We all had goodie bags as young children. Sent on our way with an assortment of sweets, key rings, pens and other paraphernalia, we’d always end a party on a high.
Even as adults we’re far from immune from the appeal of a giveaway – who doesn’t like a freebie? Small wonder, then, that promotional products remain an immensely popular form of marketing. Anyone who’s been to an exhibition or similar event can vouch for that.
You can harness this cost-effective form of marketing with www.ideasbynet.com, which will print your logo and other information – contact details perhaps – on a plethora of different items, from mugs and coasters to umbrellas and conference bags.
So why, even in the age of the internet where new vistas of cost-effective marketing opportunities have opened up, does promotional marketing remain a common marketing tool? Put simply, it gets your brand prolonged and widespread visibility for a relatively modest outlay.
For SMEs it’s an extremely cost-effective alternative to print, radio or TV advertising; large organisations, meanwhile, can afford to buy goods in such bulk they enjoy huge economies of scale
A TV or radio ad is comparably expensive and will get you exposure for a fixed period, say a month-long run. Get your logo on a thousand mugs and give them away in a nation of tea fanatics, and your getting your logo visible on a daily basis for months, even years, in countless households.
Promotional marketing is harnessed by big and small companies alike. For SMEs it’s an extremely cost-effective alternative to print, radio or TV advertising; large organisations, meanwhile, can afford to buy goods in such bulk they enjoy huge economies of scale.
The classic promotional items are key rings and pens, not least because they’re cheap to manufacture. Moreover, they’re the sort of thing used frequently.
Key rings are in and out of your pocket pretty much most days.
We all need a pen every now and again. Of course, they’re easy to lose, but they always surface again – if not in your own house but in someone else’s or in another place.
While you may lose pens, you also acquire them. They’re always floating around, as people drop them in a bank or post office, or lend them to people and forget them to get them back.
You could call it a form of unintentional referral marketing. It’s annoying for the person mislaying the pen – but great for the dissemination of your brand.
Mouse mats are relatively cheap to produce and unlike most other IT-related products, even IT enthusiasts aren’t bothered about getting top-of-the-range; people would rather get a freebie than buy a mousemat. And with most households now online, a mouse mat is something that will get plenty, often daily, use.
T-shirts, hats and other clothing are a great means to gain exposure for your brand. Give away or sell t-shirts bearing your logo and you’ve got yourself numerous ‘walking adverts’.
Eco-friendly promotional products account for a growing portion of the market. The green category, which on ideasbynet.com includes recycled coasters, organic clothing, eco-friendly cosmetics and solar-powered torches, will particularly reflect well on your brand if your goods or services are themselves marketed as ethically sourced or manufactured, or if your target market is the archetypal Guardian-reading, environmentally-conscious liberal.
It’s worth in any event considering your target market when choosing your promotional products, aside, of course, from the cost and visibility dimensions. For example, computer accessories would be an obvious choice for an IT firm, while golf-related items – another category on the aforementioned site – would be ideal if your target market is, say, middle-aged, middle-class men.
