Thanks to the first-ever survey of advertising specialists directly concerning their use of promotional merchandise, the results are in – and they show that branded promotional merchandise is a highly effective marketing strategy in several ways!
It's hard to imagine, given their ubiquity in business, that it would take so long for a major trade organization to concretely study promotional merchandise. However, now that the work has been done, we can say definitively that great branded items bring real results for businesses that deploy them!
Let's take a look at some of the study's findings...
The Numbers Prove Branded Promotional Items Are A Great Investment
1 – Branded Items Are Effective
Starting with the proverbial brass tacks, what's the bottom line here? 74% of respondents said that promotional items are either “Effective” or “Highly Effective.” It's hard to find too many areas of advertising where even three-fourths of people think a particular strategy is a good idea.
Moreover, only four percent of surveyed individuals said they had not purchased any promotional merchandise in the last twelve months. The number of ad agencies who aren't using promo merchandise is truly minimal.
2 – There Are Plenty Of Reasons To Invest
It's typical to assume that most business decisions are made based largely on the bottom line, but this doesn't seem to be the case with promotional items. When assessing the importance of various factors, three different attributes were mentioned equally:
-
Price
-
Functionality
-
Customer Appeal
In other words, even among ad agencies, they aren't solely choosing the least-expensive promotional items around – although price is certainly one factor. The build quality and overall utility of the items is at least as important. Further, many agencies bought based specifically on which items had already brought them results.
The takeaway here is that it's good to experiment with different combinations of promotional items to find the most effective balance. If you find a particular item or design that your clients/leads enjoy consistently, give the people what they want.
3 – Apparel Is King
Are you wondering what area of merchandise is most worth investing in? The answer is “Clothing.”
Across the board, various forms of apparel were the most popular branded merchandise, and it's not hard to see why. Clothing has truly universal appeal – everyone can wear a T-shirt, or ball cap, or sweater. Nor do people seem to have any real objection to walking around with other companies' logos on their clothing.
Clothing hits that proverbial trifecta of good promotional merchandise: It's affordable, it's useful, and it's always enjoyed by clients.
4 – Pens And Electronics Are Equally-Enjoyed
Here's a sign of the times: Roughly equal numbers of advertisers prefer giving away writing instruments as giving away electronics. The venerable pen-and-knife gift set is no longer the most common Executive-level promotional item. Small electronic goods are quickly becoming at least as popular.
Why? Because electronics are inexpensive today, and they can be designed to fit virtually any need. It's much easier to come up with custom-designed branded tools that are perfect for your niche market.
5 – The Experts Agree: Promotional Products Aid Brand Perception
Finally, more than half the agencies studied said, definitively, that branded promotional items are effective not just at driving immediate sales, but for increasing overall brand awareness and goodwill.
High-quality promotional products are seen by members of the public at large, and they do lead to better perceptions of your business.
What Promotional Items Do Your Leads Want To See?
There's a universe of options for branded promotional merchandise, and nearly any item could be the perfect gift to seal a deal.
When this many advertising specialists agree on something, it's worth paying attention. Branded promotional products bring superior ROI, as well as providing continuous and ongoing brand outreach among anyone who sees them.
