Promotional merchandising is an extremely effective means of reaching out to your customers, increasing brand awareness and encouraging brand loyalty in your clients, associates and even employees. But like all marketing endeavors your often dependent on the advice you receive as to the choices you make on the promotional product and the direction your marketing takes. As a small business owner working with other small businesses and coming from a marketing/advertising background I can tell you now many small business owners dislike marketing considering it a waste of time. I dont completely agree but can understand where their coming from as marketing is very difficult to prove a ROI (return on investment). So how can a small business owner make decisions about marketing and try to cut through all the marketing hype their fed? How do I make sure my products will do the job I want?
Marketing Hype
Finding yourself someone who can cut through the marketing hype and turn it into plain language you can understand is generally a good sign you have found the marketing adviser for you. Someone who you feel comfortable working with. Here are my couple of signs you should look for for your marketing guru;
- Your marketing expert doesnt talk in language designed to dazzle you but works with you so you understand.
- You come away from talking to them with an idea of what their going to attempt, possible returns and a firm plan. If its all generalized vague ideas your talking to the wrong person.
- Your expert covers a variety of ideas to accomplish your goals and is comfortable pushing their boundaries with new creative projects. If they wont budge from one idea are they the right person for you?
- I am sure you checked their portfolio of previous customers but did you call any of them for a reference? Did you check if they have worked with someone in your industry before?
Note: The above “signs” are what I have found works with clients I work for and with and primarily deal with small business. Its my experience feel free to disagree!
Picking the right products
So how should you go about selecting the product which will do the job for your business and yet reach the goals you have set or desire from your marketing spend? I try not to sound like a broken down record but the internet as a small business owner will always be your friend. You can probably hire someone online to find you a dozen merchandising suppliers for approximately $20. One quick result from a UK search points at some of the “best promotional products & Ideas available at Stay Sourced” . I didn’t employ an expensive adviser to find that and it allows me to get some ideas of where I want to go with my marketing. Knowledge is power so take the time to get some before engaging your marketing help.
How much do you have to spend / how many do you need?
Naturally, your first concerns when selecting promotional products are likely to be budgetary ones. How much do you have to spend? This will help you to determine whether you’re looking towards the luxury end of promotional merchandise or whether your efforts need to be a little more cost-effective. Similarly, how many promotional items do you need? Do you require multiple varieties of one item, or a selection? How big is the list of people you wish to approach or attract? If you don’t need too many items then you can always opt for more expensive luxury products that will mark your branding with a difference.
What industry / event do you need the products for?
There are many different occasions when a business may choose to promote itself through the use of branded merchandise, and depending on the circumstances, some items will inevitably prove more effective than others. You could be attending a music festival or going to a corporate exhibition; you could be promoting an upcoming sports fixture or celebrating a religious festival. It’s important to consider the circumstances in which your promotional products will be used before you make a selection and make sure your thinking of the appropriate product.
What kind of business do you run?
Some promotional products are more appropriate for representing certain businesses than others. Lots of different companies make use of promotional merchandise, so if you provide mobility solutions, for example, you probably wouldn’t want to promote your services with the use of branded promotional footballs. If you sell sports equipment, however, the link is far more appropriate. Simple common sense isn’t it?
Who are the products for?
Similarly, it’s important to bear in mind who will be using your promotional products once you’ve given them out. If your company’s products or services are intended for a particular age group or gender, be sensitive when it comes to selecting your promotional products. It’s unlikely that those aged 55 and up will be particularly enamored with a desktop basketball game, but those aged 19-25 might be…
Have you recently purchased a bunch of promotional products and experienced working with a marketing team? Leave us your results, opinions or comments and dont forget to share for all those other small businesses!
***Photo thanks to MattHurst***
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