Promotional products are all around us. Think about your favorite writing pen, the one with the nice feel that you made sure to keep from your old job. Or the T-shirt you picked up after a concert you really enjoyed. Or the mug you got for Christmas three years ago, the one you still drink from every morning. You probably don’t think about them as promo items very often, but that quality, their invisible visibility, is a big part of why they work so well.
When growing your business, advertising is the name of the game, and promotional products are one of the most consistent ways to get the word out and stick in people’s brains. This is intuitively true – people generally like getting free stuff, especially when it’s useful – but the evidence is there, if you need it.
According to market research, about 89% of people can recall the brand of a promotional product they received two years ago. The highest impressions come from apparel, like shirts and jackets, followed by drinkwear and writing instruments.
Outerwear, like shirts, caps, and jackets, are always among the most effective promo products, because of their visibility and potential for long-term use. This varies slightly by generation (millennials have a slight preference for sweatshirts, and baby boomers for jackets), but the general rule is the same for all ages. Branded apparel also has the best recall long-term, with 85% of people remembering the brand when asked; this is far higher than for traditional ads on radio (57%) and TV (28%, yikes).
In fact, in the current age, traditional advertising is easier to avoid than it used to be. Think about how many people pay for streaming services with no commercials, or don’t listen to radio in their car, or have ad blockers installed on their computer. Instead of relying on intrusive interruptions to reach new customers, it’s good business to offer something of tangible value that people genuinely appreciate. 59% of consumers would rather have a promotional product than see an ad on TV, radio, or social media.
Memory is a big part of the effectiveness of promo items, but it’s not everything. You also want them to have a positive feeling associated with the memory. 73% of people are more likely to do business with a brand that gives promotional products, or make a purchase from that brand. What’s more, it can help counterbalance negative feelings; after having a customer service problem solved, 81% end up with a better feeling of the business if they got a promotional product for their trouble. Being a little generous can entice them to come back when they might not otherwise.
If you’re reading this humble blog, you’re probably in a position to use some promotional items for yourself or your business. It’s one of the best ways to advertise, and we have the data to prove it. For more information on the state of the industry and effectiveness of various products, see our Promo Fact Sheet page.
Sources:
Allegra Marketing, Pew Research
PPAI
Promotional Products Work
