The Benefits Of Using Promotional Products In Your Business Marketing

There are many ways that you can get your company brand and logo out into the public view. Using promotional products in your business is one of those ways. It does not matter if you have a big or a small business, you need to get word out to the public regarding your business and what you do if you want to be successful. Let us review some of the top benefits in using these types of materials to promote your business.

1. Stand above the competition with promotional items: 

Using these products will help provide your company with a unique, creative flair that other companies are not using. This will help you to stand out from the rest of the competition. By passing out these types of items, you are opening the line of communication within a community about your company and the services that you provide. It makes an excellent icebreaker and the recipient is more likely to listen to what you have to say.

2. Actual and inexpensive advertising solutions: 

These types of products are much less expensive than radio or television advertising is. For a small investment, a company can obtain effective exposure that is typically reserved only for large companies that have huge budgets for advertising. Think of a promotional tee shirt. The recipient will wear it out in public to the gym, to the store, while they are active– it is like a walking billboard for your company. All for just a fraction of what you would pay for an actual billboard advertisement.

3. Useful, tangible items for giveaways: 

These products are useful items that people can keep with them at all times for future reference. The usefulness of the item goes beyond the person who receives it. If the product is unwanted, it is typically passed along to the next person who may use it and benefit from it. The more that a potential customer is exposed to your brand the more likely they are to think of your company when they need assistance. A promotional item such as a tote bag has the ability to show off your company logo on a daily, even hourly basis.

4. Flexibility of items purchased: 

These types of items are flexible and can be made to match the theme of a business or holiday event. Although they are inexpensive, these items can create a positive impression of the company. You can use these inexpensive items to reach beyond the scope of your normal target audience and to draw in new clients or customers.

5. Unique way to introduce a new product to a target audience: 

This is a unique way to introduce a new product into the market. The target audience can evaluate the product, determine if it is good or not and then the company can collect data to perfect the product. Not only does this work to improve the new product but will also increase consumer confidence in the new item if the target audience finds them useful.

*Source: Joshua Cintron

Marketing with Promotional Products

It can be tough to market your business, especially if you have eager competitors at your heels. Promotional items can be useful marketing tools, and they can improve your brand and your reputation if they’re correctly used. 

Just like with any effective marketing strategy, you need to do the research and ask yourself a few important questions before you dive headfirst into marketing your company with promotional products.

Why Promotional Products are Effective Marketing Tools

• They provide extended brand exposure. Unlike a traditional advertisement, promotional products are difficult to miss. A tote bag with your logo will surely get more attention than a newspaper ad and your clients will be able to get repeated use out of it.

• They're valuable. Flyers have become less effective means of marketing because they are often ignored and thrown away. Promotional items like t-shirts or stress balls aren't likely to get tossed because they are more like gifts than advertisements.

• They present a creative marketing spin. Billboards, radio spots, newspaper advertisements, and television commercials are fine, but they're not exactly original. Promotional products are not only more creative but also more tangible to customers.

• They're inexpensive. Any experienced marketer can tell you about the high costs of traditional marketing methods. Promotional items are available in such a wide variety of shapes and sizes that there is something for any budget (even if it's just a key chain).

How Promotional Products are Used for Marketing

• To generate brand awareness. Promo items quickly spread the word about your business. People love free gifts and samples, and clients are likely to tell their friends about the personalized merchandise you distributed with your friendly slogan!

• To commend a job well done. Employees deserve rewards for their hard work and dedication, and high-ticket promotional products like desk awards can improve morale and reinforce loyalty.

• To say "thank you". Sending follow-up emails to clients is always smart, but giving a high-quality promotional item is even better. When you send a gift like a photo calendar after a big sale, you can bet that you'll see some repeat business.

• To use as coupons and special offers. Many businesses print coupons on promotional pens or offer t-shirts that entitle customers to discounts. There's no limit to what you can do if you get creative with your promo items.

• To organize a giveaway with prizes. By using your own custom merchandise as prizes, you'll give winners what they want while exposing your brand at the same time!

• To provide exclusive gifts to members. Membership fees are standard for numerous clubs and organizations, and many people are reluctant to pay them. Giving an exclusive promotional product as a member gift may encourage people to join.

• To raise money for charity. Non-profit organizations and charities often hold fundraisers and auctions. Make yourself known by donating a high-end promotional item or a fancy gift basket; the cause will gain funds, you'll gain exposure, and the customer will receive a memorable gift.

How to Distribute Your Promotional Products

• Bulk mailings. Direct mail is still one of the most effective marketing mediums because it puts your message straight into customers' hands. You'll need potential clients' names and addresses to pull this off, though, because mail addressed to "Current Resident" always ends up in the round file. Also, don't forget to pre-calculate your shipping costs!

