Let’s face it: we live in a world where we are constantly surrounded by marketing campaigns.
Whether you are driving in your car, checking your email or using your smartphone (hopefully not at the same time) you will notice advertisements.
These are well thought out, forecasted concepts aimed to get you to spend your hard earned money on featured products or services.
Companies collectively spend billions of dollars on marketing campaigns annually, or in Coca-Cola’s case, an estimated $2.9 billion in 2010.
Why are companies spending so much on marketing? Do marketing campaigns really entice you enough to get off your couch and purchase their products? Hopefully they do…at least that’s the idea. So, what if your budget isn’t that of the Coke’s of the world? What if your annual marketing budget isn’t even a fraction of Coke’s? How can you compete?
The good news is that you probably aren’t in the same market as Coke (if you are, my apologies.)
Here are a few ways to use the power of promotional products to enhance your marketing efforts without breaking the bank.
1) Brand Recognition: Brand Recognition is a byproduct of awareness and consistency. Find creative ways to stay in front of your customers (or potential customers) by using promotional products. Promotional products are available in various price points making it affordable for almost any company to make an impact on consumers. Build consistency in your marketing theme, product selection and branding. Consistency across the board lets consumers know that you’re here to stay.
2) Event Marketing: It’s inevitable that no matter what industry you’re in that your company participates in or hosts marketing events. Use the three event stages to your advantage.
- The Before – Send out a Variable Data Print mailer or an email blast to provoke excitement. Get consumers there by offering a redeemable voucher free of charge.
- The During – Be sure to have plenty of giveaway promotional items in your bag of tricks. No matter what the reason, people love free “things.”
- The After – Show appreciation that event participants took the time to come out and learn about your products. This is an opportunity to say “Thank You” by sending out high quality, or seemingly high quality, promotional products.
3) Achievement Incentives: What better way to say thank you to your employees, team members, industry partners, etc. than by creating a desire to be numero uno? It’s human nature to want to be the best; you should create a competition in your office to recognize top staff members. Quarterly, semi-annual or annual companywide competitions featuring high end promotional product prizes will only enhance their engagement. Recognition is another great way to get more out of your staff. Your employees want to feel like they’re a part of something. Recognizing their efforts will heighten their vested interested in the company.