Monday 21 May 2012

Five Tips for More Successful Promotional Products

By Marie Elwood


If you have an interest in offering your customers (or prospective customers) promotional products and tchotchkes to remind them of your business, don't simply order a basic item that has your company's name slapped on it and think that it will drive repeat sales. Nobody is pining away for another ball-point pen, tote bag, or pocket calendar which has someone else's name on it. In order to make your investment in ad specialties worthwhile, you have to think about your clients first and yourself second. If you don't, your promotional present will be given little attention- - if it is not simply discarded straight away.

Here are a few suggestions for how to make your promotional products deliver increased results for your business:

1) Maximize the metaphors. Instead of offering the same tried old items as everyone else does, think about your business in a broader context. Do you keep your customers safe? Get them out of hot water? Work out the kinks? Open doors? Use common, everyday objects and expressions to inspire unique and remarkable ideas for leave-behind promotional gifts.

2) Tap into trends. Countless product classes have reached a tipping point and are spreading like wildfire. Regardless of your industry, are you able to come up with a branded gift that fits into the love affair buyers have with tablet computers, e-readers, mobile phones, movies/DVDs, coffee, spas, social media, eating out, "being green", etc.?

3) Sign up for souvenirs. As a market research expert, I regularly lead brainstorming sessions for my clients. Because my clients really relish these meetings, they are willing to keep reminders of those good times in their office. If it's magnets, mugs, t-shirts, or sticky notes, my promotional items boldly feature titles like "Acme Ideation Team" or "ABC Innovation Project" and an attention-grabbing graphic. My website is featured in smaller, gray text.

4) Find a friend. Search on the net or in your yellow pages for "ad specialty" experts, who have access to thousands of products and who are used to thinking imaginatively about the best way to pull promotional ideas together, without reference to your budget. Most ad specialty brokers are surprisingly affordable.

5) Keep consistent. Know your brand's character. If it's conservative, don't mix serious items with wacky promotions. Stick to an established group of colours, fonts, and images and reinforce them across all your promotional products. Consistency is one of the most important keys to creating a memorable brand.

Whether you run an one-person business or work in an enormous multi-national organization, these five simple tips can help in increasing the return you get from your advertising and promotional investment. Begin leveraging them today!




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