An advertising campaign is similar to playing a game, there are strategies, rules and tactics to be taken into consideration in order to win, in this case you want to win new customers and please your old ones. Marketing strategies have been tried and tested for years before the experts came up with the winning recipes. One of the most valuable techniques in any promotion is to incorporate the use of promotional products.
When you decide to give away promotional items to win new customers and keep your loyal ones is entirely up to you and can be done at any point. But what you should be looking at is what you are aiming at achieving, the money you spend on promotional products has to be money well spent, so will it gain you anything?
A quality promotional product should be one that attracts the attention of the client, a gift that is original and modern is going to be admired and talked about. To attract potential new customers then look for items that fit into this category, you want to be talked about and in order to accomplish this you need something that is a little showy-off and will get tongues wagging, about your product and brand.
Once your brand awareness has been raised then any promotional gifts should be chosen specifically to enhance the image of your company and popularity of your product. With loyal customers, gifts should be chosen with attention to detail and is dependant on the kind of relationship you have with them.
Who is your target audience? Vital research should always be carried out by your marketing team before any money is spent on a campaign. Decide on the type of clientele you want to attract and who to aim your campaign at, these are two important aspects of any promotion if you want it to succeed. Consider the area you want to cover, and the message you want to send out.
Getting your message across should be given a lot of thought, as you don’t want to waste your promotional product impact. It is this that will have an effect on your clientele and attract them to your brand. Keep it nice and simple and this will make it more effective.
Quality is always very important when choosing items. Even if the items you choose are low-cost, such as key tags, pens, mouse mats or printed balloons, the quality of each item should still be of a high standard. Quality made products displaying your company name is a promotional strategy that can only be successful.
How long your promotion will last will depend on the type of promotion product you decide to purchase. Is it going to be a one-off event, such as a trade fair or exhibition, or will it be a longer running campaign that could go on for a month or even a year?
Once you have made all the necessary decisions then re-check through all the details to ensure you haven’t missed anything. Evaluate every aspect and see if it could be improved, and after every promotion always assess it to see if it could have been run any better so that you know for the next time and can subsequently make improvements.
There are all kinds of promotional items available on the market today. Printed balloons are one low-cost but effective promotional product, especially at open days and trade shows. Blown up for full impact kids will just love the bright colors and demand to have one to take home. With your logo or company message printed on them they are the perfect way to advertise as they will be carried around the event for all to see.
Lapel pins are also an innovative idea, use them to support your chosen charity or to raise awareness of a particular project. Maximize the use of your logo by designing your own lapel pins, earrings, refrigerator magnets, car badges, computer pins and even zipper pulls. Check online for original and new promotional product ideas if you want to stay ahead of the competition.
