Why Buy Promotional Merchandise & Company Branded Items

Welcome

Hello and welcome to webrand4you.co.uk, we are a Lancashire based supplier of branded merchandise with over 20,000 different business gifts that can be printed and branded for you next exhibition, campaign or marketing activity.

 We are based in Chorley (the home of Chorley cakes and Chorley Fm) which is in travelling distance to Wigan, Warrington, Blackburn and many more towns in the North West.

 If you are looking for promotional items ? you have no doubt looked at quite a few websites and we are glad that you've found ours. There's plenty of choice out there with a gazillion different pens, mugs and gadgets etc and yes.... we all have pretty much the same kind of promotional products.

Promotional Products are an essential part of your marketing strategy and they work if approached in the right way.

Not all Branded Items work well though so how can you ensure that the next promotional item you distribute is a good fit for your business and recipients?

First and foremost, you need to have a goal. What do you want to achieve by distributing your items and what exactly do you want to promote? Without a clear plan of how these products fit into your overall marketing strategy, you run the risk of wasting a lot of valuable resources.

Determine who your recipients will be. Decide who will receive your products and when they will receive them.

Avoid choosing a branded gift that you like. It needs to serve a purpose for the recipient and your business. Target your products at a carefully selected audience. This will bring the best results.

Choose a product that your audience will use for the longest possible amount of time. One use items won’t have as much of an effect as something that will last many months or even years. If you want your message to remain with the customer for several years, choose something with the maximum amount of longevity. The ultimate goal should be to encourage the recipient to keep your item and use it regularly.

As well as carefully considering the quality of the product, check the wording on the items to make sure there isn’t any spelling mistakes or errors in the print.

Choosing the right Promotional Products can be a challenge but with a little research and a good understanding of your audience, you will make the right choice. Carefully targeted promotional merchandise  is valuable to the recipient can result in higher sales, more recognition for your brand and increased loyalty.

We have briefly explored what promotional products are and how they can be used, but what are the specific benefits that they can bring to your business? Any type of promotional gift is usually affordable but something that piques the interest of people receiving it so that they become interested in and interact with your business. The types of products that you distribute will depend very much on your business and your target market. Business to business clients would benefit from stationery items such as pens, mugs and USB sticks while a B2C client may benefit more from something practical like a keyring, calendar or fridge magnet,

The ultimate goal of any promotional merchandise that you distribute should be to create a positive impact with current and prospective clients. Your efforts should generate enough interest for the individual or business to be interested in what you do and what you have to offer. The distribution of branded gifts should really appeal to people and it should be something that the recipients will like, use and appreciate. But what other benefits can arise from the use of business gifts?

#1 Brand Loyalty

Printed  Merchandise will give your business an incredible opportunity to build loyalty with your brand. They are excellent icebreakers because they allow you to build a rapport with your prospect first and build a friendship rather than the prospect seeing you as a corporate entity trying to sell them something.  Establishing trust and building a rapport is one of the best ways that you can achieve the results you need. Prospects will be more inclined to remember a positive experience with your business and receiving a valuable promotional product that makes their life easier or they use a lot will help to achieve this. 

A power bank or charger for example, are always great items to send out. In addition, if a prospect or current customer receives a high value, high-quality item and they are happy with your products as well as the products or services that you provide, they are more likely to stay with you for the long term.  A product that fits in well with your audience and proves to be useful and memorable will be great for your business.

#2 Building Relationships

Establishing effective relationships with your customers is crucial for any business.  When you distribute your branded items, people love receiving them, particularly items which are thoughtful and creative.

One of the main ways to retain customers is to keep them happy. When customers are happy with what you provide, they are less likely to look elsewhere. Decisions about branded merchandise should aim to build relationships and create a lasting impression.

You can do this by making your customer feel valued. Make your promotional merchandise personal by adding the recipient’s name for example. Another great way to build relationships is through giveaways bringing in your following on social media. Promote a giveaway that creates a buzz around your business. This will increase engagement with your brand and encourage existing followers to share your content which will not only distributes your message further but allows you to grow your network.

#3 Increase Interest

When you distribute branded merchandise customers will start to develop an interest in your brand, your values and the products or services that you offer.  A unique and interesting way to increase interest in your business is to use things such as digital rewards like gift cards or vouchers. In doing so you can collect contact details and the lead will receive a reward whether it’s a voucher, coupon or digital magazine or even a branded promotional product. You can also increase interest by offering incentives for referrals.

With existing customers, you can send them a  branded product as an incentive for providing a recommendation. If you do receive a genuine referral that converts into a customer, consider sending them a promo gift as a thank you.

#5 Customer Retention

Customer retention should be the focus of every business owner because it is much more cost effective to retain an existing customer than it is to find new ones. Investing in your brand is therefore important and you can achieve this by delivering usable, personalised products that maintain interest in your business. Focusing on existing customers can significantly boost your Return on Investment.

