“Businesses need promotional products as a cost-effective means of reaching out to more potential customers. This is a low-cost marketing method to drive customers. Even established global players resort to this marketing strategy. For small businesses like startups, promotional products help cut their marketing budget and still draw people’s attention.” – Promotional Products Association International (PPAI)
Promotional products have been used by all varieties of businesses for years as a cost-effective marketing tactic. They stand alone as a rare outlier in traditional marketing in which their use and effectiveness has not been severely impacted by the rise of the digital age. Promotional giveaways are always one of marketers’ favorite things as well as their customers’. PPAI has collected some valuable research into the statistics behind the use of promotional products today:
- In the U.S, eight out of 10 consumers have one to 10 promotional products
- Six out of 10 such consumers keep promotional products with them for up to two years.
- 85% of people do business with the advertiser after receiving a promotional item.
- 31% of the U.S consumers own a promotional bag.
- 89% of consumers can recall the advertiser even two years after receiving a promotional product.
- 63% of consumers give away their promotional products when not needed.
A lot of key insights can be gauged from this information. First and foremost, promotional products are not going anywhere anytime soon. They still play a key role in marketing strategies for many types of businesses all over the world. Gifts in general simply hold a special place in people’s hearts and memories. Not only do we hold onto a vast majority of promotional gifts that we receive, but we remember who gave them to us, and often reciprocate with providing the companies business. According to one study performed by PPAI, roughly 94 percent of people remember whom they received a promotional promotional product gift from. Of these surveyed consumers, 85 percent do business with the provider of the promotional products. These key insights showcase the sort of significance that promotional products carry in marketing and brand recognition.
In order to implement promotional products most effectively into your company’s marketing plan, a few rules of thumb must be followed. First, in most cases they should be products that are useful to the consumer either in their current situation or for long periods of time. Everything is dependant on the situation for deciding which is the correct choice. For instance, the majority of the time, a travel coffee mug would be a more enticing gift than a branded bottle of water. Although, if it is the Fourth of July and ninety degrees outside where you have your event table set up for giveaways, a free cold water bottle will be a lot more appreciated by a potential customer — leaving a strong positive association that lasts even if the promotional product does not. It is also important to note that quality is essential and the details matter. For new or potential customers, your promotional products are how first impressions are comprised. If your product screams cheaply made or has design defects, they are going to immediately associate this with all aspects of your business. In other words, your promotional products can make or break you, so be sure to get yours from a high quality designer like Goodbye Blue Monday.
Here Are Four Reasons Why Promotional Products Are Essential For Any Business
Instant Brand Awareness
Branded promotional products with your company’s logo helps customers to develop instant brand recognition when they spot your logo. This is a proven important factor in marketing for inhibiting a purchase decision over competitors. In general, we all prefer to buy products or services from brands that we have heard of. When someone has branded merchandise from your company, it helps keep you top of mind when they are in need of one of your company’s offerings in the future.
Greater Brand Exposure
Not only do your promotional products impact those in which receive them, but also everyone who they come into contact with while using your product. Billboards and TV ads pass quickly and their impressions are not nearly as concrete as those left by a t-shirt worn by a friend or a co-workers coffee mug that is seen for longer increments and on a repeated basis.
Low-Cost Effective Marketing
When it comes to comparing promotional products to other forms of advertisement in terms of cost, there is no competition. Especially if you own a smaller business or startup company, large media advertising campaigns are out of reach for your budget in most cases — making promotional products a blessing. Most manufacturers of promotional gear today keep their prices very low for mass distribution. This means the cost for reaching each customer with a promotional product is much lower than other forms of advertising and is more likely to result in a conversion! Promotional products are a great value for your investment and win your customers over.
Brand Loyalty
In today’s competitive markets, brand loyalty is everything, and companies will dump large sums of money into a multitude of marketing strategies in attempt to achieve it. As noted before, a large majority (85 percent in the case study by PPAI) do business with an advertiser after receiving a promotional item from them. Promotional products are proven to get your foot in the door with potential customers. From there, it is up to your business to meet their needs effectively. If this is done, having that promotional gift they received from you around the house will serve as a constant reminder of their positive experience and help achieve the ultimate level of brand loyalty.
The evidence is overwhelming to the fact that promotional products do work, and will continue to work, for a wide variety of businesses. So, find out your own way to incorporate promotional products into your business’ marketing plans to drive customers to you. Or talk to us here at Goodbye Blue Monday to determine what promotional products are right for you. We are proud to serve the Boulder, Colorado area with our customized promotional product designs.