Guide to using Branded Promotional Products

Promotional Products as Cost Effective Marketing Tools
With promotional marketing budgets being stretched and with the natural reaction of many managers to go to ground under current difficult circumstances, there has been an upsurge of interest in branded promotional products as marketing tools. Branded merchandise used as promotional items has several advantages when times are economic tough and maximum return on marketing investment is critical.

Here are a few reasons you should consider the use of promotional items as part of your company’s marketing mix:
1. Branded promotional products are a personal gift. In tough times a stronger focus on interpersonal marketing and business relationships can pay dividends when general advertising is not having its usual effect. Equally an investment now in promotional products can pay off quickly when things start getting better.

2. Custom promotional items chosen correctly can have a high apparent value relative to their cost. If you can buy a rang of promotional products, put your logo on them and get this sorted for $2 with the apparent retail value of the item being substantially higher, consumers will recognise the value and react in their most basic manner when shown a retail offer.

3. Giving away corporate gifts and promotional products keeps your name and contact details on a client's desk. When an existing supplier fails to deliver or other problems arise, there's a good chance that the branded promo items with your contact details will be waiting to point your client in the right direction.

Promotional Products for Building Brand Equity
While in promotional marketing there is generally a clear definition between creating value in a brand and an image which can be leveraged for future profit, it is generally considered that promotional products are a less than ideal means of achieving this goal. Ultimately, the value in using promotional products will depend on the type of merchandise you choose, the apparent value of the promotional products to consumers, the cost of the campaign and the emotional and financial incentive in the materials you choose.

Fresh Promotional Products Australia is one of Australia's leading suppliers of promotional marketing products and corporate gifts. If you have any specific promotional questions or need more information on the range of promotional merchandise we offer, please contact one of our sales consultants to discuss your organisational needs. The Fresh range of promotional products is increasing all the time. If the business promotional products you’re after are not available today they can probably be sourced direct from one of our thousands of supplier factories.

Promotional Products For Value-Adding Your Promotional Campaigns
Promotional merchandise is an effective tools for creating buyer motivation or rewarding regular clients, but it is also an effective way to add value to brands and services by offering collateral or promotional premiums as purchase bonuses. The advantages of this approach to using promotional promotional products as a buyer’s premium is four fold:

1. Promotional Products allow higher investment leverage. Say you can buy branded merchandise item for $2 which has an apparent value of $5. Using this marketing merchandise alongside your brand extends your budget in a way which non branded products orientated promotional marketing will not.

2. Promotional Products allow brand and logo value creation. Many times an effective application of logo to promotional products lifts a lower value range premium item to a higher level of value. If your logo can effectively increase the value of a generic products then your accruing brand value.

3. Promotional Products are a personal gift. While a cash discount or product bonus offer may be as effective a sales tool, corporate gift giving adds a new layer of personal involvement to a marketing campaign.

4. Promotional Products are retained and the message you’re promoting carries increased longevity. Promotional marketing is a "sleeper"approach. Promotional material may sit patiently on a client's desk or in a draw, waiting for the moment when the promotional product will be dragged out or noticed, and keeping your contact details handy.

Promotional Products Ideal for Tough Economic Times
While the natural inclination for many marketing organisations during tough times is to pull back on spending marketing the other school of thought shows that continued marketing using direct marketing devices during downturns is a strong long-term strategy. Not only are companies which market using promotional products better suited to maintain income during slower times, but they are also in a position to quickly capitalise when things improve. While this is only one part of a successful marketing strategy the historical evidence is that branded merchandise outstays other forms of marketing spending when economic conditions are adverse.

Bold Promotional Strategies Pay Dividends
One of the basic rules of promotional products marketing is to "get noticed". With all marketing and communication these days becoming increasingly cluttered, including the use of promotional gear as a marketing tool, what's the point of handing out cheap promotional items like plastic pens or boring merchandising ideas when a range of more innovative and interesting merchandise is available. While a genuinely useful range of marketing materials will encourage use by clients and keep your gifts handy, the idea of sending out merchandise which get noticed and create a powerful impression for your brand is not one which should be lost in the general tide of corporate conservatism. An effective branded gift like a racing car, electronic model or left of field concept can be the thing which is needed most to capture your contacts' attention.

Different Styles of Promotional Products
With over 10,000 products available from Fresh Promotional Products Australia the task of sorting through the different categories of corporate gift ideas can be daunting and potentially confusing. Here are a few clues for promotional shoppers which will help you on your way towards selecting the right marketing ideas for your campaign.

1. Make sure your promotions budget meets your objectives. If you're only planning to buy cheap promo gifts don't expect the campaign to change perspectives of your brand in a major way. Giving away low priced merchandise has many uses but they may not be the right promotional products for an upwards repositioning of your brand.

2. Ensure the promotions collateral you choose say something meaningful about your company or the event you have planned. Ideally your choice of branded gear will be congruent with your marketing plans. The right promotions ideas will enhance the value of your logo and slogan while the wrong promotional products can cause damage to your franchise.

3. Make sure your choice can be effectively branded and that the promotional products selected can be printed with your logo and are available to match your company colours or livery. There is no point branding merchandise which detract from your corporate image.

4. Consider a mix of products and ideas. Send the most expensive gifts to your A list of clients or business prospects. Cheaper promotional products can be sent to people who buy only irregularly or at lower levels.

Custom Designed Promotional Products
Where a company is looking for a unique promotional products idea custom design and manufacture of merchandise can be the best option. Custom designed corporate gifts have the advantage of being unique - the only place the items can be sourced is from the giving the merchandise away. This limited supply ensures the range will be of greater interest and potentially these promotional gifts will create a buzz all their own. Another advantage of sourcing custom designed materials is that this can be a very cost effective way to source. While upfront costs for design and other possible expenses such as cutting a mold for manufacture will see an initial investment required, the fact that layers of wholesalers and agents are removed from the supply chain can lead to considerable sourcing savings. Finally the fact that your are designing unique marketing merchandise from scratch means the range you have made are likely to be an excellent match for your brand imagery and corporate positioning. A range of promo gear built from scratch to reflect your budget and marketing needs will be formidable weapons in future promotional marketing activity.

Promotional Products Trends in The Market
With the world economy going through various paroxysms promotional products buyers are currently on tenterhooks wondering what trend will next emerge as a guide to future promotional products purchases. As always major marketing organisations are looking for value for money from their promotional products orders, which incidentally is one of the reasons they would first have considered promotional products as a marketing alternative. While the trend towards eco friendly promotional products has been strong over the last few years the downturn in the economy coupled with a realisation that many of these environmentally friendly promotional products are at best of dubious value has led to a retreat to the traditional requirements of value for money and quality from promotional products orders.

If you're looking for an interesting range of Novelty Promotional Products check this Fresh Promotions category