Promotional advertising gifts
Promotional advertising gifts can accomplish so much more than the actual value of the gifts themselves. It can win valuable customer goodwill, bolster business trust, foster closer ties with key partners, and promote your company’s brand and image.
Gifts are definitely effective advertising and marketing tools. According to a 2004 survey by American Express, the act of gift-giving is increasing even among small business owners. The survey showed that 69% of business owners bought gifts for valued customers, up from 57% of the previous years.
Promotional advertising gifts need not be expensive. More than the value of the gifts, the one factor that really impacts the marketing and business value of a promotional advertising gift is its value to the recipients. No matter how pricey or flashy the gift is, it does not bring much value to the business if the recipients end up not using the item because they find it useless, impractical or simply not the kind of gift that they can use in their daily life.
Companies can gain higher benefits from their promotional advertising gifts by following key principles in promotional gift-giving. One of the things that recipients appreciate about advertising gifts is when they are customized. The customization may either reflect the image that the advertisers want to impart or it may be more tailor-fit for the recipients. Either way, the gift should reflect the effort of taking the extra time to think of something different and unique.
Giving promotional advertising gifts serve as perfect opportunities to promote the company brand. However, advertisers must make sure that the imprinting of the banners on their gifts is done tastefully. Otherwise, their gifts may just end up in the trash or stay hidden in the closet.
A lot of companies now are being more creative in putting their brands in the promotional advertising gifts. Aside from being more discreet with their logos, some would simply give a promotional advertising gift with a card carrying the company’s logo or message. Others would include the company’s website address so it would be easier for recipients to check out the firm in a more in-depth way.
Recipients of promotional advertising gifts are more likely to appreciate and use items with discreetly placed logos over those with screaming brand identities, unless of course the brand is so popular or the gift is a collector’s edition.
As been said many times above, promotional advertising gifts must be useful for them to be used repeatedly. Richard F. Beltramini, professor of marketing at Wayne State University and coauthor of Gift Giving: A Research Anthology has said in an article, “Business gifts should be appropriate to the recipient…they need to show that the giver took time to select the gift that’s appropriate for that individual.”
Prospects are more likely to be receptive to companies that give them products that are useful and practical. It somehow tells them that the company is a no-nonsense firm and serious about doing its business. Again, such gifts need not be expensive but they must meet a customer’s compelling need.
Most importantly, promotional advertising gifts should be tied in with the advertiser’s overall campaign objectives to really work. It is hard to measure the effectiveness of a gift-giving program in itself, more so if the advertising objectives are not clearly outlined.
The following guidelines will further enhance the effectiveness of your promotional advertising gifts:
- Define a specific objective for your promotional advertising gifts.
- Set up a workable distribution plan for your intended recipients.
- Create a central theme for your promotional advertising gifts.
- Have a message that supports the promotional gifts.
- Choose a promotional advertising gift that is closely relation to your line of business or the theme of your campaign.