The Clydefitch Report

How To Effectively Use Promotional Products

How To Effectively Use Promotional Products

One of the most tried and true tools of marketing and advertising is the use of promotional products. From inexpensive pens to t-shirts, promotional products are a great way to get your name into the hands of potential customers. When planning your approach to promotional marketing, it is important to develop a marketing strategy to correctly utilize promotional products and maximize results.

Choosing a Promotional Products Distributor

Before choosing a promotional product, first you need to choose a distributor. With hundreds of distributors to choose from, it’s important to identify the right fit for your needs. One of the most important things to remember is to avoid companies that just want to push you a promotional product. Commissioned sales representatives are often simply out to make a sale – your purchase equals their paycheck! When you purchase promotional products from a promotional company that uses a team approach, you’ll find they are more interested in helping you find the promotional product that truly fits your needs, not just the promotional product that will give them higher commission checks.

After choosing your distributor, make sure that they understand your brand and needs. Don’t be afraid to tell them exactly what you’re looking for or to ask for help. A good promotional product specialist is never afraid to research promotional products and ideas to find the right fit for your needs. From brainstorming to price negotiations, a dedicated account management team is your best source for finding unique promotional products at the best price.

]]>

Developing a Long-Term Strategy for Use of Promotional Products

You should always keep in mind that the use of promotional products is most beneficial when paired with a long-term promotional marketing strategy. Although you may only use a promotional product once, when that product is paired with subsequent marketing efforts and future promotions, you leave a longer-lasting impression on your clients.

When designing your promotional marketing strategy, first look at your brand and corporate image. Which promotional products are most appropriate to convey your identity? Is there a certain image or feel you want to present to the recipients of your promotional product? This is a great time to address your specific needs and plans with your account team. With access to a nearly unlimited number of promotional products, they can help you choose the perfect promotional product for your needs.

Identifying Your Target Demographic

Next you will need to identify your target audience and demographics. It’s important to evaluate who the recipients of your promotional product will be. For example, at a celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Georgia State University needed to develop a full marketing strategy for the week-long festivities. They needed banners, print collateral and promotional products to distribute to students. To fit their target demographic, their marketing campaign included imprinted GumPaks™, molded chocolates and print collateral to distribute around campus. Georgia State’s end decision to choose candy for their promotional products was perfect for their target demographic of students. By analyzing your end recipients and finding a promotional product that will be useful to them, you maximize exposure of your brand and corporate initiatives.

Usage of Your Promotional Product

Lastly, what do you plan to use your promotional products for? The individual promotional product you choose should be based on the several factors already discussed along with the type of event or promotion. The event will almost always determine your budget and type of promotional product. A promotional product for a tradeshow is usually something that draws attention to your booth, thereby drawing attention to your name and services. Using a fun, eye-catching promotional product such as a light-up yo-yo will be entertaining for recipients, and the promotional product will likely stay in their possession for months to come. While a yo-yo might work great for a tradeshow, a more upscale promotional product would be better for a potential million-dollar client. A leather brief bag, digital photo frame or large holiday gift basket would be a more appropriate promotional product for a client at that level. Your choice of promotional product will vary greatly depending on the situation and your target audience.

Developing a strategy to effectively utilize your promotional products is the best way to maximize your return. Promotional products are a budget friendly way to get thousands of advertising exposures. By following these tips when developing your strategy, you will effectively use your promotional products to grow your brand.

Source: ArticlesBase.com

Bet on Promotional Risk Coverage

Bet on Promotional Risk Coverage

Promotional Risk… Would you bet on it? Over the past decade, the tremendous growth in product releases has increased the challenge to consumer and B2B marketers to differentiate brands. The ever changing media market increases the complexities, for both offline and online marketing professionals. The recent recession and ongoing downturn of the economy leaves marketers in a situation that is unique in our history. This is an environment that only the riskiest of marketers will survive. Are you willing to bet your marketing, advertising, public relations or promotions career on your willingness to take a risk? If you do not include this risk in your promotional strategy, while your competitor does, what will happen? Will your marketing competitor win market share that you have lost or will the safe road you have taken pay off? It is my experience that you must take the promotional risk. You are about to learn why you should include promotional risk coverage in marketing strategy to engage the consumer and secure a larger market share, during this recession. Follow these steps in marketing promotions strategy and build big brands that will stand the test of time.

