Tips for Creating Successful Promotional Merchandise
Looking for a cost-effective way to make your brand stay top of mind with your customers? Perhaps you should consider promotional merchandise.
Promotional merchandise is ubiquitous. Most of us have an assortment of branded pens, gadgets, or apparel in our offices and homes. But the trick to effective promotional merchandise, also known as specialty advertising, is to create something that is memorable, useful, and brand-appropriate.
The average cost-per-impression of promotional merchandise is only $0.004. And the average amount of time someone keeps a promotional item is 7 months. If done correctly, the cost-benefit of this affordable form of marketing can really stretch your budget. So how can you ensure success?
Here’s a list of attributes that effective promotions possess:
Functional. Produce something that your target audience would be likely to use.
Fun. Consider items that will bring enjoyment to someone’s day, like good chocolate, fidget-friendly toys, or pens with squishy comfort grips.
Compelling. If it doesn’t capture the recipient’s attention, don’t bother.
Safe. Make sure it’s manufactured under strict standards and meets current safety requirements.
Reusable, refillable, and/or recyclable. Today’s savvy consumers take note, so make this a priority whenever possible.
Reflective of your brand. Does it have the right look, tone, and feel?
Desirable. The best promotions elicit comments like “Where did you get that?”
Memorable. People remember it in a positive way long after receiving it.
One final thought: work with a distributor who understands your needs and can help you integrate your promotions into your overall marketing mix. A good distributor is like a good personal shopper—he or she can be a great source for ideas and knows where to find the right items.
—Mary Wickstrom is an account manager (aka Merch Detective) with TouchStone Promotions. mwickstrom@touchstonepromos.net