• Personalized pencils or magnets may work just fine, but plastic sports bottles might not.

• Trade shows, expos, and conventions. Trade shows usually have a wide variety of attendees from different career fields, which means there are ample opportunities to market your company and drum up new clients. There tends to be a lot of competition at conventions so you should work hard to customize a stand-out promo item that will draw interest.

• Conferences and meetings. Conferences are excellent resources to market to others within your industry, and meetings give you the chance to meet face-to-face with customers. Give participants a personalized gift for attending your seminar and you'll boost your brand.

• Grand openings, holiday parties, and special events. People get excited about social gatherings, and it's easy to strike up a conversation with potentially-interested clients. Market your business by giving away custom-shaped stress relievers at the grand opening or year-end party that are good for an exclusive discount on their next visit, and you'll have people lining up around the block to shop with you.

*Source: Marketing Made Simple

Promotional Water Bottles: Which One is Right for Your Brand?

We expect your reaction to be: Where do I start?!” There's tons of water bottles available!

Don’t worry. We, at Karam Advertising are here to help you make the first choice in your promotional water bottle journey. The first choice you’ll have to make is what type of water bottle will be best suited for your giveaway. Below are short descriptions of and uses for the four different general styles of water bottles we carry.

 Metal Water Bottles. This category includes both aluminum and stainless steel bottles. While you could argue that one material is better than another, they both have the same level of appeal when it comes to being a promotional item. Since these reusable bottles have the longest shelf life, they are best used to promote companies or brands as a whole, and not specific events. The downside is that if dropped, they can dent.

Great uses: General promotion, anniversaries, grand openings, wedding favors.

Plastic Sport Bottles. The least expensive option of all the promotional water bottles, these bottles are nice and flexible and all have easy openings to get water quickly. Plastic bottles are wonderful for special events, especially if they are for a charitable cause. Sport bottles, however, can start to warp if hot liquid is placed inside of them. [Note: I don’t know why you would put hot liquid in a water bottle, but stranger things have happened in the world.]

Great uses: Company picnics, fundraiser walks, special events.

Acrylic Tumblers. Even though many of the tumblers on our site are better suited as travel mugs for coffee, there are a handful of bright and colorful tumblers that are just perfect for holding water. The dual wall insulation in acrylic tumblers means that water will stay cooler longer, and not condense on the side of the tumbler. Many come with straws which keep spilling to a minimum. These should also not be used with hot liquids.

Great uses: Employee rewards, resells for fundraising, general promotion.

Polycarbonate Bottles. Not all polycarbonate bottles feature a screw off lid, but most do. Polycarbonate is plastic, but it is harder and inflexible, unlike the sport bottles. These bottles are ideal if they are going to be in the middle of the action, as they don’t shatter, dent, or puncture from normal use. They are the ideal bottle for athletic events.

Great uses: Fitness events, athletic teams, resells as fan merchandise, trade show giveaways.

Still need some help? As always, our sales teams are standing by to help you pick out the perfect promotional water bottle for your next giveaway or promotion. Feel free to contact us through email: sales@karamadvertising.ae or call directly to 00971 562919715.

*Source: Mandy Kilinskis

Why Promotional Products Still Matter

Marketing has become an incredibly clever form of publicity - after all, it seems that no matter where we turn, there is advertising of some sort or another. Whether it be television adverts, bus ads, magazine adverts, online banners, social media and sponsored ad, it seems to be never ending.

And yet more traditional forms of advertising, such as Promotional Products - are still going strong. Whilst many people may have assumed that this form of advertising and marketing was dead in the water - the opposite is, in fact, true as promotional products are still an incredibly powerful marketing tool. 

What is the point of releasing Promotional Products? 

Promotional products allow people to see your brand, associate your brand and recognise your brand. All these things are important as the more people who become aware of your brand - the better results you will see in business and sales. 

What items should I use for Promotional Products?

Well, a lot of the time it depends what your business actually is and what your budget is too. Both these things are likely to influence the type of promotional product you opt for. In general though, most companies tend to opt for things such as:

- Stationary: notepads, pens, pencils, rulers, erasers

- Bags: could include purses

- Business items: business card holder, address book, laptop sleeve

- Desk Accessories: Mugs, Glass, Calendars

- Clothing: T-shirts, caps, hats, socks, gloves, sweat bands

Whilst these are the most common items - you really can be inventive with this. In fact, it is often the more inventive choices for promotional products that are the most successful. 

