There is no formula to help you decide which promotional item you should choose but there are several factors you should consider. Any marketer may feel at some point that is impossible to find a promotional product that can represent his brand perfectly. Even if you represent a young company, that has been never promoted before or you are a professional with experience in the field, at some point, you’ll find yourself in a position in which you’ll have difficulties in finding an object that fits your needs perfectly. There is no certain formula to find it and not all companies find the same value in one product. You must know how to choose and how to build your efforts for the promotions according to your audience, and these four concepts will help you to do this!
Know demographics!
First, you have to know what kind of people your target consists of. Who is your main audience? What your loyal customers have in common? Once you know who benefits from your products and services, you’ll be able to determine their sights. For example, a yo-yo might not be the best object when to promote a tattoo parlour. If your company deals with towed car or car reparations, then a custom air freshener with your logo on it, an emergency kit or first aid is going help a lot. It is very important to analyse your customer base and discover what stimulates and drives them to choose your brand. Also, maybe it is a good idea to send a short questionnaire to your customers and ask them what they would like to receive as promotional items from you.
Set the limit of your budget
If your brand is at the beginning of its life, then it is certainly not a good idea to invest colossal funds in buying expensive products such as leather briefcases. On the other hand, if you are already a renowned name in your field, such as Microsoft, you can not lose too much time with a common object like a customised pen. It is true that we must generate costs to stimulate revenue, but it is also important to find a middle way so you won’t grow the expenses more than you need. You have to carefully analyse carefully your budget and how much are you willing to spend on promotional products.
Choose the tempo of your campaign
If your company has a slogan well entrenched in the consumer’s mind, then promotional items must be chosen by the same principle. You should avoid atypical products if you have a classic business. In certain cases, this contrast between image and object is a good way to attract attention. If you decide to have this unconventional approach is appropriate to organise everything very well and anticipate possible outcomes.
Think about the distribution of your products
The size and structure of a promotional item can limit the ways it reaches to your consumer. Small objects, light and possibly folding like pencils, pens, magnets, calendars are easy to carry in the mail. Heavy objects, which occupy much space or have high value, are easier to hand out at trade shows, conferences, direct to the consumer, rather than sent by mail or courier. You know your target audience better than anyone, so you’ll be able to analyse these decisions very well.
Source: EPPA European Promotional Products Association
