Last week, we talked about setting an Annual PROMO Plan by identifying your PROMO (Marketing) Goals, Events and Activities that can benefit from PROMO, budgets, and coordination of purchasing. Let’s delve into some of the different types of marketing goals you might have and how branded merchandise can support those goals.
Brand Awareness
Brand awareness refers to increasing or maintaining familiarity with your organization so that potential customers and stakeholders can recall your brand under different conditions. It can encompass many things about your brand and can be as simple as recognizing your logo when they see it, knowing what you do and stand for as a company, having positive feelings about you, and keeping you top of mind when making purchase decisions.
Now, you may not ever become as recognizable as the top logos in the world, Apple followed by McDonald’s arches and the Coca-Cola font, but in your community, could most people name your company when they see your logo? If this is your goal, get your logo/brand in front of your target audience often and in different ways. It will take a customer 5 to 7 times of seeing your logo to remember your brand. And 80% will forget it again in 3 days, so:
· Choose items with a high number of impressions like bags, pens, apparel; and
· Focus on giving out more items, rather than giving out 10 jackets, give out 100 t-shirts or a higher quantity of a smaller item. Just ensure that you select a quality item at whichever price point that makes sense for you.
Brand Reputation
When people see your logo (or even a part of your logo), does it immediately bring your company to mind? And more importantly, what feelings do people have when they see your logo? What is your brand story and reputation? Your brand awareness is more about recognizing your logo, it’s about understanding who you are and what emotions come up for your brand among its target audience.
And remember, depending on the type of organization you are, your target audience is not only the people who might purchase your product, it extends to other stakeholders that you want to influence. For example, do some of your goals involve needing individual, business, group or community support or cooperation?
You can demonstrate that you support your community by connecting your brand to key events and causes that are important to your target customers by:
· Enhancing local events with PROMO, so participants take you home with them;
· Make sure your employees have branded apparel to wear when they’re out doing positive things in the community: and
· When you provide donations for prizes and events, make sure they are branded so that the recipient knows who donated the item.
Staying Top of Mind With Customers
PROMO can also help you stay top of mind with your customers. If you’re a restaurant, how do you ensure that you’re remembered “just in time” to impact where they go for dinner tonight. What if you’re a business that consumers don’t use often, but when they do, the average purchase higher? How do you ensure that when they do need you, they remember you and know how to contact you? If you need people to understand more about you, look for branded items that:
· Have more room for including brand messaging (not just your logo);
· Include websites, QR codes, or other ways customers can find out more about you; and
· Reflect the type of business or feeling you want to leave with your potential customer.
Recognition, Rewards & Appreciation
PROMO is a great way to say congratulations or thank you and when you give PROMO, the recipient will remember who gave them the item AND the more they use it, the more other people will see your brand which also helps Brand Awareness.
To make sure your PROMO conveys the right message, choose PROMO that:
· Reflects the achievement or effort you are recognizing; a smaller item is a nice token of thanks for a day-to-day achievement, but it will backfire if it’s used to recognize a significant achievement or customer.
· Will mean something to the recipient and shows you understand them.
· Has subtle branding to show that it is more about them than it is about you; giving someone the equivalent of a billboard to carry, wear or use will not likely be appreciated or used.
Sales Promotion or Encouraging Buyer Behaviour
Launching a new product? Looking to drive purchasing behaviour at a particular time? PROMO can help here too! Consider the following examples:
· Create a limited-edition item that is given to the first X number of customers or to anyone who performs your call to action within a specific timeframe (referral, booking, etc.).
· Use PROMO to encourage attendance or build excitement at an important event.
· Gamification and interaction are key trends we’re watching for 2024 (watch for upcoming blogs to learn more) and there are many PROMO items and ways to use PROMO that follow this trend.
Fundraising or Alternate Streams of Revenue
Maybe you’ve been so successful with your brand that people will buy your branded merchandise – that’s great. Or, maybe, you want to help raise funds for a local non-profit or cause. Did you know that you can make your financial contribution go further by investing in items that will help raise even more money? If you’re looking to raise funds for your company or to support raising funds for someone else, consider:
· Consider retail brands and decoration styles, unless you’re a major sports team, few will want to pay just for your logo, they want something that speaks to your brand.
· Consider unique items, nostalgia or limited-edition items that will move people to act quickly and pay a premium for (or not be able to establish a specific comparable price).
· Know your audience, whether that be your customers or supporters of the organization you are raising funds for, what items would they like, how much would they be willing to spend.
You may have other goals for your PROMO, whether it’s marketing or other types of goals, and the more you tell your Promotional Product Consultant about your goals, the better chance they can help you find the ideal item.