Promotional Products Guide: Part 1 - How Promotional Products Work
Promotional products appear all over the place. Sometimes they’re obvious to us, appearing on promotional stands and trade shows while other times they’re hidden like coffee mugs on colleagues’ desks or t-shirts on people we pass on the streets. Despite modern marketing methods and the use of the internet to reach millions of potential customers, promotional products continue to be an effective advertising means because long after the ad has finished running on tv, the promotional product will continue to sit on a colleagues desk or be worn by a passerby on the street. By investing some of your marketing budget in a promotional product means that you’re not investing in something that will disappear in a matter of seconds, you’ll get more out of your money.
We all know that people love to get stuff for free so a promotional product is rarely refused. The more useful the product the more likely it is to be used, therefore the more exposure your product will get. The more exposure your promotional product gets the better the chance your product will be remembered (name recognition), and more likely your product will be noticed.
There are a few things for business to consider when choosing their promotional products. Firstly you should figure out how to distribute your promotional product to your target customer. You must try to give your promotional product to your customer in a way that makes a positive impression. It’s a bonus if the distribution is memorable for the customer. Once way to do this is to be creative and package your promotional product in a way that attracts the customer and makes them think they are getting something of value for free.
When choosing a promotional product try to pick something that won’t end up in the drawer or in the bin. The more the product is in view the more the potential customer will see your logo or message. Some good examples of promotional products that don’t end up in the drawer are fridge magnets and calendars. If a product has use, then it is more likely to be used! If you’re hiring a marketing firm to help with your promotional product, then it will be a good idea to use them to come up with the best promotional products for your particular company. Mugs and pens are not always the best products to use. Experts will be able to help you figure out how to best design a product that will be useful to your target market.
