Have you considered using promotional products as a marketing strategy for your business?
I have come across a lot of promotional products in my time. Lugging home wads of paper and products from conferences, presentations and breakfast. Some of them go straight to the recycling bin, others gater dust in far off cupboards.
Some are clever, some are useless and some leave me wondering.
My favourite example of a potentially smart promotional item gone wrong was when I was working for the Canberra Theatre. The Opening Night sponsor was Optus who in their great wisdom gave patrons small packets of Optus branded eucalyptus soothers. It was winter in Canberra and the idea was to dampen the chorus of coughs – a distraction to other patrons and the performers. Good idea – expect that the packaging of the soothers was a cellophane type plastic – the opening of which was noisier than the coughs they subdued!
On the theme of lollies, a Real Estate agent uses small packets of jelly beans as a promotional tool. I came across these packets at a workshop I was facilitating. Everyone loves Jelly beans – right? Well yes and no. It’s a great idea to incorporate your corporate colours into your promotional products but when those colours are black, white and yellow – it doesn’t necessarily work when it comes to jelly beans. And while I couldn’t find research on how many people actually like black jelly beans – you either love them or loathe them.
I’m not sure if black jelly beans are a good conversation starter or a promotional product that could have been executed better as there were a lot of half packets left on the tables. What was the name of the Real Estate agent again?
So before you decide to develop a promotional item for your business you need to consider a number of elements:
- What are you trying to achieve? (brand awareness, adding value – eg. gift with purchase, Christmas present, thank you)
- Who is your target audience? (Current customers, prospects)
- How will your target audience receive them? (conference bags, in the mail, courier, in person)
- Are there any likely objections / challenges?
- How will you measure success?
- What will the final product look like, feel like (sound like!)
- Do you really need promotional items? (Within your current marketing budget – are you better off spending your money elsewhere?)
I use notepads for my business promotion. I use them to take notes at meetings so my brand is visible. My note pads are practical to clients and workshop participants. They get used and they have longevity.
Do you have an interesting promotional products story to share?