Using Merchandise to Expand Your Brand
Most of us have been the recipients of free, branded promotional products before. Pens, coffee mugs, bags, can koozies, flash drives, stress balls, pop sockets — there are endless examples of items that can be branded with a company’s name and logo for promotional use.
If you’ve ever been at an event, conference, or trade show where promotional products were handed out by the dozens or even by the hundreds, you might begin to question how cost-effective they are as a marketing strategy. As it turns out, promotional products are incredibly effective at expanding brand recognition and increasing sales. 83% of Americans reported that they like receiving promotional items.
Why? It all boils down to four key reasons.
01
People like free stuff — especially if it’s useful.
People see promotional items as gifts, and they feel grateful when they receive them. Just imagine: How likely is a potential customer to say “thank you” for a commercial? And how likely are they to say “thank you” for a nice shirt or water bottle?
02
Promotional products leave a lasting impression.
If you’re handing out quality, useful products, they’re going to get used — a lot. Unlike brochures, flyers, postcards, and business cards, which are likely to get tossed or lost in the shuffle, people are going to want to keep something they have a real use for. Over 75% of people who received promotional products in the past two years were able to remember the actual product, the company, and the message associated with the promotional product.
03
Branded items generate unlimited exposure.
When you give away items decked out in your branding, you never know where those items are going to end up. The park, the beach, a friend’s house, someone’s office — they’ll travel all over. And every time someone uses that product, it’s additional exposure for your company.
Plus, branded products have a lower cost-per-impression in the United States than traditional forms of advertising like television commercials and magazine ads.
04
Well-chosen promotional products translate into more business.
The more your audience is reminded that you exist, the more likely they are to seek out your company. The more favorable someone’s impression of you is, the more likely they are to seek out your business. Promotional products accomplish both of these tasks at the same time. This is why they are often ranked as having one of the best ROIs of any advertising strategy.
Are you ready to increase the visibility of your brand?
Swizzle can help you find the right item for the right context. First, we’ll consider the industry you’re in and the personality of your brand. Above all else, your promotional efforts need to support your brand goals.
Next, we’ll evaluate your target audience. What is their current relationship to your brand? Is it your staff, your current customers, or your potential customers? Additionally, we need to consider what they like and what they value. For instance, millennials and baby boomers value different things, and so they will respond differently to certain products. We want to make sure you select an item that will have a positive impact on your audience.
Finally, we’ll take a look at the setting and surrounding circumstances. If you’re handing out items in a doctors office, you probably won’t give away the same product you would at a company-sponsored baseball game or an industry trade show.
Selecting the right promotional products will ensure the items are given to happy recipients who will put them to use — and remember your company well — for a long time. Swizzle can make it happen. Contact us for more information.