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Marketers on Promotional Products: Why Promotional Products Are Still Highly Valued Marketing Tools in 2016 and Beyond

As we are continually moving towards a more technical kind of marketing, through online and digital, its refreshing (and hopeful) to know that traditional marketing tools are still sought after today. According to the latest marketing surveys, promotional items have not lost their appeal with marketers. A study done by the British Promotional Merchandise Association (BPMA) shows that they are still as popular as ever. It seems in this digital world there is still room for touch and feel, haptic marketing is an advantage that shouldn’t been under played. It makes the message tangible and gives your target a hands on experience that helps them lodge it in their long-term memory. In fact you will probably be out manoeuvring your competition if you remember to use all senses in your marketing approach.

Popular Promotional Products Being Purchased

The latest marketing surveys done in 2015 say that among the top promotional products, pens are the most popular, followed by bags and electronics. Many are noticing the rise of promotional gadgets as a favorite among consumers. It’s not surprising since a major demographic among businesses now are millennials and commuters who value social media and online transactions as part of their day to day lives.

Top Uses for a Promotional Product

Generally, marketers use promo items to push several marketing messages like brand visibility or attracting leads, but for the most part, they use these products for raising brand awareness. Here’s the breakdown:
  • 74% of promo items are used for increasing brand visibility
  • 59% are used at events, fairs, seminars
  • 19% are used in direct mail marketing
This study showed that 70% of study respondents use promo items mainly for brand awareness objectives. Keeping your brand top of mind!

What Makes a Successful Promotional Item

Marketers also noted the following qualities that made clients happy with promo giveaways. First is quality, second, if a product was memorable, and third, if it was relevant to them. Consumers also appreciated usefulness and long desk life. It was not unusual for people to keep promo items for more than 6 months, especially if it held some sentimental value.

Average Budget for Promotional Products

While big companies are shelling more money for TV adverts, it’s not uncommon for almost all businesses to give promotional products a share in their marketing budget. Spending statistics show:
  • 22% of marketers surveyed said, their annual spending was between: £500 – £2,000
  • 38% of marketers surveyed said, they spent an average of £1.01 – £2.50 per unit on giveaways

What Motivates Marketers to Buy Promo Items

It was a common consensus that marketers were also willing to spend more on promotional items if the following incentives were present:
  1. They were allowed to have bigger budgets
  2. There were more relevant product ideas (we can help with that use us to help you form ideas)
  3. If it was easier (and cheaper) to source products that offered something different

How Marketers Choose Suppliers

Finally, marketers were asked how they chose the right suppliers for their campaigns. 81% of respondents said they found their suppliers online. Others either went back to their trusted suppliers or used ones referred to them. What’s interesting is that only a minority found suppliers through advertising.

What Makes a Good Supplier (like us!)

Marketers were also looking for the following guarantees from a quality supplier:
  1. Understands requirements
  2. Provides great customer service experience
  3. Had quality products
  4. Well-designed website and catalogue
  5. Industry compliant products
  6. Offered a wide range of choices
If you have any questions about promotional products, and how they can help your marketing efforts, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us. We offer expert advice on promotional marketing and branding to help get you started! Connect with us on social for more tips on how to do great branding!

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