In today’s digital age, it can be tough to see why promotional products still enjoy a strong place in a business’s marketing strategy. At the end of the day, online advertising provides an opportunity to create an immediate impression on prospective clients. Nevertheless, promotional products remain a useful tool to increase brand awareness and generate business opportunities.
According to research, more than 50 percent of consumers use a promotional product, and 85 percent of them do business with the company at a later date.
Promotional products can include anything that has a business’s branding on it. This could be as basic as a t-shirt with a logo or a pen or as high-end as a branded vase. You can use promotional items as corporate gifts, freebies at events, and also for internal branding. The term also covers event stands, uniforms, and branded canopies.
Why Promotional Products Are Important
Here are some reasons highlighting the importance of promotional products.
1. Increase Brand Awareness
Promotional gift items can help businesses reach new prospects. Through promotional giveaways and well-designed swag boxes, businesses can increase the effectiveness of their marketing campaigns and make potential customers aware of their products and services.
On that note, one of the key takeaways from an Ad Impressions study conducted in 2019 by the Advertising Specialty Institute (ASI) revealed that a large number of individuals who received a promotional product typically remember the advertiser.
In particular, 85 percent of consumers all over the world would remember that an advertiser gave them a product, with wearables and apparel being the most memorable kind of swag.
2. Work Better Than Business Cards
Everyone is familiar with business cards. These are useful products for introducing your business to prospects. You might be surprised to discover that promotional items do the same thing but offer even better outcomes. Nearly three-quarters of individuals who receive a promotional product can recall the name of the business that gave it to them. The same cannot always be said for when you give out a business card. When the product contains your information, such as slogan, logo, or even contact details, it can be much more useful than a business card.
3. Increase Customer Loyalty
Promotional items allow a business to benefit from increased client loyalty and retention. They give the brand more credibility and personality. Ensuring that the gift items are innovative and well-thought-of will create a more considerable impact on the target audience and improve the brand’s profile.
People like to receive gifts. Giving a promotional product is like saying, “Thank you for being a customer.” Getting one of these items creates a feeling of wanting to give back by buying the products or using the services. A study showed at a trade show, individuals were much more likely to visit a booth and listen to a pitch if a promotional product was involved.
4. Build Relationships with Customers
Meaningful relationships with customers are important for a business’s growth and prosperity. When you gain the confidence and loyalty of customers. These customers will, in turn, recommend the brand to other possible customers. Ultimately, this will solidify the relationship and increase the number of customers.
5. Offer an Experience
Unlike digital advertisements, promotional products can be touched and used regularly. This makes them more practical and memorable than an internet or television ad.
A lot of people like to keep these products for a long while because of the product’s utility, design, and quality. This is an opportunity for your brand to get creative and find high-quality products that represent your brand and stand out.
6. Solid Brand Identity
Solid brand identity at the workplace can increase staff loyalty, making them happy and excited to work in the company. Social brand identity where individuals are proud to show off their place in an organization is an excellent way to boost teamwork and employee motivation.
Convert your employees into brand ambassadors by providing promotional items as giveaways, incentives, or just as part of your regular office stationery items. Your employees will hand out freebies to their family members and friends, increasing the marketing reach of the product with the value of a personal referral.
7. Cost-Effective
Promotional items are one of the most cost-effective and impactful marketing tools. For instance, the cost per impression is less than 1/10th of a cent for a customized $1 pen. Compare that to digital advertising, which has an average cost of $3 to $10 per thousand impressions.
Tips for Designing Promotional Products
It might be tempting to add as much information on a promotional item as possible. However, this can compromise the design. Remember these tips in mind when you are designing your promotional items to make memorable and useful gifts.
Add Only the Important Elements
You don’t need a strapline, phone number, logo, Twitter handle, company biography, and website on your products. Include the bare minimum to make it easy to comprehend the branding swiftly. Your website and logo might be everything you need.
Stick to Your Brand Colors
Choose items with your conventional colors to maintain style consistency and increase the possibility of brand awareness. If a product option does not come in your regular colors, choose a neutral color that will allow your brand identity to shine through your text and logo.
Choose Value-Adding Products
You want your product to be used regularly. Novelty products might make your customers smile at first but won’t be used repeatedly. T-shirts, jackets, hoodies, pens, etc., are all excellent examples of items that customers will use.
Last Few Words
Promotional items don’t just impact the recipient but the individuals in their networks as well. This can give your brand the social currency it requires to get ahead of competition. It can also be a strong catalyst for word-of-mouth marketing.
Even though there are plenty of other marketing tools and strategies out there, promotional items don’t appear to be going anywhere anytime soon!
If you need promotional products to market your business, contact Groggy Dog. We can customize a range of products including tote bags, writing instruments, POS items, tech items, and much more!
