How to Choose the Right Promotional Product
What criteria do you use for choosing the most effective promotional products? Is it price? I hope it’s not price.
Of course, price is a factor. We all work within certain budget limitations, but there are so many promotional products at so many price points, that other criteria should come into play. You still need a thoughtful, strategic rationale for choosing between equally priced products.
The reason is that promotional products are more than objects with your logo on them. They’re tangible connections to your brand. How the recipients feel about the promotions influences how they feel about your company.
So the next time you order promotional products, set price aside for a moment and judge them by the following categories instead:
Utility: Some promotional products are more inherently useful than others. A product chosen for its utility is one you hope recipients will keep it for a long time. Pens are an example, along with other things that people use, such as magnets mugs or key chains.
Thematic: A product that has something visible connection to the products or services your company provides is thematic. Some examples: If a book publishing company gives away bookmarks. If a beer distributor gives away branded coasters or can cozys. If a dentist gives away toothbrushes.
Novelty: A product that is unusual or atypical is one that’s given away for its novelty. The idea behind a giving away a novel product is to create immediate buzz. This can be useful in a trade show hall, for instance, if it gets attendees talking and passing it around.Unfortunately, this is the most risky type of promotional product, because it’s hard to guarantee a product will create buzz. The guidance of a promotional products consultant goes a long way here.
Appeal: Some products have mass appeal and some don’t. Stress balls seem to disappear very quickly at the trade shows I’ve attended, for reasons I can’t explain. A product that has appeal is one that you know people want, whether or not it’s useful or thematic. They just want it. Puzzles and games are good examples.
Windfall: Product that fall into this category are typically expensive. The idea is that you give something away that recipients can’t believe is free because of the product’s high perceived value. It’s not uncommon to ask recipients to sit through a presentation or fill out a survey in order to receive the gift. This way you qualify who gets the product and minimize the expense. Books are an example that fall into the windfall category, because they have high perceived value. Leather portfolios are another example. USB drives used to fall into this category, but the price of these products has dropped so much that they rate higher in the utility category now.
