MARKETING MATTERS: THE POWER OF PROMOTIONAL PRODUCTS

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Tips and tricks for business success and growth

By Rama Beerfas

April 1, 2014 (San Diego’s East County) –  Ever think that of a promotional product as just a "tchatchke," "swag," or "stuff"? Think that they can't possibly be useful marketing tools? Well, my friend, you would be wrong!

First of all, the dare: I dare you to look in your desk, pockets, purse/briefcase/backpack, or car and not find at least one promotional product.

OK, you've looked - how many were there? Two? Three? Five? More?

Did you know that: Seven in ten consumers recalled receiving at least one promotional product in the past 12 months. A similar finding was observed in previous studies. Among those who recalled receiving promotional products, 70% recalled receiving two or more items. (Taken from "The Influence of Promotional Products on Consumer Behavior" study conducted by Relevant Insights in November, 2012.)

OK, so you, like at least 70% of the population, has a promotional product in your possession - so what?

The same study cited above shows that recall of the advertiser and message behind the first promotional item recalled are very high. While 88% recalled the advertiser from a promotional product received in the past twelve months, only 71% recalled advertisers on a newspaper or magazine read a week before. That speaks to the power of promotional products to support brand recall.

Also cited in the study is that eight in ten consumers own between one and ten promotional products, six in ten keep them for up to two years, and about half (53%) use a promo item at least once a week or more often. Talk about keeping your brand and message right in front of your target market!

There are plenty more statistics available that explore the efficacy of promotional products against other advertising formats. If you'd like to see more, please e-mail me at rama@levpromotions.com for the link.

In the meantime, consider how you might want to utilize promotional products as part of your company's overall branding and marketing efforts. Do you want to excite, remind, entice, or thank? You can accomplish all of these and more with the right promotional product!

Rama Beerfas is Chief Solutions Specialist for San Diego-based Lev Promotions, offering marketing consulting, promotional products, trade show displays and training, and more. Rama also offers seminars and training in marketing and customer service related topics. She can be reached at (619) 697-2045 or at rama@levpromotions.com or visit www.levpromotions.com. Column requests and comments are welcome.


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