While handing out a promotional gift to your clients, business contacts and staff has an inherent value in terms of good will it still remains after the initial thrill of distribution to see what long-term advantages accrue from the investment you make. All advertising investment has some long term effect but one of the great advantages of promotional marketing is that through the whole life span of the product to which you add your logo and contact details it is influencing and informing people with whom it comes in contact. New research from the USA confirms that the longevity of promotional marketing products is one of the most valuable attributes they carry and that any product which has a life span of more than a few weeks will continue to win friends and influence people for your company.
Consider the effects of handing out something as simple as a promotional coffee mug. While a coffee mug is a practical item for which most people have a daily use some mugs are more effective than others in attracting the attention of potential users and becoming a regular part of their daily rituals. Choosing the right mug is therefore a critical part of making your promotional investment go further than would otherwise be the case. This requires some insight into the behaviours and motivations of the clients with which you plan to engage through promotional marketing and also the commitment to make an investment which will be sufficient to pass through the initial phase of indifference so that the mug you offer eventually becomes a treasured personal effect.
Say you are considering investing in a promotional bag or backpack which your client base will be able to use for their personal exercise campaigns or as an item they may use on the weekends. The best option is to look for a style of product which has a number of uses and effective values so that it broadens the appeal it holds and therefore finds a useful niche in as many different parts of the recipient's life as is possible. This is best done in conjunction with a a credible promotional products supplier and also through personal research involving the daily lives, interests and activities of the likely recipients. This sort of low level research is a critical part of all marketing and a small amount of investigation into the personal wants and needs of your target market can lead to an enormous increase in the overall effectiveness of your planned marketing activities.
It should be no surprise to the canny marketer that there are many ways to make your promotional campaigns more financially effective and that choosing the right product for the people you hope to influence is close to the top of the list. Next time your company or organisations is considering an investment ion promotional merchandise don't forget that it's not just the short-term hit which makes a campaign successful but more than 50% of the potential return comes from the long-term effects of offering the right products to the right person at the right time.