The Promotional Product - What Can It Do?

We discussed what a Promotion Product was in a February post. Here we want to talk a little bit about how they work or what they can do for you.

We often associate promotional products as the swag we get from vendors at trade shows. Of course we realize that not all items we pick up wandering up and down the aisles are equal. Some exhibitors simply entice you to stop at their booths (quite effectively) with a simple bowl of candy. While this works at the original goal of helping generate traffic at the booth, stop for a minute and try to recall the names of the vendors that provided you these treats at a show six months ago.

On the other hand, chances are you kept (or at least handed off to a friend or family member) something like a pen, a stress ball, a magnet or some other token with a company's name imprinted on it. According to a 2004 study by L.J Market Research, 55% of the study participants generally kept their promotional products for more than a year. That creates a lot of repeat "impressions" for the vendor who chose an imprinted item over a few pieces of candy.

That is one example of how a promotional product can work for you. Here are a few other ideas for you to consider as you notice the environment around you. Hotels have imprinted pens in every room and these pens often leave with guests; but not only does the guest get brand name reinforcement but think about how many times you have loaned a pen that never made it back into your hands? Pizza shops, doctors and dentists, real estate agents, schools and more understand the brand-building power of the refrigerator magnet. Churches, business of all types, civic organizations will gladly give you a calendar for your wall or desk in exchange for a full year's worth of exposure. The idea behind all of these goes beyond brand name recognition though. The sponsor also gets a customer, employee or other recipient that has received a gift with perceived value.

Here is another concept to consider. We tend to think of promotional products as smaller and relatively inexpensive items that are giveaways. There are a number of examples where items have much greater value and are perceived as being "earned." Have you or a family member ever worked for a company and received a t-shirt or hat that has become a favorite? How about more expensive items such as a jacket with an embroidered logo, an engraved desk set, an imprinted bag or briefcase, or a service anniversary gift of even greater value? These too are promotional products. The perceived value when earned is greater and fosters more dedication of the recipient and of those, including co-workers, around them.

We introduced this article by saying we would talk about how promotional products work or what they can do for you. In summary we will answer the "What's in it for me?" question for two parties of a promotional product. For the recipient, they get something of useful, something worth holding on to, something of value. For the sponsor that puts their name on a product, they get the building or reinforcing of their brand identity, typically over a longer term with repeat impressions, plus the enhancement of their image within their target communities.

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