7 Tips to help choose the best promotional products
Promotional products are merchandise branded with a company’s logo and distributed for free to promote the company or business to potential and current customers. They can also be circulated to employees and affiliated partners and an effective way of building and nurturing teamwork and morale.
Choosing unique promotional products for your company can be challenging. Corporate Merchandise Australia (CMA) have been in the promotional merchandise game for over 20 years and have complied some handy tips to help you out.
1. Cater to your audience
It’s important to think about who will be receiving and using the products. You want to ensure they are useful, relevant, and unique to maximise the recipient’s interest in them.
Take the following into consideration to help with the selection process:
- Gender
- Age
- Income
- Interest
- Job
Once you know this information, think of a product they can use in their everyday life.
2. Durability and useability
Promotional products are key to many marketing strategies because they are a great way to reach a wider audience. When your promotional products become a part of your customer and target audience’s routine, your company has the potential of being seen by new people, which can help spark interest in your business or service.
Two essential things you need to consider when choosing promotional products include durability and usability. You’ll want to give recipients a product that they will use now and can continue using for a long time.
3. Industry appealing
Consider what industry are you marketing to and what items will they appreciate to help them succeed in this industry. Today, tech-related items are a safe bet for various industries and audiences because of how rampant the use of technology is.
Go for utility and try to solve everyday problems in a customer’s life. COVID safety and protection is obviously a hot topic currently.
4. Unique and innovative
Many businesses make the mistake of picking products that appeal to them but are forgettable to the customers. You need a way to stand out from the competition.
One way to achieve attention for your business is to give away products that relate to your company or business. Here are some ideas:
Go green – If your company is practicing green marketing and is aligned with environmental causes, go for environment-friendly. Link to eco products page.
Show off what you do best – If you’re a printing company, show off your expertise by printing creative messages and designs on promotional apparel.
The bottom line is to pick a product that represents your company appropriately and creatively.
5. Plan and allow ample time
One of the most overlooked factors in planning for promotional products is time. While some products can be ordered and received in a week, most orders need about one or two weeks to complete, and some need even more time.
It’s important to give yourself and your supplier enough time for production and delivery. Plot your timeline starting with your final event (distribution of promotional products), then discuss with your supplier on how feasible it is to achieve your targets on time.
6. Set a Budget
When it comes to producing promotional products, it can be tempting to go for the cheap promotional items. However, focusing too much on price can lead to giving items that aren’t relevant to your recipient, which can end up in the bin or forgotten in a drawer somewhere.
Additionally, some lower-priced items don’t deliver on quality. Nobody wants to be aligned with a faulty or flimsy product because this will also affect your brand image.
Setting a realistic budget that matches quality and quantity is important for your brand’s reputation.
7. Partner with an expert provider
There are plenty of factors to consider when it comes to promotional products for your company.
Be sure to take the time to research your clients, trends, and statistics to get the best one. Factors like budget, season, and usability are things to consider to help you stand out from the competition.
By partnering with an expert in the merchandise arena you will be able to draw on their experience and they can assist you in sourcing the best option to suit your unique requirements.
Stephanie Parsons, founder, and owner of Corporate Merchandise Australia has been working in the promotional merchandise field for over 20 and definitely knows her stuff. With blue chip clients including ANZ, Narellan Pools and many more, her clients trust Stephanie and CMA with all their promotional merchandise needs.
Bonus tip – beware of inexpensive business promotional items — they may not break the bank, but they can break easily, which can tarnish your company’s reputation in the consumer’s eyes.
Are you looking to incorporate promotional items in your strategy? CMA is here to help!
Contact us today and we can discuss your needs and come up with the best promotional products for your business.
