Common Misconceptions about Promotional Products

There are a lot of misconceptions about promotional marketing and promotional products that can scare of SMBs that are new to this form of marketing. Allow us to set the record straight on these common myths: People Just Throw Them Out Everyone has received some kind of item branded with a company's logo and/or an organizations message. A lot of people try to argue that these items are thrown away and forgotten, but a study by ASI shows that these items are actually held onto for an average of about six months. Once they are no longer kept by the owner, over half are passed on to another person, continuing the branding impression. They Don't Make an Impression Given that people hold onto their promotional items for six months, its clear there's an impression made. And, according to Promotional Products Association International (PPAI) research, 89% of consumers can recall the name of an advertiser whose promotional product they received within the last 24 months. However the kind of impression made is dependent on the type of product and promotional marketing campaign. There are products that are better for greater visibility such as promotional bags, branded apparel and logoed writing instruments that are seen by many wherever they travel and are easily passed on. Products that foster a deeper connection with their recipient include USB drives, wellness items prized for their utility and delicious edible marketing. You Cant Tell If They're Effective We know marketers love to track return on investment (ROI) how can you tell if handing out a branded water bottle is even effective?

• Haven't you noticed QR codes popping up on everything from direct mail to printed napkins at restaurants? Add a code to your printed koozies! The code can track your prospect back to the koozie you handed out at the green market on Saturday. The same goes for a unique URL. A special web address can lead to a landing page developed specifically for your koozie campaign, making tracking efforts a breeze.
• Call-to-action (CTA): coupon code for a discount, a gift with purchase, BoGo, make them an offer! And then print it out along with your logo on your promotional products of choice. Customers will mention it and lead you back to the promotional item containing that offer.
• Tracking number: nothing illustrates ROI like a phone call. Imprint a unique phone number on your products and you will know for sure they're working for their money.

Too Expensive Marketers want the most profitable form of marketing that's why they track and measure ROI. To understand what is getting them the best bang for their buck, they use a cost-per-impression metric (CPI). Promotional products are actually one of the most cost effective forms of advertising. According to the Advertising Specialty Institute, they have a CPI similar to spot ads on radio or online display, averaging $0.005 per impression. That's a far better CPI than with prime-time TV and big-time print. The fluidity of these products means your marketing dollars can go a whole lot further. Try to Get Them Cheap This same study shows that people keep items they consider to be useful. Considering the length of time a promotional product is kept, wouldn't you want it to be better quality so it will last long enough to leave a good impression instead of one of poor quality? There's a difference between getting affordable products and cheap ones. Bang for your buck assumes there's real value in your purchase, and for that, the item needs to last awhile. Do you want your company to be associated with a piece of junk, easily discarded? No. You want your brands imagery to appear on something that satisfies needs, innovative with a great look and feel you want your branded item to leave your prospect thinking, How thoughtful! Cant Reach New Consumers True, you think of promotional products as a way to cultivate customer loyalty but passing out products to prospects is known to be effective as well. In an ASI study, 31% of consumers said they would be likely to do business with a brand after receiving a logoed item this likelihood increases according to the item itself. Apparel, USB drives and tote bags are big. Anything unique, designed with care is going to increase the likelihood you will win your way into their daily lives. No New Products Like any industry, promotional products are constantly evolving to keep up with the latest technology and trends. Every year thousands of new, innovative products are launched at the PPAI expo, which is one of the largest trade shows in the United States we recently bogged about this years revelations here. Promotional products are a $19.83 billion industry, and it continues to grow every year. All Promo Businesses Are the Same There are two types of promo companies you either have a mom and pop shop or a huge company that exists solely as an online store. What makes Fully Promoted stand out is they have combined the pluses of each dynamic. Each Fully Promoted has a local Resource Center with a local owner, but at their disposal are the resources of a massive corporation, state-of-the-art technology, decades of experience in the industry and over 800,000 items from which to choosewhile still delivering one-on-one quality customer service! Know of any more myths about promotional products? Tell us in the comment section. Contact your local Resource Center to speak with a promotional marketing expert who will personally guide you in the development of your new promotional product campaign.