Where did this pen come from?
Businesses looking to increase their brand awareness understand the importance of marketing. The marketing effort of a business can translate directly into sales. Some companies that look to increase their brand awareness use a combination of offline and online marketing campaigns to target their desired audience. Many businesses forget about the marketing approach which uses promotional products to increase brand awareness.
The perfect marketing formula consists of product, price, place and promotion according to Neil H. Bordon. A business must do its best to marry all of the ingredients successfully to increase brand visibility. Promotional efforts of a business must involve all ingredients to ensure a certain level of success in marketing.
Engaging the senses
In a networking environment, there are many faces to recall and many business cards to collect. The higher the volume in attendees, the harder it can be for a business to leave a powerful impression. Promotional pens and promotional key chains make it easier for a business to stand out. While an individual might struggle to remember the name of an individual that handed them a business card, an individual will have an easier time remembering the logo of a business or service when reminded visually by an item. Statistics show that communication is 55% visual. A person is more likely to remember the business or logo, if a visual reminder is presented upon introduction. A Georgia Southern University study found that 71.6% of attendees at a tradeshow were able to recall the name of the company that gave them the promotional product. While most individuals will struggle to remember the name of an individual at a networking event, they will more likely be able to recall the person that gave them a promotional pen.
Another benefit to using promotional items in marketing efforts is the tangibility factor. Touch is the way people learn as infants about the world around them. The sense of touch is still very much a part of the learning experience for adults. Handing an individual a promotional gift further engages the senses. A person is able to then assign a particular encounter to memory through touch, as touch reinforces memory. Communication is more effective when individuals engage multiple senses. This is precisely why some individuals use promotional marketing items for business purposes. Promotional pens invite the customer to become more familiar with a company.
A Call to Action Maybe?
A promotional item presented at a business event can act as a call to action. It invites the contact to explore what a business has to offer. It’s very hard for an individual to avoid studying an item received at an event. Out of curiosity, the individual can feel the need to become more familiar with the business or service the pen represents. Whether or not this translates into an actual sale or website visit, an individual will most likely attempt to explore the promotional gift and learn more about the business. The customer will especially appreciate the token if it is useful.
Utility Matters
If a person were to present someone with something useful, the person will probably use it. It is always to the benefit of the business to select a useful promotional item for marketing purposes. An LJ Market Research study reports that 73% of people that received a promotional item reported using the item at least once a week. A promotional mug or notepad all make for great gifts to give to potential clients. A promotional item should be practical and useful. The more useful the item is the better, as it gives a business a change to promote service offerings on a continued basis repeatedly with each use. People that drink coffee will see the promotional mug as beneficial, just as people that struggle to keep up with a pen will find the lone pen with a logo on it useful. Practical items make for solid promotional gifts. A person is more likely to recall an individual that handed them something useful. A study shows that 55% of people reported keeping promotional gifts for over a year. Just as people like useful gifts, they love free gifts.
Generosity
Nothing piques interest in a business like free stuff. A business card is a popular choice in networking events, but free stuff can boosts a company’s popularity significantly in a professional setting. Businesses are used to paying for services and products, so many attendees will find it refreshing that someone gave them something more than a simple business card. Giving really pays off. A study from Baylor University found that businesses that used promotional products in their marketing efforts received 22% more referrals. Another study from Southern Methodist University found that individuals presented with promotional gifts reordered items 18% quicker than those who received coupons. The business that invests in free promotional key chains to clients can expect a reasonable return on the investment, possibly increasing the likelihood of repeat business.
Gratitude
Businesses that use promotional tools in thanking a client for business can increase the chance of repeat business. Where many companies simply attach the message of ‘thank you’ to an invoice, an unexpected gift of appreciation from a business will be well-received. The promotional mug or keychain mailed with an invoice and card require extra thought. The client will know that this required additional thought and will be more likely to respond in kind. Word of mouth in the form of a referral could end up as the result of such a generous act. A Wayne State University study found that sales increased with companies that provided gifts accompanied by a ‘thank you’ letter. Sales increased 400% among customers that received a promotional gift in addition to a card within 6 months. Securing the business proves to be as equally as important as thanking the client for the business. Imagine the phenomenal return on investment in a promotional item can yield.
Affordability
A business invests in a message that it wants to send its target audience for a fixed price. Businesses that want to be able to control portions of their advertising budget find that bulk orders of promotional gifts present a business with flexibility. Businesses that want to get the most out of their advertising budget realize the importance of getting a message sent repeatedly to the audience at an affordable rate. When a business orders items at a fixed rate, the business is able to control marketing costs. Promotional gifts are one of the few ways that an increase in quantity needed can actually translate into savings. There is also a convenience associated with the use of promotional gifts.
Outsourcing a portion of marketing processes
When using promotional gifts, a business is partially outsourcing its marketing efforts. When the proper company is selected as a provider for the desired promotional tools, the company can take over the design process, the logo, and the messaging of a marketing campaign. When more promotional tools are needed, the process becomes partially automated as the business only has to reorder the items. A company is able to focus on its core competencies when it effectively utilizes its resources allocated toward the production of promotional pens. Promotional gifts used in a company’s advertising efforts offer some advantages.
As a component in advertising
The use of promotional marketing items also complements other advertising efforts for a business. A company must be able to consistently deliver the same message to an audience in several ways. A company cannot rely solely on networking or web presence alone. The use of promotional marketing items such as pens or mugs helps a business expand its marketing efforts by enhancing the current advertising efforts of a business. A Louisiana State University study found that brand credibility was highest among participants who were exposed to multiple mediums of advertisement. The favorability of a brand improved up to 44% when promotional tools were introduced to the target audience. Another study on promotional marketing items was conducted with Georgia Southern University and it produced similar findings. This multi-dimensional approach translates into higher brand awareness for businesses.
The use promotional marketing tools in a business is becoming increasingly popular. The use of promotional gifts has proven to be a sound investment by the companies that use them. As a way to increase brand awareness and favorability ratings among consumers, promotional marketing tools are frequently used. The use of such promotional products increases the name brand recognition through repeated exposure and by engaging the senses. Customers are appreciative of free useful items they have received and the use of the items has been found to increase referral and reorder rates with customers.
