When you’re considering the next big move in your promotional campaign, you need to have all the facts. That’s why, before you decide whether you’ll use promotional products or not, you need to learn more about them.
Any item or product that you give to promote your business is a promotional product. Usually, these products carry the tagline, logo, name or phone number and website address of the company that gives them to their clients. They are usually used to promote a certain activity of the business that is giving them – an event, a new product, new service, a significant discount, etc.
All kinds of companies, organisations and foundations use promotional products to advertise their services or products. Most of the time, those are products that people can find a use for in their everyday lives – products that have a company’s branding and website address or phone number.
First of all – our generation isn’t the one that came up with the idea of using promotional products for marketing and branding purposes. In fact, not even the modern age can take the credit for promotional products.
The very first promotional products probably appeared during the dawn of humankind, just as the first men started trading. A typical seller who would want to have the upper hand over his competition would give a test sample of his merchandise, a piece of the very best fruit he had or a bite of prime meat. As our civilisation developed, strategies started evolving.
The turning point in that evolution was 1789. That’s when commemorative buttons were given to George Washington’s supporters before the elections. After that, the popularity of promotional products only kept growing. During the 19th century, there were advertising rulers, wooden objects, as well as calendars, book bags, card cases, aprons, and even horse hats.
They’re important because they provide benefits that no other marketing strategy can achieve in such a short timeframe and with such a low budget.
Yes, you can use promotional products in-house as well. And, not just that – they can show some magnificent results, boost your sales, as well as employee satisfaction.
When it comes to sales, it’s simple – give your sales teams promotional items. They can then give the products to their clients upon signing a contract or build a rapport with potential ones by sending promotional gift bags before the big meeting. That is how you show your clients you appreciate the fact that they chose you, and how you make the jobs of the people in your sales team easier.
On the other hand, there’s another in-house benefit. You can give promotional items to your employees. Branded mug, T shirts and promotional bags should be everywhere, while your high-quality promotional products should be given as gifts to the employee of the month, or for special occasions. That’s how your employees will become brand advocates – even in their free time.
Promotional products are crucial in this area. With promotional products, you get effective, low-cost marketing that’s a lot cheaper than any other method per impression. If you choose good products that will frequently be used, you get cheap exposure on a daily basis. People who get a product from you will remember your brand for almost two years, so there are branding benefits as well. And, last but not least, you get customer loyalty.