Remember your niche

Keep in mind the niche you're hoping to target though too. For example; t-shirts, caps and sweatbands are often great if you're a fitness brand or a gym. Desk supplies and stationary usually work better if you're targeting businesses or corporate niches. Try not to make the item "over branded" too - a product that is subtle and will actively be used will be much more effective. 

When can I distribute them?

This depends on you. Perhaps you're looking to catch the eye of a potential client or customer? In which case - sending them a free gift (in the form of a promotional product) is a great idea, as they're more likely to pay attention to your business and brand if you've made the effort to send them something. Another occasion you could distribute them is during a trade show, an open day, or just out in public? You'd be surprised at how much attention "free stuff" will earn you and how people's curiosity will be roused. Have people form a queue around your distributors and watch the curiosity build, and your brand's reputation too with these tradeshow giveaways. 

Is it easy to implement? 

There are many outlets out there that stock and personalise cheap products that you can then distribute as promotional products. A great idea for small businesses (with small budgets) is to trial a few items first - this way you see which are most successful and which get the best return on investment. 

When executed properly a promotional product marketing strategy can be hugely successful and very rewarding, both for sales and revenue, and the brand's awareness and reputation. So don't rush into it, consider your option and find the perfect product.

*Source: Elle-Rose Williams

Golf Gifts & Hotel Amenities Catalogue

The Surprising Power of Promotional Products

Promotional products are, some say, the oldest form of advertising. American businesses spend $20 billion a year giving away stuff with logos, according to Jerry McLaughlin, president of Branders, one of the largest sellers of promotional products online. Which is pretty good evidence that it works. Mr. McLaughlin credits the effectiveness of promotional products to centuries old cultural norms around the rule of reciprocity. “If you give something, the recipient is honor bound to give something back,” he said. “In every language and culture, research has found there are really pejorative words for people who get and don’t give back. We humans are hard wired to respond if we get someth

Are we really that easy? When you get that survey in the mail with a crisp dollar bill attached, do you fill the survey out or pocket the money and relegate the envelope’s contents to the circular file? I visited with Dr. Robert Cialdini, professor emeritus of psychology and marketing at Arizona State University. Dr. Cialdini, who has written a book on the topic, “Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion,” became interested in studying the rule of reciprocity out of self-defense. “All my life I’ve been a sucker,” he said.

Dr. Cialdini observed Hare Krishna Society members in airports, watching them foist paper flowers upon travelers. As soon as travelers accepted the flowers, they became more likely to reach into their pocketbooks and reciprocate with a donation. Sociologists and anthropologists have found, he said, that there is not a single society in the world that doesn’t train its people from childhood to this rule. “Marketers take advantage of this all the time,” he said. “Tupperware parties — one of the things that happen very early on — they play games so everyone at the party wins a prize from the Tupperware representative. And they feel very obligated to give something back in return.”

A well-known veterans’ nonprofit group, the Disabled American Veterans, is a case in point. When the group sends a mailing for contributions, Dr. Cialdini said, it gets an 18-percent response rate. When the same letter is sent with personalized address labels, which cost about eight cents, the response rate goes up to 35 percent. “For the cost of the address labels they get almost a doubling of return,” he said. “It’s very powerful rule and very small things can trigger it.”

How do companies find the right promotional item? Here are four suggestions:

• Give items that members of your target audience will use in the environment where they make decisions about using your product or service. If you go after executives in corporations, give them something they will use in their offices, around their desktop so your company can be top of mind when they make decisions. Golf-related items are exceptions because lots of business happens on the golf course.

• Have it underscore your marketing message and differentiate your company. Mr. McLaughlin recounts a computer software client who makes antivirus software. The client put its logo on boxes of condoms and sent them to information technology types with the message, “Protect yourself, protect your computers.” Results? “Most I.T. people are male,” said Mr. McLaughlin, “and don’t really have girlfriends so that’s particularly titillating. They believe they got pretty good results.” A bit edgy for most companies, but you get the idea.

• Personalize them. While we are fond of our company logos, customers really like to use items that have their names on them. “People like seeing their own name above all else, said Mike Linderman, president of Express Pens, and former chairman of the Promotional Products Association International. His company makes pens in small quantities that can be imprinted with both your company’s logo and your client’s name.

• Skip the logoed water bottles and other items that will be quickly used and tossed. Make your promotional products investment something that will have a shelf life.

Some of the most popular promotional items these days are thumb drives, aluminum sports bottles, reusable grocery bags, and anything green. But will this stuff really replace the calendars with alluring young women? “I don’t know who the folks were who figured out that men would look at pretty girls and if you put your tools, software or cars next to it, they will look at it. I don’t think that trend is going away,” Mr. McLaughin said.

