Did you know that only 1 in 5 customers will throw away a promotional product?
That means every time you invest in promotional merchandise, you give 80% of consumers an opportunity to welcome your brand into their homes. With that in mind, it’s important to ensure you choose a product the best represents your brand.
Some are hits and others are misses. Some are expensive and others are cheap. So how do you choose a product that will best represent your brand without breaking your budget? Here are the steps to take in choosing the right promo product for your business.
The very first step in choosing the most effective promotional product for your business is to know your audience.
Once you understand your customers’ needs, you’ll get better ideas of what products suit them best. Ask questions such as:
Once you get that information, think of products that they use on a daily basis. This helps to ensure your giveaways aren’t tossed away into the trash. For example, if the younger generation accounts for more than 80% of your audience, consider items that are of interest to them, such as gadgets.
The promotional products industry is diverse—consisting of hundreds of different promotional items. As such, choosing the perfect one for your business may seem like an insurmountable task. The good news; little research can narrow down the options for you.
First, you’ll want to do market research on the promotional products available in your area.
What promotional offers do your competitors offer? If you opt for the same offers, look for ways to improve on your competitors’ promotional products.
You’ll also want to do research on the promo products with the highest success rate. According to 2018 research conducted by the Promotional Products Association International (PPAI), wearables topped the list with a whopping 35.8% of the market share, followed by drinkware (8.4%), writing accessories (6.6%), and tech products at 5.6%.
Such statistics can give you insights into products that are highly acknowledged by consumers, such as promotional clothing, so you can make a more informed decision. Also, be sure to choose a product that is relevant to your brand and useful to the consumers.
As mentioned earlier, relevance is very important when it comes to choosing the right promotional product for your business.
What does that mean?
The best promotional products are the ones that relate to your business. For example, if you sell tech products such as computers, laptops, cellphones, etc. it would be nonsensical to offer products that are not relevant to your business. Instead, offer accessories that go with such products, such as laptop bags, and this will help you achieve your goals.
To ensure your products don’t end up in the trash, consider offering products that your customers will actually use. For example, if the majority of your customers are students or work in school, give them something they will utilize on a daily basis such as pens.
Choosing the right promotional product might be the best decision you’ll ever make for your business. If done right, promotional product marketing can create brand awareness, boost your ROI, and build a solid base of loyal customers and brand evangelists.