Choosing Promo Products: What Your Business Must Consider

Marketing with Promo Products

So, with millions of promo products available, how do you choose which promo product(s) will best advertise your business? Whether you’re rolling out promotional items at a trade show, convention, local event, or right at your office, there are several factors to consider:

First, a quick look at promo products, also known as “ad specialties”.

• 75% + of consumers can remember a brand that provided them with a promotional product.
• 60% of consumers will keep a promotional product for 2+ years.
• 97% of consumers will accept a free promo item.
• 50% + of consumers use a promo item at least once a week.
• 85% of consumers will do business with the advertiser after receiving a promo product from them. (Source: Designhill.com)
• 63% of consumers will give away their promo products when not needed – (the gift that truly keeps on giving in terms of advertising and word-of-mouth!) (Source: Designhill.com)

Why exactly are promo products so popular?

• Businesses get to see a small investment turn into gigantic gains in terms of cost per impression results and boosted ROI.
• Consumers get to receive gifts they can put to use. Promo products, such as mugs, pens, and bags, function as ‘interactive business cards’ with higher utility than their paper counterparts.

 

To help match your business with the most fitting promo product, we’ve compiled a list of points to consider:

 

1. Whichever item you choose, it is essential that the product(s) be high-quality.

It’s incredibly obvious when something is made cheaply or poorly, and promo products are no exception. Your consumers will view your company as cheap or unprofessional if their first impression of your business is through a badly designed promotional item. Yikes!

2. Remember, when in doubt- a good rule of thumb is to select promotional products that have great longevity or can be used on a daily basis.

Although successful promotional product campaigns running with atypical promo items can still achieve great success, an item with higher utility stands a better chance of surviving a spring-cleaning binge than a “unique” item collecting as much dust as a Swiffer.

3. Learn as much as you can about your intended audience before you decide on a promo product, including the environment they most frequently dwell in.

Demographics, age, occupations, and gender are essential factors to consider. An excellent rule of thumb when deciding on the best type of promo product is to consider a “typical” example of your target market.

For instance, Baby Boomers are characteristically utility oriented- frivolous or cheaply designed items with minimal use will especially fall flat with this demographic.

Another tip? Think of the weather and seasons. Giving away a winter/fall or summer/spring item during the opposite season will damage the association made between your brand and your promo products.

4. Ensure integration and uniformity exists between your company and your promotional item.

Using an entirely different color scheme than your company’s logo is confusing to a consumer learning about your brand.

If the function of the item has practically nothing to do with the services offered by your business, then consumers will not make a memorable association. It is essential to understand the purpose of the campaign: Are you trying to spread awareness of your brand to new customers? Are you trying to reward your current customers?

5. What does your business offer in terms of products and services?

If your business largely specializes in plumbing services, but you also offer heater repair, it would be beneficial for your promo product to promote that lesser-known service to spread awareness.

A good rule of thumb is to put yourself in the shoes of your consumer: if you were in the market for a plumber, what other services would be of interest to you?

For the above example, any item providing utility in home maintenance and organization would be an excellent choice for a plumbing company.

Even if your business does not explicitly offer a service, customers will appreciate seeing that you are knowledgeable about topics that concern them.

For example, a food/treat store that doesn’t explicitly sell grills/appliances would do very well to use aprons as promo products. Also, a shop that sells women’s clothing AND home décor would be wise to use an item that a) mentions both offered services on the label and b) provides use as either a clothing-related item or a décor/desk accessory.

 

Fusion Group USA

Every single industry can benefit from the use of the right promotional items. Here at Fusion Group USA, we aren’t just digital marketing experts: we’re strategists, graphic & web designers, promotional product gurus, social media managers, and brand developers.

Let us help you select the perfect promotional products for your next event!

Check out Fusion Promotional, call us at (888) 954-9554, or visit our main page at fusiongroupusa.com today!