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People Love Promotional Products: Here’s the Research

Promotional Products Work

Infographic: Promotional Products Work!

Have you ever wondered how well promotional products work—that is, whether they’re popular with potential customers and how well they contribute to lasting brand recognition and recall? Promotional products are considered very desirable and are often well received, perhaps more than you might expect. Here are some research findings that illustrate just how powerfully promotional products can represent your brand.

Consumers like promotional products, especially if they find them useful

  • 83% of consumers say that they like getting promotional items with an advertising message
  • People especially value promotional products that are useful to them
  • 48% of them want to get promotional products more often
  • 79% of people use promotional pens

Curious whether or not your customers liked the promotional t-shirt that you recently offered as a giveaway? They likely did. The vast majority of people enjoy receiving promotional products, and many of them would like to get them more often. Consumers particularly like to get promotional products that they think are useful. While this may sound kind of a no-brainer, it has a proven effect: something that they need, like a kitchen tool or a desk accessory, is much more likely to be kept over a long period of time, increasing their awareness of your brand.

Taking care to select a promotional product that gives value to your customer can make a difference. For example, power banks do quite well at trade shows since attendees’ smartphones and gadgets are often running low on power. Office and desk products, including pen sets, desk diaries, and note pads, are another great choice since they can immediately be put to productive use at work. While some people might think pens are a bit unoriginal, they’re actually very effective: 79% of consumers use promotional pens.

Most people have promotional products, often more than one

  • Eight out of ten consumers own between one and ten promotional products

Related to our earlier point about how people enjoy receiving promotional products, it turns out that the majority of them have promotional products right now—and, in many cases, they have more than one. And once they have promotional products, they tend to keep them for a long time.

Customers keep the promotional products that they get, especially if they’re useful

  • 91% of that people surveyed said that they have at least one promotional product in their kitchen, while 74% have at least one in their work area and 55% have at least one in their bedroom
  • 53% of people surveyed use a promotional item at least once a week or more.

People tend to hold onto the promotional products they receive—particularly if they think they’re useful. If you give out promotional products, the likelihood is good that they will be kept and used for quite a while, increasing the length of exposure that potential clients have to your brand. 

People remember the promotional products they receive for a long time

  • When asked to think of a specific promotional product they had received in the past two years, 76.2% of those polled could recall what the product was, the advertiser whose brand was associated with it, and the message.
  • 88% of people were able to recall the advertiser alone.

You’d be surprised at how well people remember the promotional products that they have—88% of them remember the advertiser who gave the product to them, and 76.2% of them remember other specific information such as what the product was and what the message was. That recognition represents a powerful impression that is not easy to achieve using other advertising methods.

Certain products lead to better consumer recall than others

  • The types of promotional products that lead to the best consumer recall are wearables (41%), including shirts, caps, other headwear, and outerwear.
  • Writing instruments are a strong second (35%), while drinkware also does well (19%)

People remember certain types of promotional products better than others—wearables, writing instruments, and drinkware tend to do especially well. Even calendars rank highly on the list of products that perform well. If you’re contemplating a promotional giveaway in which you really want to generate lasting brand awareness, you may want to keep that information in mind.

People do business with the brands that give them promotional products

Most importantly, promotional products lead to sales. Promotional products not only give consumers a positive feeling about your brand; they make them more likely to want to purchase your products and services.

So now we’ve seen that promotional products clearly do work and that they have a strong and lasting impact for your brand—particularly if they happen to be items that the customer feels is useful and relevant to their life. Stay tuned for future blog posts in which we share more insight into promotional products: what types are most effective, trends in the industry, and how businesses can best use them to connect with their target audience.

Are you looking for custom branded promotional products that can make a difference for your brand? Interested to learn more on what types of products might be a fit for you? We’d be happy to share some recommendations and creative ideas with you. Connect with us on Twitter and Facebook or call us at 877-881-6845 and we’ll advise you on branding ideas that can represent your company with style and grace.

Much of the research in this post was sourced from the Promotional Products Industry International (PPAI). For more information, visit www.promotionalproductswork.org.

