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HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT PROMOTIONAL PRODUCT

05.14.2013 / Posted in ArticlesBranding

Promotional products. Most companies buy them for prospects, clients, event attendees—they’re a fact of corporate life.

And they do work: Compared to other items when it comes to the cost per number of impressions, promotional items often win. For example, the Advertising Specialty Institute found that the average cost-per-impression for a shirt is 0.005 cents. A prime-time television ad? Per impression, it runs 0.019 cents. 

But not all promotional products are created equal. Some are hits—and others are misses. How can you ensure that your next promotional item nails the target?

WHAT’S YOUR POINT?

What do you hope to achieve? How will you distribute the item? How does the activity for which you’re purchasing promotional products fit into your marketing strategy and message? How will you measure its success? 

Without a clear plan and an understanding of how these products integrate into your marketing program, you risk wasting a sizable chunk of your marketing budget

And the dumpster behind your building is not a prospect or customer.

SUIT THE PRODUCT TO THE PERSON

Who does the promotional item target? 

Don’t select a product you’d like—select something your audience would want. Ensure it fits your purpose as well: You may want to give something different to customers than to prospects. After all, you should have a different message for customers than you do for people who haven’t purchased from you.

DON’T FALL INTO A PROMO-ITEM RUT

Some companies have “signature” promotional items. They should reconsider. Customers likely already have one from a previous encounter with you. Many prospects may as well—at least, if they’re in the pipeline, they will. Something new and different will make a fresh impact each time.

FOCUS

Don’t give a promotional product to everyone you meet—even if they fit your audience parameters. Target carefully for the biggest impact. For example, handing a gift to everyone who walks past your booth at a trade show—even if its attendees are your target audience—cheapens the item’s value.

GIVE—AND GET

Ensure that you have contact information for anyone who receives a promotional item. With current or past customers, you’re all set. But if you’re trying to attract new prospects, giving something without getting something in return is doing it wrong.

FIND SOMETHING USEFUL

Choose something that your audience will use as often as possible for as long as possible. A study showed that promotional product use achieved a 69 percent boost in brand interest and an 84 percent increase in positive brand impression—mainly because of repeated exposure to the company’s brand though using the item. Also, you gain fresh brand impressions from the people who see someone use the product—an added bonus.

INCLUDE A CALL TO ACTION

The item may be usable, targeted, and fit your strategy—but it fails if you don’t give the customer a way to take action.

Include your company’s contact information: logo, URL, tagline, phone number, QR code—whatever makes sense for your initiative. And with a finite space in which to work, make every line count.


QUALITY MATTERS

Promotional items leave a lasting brand impression. Handing out cheap, useless products is worse than handing out nothing at all. 

Detail orientation ties to quality, too. Check every proof that you receive from the vender. Is everything clear and easy to read? Is the phone number correct? The URL? Are there any misspellings? Send the proofs through multiple pairs of eyes to be extra certain.

Need help making sure your promotional product is a good fit for your strategy? Call us today!



Pantone Creates New Wine-Inspired Color

Wine has helped fuel many an artist's creative endeavors. And now, a particular wine is the muse behind a new unique color from the Pantone Color Institute.

Pantone partnered with Valspar Paint and Laithwaite's Wine to develop English Sparkling Laithwaite's Wine. The color takes its inspiration from the shade of Wyfold Vineyard by Barbara Laithwaite -- one of England's most awarded sparkling wines.

Pantone said English Sparkling is "a subtle and stylishly elegant, creamy hue that quietly expresses effervescence and good taste. Young in spirit and timeless in its appeal, this natural off-white shade conveys feelings of spring freshness and modernity. Carrying an undertone of pleasantness and geniality, the inherent warmth of Laithwaite's Wine English Sparkling creates a sparkling yet soothing presence."

Available as paint from Valspar, the new hue could harbinger forthcoming color trends in the apparel world – something promotional product distributors whose clients have fashion-forward tastes and audiences will want to be aware of.

"English Sparkling is more than just a new shade of Valspar paint. Like every bespoke color we mix, it's about eternalizing a personal feeling, a moment in time, a memory," said Kasia Wiktorowicz, marketing communications manager at Valspar. "For us, this color is reminiscent of a warm laughter-filled summer's evening, enjoying an English Sparkling wine with close friends and family."

The new hue is also serving to promote English sparkling wine, elevating it into the official pantheon of color terminology in a manner akin to continental rivals like "burgundy" and "champagne."

"Just as burgundy and champagne are very well-known terms for colors, it's now time for English Quality Sparkling Wine to take center stage," David Thatcher, CEO of Laithwaite's Wine, was quoted as saying. "Creating an official color is a great way of acknowledging the ever-growing popularity of the English wine industry around the world."