Attracting potential customers and maintaining good relationships with existing ones can be daunting, whether you’re a starting business or an already well-established company. With the rise of digital marketing and intensive online presence, the task of getting your name out there and making it stay has become even more challenging. However, studies show that promotional products or merchandise remain a popular and effective marketing strategy in Australia and other countries. Employing it might just give you the edge you’re looking for.
But how do you make the right choice of product when you can literally choose anything to give away? Here are some important considerations:
An Objective and the Budget
Don’t be too excited about the prospect of making customers happy with giveaway products and make the mistake of overspending. You must have a pre-determined objective, and this objective must be the basis for your marketing budget and strategy. For example, if your goal is to thank regular patrons and show your appreciation, you do not have to be over the top with the choice of items.
However, if you’re going for brand recognition and building rapport with the fancier, more contemporary end of your target market, then pens and umbrellas will probably not cut it. In this case, it would be best to invest in more high-end items that these people can afford to chuck in the bin immediately upon receipt. Promotional items do not just improve brand awareness, although that’s probably the most commonly known desired effect. Choose your goals, make an appropriate budget, and then get it done.
Usability
This is very important. When a promotional product is usable: One, customers will choose to keep it. Two, they will keep it for a long time. Moreover, if your product is something that they can use every day – writing instruments, mugs, hand sanitizers, for example – the phrase “household name” will be true for your company in more ways than one. This will be highly advantageous in that habitual contact with something that bears your logo can help cement your company in their consciousness.
Popularity and Timeliness
While usability is a very important factor to consider, you must not forego the importance of timeliness. Is your product usable at the time you give it away? Will your customers want to be seen with it? Let’s take aesthetics, for example. Even if a product is usable, if it does not meet the current trends and standards for visual quality, a customer may still discard it. This is especially true when you’re targeting younger customers.
This also applies to when and where you’re planning to give the products away. Is it going to be a this-freebie-for-every-number-of-purchase thing in specific branches of your business? Are you going to attend a trade fair? Will there be a booth set up for your company at an upcoming community event? Will your employees be giving them out in densely populated areas? What type of event will it be? Will your promotional products be timely and relevant to the nature of the event and the venue?
There is no question about the effectiveness and competence of promotional products as a marketing strategy, even with the many changes the market has gone through in recent years. However, the success of its utilization still depends on careful consideration of the factors listed above.