While digital advertising is an essential part of the marketing landscape these days, promotional items remain relevant as tangible objects that can boost the visibility of your organisation in a meaningful way. Today on the Cubic Promote blog we're going to be looking into why promotional gifts continue to resonate with recipients and businesses alike.

What are Promotional Items?

Promotional products are useful everyday objects that come decorated with your unique logo or message. Some organisations choose to use their promotional products as giveaway items to raise brand awareness, some events distribute small gifts to attendees as a way of saying 'thank you', and of course promotional products can be resold as a way to earn profit for a business. No matter how you choose to use your promo merchandise according to the Advertising Specialty Institute's 2020 Impressions Survey, promotional products remain one of the best value means of advertising available.

Why Does Branded Merchandise Work?

Let's face it, if someone gives us a gift at no charge we're more likely to look upon them favourably than we are someone who gives us nothing. The psychology behind promotional items isn't complex, people like being given nice things which is why Australian businesses spend around $2 billion dollars on marketing merchandise annually according to APPA. Recipients like getting gifts and companies like how these gifts elevate their brand awareness and relevance in their target; it's a win-win.

The Numbers Don't Lie

America's Advertising Specialty Institute (ASI) has performed extensive research, much of which has been mirrored by Australia's own APPA, into how promotional products are received by the public. The survey clearly shows that even in our increasingly digital world branded gifts make an impact. What this tells us is that promotional products are not only maintaining their relevancy, the right promotional products can actually make people want to spend money on them, not just receive them as gifts.

Similarly products with a positive environmental impact are only continuing to gain favour with American and Australian audiences alike. It's clear based on these surveys that promotional products are just as popular as ever and there is considerable potential to expand the use of eco-friendly products in local brand marketing campaigns.

Be Competitive With Custom Gifts

According to APPA, 90% of large corporate organisations in Australia use promotional products to increase brand awareness. In fact, their research shows that the majority of businesses in Australia actually have a dedicated budget for promotional items because they are that useful for brand marketing. If you're an Aussie organisation without a dedicated budget for promo gifts, it might be time to consider one just to ensure you're being competitive within your industry. As noted above, consumers will hold onto and continue to use the right promotional items so if you choose your products correctly there could be many years worth of brand visibility to come for your business.

How to Choose Promotional Items

So you want to get started with promotional products and bring your marketing to the next level, just how do you go about selecting the right products for your organisation? There are a few things worth considering.

Why do you want to use promotional products? Do you want to provide small gifts to customers with their purchase? Or are you hoping to increase brand awareness with t-shirts sold at an event? Maybe you're looking to dress your staff in new uniforms featuring an updated logo design, at the end of the day what you want to achieve will steer you towards the right products to achieve your goal. Branded plastic pens, for example, make great reusable items for a conference giveaway because they're cheap and will likely be used then and there. However, if you're hoping for visibility beyond the event and individual recipient or would prefer something eco-friendly, you might be better served investing in a cotton tote bag instead.

Who are you trying to reach? In conjunction with your end goal, what type of person are you hoping to target is important. Do you want to drum up visibility for your logo? Are you keen to impart a particular message about your brand or products? What demographics do your audience members fit into? Obviously you're not going to give the same kind of gift to a primary school student as you'd give to a middle-aged lawyer. When you combine usage and audience requirements, you should have a fairly narrow set of parameters when it comes to what products will suit both these needs.

Speak to a professional. When it comes to producing promotional products there is considerable value in discussing what you want and how much you want it for with a reputable supplier. Whether you give the team at Cubic Promote a call or another business entirely, the customer service team will be staffed by experienced industry professionals that can guide you in your decision-making process. Promo product suppliers know what's trending, what's on sale, and what meets your corporate requirements when it comes to sustainability so use them as a resource and you'll have your first set of promo gifts ready to distribute in no time.

Promotional Items in 2022 and Beyond

So there you have it, promotional products can be something as simple as a pen or something as complex as personally compiled hamper, but no matter what promotional products you use in your campaigns you can be confident that they are proven and enduring method of marketing that maintains relevancy even in the post-COVID era. If you're ready to make 2022, 2023, 2024, or any year your year for promotional products then give the Cubic Promote team a call today on 1300 858 288 and we can help you secure the custom product of your dreams!  

Information sourced from: https://www.asicentral.com/ and https://www.appa.com.au/ and https://promotionalproductswork.com.au/