There is no argument that consumers are responding to large cash and prize giveaways. Your marketing research can stop with the review of network programming you find in recent shows like Deal or No Deal, Price Is Right, Who Wants to Be A Millionaire, and the many other network promotions which include large prize and cash offerings to both gain consumer loyalty and increase ratings. Radio and television stations, newsprint and magazine publications, online and offline companies alike are all tapping into the simplest of strategy to increase viewers, visitors and readership, while gaining promotional affiliations and sponsorships. The strategy is simple. They are taking promotional risk.

This promotional strategy doesn’t require the risk to your company or your job, which you might initially assume. You give away cash or large prizes. Everyone likes to win and most people like to see others win. As long as you protect yourself and your company with promotional risk coverage, you will also be the winner. Your prize offerings are based on the odds of a winner claiming the prize. As long as your promotional strategy does not include a guaranteed prize offering as the only prize, your company can include promotional risk coverage with the promotion. Promotional risk coverage can be found in promotions like you see on television, hear on the radio, read in newspapers, magazines, see online or in internet marketing promotions. They offer the consumer a chance to win, and when there is a winner, your company is protected against having to pay the winner. Much like you insure your car from an accident or your home from a natural disaster, you can cover your promotion against a risk associated with the liabilities of giving away large valued prize amounts. The cost of promotional risk is minimal, literally a fraction of the prize value, and is based on the promotional odds, the prize value, and the number of chances given to win the promotion.

The strategy behind marketing promotions, which include promotional risk coverage, is simple and enables companies to differentiate brands in a very competitive market. Promotional risk covered promotions open up possibilities to offer larger prizes than most companies can afford, or would want to take promotional risk on. These large prizes are proven to increase registrations of online users, traffic in stores, and sales at any given time, leads generated both offline and online promotions, and build large brands through consumer loyalty. The strategy is to include a prize offering, which can be based on a game of skill, game of chance, or the redemption of an offer. Games of Skill require the contestant to perform in order to win. An example of using promotional risk coverage in this way would be to offer a consumer a chance to win ,000,000 in a sports promotion. You have probably seen such games of skill in basketball promotions of a random fan shooting a basketball from half court. A football promotion might include a punt or throwing contest, or a hole in one coverage for golf promotions and tournaments.

Games of Chance are found in online marketing promotions and Internet marketing, with sweepstakes, online contests and games. You might see them in offline promotions for trade shows and events where B2B marketers or consumer marketers are holding drawings to increase traffic to events, increase customer response and generate leads.

Promotional risk coverage can be included in marketing promotions to protect companies against over redemption of coupon offerings and fix promotional marketing budgets for both consumer and B2B marketing strategies. Conditional offerings, such as conditional weather rebates, can add to marketing promotions to engage consumer involvement in the promotion and increase promotional coverage and public relations of the marketing effort.

Over redemption coverage allows promotional risk coverage to prevent the variable costs associated to budgeting of a marketing promotion when there is uncertainty about your program’s response rate or outcome. Promotional risk companies cover the cost of excess redemptions or responses, whatever the value of the prize, rebate, coupon, or premium. This allows you to plan promotional expenses to the penny, eliminate budget overruns for higher than expected response, and stretch promotional dollars for a maximum market impact.

The bottom line is magnified during the current economic climate, within every department of every business, small or large. To drive business in a recession, or any economic downturn, marketers must find new ways to gain and maintain market share. Those who realize that the success and longevity of their brand is in the hands of the American consumer will stand far ahead of the competitor. In order to engage the consumer and gain brand loyalty, the savvy marketer provides that consumer with benefits which will entice reaction. Consumers react to what they perceive is in their best interest. Find that formula in promotional risk coverage and you will benefit.

Source: ArticlesBase.com