Promotional Products

With Rowland Percy of betterpromo

What are Promotional Products?

Promotional Products are Tangible Marketing items. Any item that is printed, embroidered, engraved or embossed with a company name, logo or message is a promotional product.

Questions to consider when organising a Promotional Product Campaign

1. What are the goals to be achieved through your Promotional Product Campaign?
2. Who will be the target audience of your Promotional Product Campaign? (age, sex, occupation etc)
3. What role will the sales force play in your Promotional Product Campaign?
4. What is the time schedule of your Promotional Product Campaign?
5. What is your client worth to you?
6. What is the budget for your Promotional Product Campaign and how is it to be broken down? Quantity etc.
7. Is there a corporate image or theme to your Promotional Product Campaign?

Take a few minutes to discuss these questions because it will SAVE you time and money in the end. There is no point offering stubby coolers as an incentive to buy wine is there? A Wine Bottle Cooler may make more sense. There is no point in directing a campaign aimed at women and giving them stubby coolers unless you are promoting a new beer targeting women in particular. No point suggesting shower timers if there is no running water in the community to be targeted as I recently discovered. A dynamo torch may be much better received in this case if power supply is an issue.

Also, when selecting a Promotional Product, consider the following:
1. Product life expectancy. If you want a pen to last 12 months, there are plenty that you shouldn’t buy.
2. Rate of usage or how often? No point giving a jacket to someone in a tropical environment unless it’s a rain jacket.
3. Perceived value to client. As we sell as wholesalers of branded goods, in most cases there is 100% markup in value if the items were to be retailed.
4. Uniqueness or novelty of product: eg talking point. The most popular mugs are white and chunky. Why? They are cheap! The most talked about mugs change colour when you add hot water.
5. Does it compliment your business? Here you need to consider the appropriateness for your business. Don’t use confectionery for a dental campaign just because it’s cheap? If you want to manage costs then consider a temporary tattoo or a drink bottle to promote the merits of drinking water.
6. Actual Cost. You need to consider how you are going to get these items to the client. Postage will play a part.
7. Can the product be part of an ongoing concept, if necessary. Bar-coded products come to mind. Key rings may be used for many ongoing promotions.
8. Distribution Plan – who recieves it and how? Do you go to the clients or do they come to you?
9. Don’t always choose products on price alone, as quality, durable products can last longer and be more cost effective over the long term. This is what we call CPE (Cost Per Exposure). If you pay 50c per pen BUT it is only used a few times for whatever reason, that is what we call a very expensive pen. Instead, if you were to offer a Parker Pen and have it used for the next 10 years, that is what we call a great result. You cannot put a dollar figure on that sort of advertising.

Rowland Percy is a Director with betterpromo.