise. It’s about promoting your brand or a specific product, and as such you need to make sure that there is no confusion as to who the material promotes. Oftentimes the maker of the promotional merchandise and the brand are different. Keep in mind that it must be the brand that is being promoted, that is remembered when the material is used or on display.
Using promotional marketing material is a go-to solution for a lot of businesses out there. Many rush to produce the most outlandish and interesting items and distribute them only to see no changes in sales. Use the tips outlined above and you will avoid this ignominious fate.
