Why Your Business Should Be Using Promotional Products

Take a moment and think about why you started your business. Perhaps you were driven by the desire to make a difference in your community. Or you just wanted to enjoy greater freedom working independently as your own boss. Whatever the reason, one thing is for sure: you’re in business today to earn a substantial income from your product sales and services.

You probably already know that it’s not enough to have a high-quality (or even the greatest) product in the market — you must invest in drawing your customers’ attention to it. And this is where promotional products come in.

What Are Promotional Products?

Chances are you’ve come across custom promotional products that might include journals, USB drives, face masks, stress balls, notebooks, tote bags, or desk accessories imprinted with a company’s logo, contact details, or tagline (or even this tumbler). You could have seen them at a corporate event, at your workplace, in the streets, or even have some on your study table at home. If you didn’t know, all those are promotional merchandise.

Any tangible item with your branding on it can be considered a promotional product. Remember, people don’t just buy your product—they buy your brand. Keep in mind that these items don’t need to be expensive. As long as it’s something people are likely to use more often and on a regular basis, you can use it to market your brand and promote your products.

Most Popular Branded Merchandise in 2022

The most popular and low-cost promotional product in 2022 is the branded pen. It’s very common for these to be included in exhibition giveaways, used at offices for client-facing form filling, as giveaways on the street, and as part of a mail order merchandise campaign. Their low cost makes them a great mass market product for your business, and the fact they’re useful adds to the shelf lives of them, keeping your branding in front of customers for longer. They’re appropriate for companies of all sizes, and can really stand out when used in bright colours.

What About the Cost of Promotional Merchandise?

You might be wondering, “Isn’t the cost of these products higher than advertising costs?” Not when 89 percent of people who receive your promotional merchandise might remember your brand for a couple of years. Furthermore, 85 percent of the recipients are likely to do business with you. Promotional products have been shown to boost brand awareness and deliver the highest recall rates of a brand. They also have the lowest cost per impression compared to advertising on social media, TV, mail, magazines, and newspapers.

How Promotional Merchandise Can Help Your Business

If you’re not utilizing promotional merchandise in your marketing, you’re missing out.

As mentioned, even if you think of your product or service as the best and greatest in the market, you stand no chance if people know nothing about it. Here’s why promotional merchandise is crucial for your brand.

Instant Brand Recognition

As a business owner, you want people— especially your target customers— to recognize your brand and products whenever they spot your company logo or slogan. Think about it. What comes to mind when you spot McDonald’s golden (yellow) arch logo? If you’re a big fan of fast food, you immediately see yourself picking your order from the global foodservice retailer. Or you start thinking of your last fast-food experience at one of their restaurants.

When you hand out a promotional item with your slogan, tagline, logo, or company name on it, you’re advertising your business and sparking awareness of your brand. The product remains with them in their workplaces, vehicles, handbags, or homes for weeks, months, and even years. These products remind customers of your brand, products, or services whenever they use or see them. Isn’t it interesting that 94 percent of the recipients will remember they received the merchandise from you and, as mentioned, 85 percent of them are likely to contact you, show up at your store, and make purchases from your business?

Long-Term Brand Exposure

Can you recall the last ad you saw yesterday or even a few hours ago on the television? Or a week ago in a city billboard? Chances are you’ve seen so many ads in the digital media that you can’t remember the advertisers. How would you remember and keep up with ads that run for just a few seconds?

It’s an entirely different ball game with promotional products as you’re able to expose your brand to your customers and prospects for the long term. For example, if you give them a personalized coffee mug with your brand name or company logo on it, your brand will remain right in front of their eyes every day as they sip their favorite beverage from the mug. The fact that promotional products are items that customers use regularly means that they can help you build a positive image for your brand. And since these products tend to be mobile and ‘shareable,’ you can reach a much wider market and obtain new leads.

Boosts Customer Loyalty

By now, you must have realized that customer loyalty and retention are crucial to the growth and success of any business. Sending or giving customers promotional products is a great way to develop a healthy and strong connection with them, thereby encouraging brand loyalty.

Not only are these items extremely memorable but also help give your business tangibility.

As customers use these items, they’re likely to develop a more personal relationship and a healthy attachment to your brand. This will encourage them to choose your business and brand over others. Plus, they’ll turn into your biggest brand advocates.

Increases Your Sales

By encouraging brand loyalty, boosting customer retention, and increasing brand awareness, promotional merchandise helps your business to stand out, opening up possibilities for new business. A recent survey found that 52 percent of promotional merchandise recipients ended up doing business with the advertising company.

Think of these products as your business card. The only difference is that you won’t have to introduce your brand or products to people with your card. In most cases, these cards end up in the bin or, if you’re lucky, in the customer’s drawer, where they may never check again.

In this case, you’re giving the customers a gift they’ll be using or seeing every day. Which means they won’t forget about your brand. In fact, if you were making a sales pitch, a branded corporate gift might just make them listen to you more keenly and perhaps do business with you. It’s a win-win situation.