Promotional products are any items that are handed out for free to promote your brand, your business or your message. It can be to existing or potential customers. If you have anything in your home that was given to you for free and decorated with a corporate logo, brand name or short marketing message, you already know what promotional products are, but if you are looking for a more detailed definition – an in-depth explanation that helps you to understand exactly what they are and why they are so effective – please read on. Today, we are taking a deep dive into the world of promotional products, establishing what they are and why they seem to work so well in a wide variety of market sectors and geographical locations.
Promotional Products: a Detailed Definition
To establish whether something should be considered a promotional product, it is useful to first create a clear definition covering all the relevant features such a product should possess:
- Marketing Image or Text – Without an identifiable corporate logo, brand image or written marketing message, an item cannot normally be considered a promotional product. There are, however, exceptions to this rule, including objects decorated in easily recognisable corporate colour schemes and those fashioned in the shape of an iconic product.
- Free or Low Cost – The majority of promotional products are free of charge to all recipients but there are also some exceptions to this rule. In some instances, companies may distribute premium products at greatly reduced cost and these may also be considered as promotional products.
These are the only two features an item must possess to qualify as a promotional product although many have the following in common as well:
- Gifted to a Carefully Targeted Demographic – At a time when many businesses are having to work very hard to remain profitable, blanket giveaways are quite rare. More usually, companies conduct highly targeted promotional giveaways no matter the industry in which they operate. For example: a firm that wishes to promote a car windscreen replacement service may choose to distribute promotional products in local service stations.
- Presented at Trade Fairs, Conferences and Other Industry Events – While some promotional products may be distributed at point-of-sale locations in the above-mentioned example, they are more usually distributed at trade fairs, conferences and similar industry events. In some instances, promotional products can be prize giveaways. Say you have attended an event, and the lucky door prize just happens to be a branded barbeque, with a branded esky. Here you have a great prize that then promotes that brand of the event in a long-term way.
- Relatively Inexpensive – Businesses, events, and the majority of companies are utilising medium to low-value promotional products as a cost-effective advertising platform. In almost all cases, promotional products are low-cost items that can be distributed in volume without incurring a large expense to the business. Promotional products are a competitive way to reach your customers without a huge outlay
Now we have an expanded definition to work with, let’s move on to discuss how promotional products work and why they are still so effective, even at a time when so many other marketing opportunities exist.
How Promotional Products Work
There are several different types of promotional products, all working in slightly different ways to achieve greater exposure for the companies that invest in them. These types include:
- Promotional Products Decorated With a Corporate Name or Logo – These work as a visual reminder of the company that gave them away. They help to remind both existing and potential customers that the company in question will always be there to provide them with a particular set of products or services. Brand recognition, allows the customer to develop trust in your business.
- Promotional Products Decorated With a Product or Service Name – These operate as a more specific reminder and may also act as a marketing message to a wider audience when used in public locations. If, for example, you see a promotional desk diary emblazoned with the name of a hot air balloon tour company, you may make a mental note of the name and search for it at a future date, assuming you are interested in experiencing this type of travel.
- Promotional Products Featuring Contact Details – These act as a direct advertisement for companies offering products and services to members of the public. If you see such a product and need the services or products in question, you can contact the company directly.
Whichever type is chosen, promotional products offer a highly effective way for commercial organisations to raise brand awareness, promote new services and products, enter new markets in new territories and retain existing customers. Let’s now discuss why they are so effective when compared to alternative promotional methods and opportunities.
Why Promotional Products Are So Effective
With a seemingly never-ending enthusiasm for all things digital, you could be forgiven for assuming that modern marketing specialists are not interested in more conventional methods of spreading the word, pioneered by their predecessors. However, nothing could be further from the truth as far as promotional products are concerned. Today’s marketing directors and managers are as enthusiastic about promotional products as those who came before them. There are several excellent reasons to use promotional products today, no matter what other forms of marketing you may currently be engaged in:
- Relative Cost – When compared to almost any other promotional method or technique, corporate giveaways offer one of the least expensive ways to raise brand awareness and let more people know what your organisation can do for them. Thanks to their reach and longevity (discussed below), and the low unit cost associated with most currently available options, promotional products excel in this respect. If you are looking for the least expensive way to spread the word about what your company has to offer, we recommend focusing on promotional products with the lowest unit costs, such as key rings, office stationery, luggage tags and lanyards.
- Reach and Longevity – Promotional giveaways, especially those items designed for outdoor use, often exceed all expectations concerning geographic reach and longevity. If, for example, you decide to give away branded luggage tags, your corporate name and logo could be seen in airports all over the world. Present a keen cyclist with a branded water bottle and your logo could be seen on local public roads and highways for years to come.
When you compare the potential reach and longevity of promotional gifts to other marketing initiatives, the case for continuing to include them in your arsenal becomes very clear. A magazine editorial could be far more expensive in real terms and cease to be of any real value just a month or two after its publication. Sports team sponsorship deals are beyond the budget of all but the largest companies and their value is yet to be accurately quantified.
- Customer Loyalty – Promotional gifts offer a far more personal way to market your organisation than any other options currently in common use today. Imagine, if you will, there is a potential customer who receives a pack of promotional golf tees from one of your sales representatives and uses them every weekend when visiting their local course. This individual will be far more invested in your organisation than someone who happens to see an article in the local newspaper or a banner ad on a passing bus. When a promotional product is treasured by the recipient, emotional ties are formed and the chances of your company name coming to mind in times of need will increase markedly.
If you would like to maximise the customer loyalty generated by your promotional giveaways, we suggest taking the time to consider what sort of gifts your target audience would most appreciate. If your company specialises in the distribution of sun cream, for example, branded baseball caps, beach towels, sunglasses and tote bags could all make excellent marketing gifts. If you are famous for the quality of whiskey you produce, drinkware is an obvious option worth serious consideration.
- Vast Array of Options – One of the best things about promotional products as marketing tools is the sheer range of options from which to choose. Consequently, in contrast to most other types of marketing campaigns, those based on promotional gifts can more easily be fine-tuned to appeal to specific demographics. In addition to the variety of products available, each one can be customised in almost endless ways, ensuring impressive results every time. Change the materials, colours, marketing images and messages used and you can change the effect of your gifts on various types of recipients.
Whilst the vast array of options is a blessing, it can sometimes be seen as a curse too. If you are presented with a thousand options and have no idea which ones are likely to be most effective, how do you know where to start? If this is the predicament in which you currently find yourself, we strongly urge you to partner with an industry expert such as ourselves: a company that can guide you and maximise your chances of success. We know what works and what doesn’t.
If you are interested in learning more about why promotional products are so effective or you have a specific marketing campaign that you wish to discuss, please feel free to call or message the team at Getbranded whenever convenient. We are a highly experienced supplier with a loyal customer base in Australia, which increases in size every year.