It goes without saying but not every promotional product will be the perfect fit for your marketing campaign. Those mouse pads may look cool but that doesn't mean your customers will think so. The best way to avoid making costly mistakes is to do your homework. This article will attempt to clear up some of the confusion surrounding promo products, as it directly relates to perceived value versus actual value.
The case of the typical online shopper
Let's say you got $500 to spend on branded ad specialty items (also known as promo products). So you jump on Safari and start searching for "eco-friendly promotional products." You click through the first couple of web sites that appear on the first page of Google and come across items you think will complement your direct mail campaign.
"My customers would definitely appreciate those eco-friendly pens made from corn plastic. It sends the right message. Wait...let me check. Ok. These pens are about the same price as its petroleum-based cousin. Actually, I come out ahead on this model. Looks good."
So you place your order online for a few hundred pens and it goes out in your mail package. Let's fast-forward to the day some of your customers open the package.
* Suzy Q. could use another pen, but she can't accept your gift due to strict company guidelines.
* Rob happens to be a writing instrument aficionado, so when he sees your corn plastic pen he isn't impressed. It quickly finds the recycling bin.
* Melissa absolutely loves the pen. She quickly anoints it as her favorite and religiously uses it every day. But before long she has a disappointed look on her face: the cheap pen just couldn't stand up to the rigors of daily use.
The anatomy of the gift
Suzy Q. - What are the chances an employee of a company cannot accept a gift as harmful as a pen? Believe it or not, some companies won't allow their employees to accept anything on behalf of a vendor...not matter the cost of the item.
Rob - Yeah guys like Rob do exist. Just because something is free doesn't mean it bears value in the recipient's eyes. This scenario is hard to plan for; Suzy's situation can be cleared up with a simple phone call before hand.
Melissa - This is what I have coined, 'The case of the crappy mouse pad.' Choosing bottom dollar promo products versus spending a little more coin can make the difference between a successful campaign and one that falls flat on its face. Giving someone a lesser quality item than what they already have - it could be anything from a mug to a mouse pad - does not make sense. It makes you and your business look bad. Anyway, the point of giving away promo items is to create multiple impressions each day.
How to avoid these costly mistakes
Before you incorporate a promotional product into your advertising mix you first have to take into consideration 5 components:
- Gender preferences
- Age
- Lifestyle
- Hobbies
- Scope of work
Remember, as much as you would like to think you brand has the same reach as Starbucks or FedEx or McDonald's, it doesn't. Small business owners have to understand the promotional product you slap your logo on has to represent your company in the best light. Give away a cheap item and you will be perceived as cheap. And that may lead to the false belief that your business isn't run properly, even if your customer is wrong for thinking that. But you know the deal: perception is reality.
My advice is to seek the counsel of a professional, someone who assists businesses with the selection of promotional products that will generate the greatest ROI. If you decide to take me up on my suggestion, here are three ways you can tell if a distributor is looking out for your best interest from one that just wants to push profit-laden units.
3 sure-fire ways to tell if your supplier knows the advertising biz
* Emphasize offer not brand: Does your online supplier suggest you combine an offer with your branded promo item? If not, dial another one. Branded bait pieces work well in this instance.
* Get creative: Is your distributor lacking quality promo ideas? If he is qualified there should be no shortage of ideas when it comes to eliciting a call to action, working in a USP, tagline or discount on the item. It is also important to consider choosing an item that is different, an inherently unique product that stands apart from what the competition is already giving away.
* USP: If you can clearly demonstrate how your product or service is different or better than the competition, and how this advantage benefits the customer, than you have what Rosser Reeves identified as a unique selling proposition (USP) in his book, "Reality in Advertising." Reeves stated that the benefit must not be trivial, but strong enough to motivate prospects to buy your product (or service) over others. Example: In an effort to keep customers loyal, a car wash might offer to clean your car for free if it has rained within two days of your car wash purchase. A tag line to that effect would be imprinted on a keychain so your USP is never forgotten.
AdXPress carries over 750,000 promotional products.
No comments:
Post a Comment