[vc_row css_animation=”” row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”full_width” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern”][vc_column][vc_column_text]It’s been proven time and time again that promotional products are the best value for your marketing budget. That’s because it’s the only form of advertising which gives the consumer a tangible product which can be used over and over again. With each reuse, that repeated advertising is not costing the advertiser more money like traditional methods. In order to get repeated exposure from traditional advertising such as radio, TV, or print ads, the advertiser must pay for each future opportunity.
That’s NOT the case with promotional products. These items continue to promote the advertiser throughout the life of the product. That’s why it’s important to buy high-quality promotional items which will function well for your recipients and have a high perceived value making your prospects and customers want to keep the items for longer.
But there are many ways to increase the effectiveness of these items making them more memorable. By increasing the “wow factor,” your company will stay top of mind with those recipients longer. That means when they need your services, you’ll be the first one they think of, giving you a competitive edge. Below are a few of the many ways to make your promotional products resonate longer with your customers.
Custom Packaging
Often, promotional products come in standard packaging which is unimpressive. Sometimes, the packaging is a cheap white box. Sometimes they are simply polybagged. Some items are bulk-packed in a box with no packaging. None of these are impressive. You can do better.
Your goal should be to build up excitement for the recipient before they know what the gift is. Think about which of the following two scenarios would make more of an impact when giving out custom Christmas ornaments to your clients.
You hand a customer a nice quality crystal Christmas ornament which has your logo etched on the ornament along with a holiday-themed design. The ornament is in the stock, flimsy cardboard box from the factory. The box isn’t impressive, so it doesn’t generate excitement. They open the box and see a great looking ornament. They are thankful for the gift.
You have a custom designed package which is printed in a Christmas theme which is consistent with your branding. As soon as they see the Christmas design on the box, they instantly think of all the good that comes along with Christmas. Their inner Christmas spirit is released, so they quickly open up the package to find out the contents. Inside, neatly placed in a fitted tray, is the same beautiful, crystal ornament from the scenario above. You can see the joy on their face. They are truly excited to have received the gift.
The second scenario strongly reinforces your company branding. Because you helped them exert emotion when opening their gifts, the items (and your company) are more memorable to them. Anytime you can emotionally connect with your clients, your promotional are exponentially more effective.
Your small investment in custom packaging is a small price to pay for more effective presentations. Your competitors likely are not doing this, so this is an opportunity for you to stand apart from them and win over more customers.
Promotional items alone are extremely effective in promoting your company when used strategically. But they are supercharged when you opt for custom packaging. This makes the gifts so much more memorable to those who receive them than if they were packaged in a standard, white box. The extra money spent by Guy Roofing for custom printed packaging really put their custom Christmas ornaments over the top. Here’s the exact ornament pictured below. With their clever box design to look like a house, you can bet these ornaments resonated a lot more for their prospects who may be interested in building a new home.[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”16575″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” qode_css_animation=”” title=”Custom Packaging for Promotional Christmas Ornaments” link=”https://www.perfectimprints.com/promos/PI-255-1225P/Round-Ornament-In-Window-Box.html”][/vc_column][vc_column][vc_column_text]
Promote Your Promotional Products to Be Shared on Social Media
Social media is an excellent way to build your reputation with customers and prospective customers. There’s no better way to establish instant trust than by a friend endorsing your company to another friend. That’s exactly what happens when your customers share posts from your company or share photos with your products.
The next time you are hosting an event or exhibiting at a trade show, give your guests and the attendees a reason to share a post about your company. It can be as simple as enticing them with a promotional item from your company. Make sure your gift has enough value so your visitors will take the time to share a post on their social media page! Items such as stainless steel tumblers or a stylish tote bag can be good options. Cheap promotional pens or cheap koozies won’t do the trick.
Below are a few photos from a trade show we attended, which resulted in a ton social media shares. We created custom standees which people could stand behind to get a photo. After they shared the photo on their Facebook or Instagram page with the hashtag, we gave their choice of a free gift from a variety of promotional products we had available. The number of social media shares we received was priceless as was it a fun and memorable time for both us and the visitors to our booth.
Check out a few of the photos from the trade show below![/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][image_slider_no_space on_click=”prettyphoto” height=”800″ navigation_style=”dark” highlight_active_image=”yes” images=”16587,16588,16589,16590″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css_animation=”” row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”full_width” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern”][vc_column][vc_column_text]
Create An Experience
If you are giving out promotional products at an event such as a trade show or other exhibiting event, so many of the exhibitors look the same with their table or booth set up. They stand behind a table covered with their company tablecloth with a few promotional items on the table along with brochures and business cards. As trade show attendees pass by, you dangle around a promo to get them to stop at your table. This is the same method everyone else is doing.
BORING.
While having a branded tablecloth and promotional items is a must at a trade show, this standard routine isn’t enough. You need to stand out from the hundreds or thousands of other tables. You need to offer an experience.
Visitors will remember an experience. For example, it could be a game or a contest with prizes (which are your branded promotional products). It should be something fun and creative. The more wild and loud it is, the bigger line you’ll have at your booth. Integrate your giveaways into the experience for the most memorable experience possible.
Here’s a recent experience we created and were able to use this at three different events. We created scratch-off cards, similar to scratch-off lottery tickets. We chose 5 different promotional products ranging from lower-priced sunglasses all the way up to a $100 powerful LED flashlight. We also added in a grand prize of a $250 gift certificate for promotional products, screen printed apparel, or graphic design. On the scratch-offs, we were able to select the number of winners for each gift, making only one grand prize winner, a higher percentage of winners for the lower-priced promotional items and a lower percentage of winners for the higher-priced promos. We had only a tiny percentage who were not winners. This allowed us to order the right quantity of each product. On the back of each scratch-off card, we created a second chance drawing to capture names and email addresses for a chance to win an additional prize. We then created a retractable banner showing the prizes and promoting the game so we could display at each event.
In the week preceding the events, we highly promoted the game to those who would likely be attending by email and through social media.
All three of our events were wildly successful. At the two trade show events at which we did this game, our booths were packed ten people deep while other surrounding booths struggled to get more than one visitor at a time. We left each of the three events with tons of new leads and new customers. The return on investment (ROI) from that campaign was nearly 1000%, however, that ROI is still building because we still have people who talk about that game when we see them. People remember experiences. Below is a picture of the scratch-off card and the banner showing the prizes.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css_animation=”” row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”full_width” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern”][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”16599″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center” qode_css_animation=”” title=”Scratch-Off Card”][vc_single_image image=”16600″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center” qode_css_animation=”” title=”Prize Banner”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css_animation=”” row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”full_width” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern”][vc_column][vc_column_text]When you buy promotional products in the future, be sure to strategize a little more. Think of creative ways to deliver the items to your clients. Figure out how to create an experience using the promos. Create a reason for your customers to share their experience on social media so their friends learn about your company. I promise it will make your brand more memorable. Your company will stand out far from your competition who is simply handing out cheap promotional items.
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