Promotional merchandise is a great way to help you gain and retain customers by increasing and reinforcing brand awareness. The trick is finding the right promotional merchandise for your company and the customers you serve.
Business versus Consumer Customers
If you serve businesses, you will likely have different promotional merchandise than a company that serves consumers (individuals). When passing out freebies at trade shows or to current customers, keep in mind what your business clients will use. T-shirts, hats, and bags will likely make it back to the office or home and end up in a closet or as a gift to the kids. Be sure to give business customers things they can use everyday - and therefore see your logo/brand name everyday. If you serve restaurants, try branded ladles. If you provide staffing services or other products/services to HR professionals, give those customers branded items that can be used as employee recognition rewards.
If you have consumers as customers, find promotion products that make sense for your company. Own a company that provides pool cleaning supplies and services? Give customers branded bottles of sun screen, nets/pool cleaners, or floats. If you own a pet store, reward customers with branded leashes, bandanas for pets, or other toys/snack packs.
Common versus Useful or Unique Items
Another thing to keep in mind when determining the right promotional product: will this actually be used? If you are passing out t-shirts or hats, the likelihood of seeing your customers in them is practically zero. These end up in the garage or as the favorite paint-the-house/work-in-the-ya rd attire. Be sure that your promotion product is useful or unique enough to get used and seen to maximize brand impressions and return on investment.
As you begin to search for the right promotional merchandise for your business, just remember to keep in mind the type of customers you serve and the usefulness or uniqueness of the merchandise you choose.