5 Terrific Trade Show Giveaways That Will Boost Your Brand

Bluetooth speakers are a popular trade show giveaway item

Bluetooth speakers are a popular trade show giveaway item

Exhibiting at a trade show can be an exciting opportunity for your business to connect with potential customers and clients. But how can you make sure you stay top of mind with them after they’ve left your booth? Promotional giveaways are often a great way to create lasting and effective brand awareness. Here are five ideas for great swag that will boost your brand at these events:

  • Tech gadgets – Particularly if you’re in the tech sector, tech gadgets are always a hot item. USB drives come in handy at conference time, as do power banks, earbuds, and styluses. You could also consider offering a raffle or a contest for a higher-value item, such as Bluetooth speakers.
  • Pens and notebooks – If you’re late for a breakout session but just ran into that potential client or business partner you don’t want to miss, you don’t want to be caught without a pen or a piece of paper for exchanging contact information or taking a quick note. We’ve all been there. That’s why pens and notebooks, while seemingly simple, can make thoughtful and effective gifts.
  • Branded care packages – Trade shows can be exhausting and physically draining. The people who come up to your booth may look like they’re doing fine, but they may be privately grappling with a headache, a rumbling stomach, or a blister from all that walking throughout the exhibitors’ hall. Branded care packages including a little TLC such as water, breath mints, aspirin, snacks, and even band-aids can make a lasting, positive impression.
  • Eco-friendly giveaways – As we all know, trade show attendees get lots of swag—so much so that they can begin to wonder about its impact on the environment. A lot of the most popular trade show swag, including tote bags, notebooks, and even eco-friendly USB drives, are among the many environmentally friendly promotional items you can give away.
  • T-shirts – Long the ubiquitous staple at trade shows, t-shirts are still an enormously popular item for giveaways. They double as free advertising for your company; they get worn on-site during the conference or event, spreading the word about your products and services.

Do you have a trade show on the horizon? We can help advise you on custom branded promotional products that can make a difference for your brand. Connect with us on Twitter and Facebook or call us at 877-881-6845 for creative and innovative branding ideas to help your company stand out and make a great impression.

Boost the Impact of Your Promotional Giveaways at Events

Are you planning to host, sponsor or exhibit at an upcoming event, conference or trade show? If you’re trying to figure out what types of promotional giveaways will have the best impact, you’re not alone. People often reach out to us asking for advice and tips on what types of swag to prepare for their event. Here are three tips for making sure your promotional gifts are both memorable and impactful long after your seminar, company retreat, or expo has wrapped up.

1. Give your event attendees swag that is valuable and helpful

While exciting, conferences can also be very stressful. After standing on your feet all day long and rushing from one breakout session to the next, many participants find themselves in need of a quick snack or even some aspirin to assuage a developing headache. Their smartphones or tablets may also be running low on battery power. You have an opportunity to make their lives a little easier by gifting them a care package complete with a snack, mobile device charger, and some aspirin.

Reusable water bottles are also very popular and they have the added benefit of being eco-friendly. Both the water bottles and mobile device charger, being re-usable, will deliver brand awareness for you long after the conference. The snack and aspirin, while consumable items that will only last for a short while, will still have a beneficial impact. Something appropriate to the location or season, like sunglasses for a summer event in California or a warm hat for a winter trade show in Boston, will also be appreciated. By being helpful to your event attendees, you will ensure that they associate your brand with quality service and thoughtful customer care.

2. Make sure your promotional giveaway is unique, special and memorable

It goes without saying that at a large event, your greatest challenge is to stand out from the crowd. In order to draw attention, you’ll want to be sure that your swag is fun, delightful, entertaining, and memorable. If your brand identity is lighthearted and has a sense of humor, you may choose to feature a funny pop culture reference on a tote bag or notebook. A tasty treat such as a goody bag with personalized chocolate buttons is another great option. Whatever you select, make sure that it is easy for the event attendees to transport (i.e. not heavy – those types of items often land in the trash) and, if it’s intended to be taken home after the event, that it can pass through airport security.

3. Create a demand by offering a desirable branded gift in limited quantities

Some companies choose to invest their budget in a small number of high quality gifts, such as branded Bluetooth speakers or tablet styluses in attractive colors, to be distributed at an event booth or conference table. You can even run a special giveaway to attract additional interest among people passing by. If your event has a strong social media presence, a contest with a desirable prize can get people excited and start talking about your brand on social media too, boosting your brand awareness among the attendees even further.

Curious to know more about how custom branded promotional products can help you stand out at an important event? Reach out to us via Twitter or Facebook or call us at 877-881-6845 and we’ll be happy to chat about how you can make your special event a success!