#6 Increased Sales

A promotional gift makes a lasting impression on potential customers and they can be used to generate new sales and leads. When a promotional product is combined with a call to action asking the recipient to visit a website or call a business, it often generates a higher success rate than other forms of advertising.

Most Popular Branded Products

Promotional items can serve many different purposes and they shouldn’t be confined to trade shows, exhibition merchandise or corporate events. They can be distributed as part of a wider marketing strategy, used as an incentive or as a thank you to existing clients.

When it comes to deciding where to spend your marketing budget, there are many factors to take into consideration. Traditional media such as newspapers, magazines and radio/TV advertising are not always as easy to monitor results and digital media, unless done properly, can become fragmented. In fact, it can be a full time job just trying to keep on top of your marketing.

Where do you start and what should be your priorities? More importantly, where will you get the best return on your investment? Promotional products are an important element of marketing that needs to be factored into your marketing strategy and plan. The art is knowing which promotional products to use, when to use them and how. But where do you start?

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF PROMOTIONAL PRODUCTS ?

Before you embark on ordering promotional products for your business, you first need to establish what it is that you are trying to achieve. Important particulars like the audience you are trying to reach, your methods of distribution and the message that you are trying to communicate all need to be factored into your plan. You need to avoid impulse decisions that will leave you with lots of merchandise that you aren’t going to be able to use or that has no purpose.

WHO WILL YOU GIVE THE BRANDED PRODUCTS TO?

This is a decision that is going to be based on your business and what you are trying to achieve. Perhaps you want to reward customer loyalty or maybe you want to incentivise new customers. If you are exhibiting at an event then you may want a reason for people to come to your stand and promotional products are a great way to engage with them. Perhaps you are looking for a way to reward customers over the festive period with something that can be used all year round and not only gives them something but also acts as marketing for your business.

WHAT PROMOTIONAL GIFTS SHOULD YOU CHOOSE

There is so much choice when it comes to merchandise. As well as the sheer volume of products you can choose including promotional pens, mugs, USB sticks, bags and clothing, there are also a number of styles, sizes and other options. Clothing can include sweatshirts, t-shirts, jackets, hats, baseball caps, fleeces, aprons, armbands and so much more. In fact, according to the Promotional Products Association international (PPAI) 2017 survey, wearables account for 35.8% of promotional products survey.

Some businesses have their staff uniform branded while others like to have merchandise to give to customers or potential clients.

WHAT DO PEOPLE LIKE FROM PROMOTIONAL MERCHANDISE

When considering your promotional merchandise, it is important to question what people will use and what they are looking for. The top reasons that people keep promotional products include whether they are fun, functional and trendy.

TOP REASONS PROMOTIONAL GIFTS ARE KEPT

In order for you to provide value to your customers it is necessary to understand the audience. Who are they, what do they do, what do they like etc.? If you have a good ideal of your audience habits and behaviours, it is easier to reward them with merchandise that they will find useful. Business executives, for example, will make use of USB sticks, good quality pens and umbrellas.

The more value and functionality you offer your customers, the more likely they are to use and retain your products.

How to brand your products Choosing which products to purchase is one decision. The next step is to choose how you will brand your products. You could spend a lot of time and research just deciding on this alone. Again, it is important to look at your audience and how your products will be used.

Creating the right image and ensuring that people will be happy to be seen with your products is important.

Company colours – keeping the products in your company colours can increase recognition but only if those colours work with the products Company logo – the perfect opportunity to increase brand awareness The detail – will you include a slogan, your website address, telephone number, store location or a specific message? Size and quality Amount – how many products will you order. This will largely depend on who they are for and your budget. Target audience, budget, purpose of the products and whether there are any variables that are likely to change in the future will dictate what you order and how many. If you are likely to have a re brand 12 months down the line or change your website or physical address, you may want to consider how much and what you order. You don’t want to be left with lots of irrelevant merchandise.

THE BENEFITS OF CROSS PROMOTION

When your products arrive and you find yourself eager to share them with everyone the good news is that you can. The various social media outlets mean that you can share them with your followers.

In fact, there are many cross-promotional benefits like organising giveaways (within the restrictions of Facebook rules) or simply sharing how people can get their hands on them. Use all of the platforms available to you to cross promote and increase your brand awareness. Do they influence people?

If you are on the fence about promotional products and wondering if they are worth investing in, there is much research to support the case. According to the 2017 PPAI survey, 79% of people researched a brand and 83% are more likely to do business with the brand as a result of receiving products.

If you are looking for an edge over your competitors, it is the small things that can sometimes make a big difference. The more exposure you give to your brand, the more impact it will have. While there is so much for business to consider, promotional products have a key place in the marketing mix and can be a very effective investment if executed properly.

If you would like to discuss your options and would like some benefit and advice then We Brand 4 You are more than happy to help.

