Case Study: The Only Form of Marketing Your Target Market Thanks You For

People are inundated by advertising ranging from ads that interrupt your favorite podcasts and delay DIY YouTube fix-it videos to ads that hijack your webpages if Google's caught wind that you're on the market for something.

Given their tangibility, branded products are a powerful alternative. However, not all promotional products are created equal. To make an impact, the right product must be delivered to the right person at the right time. The most effective promotional products possess these five traits:

1. Useful – People keep promotional items that provide immediate value - think practical items like writing instruments, technology products, or kitchen utensils. Useful products have staying power, increasing brand exposure.
2. Well designed – Attractiveness is important to ensure someone keeps the product and feels good about showing it off, especially in terms of apparel. Cheap-looking products reflect poorly on a brand. Low-quality items will find their way to the trash very quickly and can trash a brand image.
3. Informative – Giving an item that educates about a company's services or provides instructive content that's of interest to a specific audience can be a valuable advertising technique. This implies that the company has their audience's best interests in mind. Examples include hospitals branding items with tips about healthy living or fire departments branding safety training booklets. 
4. Desirable – Understanding a target audience's wants, needs, and lifestyle is important when selecting the right advertising materials. Always consider the type of event, location, and demographic makeup of the attendees, as it will help to predict the mindset of the target audience.
5. Sentimental – Promotional products can be powerful when they evoke a certain passion or memory. Meaningful connections are created between the brand and the recipient, as a result of having shared a memorable experience. Examples include a charity event that holds personal meaning or a company recognition event where branded awards are distributed.

It’s not all about slapping your logo onto a key ring and calling it a day. Strategy is involved in identifying the perfect promotional products to engage an audience, bring value to recipients, and accurately reflect a brand. This sparks moments which trigger relationship-building connections between a recipient and a brand.  Don’t just wing it, ask an expert that can help bring clarity to your marketing efforts. Contact us.