Before we answer the question, “How effective are promotional products”, we want to ask you a few questions. Do you have any clothing that features a brand? An example might be a Nike t-shirt, a band hoodie, or a hat that represents an organization like a sports team. Clearly, we could stop here, because anyone who doesn’t make their own clothing likely has some kind of branded wearable. But that’s the easy stuff.

Take a look in your office for a pen with a name or logo. Look on your refrigerator for a magnet with a company name. Or, look around for a phone accessory, USB drive, mug or other promotional product and you are likely to find at least one in your home or office. Can you remember how long you’ve had that particular item? Statistically, you’ve had it at least 6 months.

High Touch, Literally

Now that we’ve provided some perspective, it’s easy to see why business owners continue to turn to promotional products as part of their marketing strategies. Simply put, promotional products are an inexpensive way to create long lasting brand recollection.

The tangible nature of promotional products means they are engaged with, differently than any digital or visual marketing can be. They are also often useful and reusable, meaning the recipient is thankful for the gift, and they reuse it time and again.

We know customers need 4-10 touches with a brand to build loyalty and promotional products accomplish this in a literal, tactile way.

Highly Visible

Not only do promotional products create high touch for the user themselves, but they often are seen or used by others. Those branded caps, t-shirts and hoodies are seen by those who interact with the wearer, for example. Consider why companies use uniforms – they create a standard. This then can be carried over into casual, recognizable branding in other ways as gifts to customers, vendors, or prospects.

These promotional items, when done well, should really be seen as gifts. Keeping it simple and memorial for the masses at events, to higher value items expressing gratitude to foster quality relationships, promotional items leave their impact.

Choose Well

There are thousands of promotional items to choose from, within a wide range of budgets. When choosing promotional products for large events, lower cost per item balanced with appropriate quality is important. No one wants a one-time use pen, for example. Branded items that are higher value, such as awards, thank you gifts, or recognition gifts also go a long way only when the quality is there. 

A promotional products professional knows the difference between the items known to break, and those made to last. Sometimes there’s only a penny difference in cost. Shopping blindly online may seem to save you money, but leaving the right impression is more important than simply giving away a promotional product. If you want the full ROI from an item, work with a professional to balance quality and budget so the products last as long as you desire the positive impression to.

Need guidance or inspiration on your promotional products or how to best leverage them as part of an overall marketing strategy? Plumb Marketing can help! Contact us today to speak to a representative who will support your use of promotional products in marketing.