It can be tough to get your promotional merchandise campaign right, with important considerations to made about your brand image, product, and target audience. It often comes down to what exactly you choose to give away, with some gifts absolutely perfect for those incertain sectors, but even the choice is extremely wide.
There are some great, unique ideas out there these days, withtechnology based giftsgrowing in popularity, whileenvironmentally friendly merchandiseis also becoming much more important. However, there’s still a lot going for the more simple ideas out there.
Traditional promotional merchandise such as pens, keyrings and mugs are still used widely, and with more twists and developments added to them, you can keep it simple while making an impact with some unique ideas.
We’ve compiled a list of brandable products that may seem simple at first glance, but have high retention levels to get the best out of your campaign.
Akeyringmight not sound like a particularly interesting gift - in fact, it’s a pretty common form of merchandise marketing which makes it hard to stand out among the rest.
It’s often difficult to make a big impact with a keyring. At the end of the day, it’s just a small shape that you attach to your keys, and if everyone is giving them out, people aren’t going to retain them. However, if you think about it differently, you’ll find a range of keyrings that have an extra use, making it a much more useful piece of merchandise than it may first appear.
One of the most popular types of keyring is thebottle opener. While being a small, lightweight object with space for a logo, it’s designed with an edge that is great for taking the lids off bottles. With it being carried around with your keys all of the time, you’ll never have to worry about finding a bottle opener again!
You can also ensure you message gets across by adding your branding to keyrings that can double up as atorchor asmartphone holder, while others even come in the form of an adorable stress toy.
You can’t go wrong with a goodbranded pen. It’s one of the most simple, popular forms of promotional merchandise. Even the most basic of pens will make a lasting impression. It’s not often that people actually buy pens, due to the amount of free ones they pick up as part of marketing campaigns, meaning that those they receive end up being kept, used and seen.
These pens often come into daily use, so it’s important that you don’t just add a logo to the side - ensure there’s a little more information too, such as a branding message or a web address and phone number to increase the number of results you get from your campaign.
To stand out amongst the other free pens people receive, it might be worth increasing your investment to a more premium,metallic style pen. These pens typically have a much sleeker design, adding a real touch of class to your merchandise giveaways.
Promotional memory sticks or USB drives remain a firm favourite for marketers looking for innovative giveaway products that are bound to impress.
A simple yet effective piece of merchandise that comes in useful across all industries, providing ways and means of easily transferring important data with a handy little device. Working remotely has become a somewhat growing trend over the past few years, with employers allowing their staff to work from home or away from the office environment in local coffee shops to encourage creativity. This process is made much easier with a memory stick, to ensure you have everything you need to hand, whenever you may need it.
Advertising Speciality Institute 2019 Global Ad Impressions Studyreported that 43% of consumers keep a promo USB drive for 2 years or longer. That’s two years worth of advertising you’re getting by simply branding your logo on a simple item for a one-off cost and handing it out. On the other hand, 47% of people would give away the promo USB drive if they didn’t want it - straight away, that’s doubling your impressions in an instant.
With promotional USBs found to generate around 700 impressions over their lifetime, there’s really no reason not to take this fantastic advertising opportunity by giving your customers a free gift that is useful, practical and will stick around for a long time to come.
The unpredictable, and mostly rainy, UK weather forces many of us to have an umbrella to hand at all times. The problem is, not everyone wants to invest in a top quality one that’s durable enough to battle wet and windy conditions.
This makes promotional umbrellas a fantastic giveaway opportunity. A free gift that everyone will love and is guaranteed to get used time and time again. According toASI’s 2019 study, promotional umbrellas are kept for an average of 14 months, and are reported to generate 1,100 impressions during their lifetime. Branding an umbrella with your corporate logo is essentially creating a walking advertisement for your business with a single upfront cost, and it doesn’t get much better than that.
There are so many different types of umbrella to choose from that you can easily find one to suit everyone. From totes to telescopic and walking umbrellas, you can be sure that a high quality umbrella will be a free gift well received by your customers.
While we’re veering off the topic of useful products with a high longevity, confectionery will always be up there with an effective tool to aid any marketing campaign.
Sweet treats always get a thumbs up as a free gift - after all, who doesn’t enjoy being able to munch on some free snacks to keep them going during a long day at a conference or event? Mints, lollies, biscuits, cakes and fairly traded chocolate are all great little promotional gifts to be snapped up as a way of keeping consumers sweet or attracting prospective clients.
Branded confectionery is a fun, budget-friendly way of getting your brand out there, and shouldn’t be forgotten about as a small addition to your marketing efforts for a quick win.
The use of reusable thermos travel mugs is a growing trend, correlating with the increase in discounts that can be found in stores like Starbucks, Pret a Manger and Cafe Nero.
They are one of, if notthe ultimate travel companion for the morning commute - ensuring that a traveller’s essential beverage retains its heat on the way into the office. The practicality that this promotional product offers is something that is sure to be welcomed by those who receive it as a gift. With your company logo and branding on the side of one of these products, you are well positioned for maximum exposure from the heart of a train carriage or busy platform.
As a promotional item, travel mugs’ main benefit is of course found in their reusability. You’re gifting potential customers a product that has undeniable value to both themselves, and the environment around them; this reflects well on your business in turn.
BPMA highlighted that office workers have, on average, at least 4 promotional items on their desk at any one point, so one of the most effective ways to reach your target market through promotional products, is by giving away items that find their way onto the desk.
The use of sticky notes has been proven to have a positive impact on productivity, organisation and efficiency in the workplace. They are a fundamental item in offices across the country and as such, they are a promotional giveaway that is bound to be used or at least passed on to someone who will.
Every time they glance at an important memo or to-do, they will be reminded of your company through the logo or branding that you choose to have printed on the note.
We’ve referenced tote bags as one of the topeco-friendly promotional productswe offer, and it makes them one of the most impactful too.
The beauty of the tote back lies in its flexibility. No matter what the industry sector, it remains as relevant a promotional product as ever. Music, charity, retail and sports businesses can all include promotional tote bags as part of their marketing campaign.
The branding area is often very large on tote bags, with plenty of the front of the bag made available for your logo and branding. This increases the impact of this on-the-go item, and with people using them when out and about you can rest assured that your logo is being displayed wherever they venture to.
Tote bags can be used as the holder for further promotional giveaway items, bringing them all together in one unique branded hamper. This can go down very well at parties, events and trade shows - as recipients do not have to carry a range of items individually.
Want to find out more about our promotional merchandise options at Outstanding Branding?Browse the rangeorget in touchto speak to a member of our dedicated team about what we can do for you.