Promotional merchandise, sometimes referred to as ‘freebies’, are products branded with a logo or slogan and distributed at little cost to promote a brand, corporate identity or event.
Branded merchandise has been used as a marketing technique for years by many notable businesses. Promotional gifts can include memory sticks, shopping bags, plastic pens, water bottles or corporate gifts. It has proven a popular and successful marketing technique as 85% of people do business with the advertiser after receiving promotional merchandise.
So, why should your business think about using promotional merchandise?
Firstly, it is a cost-effective way of carrying out effective marketing and brand awareness. This makes it perfect for not only large businesses but is also great for small and start-up businesses with a lower marketing budget. Most manufacturers of promotional merchandise keep prices very low if the customer is buying in bulk. We highly recommend spending some of your marketing budgets on promotional merchandise as the products will deliver great value for investment and will give potential customers something to remember you by.
Giving out promotional merchandise works wonders for your businesses brand recognition. Consumers can identify your company and its products or services once they’ve been introduced to the brand immediately when they spot a logo – therefore an eye-catching logo is extremely useful and valuable to a brand.
Whether you have a stand at a trade show or your business is running a marketing campaign for a product or new service, promotional items are a fun incentive to draw attention to what you’re trying to advertise.
94% of consumers remember where they received a piece of promotional merchandise from, therefore they are more likely to have your brand stuck in their memory. This is proven as 89% of consumers could recall the advertiser’s brand for 24 months after receiving their merchandise.
Promotional merchandise lies around so the consumer is constantly reminded of your brand, which increases the chances of you receiving their business in the future.
Promotional merchandise is a great platform to increase brand exposure. According to a study by PPAI, 71% of participants recall the name of the advertiser after they have received a freebie within the past 12 months. In comparison to, only 53.5% can recall the name of the advertiser after seeing an advert on a TV, poster or in a magazine within that week.
For example, consumers will sip from a coffee cup various times every day compared to just glancing at an advert. Due to the amount of time spent looking at promotional merchandise the image of your brand will be cemented in their heads.
Not only that, high-quality promotional merchandise can be used as a business card. When handed a business card consumers are more than likely to put it straight in their bag and not think to look at it again. They could lose it or just throw it away. Whereas, if someone gave out a freebie such as a mug or a notebook you are more likely to keep it and use it. Therefore the consumer will be more than likely to remember your business first when they are looking for a company that provides the service or product you offer.
Business cards may not grab attention, but if handed out with something tangible alongside such as promotional pens or promotional bags, then it is more likely to work.
If you are interested in investing in promotional merchandise for your business at competitive prices, our graphic design team are more than happy to help. Give our team a call on 01452 729 953 or send us an email to hello@brace.co.uk and ask about our wide range of promotional merchandise services.
