This, we'd argue, is how most people use their promotional products. They simply give them away to customers new and old wherever they see them: at trade shows, inside their store, at community festivals. It's a broad and non-specific approach, but it works. In fact, according to one industry survey, eight out of ten people can remember the name of a company they saw on a promotional item.
Other Lessons in This Course
Chances are if you're studying at Promo University®, you already know what kind of promotional items you like, and how you plan on using them. If you're still in need of some new ideas for advertising your business with promo items, you've come to the right class!
Promotional products are flexible items (in some cases literally). I mean, we all get the basic idea just from the name: promotional products help promote a business or organization. But how do they do that, exactly? What are all the different ways you can put promotional products to use?
Here's our roundup of our favorite suggestions for ways to use your promo items!
General advertising giveaways
Employee recognition gifts
Research doesn't just talk about what motivates consumers; it also talks about what motivates your employees. A report produced by management firm AON Hewitt listed recognition as one of the top five factors that encourages employee engagement among North American workers. There are many ways to recognize the best and brightest among your staff; at Quality Logo Products, the tradition is donuts. But if you'd like to offer a longer-lasting token of recognition, a branded gift is also a sweet way to go.
Office Supplies
You don't have to wait for a special occasion or a big achievement to put your company name on custom items. Having your logo printed on the pens, note pads, and other office supplies helps reinforce the company image right at home (but not in a creepy propaganda kind of way). Of course, it's important not to blow your budget on office supplies no matter where you get them. However, Quality Logo Products often offers great deals on large orders, and let's face it: pens never last in the office.
Contest Prizes
Okay, so maybe you can't afford to give your customers a free trip to Hawaii, a dinner out with an NBA superstar, or any of the other more elaborate contest prizes that companies have offered to drive brand awareness. That's okay! Promotional products come in all sizes (and price ranges), so they make thoughtful rewards for even the simplest contests. Quality Logo Products has been known to give away custom chocolates as part of our social media contests.
Customer thank-you gifts
Speaking of giving your customers, have you ever found yourself stuck thinking about how to show your dedicated customers appreciation, especially around the holidays? Worse, did you end up just mailing them postcards? Promotional products are a fine (and often very affordable) alternative. They do a lot to earn customer goodwill. And best of all, almost any kind of object can have a logo printed on it, so the odds of getting your customers just the kinds of gifts they want are pretty good.
Membership Perks
Businesses with membership models, like fitness centers, get to know their clients over long spans of time. Of course, a customer has to sign up for membership first! And prospective members want to feel that they're getting their money's worth with their membership fees. Promotional items are one way to say welcome to the community, especially branded pieces of apparel like jackets, polos, and t-shirts, which work like uniforms (but without any unpleasant similarities to school uniforms).
Loyalty Rewards
Many business owners love rewards programs. Why? Because they keep customers coming back! We know that a lot of loyalty programs offer discounts and services in exchange for the points that their customers acquire. However, a free t-shirt can be an excellent reward for customers, too. Branded promotional items can even be part of a tiered reward system, where the most expensive rewards (hello, $100 gift card!) are saved for the higher tiers.
Branded Merchandise
You don't have to settle for giving your custom-printed items away. Why not resell them and make some money while spreading brand awareness? Hey, it's what musical acts have been doing ever since the days of the first concert t-shirt. In fact, according to a survey produced by the Future of Music Organization, merchandise sales accounted for 6% of the average band's income even back in 2011. Now doesn't that strike a chord?
Bonus: Party Favors!
Okay, so you might not think that promotional products and party favors are quite the same thing. But think about the custom-made guest gifts you found waiting for you the last time you went to a wedding reception or a bar mitzvah party. Those specially printed items had to come from somewhere! Promo products make wonderful party favors, and party favors are big business for the promo item industry. It's estimated that each couple getting married in the United States spends on average between $173-289 on wedding favors! (Of course, Quality Logo Products has items to fit almost any budget.)
As you can see, there are plenty of ways to use your promotional products. With all these different ideas, and all the different kinds of promotional items available, the sky's the limit when it comes to your brand! Just... please don't launch your products into the sky (unless they're made to fly). That probably won't do much for your brand.