Is there anything more attractive than the word “free”?
We all love the word free! If you saw a sign on a table in front of a store
that read FREE, wouldn’t you take a few steps out of your way to see what was on
the table? Even wealthy people love the word and have been known to take soap,
shampoo, and even towels from their hotel rooms. When you offer something for
free, you get attention, especially if what you are giving away is useful. Then
you can’t give it away fast enough. The next trade show you attend, notice the
traffic at booths giving away promotional products and compare it to the traffic
at booths where nothing is being given away.
Emblazon your promotional products with your business name, logo, and contact
information to increase visibility outside of the company. Useful items such as
pens, mugs, T-shirts, sunglasses, and clocks, among a million other things, can
be custom made to showcase your company's logo or message to the world. Useful
items such as these are very effective in generating name recognition and
customer loyalty.
Big Spenders
Spending on promotional products is increasing. In 1999, companies spent more
than $13 billion on these items, while in 1990 they only spent $5 billion. The
reason is that this type of advertising works. According to many marketing
experts, promotional products can often be more influential than magazine,
newspaper, or even television ads.
What percentage of your company’s marketing budget is spent on promotional
products? What percentage is spent on other forms of advertising? Have you been
getting the results you want? If you haven’t, you might want to adjust your
budget allocations. With a tracking system in place, you can measure the
results. |
