The Redbows Promotional Gifts Blog

When you think about business gifts do you see the gift or the brand? I ask this question because we have been spending a lot of time thinking about watch brands recently and their use of celebrety endorsements. A similar analogy can be applied to coffee. For example when we watch a coffee advert what we see is the coffee brand name and not the mug or cup that the person is drinking from. Now wouldn’t it be nice if we could see the promotional mugs names themselves catch on as brands in their own right. Some are well down this road – for example the Photo Mugs and Wow Mugs which have unique characteristics and print options and make ideal business gifts.

Research last year on the North American gifts market by PPB Magazine showed that the US spends a staggering US$6bn on promotional products. Now that’s an awful lof of promotional products. How are they  being used? Well the primary uses are to reward customers and generate goodwill. Coming in third is prospecting and recognising employee contributions.

For customers and prospects the facts show that organisations tend to favour those suppliers from whom they receive promo items. They do not mind the logos, imprints and slogans. Somehow the companies using promotional gifts get a far greater share of ‘mind time’ and create greater goodwill and loyalty than those that do not use such merchandise in their marketing. The same can be said for employees who also exhibit greater loyalty and productivity when rewarded.

So which corporate gifts work the best? Well it appears that even every day office items like promotional mugs and promotional pens are just as effective a larger or more expensive promo items. This is interesting research which supports many of our own findings in the UK market.

Promotional products should be thought of as a key element within the marketing promotional mix. Such items fall below-the-line and probably lie somewhere between promotions and publicity activities. As a promotional investment they deserve as much consideration when it comes to market segmentation as any other form of marketing or advertising. What this means is that your chosen promotional items should be closely aligned with their target audience. Let’s take mugs as an example. There are many types of promotional mugs available including plastic mugs, ceramic mugs, earthenware mugs, eco mugs and travel mugs. When you use mugs for promotions you should choose a mug type and style that will make the promotional items valued, used and kept by the recipients. In an office a nice ceramic mug may be more appropriate than say a plastic or acrylic one. The design may also be important for example otping for a tall Latte Mug as opposed to a general coffee mug. For people outsdoors and travelling a travel mug with secure top and thermos characteristics may be more appropriate again. So when you have decided on your promotional product widen the discussion to consider which particular type will be right for your audience and promotion.

When it comes to below-the-line marketing budget spends promotional products remain one of the most cost-effective mediums. The key though is to make sure that you put as much thought into the timeframe that your giveaways and premiums will be used within. Why? Well take promotional gadgets with internal batteries. Batteries have a design life and most will probably run flat without recharge or replacement within twelve to eighteen months. So if you use promotional flashcards for example, you are probably going to get the most benefit from them out of an autumn/winter campaign. A well known emergency car rescue services provides these in its welcome packs. Off course gadgets like USB flashdrives have an infinite life as they are powered from a PC USB port. One thing to watch here is to make sure you use an imprint that will last the life of the product – embossed or engraved is always the best way to go especially if there is a chance the imprint will get rubbed in a pocket against metal objects like keys and pens. If you give away items at a tradeshow or exhibition that are relatively low cost like promo bugs, the you have to remember that the majority of these low-cost giveaways are going to be out-of-sight within six to twelve months or sooner. So pick items that you believe your target audience will keep and use, again and again because each time they use them you know that your brand is right is front of them. A firm favourite for me is rulers. It does not matter how much work we do online at some stage we all need to print information out and use a ruler to measure or as a guide to data reading. Promotional rulers are one of the unsung winners when it comes to giveaways and merchandise – have you got one in your drawer? If not would you keep one if it was given to you? I would dare to suggest a definite yes! Promotional Mugs are another best seller when it comes to gifts offering longevity.

Now we are in one of those cold snaps what is the first thing you do when you get to work each day – grab the nearest promotional mugsмебели and get yourself a cup of coffee or tea. This shows just how powerful a promotional product can be because travelling to work you have already subconsciously started to think about your day and what you will do when you arrive. The brand imprinted onto your plastic or ceramic mug is already in your mind. Now image if you use promotional mugs in your marketing and this is happening with each and every mug you hand out, up to three times a day and anywhere from five to seven days a week. That is an awful lot of subliminal advertising going on.