Promotional Products: A Top Way to Increase Brand Awareness

There are so many marketing channels available to help spread your company’s message — and so much competition. Want an effective and memorable strategy to help your business stand out from the crowd? Try promotional products.

What are Promotional Products?

George Washington Campaign Button

Promotional products have a rich history in America. Back in 1789, commemorative buttons were created for George Washington’s presidential election campaign. Since that first button, the promotional products business has grown into a booming industry with an annual revenue of over $20 billion.

tote bags hanging on wall
Tote bags generate more impressions than any other promotional item – nearly 6,000 in the lifetime of the average bag.

Why are so many businesses jumping on the promotional products train? Because it’s effective. Including promotional products in your marketing strategy can increase overall marketing success by up to 44 percent.

Promotional products are another form of advertising. A promo item can be any product featuring your company’s name, logo, or slogan. You probably have many of these kinds of products around your home or office. Think t-shirts from events, a branded stress ball, and a cupful of pens from the businesses you frequent.

Why Should You Use Promotional Products?

Safety related promotional items
You can use branded items to promote themes like workplace safety, eco-friendly alternatives, or encouraging an active lifestyle.

Giving promotional products to your existing or potential customers is a great way to increase brand awareness, grow sales, and improve your return on investment. According to SAGE, a key player in the promo industry, using promotional products creates a more favorable impression of your company over 50 percent of the time. In one case, 55 percent of people did business with a company before receiving a promotional product, while 85 percent chose to work with the company after receiving the product.

Plus, 8 out of 10 consumers own at least one promotional item, and 89 percent of consumers can remember the advertiser of a promotional product they’ve received in the last two years. Promotional products are tangible items, and gifting one to a valued client or hardworking employee creates a memory, with your brand at the center. 

It’s all about brand awareness, getting your name out there so more consumers know who you are and what you do. One study found that it takes an average of 8 impressions to trigger a sale. This means a customer may need to interact with your brand 8 times before they’re aware of what you have to offer and will consider working with you. A promotional product can be a link in that chain of impressions. Some common ways to use promotional items include:

  • Items to leave behind after an in-person meeting with a client
  • Giveaways at tradeshows and events
  • Gifts to celebrate employee or company milestones
  • Items your team will use and wear around the office
  • Products to boost a direct mail campaign
  • To build revenue, if you are able to sell items with your branding on them

What Kinds of Products?

When it comes to choosing a promotional product, the options are nearly endless! Whatever your brand’s specialty, project, and budget, there’s an item to fit your needs.

One of the most important factors when choosing a product to brand is how useful it is to the consumer. According to SAGE, 77 percent of consumers cite usefulness as the top reason for keeping a promotional item.

Promotional product offerings are always changing to fit the current climate. Custom masks are a top seller for 2020!

Keeping the item also means keeping your brand close to the consumer. It’s important to consider who your audience is and how they will be using the products you give them. You can use environmental targeting, giving out items to be used in situations where your company’s services would also be called upon. That way, your logo will be right in front of a consumer when they’re looking to make a purchase. Think mouse pads if you’re a tech company, water bottles if you’re in the fitness industry, or dog bandannas for a pet store. If you have the resources and opportunities, you can develop a few different products. That way, the consumer can choose what is useful to them. They’ll be more likely to use the item and more likely to remember your brand.

When developing these products, time is also an important factor. In general, you want products that can be used repeatedly over a long period of time. If a consumer can use up your promotional product in a short amount of time, it won’t have the impact or sales potential of a more lasting product. The longer your promotional product is around, the greater the chance of remaining top of mind with the recipient, and increasing brand awareness for a wider audience.

Branded Apparel

Collage of branded apparelAn effective way to start marketing with promotional products is to have your employees use them. Your team can use items like pens and notepads around the office, carry branded portfolios to appointments, and use logoed water bottles or bags during personal time.

Wearable promo is another popular way to generate awareness of your company or organization. Branded apparel items, including hats, shirts, and socks, give your brand high visibility. And, with the wide variety of clothing options available, there is truly an apparel choice for everyone.  Clothing decorated with your logo or tagline can be made to sell or give away at events. Or it can be worn by your employees.

Branded apparel helps to build an image of your company that fosters positivity for both employees and consumers. Having employees wear branded apparel nurtures brand identity and creates a sense of unity among your work team. Unity promotes communication and a stronger connection and dedication to the company mission. This sense of team spirit can increase productivity and grow revenue. And it’s another chance to spread awareness of your company as consumers interact with your employees.

Consumers tend to associate branded apparel with professionalism. In the consumer mindset, these are companies that can be trusted, produce high-quality work, and are authorities in their fields. Designing and creating a high-quality apparel product can go a long way toward creating a favorable and memorable public opinion of your business.

Sarah Haselton

If you’d like to make promotional products a part of your marketing strategy, contact our Promotional Specialist, Sarah, and start the conversation!

 

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