Are you looking to invest in company promotional items, but don't know where to start? Promotional giveaways like custom pens, notepads, and tech accessories can be powerful marketing tools. However, there are some big no-nos when it comes to branding and handing out freebies. Avoid these 7 major mistakes with your company promotional item strategy!
● Choosing Cheap Quality
You might be tempted to go cheap when picking company promotional items to stay within budget. But flimsy freebies that break or stop working quickly end up damaging your brand. Splurge on durability even if that means getting fewer higher-quality items. Your logo deserves to be displayed on products that recipients will actually appreciate and use.
● Neglecting Your Target Audience
Failing to tailor company promotional items to your target demographic is another big error. What do your best customers want and need? Branded drawstring bags for gym goers, printed socks for runners, or tech gadgets for young professionals all show you care about who you are marketing to.
● Over-Branding Items
While you want visibility, overdoing it with massive logos on every inch of company promotional giveaways can be counterproductive. Select tasteful imprint placement and subtle or small logos when possible. Recipients are more likely to appreciate and actually use items if your branding doesn’t overwhelm the product.
● Choosing the Wrong Promotional Mix
Variety is great when providing an assortment of company promotional items. However, too many unrelated freebies send a confusing message about your brand. Narrow options to reinforce your services, values, and image. For example, eco-friendly screen cleaner fluid and printed cloth bags work for green businesses.
● Ordering Too Much or Too Little
It's tricky figuring out ideal order quantities with company promotional items. You want enough to meet marketing goals without wasting money and resources on leftovers. Start small with new giveaways, using contests and special events to gauge interest before committing to mass orders. Offer limited edition items to create excitement.
● Forgetting Follow-Up Branding
Don’t see handing out those meticulously branded company promotional mugs or calendars as the end of your marketing campaign. Follow up by advertising what percentage of customers engage with your giveaways. Send emails reminding recipients about your logo gifting. Offer additional promotions to convert one-time freebie receivers into lifelong brand ambassadors.
Avoiding major promotional product pitfalls takes insight into your audience, calculated creative risks, and follow-through branding beyond the initial giveaway. However taking the time to develop your approach to company promotional items thoughtfully provides lasting returns, nurturing new leads into devoted customers. Just remember, poor quality, irrelevant, overly branded, and inaccessible freebies can damage the perception of your business. So invest wisely and strategically in your next batch of logoed swag to elevate your image.
