Organizations large and small know how effective branded promotional items can be. It’s a tried and true method to get your business, non-profit or community organization’s brand out in front, and it’s more cost effective than you may think. Every marketing plan should include room for customized items to share with existing clients as well as potential customers. We’ve outlined the top 5 reasons why promo products are critical to boost your bottom line and effectively engage with consumers.

Big reach, low price

Billboards, bus stops, TV and magazine ads are classic advertising methods, but the downside is that it’s hard to know if you are reaching your audience. The net is cast so wide that’s it is a challenge to find out if people are tuning in or not. However, with promotional or giveaway items, you get to carefully select your target audience for maximum effectiveness. Even with a small budget, you can choose branded marketing products that give a solid return on investment. A good quality pen, a handy tote bag, or a trendy pair of sunglasses or socks are just a few examples of items that have lasting impact, targeted reach, and come with a small price tag. There are tens of thousands of amazing items to choose from that will best showcase your brand – in all varying price ranges.

Brand recognition

All businesses want to stand out from their competitors and have their brand/logo recognized easily. Staying top of mind is essential, so why not make use of an everyday, customized product that gets used and looked at over and over? Quality products help keep people engaged with your brand. In fact, consumers will keep a promo item around approximately 6.6 months! The more creative or useful the product, the longer it stays around.

Driving loyalty

Giveaways and gifts keep people coming back for more. You can improve customer loyalty by distributing a clever or thoughtful item that makes your customers or clients feel valued. Whether it’s during the holidays, at workshops, conferences, seasonal campaigns or other events, promotional items are an effective way to highlight your business AND your contact information. Sure, you can give out a business card (which is still a valued practice), but if it is accompanied by a tangible branded item, the impact – and loyalty – is increased.

Repeat exposure

Successful organizations keep things fresh when it comes to their promotional products! If they typically give away a pen to clients, they know to mix things up by offering a pen with a stylus, or the new anti-microbial pen that keeps germs at bay. While it’s not essential to have new items every week or month, it’s important to think about your marketing plan and repeat exposure. Companies will often conduct regular contests for a more valued (branded) prize which further promotes their brand without being obvious about it.

Relatability

When giveaway items are relatable to a particular audience, the longer the staying power – in addition to increasing the overall fan base. That’s why it’s important to choose promo products that are most relevant to your unique business, clientele and community. For instance, if you live in a snowy climate, then a toque, ice scraper or thermos timed for the start of the season will be particularly useful. With the Covid pandemic impacting everyone right now, companies are finding opportunities to actually help others with PPE and items that promote social distancing, wellness, handwashing, and more. With a bit of research, organizations can understand the demographics of their audience; connecting with them more effectively with hand-picked, relevant products. When you can relate to people with something they truly value, you’ve mastered promotional product marketing.

As you can see, promotional products and giveaways are essential tools to get your brand noticed. They increase loyalty and give your audience a hands-on object that…if all goes well, they will keep handy, pass around and most importantly, use to connect with you in the future. Promotional items are just one aspect of a successful marketing strategy, but an important one indeed. Be sure to connect with the Imageon Promotional team today to discuss your options. You’ll get business know-how, professional service and detailed product knowledge to support your specific needs! Who knows, we might just have a giveaway that you didn’t know you needed…until now.