Why Promotional Products Need To Be Part of Your Marketing Strategy

Whether you’re a new brand looking to make an impact, or an older, established brand looking to increase market share, promotional products should have a place in your marketing strategy. These powerful products have been around for decades, but that doesn’t reduce their impact today. Here are a few ways promotional products provide value for your brand.

Stay With Consumers

Whether you write your message on a t-shirt or place your logo on a coffee mug, consumers tend to keep and use promotional products. The Advertising Specialty Institute states that people keep promotional products for an average of 8 months. That is an incredible length of time for your brand to be in front of a consumer. Depending on the type of product, it could be even longer. Umbrellas typically have the longest promotional lifetime, with consumers keeping them for around 14 months.

The product’s life doesn’t always end with the first person to receive the product. The ASI shows that around 65% of people give their promotional products to someone else when they are done using them. This expands your brand reach and the advertising value of one promotional product.

Improve Brand Image

Handing out free gifts isn’t just a great way to improve brand awareness; it helps people think more positively about the brand. It’s human nature to like someone who gives us gifts. Even something as simple as a pen can increase positive feelings towards a company. In addition, most people are also inclined to reciprocate. Your simple promotional product may increase the likelihood of a sale because the customer feels they should repay you in some kind.

Increase Recognition

The plethora of radio advertisements, display ads, and commercials consumers see each day makes it very difficult for a new brand to make a lasting impact on their minds. It is often easy to tune out digital pop-ups or ignore TV commercials. Even when these ads do make an impact, it is usually because the consumer remembers the storyline rather than the brand it represented.

However, promotional products have a significant impact on consumer recognition. An ASI study showed that 85% of consumers correctly remember brands that gave them a promotional product. No other medium is so effective at creating brand recognition.

You may have thought that promotional products were a thing of the past. If you have previously discounted them, consider adding them to your marketing strategy today. Otherwise, you may miss out on one of the most impactful ways to reach consumers.