When it comes to advertising in today’s digital marketing environment, businesses need to think outside the box (or, in this case, screen). Since digital advertising is so popular, sometimes it takes reverting to an older style of advertising to help your business stand out. Promotional products have been around the advertising world for a very long time. In fact, it is one of the oldest types of promotional marketing that is still popular today. This method would not have stood the test of time if it didn’t really work; you should seriously consider a branded merchandise campaign for your business. You might be asking, “how do I know that promotional products really work”? We have the answers for you courtesy from an industry study that surveyed close to 2,000 recipients of promotional products to show you how well it works in comparison to other forms of advertising that cost even more than promotional products do, on average.
British Promotional Merchandise Association Survey Results
The British Promotional Merchandise Association (BPMA) has conducted a series of surveys interviewing recipients of branded merchandise to gauge the effectiveness of promotional products as an advertising tool. The following results show how long people keep promotional products, which types of products are kept the longest, how likely they are to do business with the company that gave them the promotional gift, and whether or not they can remember the name of the company. Here are the results of the BPMA survey.
How Long have you had this promotional item?
This question was in regards to promotional products recipients currently had on their desk. The average answer was that the promotional product was kept for an average of 2.91 years. This is quite a long time, definitely longer than other types of advertising would be remembered.
Which products are you most likely to keep at least a year?
When it comes to promotional products that are more likely to keep the longest, 63% of respondents said they would most likely keep a USB memory stick the longest. Mugs,umbrellas, clocks or watches, and pens, were also among the top 5 answers.
How Likely might you be to now do business with the company?
When asked how likely they would be to do business with the company that gave them a promotional product, an overwhelming 79% said it was likely. This is an impressive number that should indicate that promotional products warrant at least further consideration to help increase sales.
Can you remember the name or brand or organisation on the item?
Brand recognition is very important and when it comes to receiving promotional merchandise and 66% of recipients can easily recall the name of the company that gave them a promotional product.
Summary and Takeaways for Your Busines
As you can see, promotional products really can be effective when you choose the right one for your business. We here at GoPromotional.co.uk have been helping companies succeed with their promotional product campaigns for many years now. Based on our experience and these survey results, we have established three keys to ensuring that the branded merchandise you choose to gift your customers helps them remember your brand and consider doing business with you in the future. Our three keys to promotional product success are as follows:
The promotional product must:
- Be relevant to your brand. Since there are so many different types of promotional products available now, finding one that relates to your brand is very easy.
- Represent your company well. The quality of the promotional product is important as well as how it is intended to be used. It should fulfill the need.
- Be useful to the recipient. In order for the promotional product to make it home from the trade show or make it into their collection of things on their desk, it has to be something they can use.
When you can find a type of branded product that meets these three criteria, your campaign will serve you well and help to make your brand more memorable and increase future sales.