From time to time, something comes along that completely changes an entire industry. When the Japanese first brought their compact cars to the U.S., many Americans initially dismissed them. However, when younger buyers began snapping them up, these small vehicles quickly became a major force, leading to the manufacturers becoming industry leaders.
In 1789, George Washington's presidential campaign distributed commemorative buttons, an action that might have seemed trivial at the time. Yet, this simple gesture paved the way for a thriving promotional products industry that has revolutionized marketing over the years.
Promotional Products in the Present Day
Even today, promotional products remain a powerful tool for businesses. These physical giveaways serve as effective walking advertisements, targeting audiences with tangible items. They offer an impressive return on investment and high recall rates.
Here are some statistics that highlight the effectiveness of promotional products:
- 88 percent of people who receive a promotional product can remember the brand and company.[i]
- After receiving a promotional product, 85 percent of recipients end up doing business with the provider.
- 53 percent of recipients use the product at least once a week.
- One out of every four people with a promo product carry it with them, or even keep it on their person.
You already understand the importance of promotional products. The next step is figuring out what works best for your specific audience.
What Works Best?
When deciding to invest in a promotional campaign, there are countless products to choose from. What works for one business may not work for another, as it largely depends on your target audience. Some of the most popular categories today include:
- Wearable items make up the largest share of promotional product sales at 31 percent.[ii]
- Writing instruments account for 9 percent, followed by bags (8 percent), calendars (8 percent), and drinkware (7 percent).
- Office and business accessories, along with computer products and accessories such as custom USBs, take up a combined 7 percent.
Together, these items represent over half of the promotional products market.
But how can you leverage this information?
Unless you tailor your choices to your specific niche audience, it won't be very useful. To maximize your ROI, consider consulting a marketing expert to determine the right approach for your campaign.
Real-Life Examples
Let’s look at some real-world examples of how companies successfully chose promotional products that left a lasting impression on their target audiences.
- A large corporation ditched expensive printed forms and manuals in favor of loading essential employee information onto USB drives. By opting for high-quality USBs with ample storage, the company avoided costly reprinting and mailing expenses. Instead, they simply emailed updates to employees each year to keep the drives current.
- The American Marketing Association selected a stylish USB pen as the centerpiece of their brand awareness campaign. This sleek gadget caught recipients' attention with preloaded content, including PowerPoint presentations, conference details, seminar handouts, and more. The pens also featured extra storage space and could double as styluses for PDAs. This multi-functional tool made a significant impact at conferences. A promotional hat, on the other hand, wouldn’t have provided the same practical utility.
Before committing to a promotional product strategy, seek guidance from a marketing professional to ensure you're reaching the right audience and maximizing your investment. If you need help selecting the perfect product or creating custom USBs, reach out to CustomUSB today!
[i] PPAI Fact Sheet 2013
[ii] PPAI Fact Sheet 2013
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