What are promotional items?
Before we look in detail at the most popular promotional items, it’s important to first understand what exactly they are and what benefits they can bring to your business. A promotional product is something which has your message, business name, offer, slogan or logo displayed on it. The product may contain one of these or a combination, whether it’s a mouse mat, a paperweight or an item of stationery, the general purpose remains the same. If you look around your office now there’s no doubt that you will see lots of promotional items such as a coffee mug, calendar, pen or water bottle.

Promotional items should be useful. If they are, they will be used by the recipient long after your marketing campaign is over. Research carried out by BPMA highlighted that 63% of recipients would keep a USB memory stick the longest and a total of 97% of respondents who participated in the survey would like to receive promotional products more often.

Although they are one of the most overlooked marketing strategies, these statistics alone emphasise the importance of incorporating promotional items into your marketing strategy. Customers who receive promotional products from your business are more likely to be loyal to your company, make repeat purchases and be more willing to provide recommendations and referrals to your business. Furthermore, the impact of direct marketing can be much more effective if you combine it with a promotional product that is interactive.

How to use promotional products to market and grow your business  ?

Promotional products can benefit your business in a variety of ways. They can increase brand loyalty and awareness, enhance customer engagement levels and help you drive your business forward. Promotional products come in all kinds of forms and can include everything from pens and other forms of stationery to power packs, t-shirts and many more. Read on to find out how to make promotional products work for you and get the results that you desire.

The effectiveness of promotional products

Not everyone who uses promotional products to create exposure and engagement for their business does it right. Nonetheless, it’s said that businesses in the US spend almost $20 billion each year on promotional items. If promotional products did not work, they simply wouldn’t be used by so many businesses of so many sizes, from such a wide range of industries. What’s more is that everyone loves receiving goods for free, and by providing your customers and clients with gifts, you can boost your reputation and make your brand appear generous and caring.

Boost engagement and awareness

Promotional goods that you can opt for include products that can be used when people are out and about such as umbrellas, notebooks, and phone cases, wearable goods such as t-shirts and caps, stationery items and modern digital devices like power packs, flash drives and many more. Promotional items allow you to thank your customers for doing business with you, encourage them to do business with you in the future and to show your appreciation to your staff. Many companies decide to include their contact details on promotional items so people can easily get in touch with them without having to look up their phone number or e-mail address.

Careful planning required

Before you embark on a promotional product marketing strategy, it’s wise to think about what you can afford, which products are suitable for your business and what you want to achieve from your actions. Some companies use promotional goods to increase traffic to their website or get more enquiries, whilst others use them to drive sales and build loyalty. If you do need help with planning the right strategy to make your budget go further, you can work with a promotional products specialist to help you get the right results and avoid wasting money.

Choose the right goods

It’s vital to opt for products that will appeal to your target audience, so opt for goods that they will use that will add value to their lives. The more your customers use your products, the greater your brand’s presence in their lives will be. Your brand will be constantly visible to them and you will be rarely out of their thoughts. You also need to think carefully about how you will get your products out to your customers. Will you send them through the post or will you hand them out in person, perhaps in your shop, at trade shows or exhibitions? How much can you afford to spend on distributing your products? Again, a promotional products expert can help you make the right decision for your needs and budget. Research carried out by the British Promotional Merchandise Association found that 79% of people consider doing business with a company that has provided them with promotional items.

Distinctive, high-quality products

Don’t opt for the cheapest promotional products that you can find, as this can do more harm than good and result in your company being seen in a negative light. With so many companies and organisations sending out promotional products, it’s important to stand out from the crowd if you do wish to win the attention of customers and clients. Don’t order bigger quantities than you actually need, but make sure you are purchasing enough to meet your needs and drive exposure. It can be wise to start off by purchasing promotional goods for your in-house staff to see which ones they like and get the most use out of. This will help you make more informed decisions when you purchase items for customers and other businesses.

Impress new and existing customers

Don’t focus all your efforts on attracting new customers, as it’s incredibly important to keep existing ones onside rather than taking them for granted. If your competitors start sending them exciting and distinctive goods whilst you are not, you may risk losing them to your rivals.

 You can build rapport with a potential client by dropping off promotional products at their premises whilst convincing them to do business with you, or can even hand out goods when meeting up with an existing customer. It’s not uncommon for companies to run competitions on social media where their followers can get the chance to win useful and valuable promotional goods. These competitions can also get people talking about your brand, your products and services to their friends, increasing exposure and helping you win over new customers.

Review your efforts

Once your strategy has been implemented, it’s important to take steps to measure its success. Have you seen an upturn in sales or enquiries? Have you received positive feedback? If so, you can regard your campaign as a success. It shouldn’t take too long for you to decide whether your efforts have paid off or if you need to do something differently.

If you’re not already using promotional items to maximise exposure and drive revenue, the time to act is now.