*Credits to: MP MUELLER

How to Increase Sales by Choosing the Best Promotional Product for Your Campaign – 5 Steps

Big brands consider promotional products a significant part of the marketing mix, even when budgets are tight. Xerox, for example, always includes them in its annual budget, says Beth Ann Kilberg-Walsh, Manager, Marketing Communications at Xerox Corp.

Promotional products are important, especially during tough economic times, she says, because that’s when companies need people to take action. “We’re all so serious these days ... you have to create some type of fun … a little bit of enticement just to make the person act,” says Kilberg-Walsh. “Everybody wants to win something; everybody wants to get something.”

Marketers need to be more strategic about how they launch campaigns involving promotional products. They should watch what they spend, whom they target, and how they maximize the ROI.

Promotional Product Campaign Made Simple: 5 Steps

Step #1. Define the objective

If the objective is to increase sales by 20%, determine that figure up front in order to track success later on.

Also, decide whether the objective is branding-oriented or strategic to ensure that you choose the right promotional product for the campaign.

Step #2. Define the budget

If the objective is to generate $50,000 in your new business, don’t spend $70,000 on the promotional product campaign. Try to at least double the return on investment.

Step #3. Consider the variables

Consider these variables when choosing the most relevant promotional product for a target audience:

--> Variable #1. The Target Audience

Promotional products must make sense for the target audience.

Once you’ve defined the demographics of the target, ask yourself: How do they spend their time? Where do they work: at a desk, on the move or both? What would be useful or novel to them? What has worked at reaching them in the past?

Here are some promotional products that appeal to just about every audience:

-Magnets. They’re functional, versatile, and easy to find when needed.

“It’s not a big item to carry at a [trade] show,” says Ron Lehner, President of Total Automotive, a wholesale automotive parts company. “When [attendees] get back, they slap it on a filing cabinet and, six months later, they start thinking about our company and remember it’s on the magnet.”

-Bags. They’re hot commodities, especially reusable grocery bags, because so many people use them.

-T-shirts, pens, hats, calendars, key chains, mugs, etc.

Other promotional products appeal to very specific audiences. USB flash drives, for example, appeal to techie audiences.

--> Variable #2. The Message

What do you want to convey? Is it the value proposition or specific benefits for the target audience?

--> Variable #3. The Promotional Product

The hardest part is finding the appropriate three-dimensional manifestation of a message.

If the message is about keeping clients’ Web applications secure, the best promotional product might be a USB flash drive with a biometric strip.

If the message is about connecting clients with opportunity, the best promotional product might be a NERF football. Xerox used a Rubik’s Cube to symbolize putting the pieces of a puzzle together.

TIP: Make promotional products part of a strategic, integrated marketing plan to get measurable results.

Step #4. Start with small tests

Lehner says that the best advice he could give to other marketers is to start out small and test to see what works. Then, when you find something that works, run with it.

Step #5. Measure success

Create an online registration form that Web visitors must fill out to get newsletters or special product information. Lehner used this method to determine how many leads came from the mini-CD he gave out at trade shows.

“How did you hear about Total Automotive, Inc.?” is a required field on the company’s registration form. Registrants can choose from the answers provided or select “other” and write their own.

Create and distribute an email address unique to the promotion. It channels responses to one place, making it easier to measure the number of responses generated.

Examples of Successful Promotional Product Campaigns

Consider these successful campaigns from the 2008 Promotional Products Association International Pyramid Award winners.

--> B-to-B Example

Objective: 3M wanted to increase respirator sales and build brand awareness about its complete line of 3M disposable respirator products

Target Audience: A list of 800 distributors who were selling some but not all 3M respirator products

Strategy: An eight-part direct-mail campaign that spanned about 17 months. Each direct-mail piece contained a sample respirator and a related promotional product. A clear piggy bank, for example, delivered the message, “We want you to breathe through your nose, not pay through the nose.”

Promotional Products: A keychain, a pair of Elvis sunglasses, and an embroidered hat were used in conjunction with the sample respirators. Each had a unique message that tied it to the sample respirator.

Results: 20% sales increase of 3M’s entire respirator line following the launch of the promotional product campaign.

--> B-to-C Example

Objective: Arby’s wanted to keep customers coming back

Target Audience: Arby’s current customer base

Strategy: Arby’s created a loyalty coupon program that allowed customers to sign up and get a card with a removable bar-coded keychain tag. Anyone presenting the tag got an automatic discount. Each tag exhibited the company’s message, “I’m thinking Arby’s.”

Promotional Product: A discount card with removable keychain tag

Results: An Arby’s in the target area reported a 25% increase in sales directly attributed to use of the discount cards.

*Source: MarketingSherpa