Benefits of Branding Promotional Merchandise

Benefits of Branding

Gifts and giveaways are one of the most enduring tactics used by brands, and it is easy to understand why. Customers will think of a business more favourably if they have been given something free.

Research carried out by the BPMA (British Promotional Merchandise Association) suggests that it can bring in new business. A survey found that 56% of respondents felt more favourable towards a brand after receiving a promotional item, while 79% said it would make them more likely to do business with the brand in future.

Choosing a product that customers will find useful is crucial to the success of the giveaway. Something that lots of businesses do really well in Japan is handing out branded paper fans in summer. Anything where you have given away something of benefit to the customer, which they will keep with them and use again, gives you quite a low-cost communications channel.

BPMA research into the length of time branded promotional merchandise is kept reveals that low-cost items, such as mugs and pens, can deliver a cost per impression of just £0.001 – a tenth of a penny. This compares favourably with other forms of media such as television (£0.008 per impression) and advertising hoardings (£0.003 per impression), it says.

Environmentally friendly products can also be a more cost-effective option. For example a re-usable bag may be more expensive than a plastic carrier, but the marketing message will be around longer and the user experience far better. The ROI (return on investment) in this scenario is surely greater, and outweighs the initial cost.

Top Tips:

Make the giveaway relevant to your message.
Ask for something in return. Gathering customer data in exchange for the giveaway makes it much easier to quantify the effect of a promotion and put an accurate figure on ROI.
Continue engagement beyond the free gift. Promotional merchandise makes consumers think of brands more favourably, so don't miss an opportunity to build an on-going relationship while they are open to your advances.
Don't always opt for gimmicky. Remember it's all about the message and how long your client will keep the gift.

Research and Statistics

Research carried out by the BPMA (British Promotional Merchandise Association) suggests that promotional merchandise can bring in new business. A survey found that 56% of respondents felt more favourable towards a brand after receiving a marketing giveaway, while 79% said it would make them more likely to do business with the brand in future.

	56%	OF RESPONDENTS FELT MORE FAVOURABLE TOWARDS A BRAND AFTER RECEIVING MARKETING GIVEAWAYS.
	79%	OF RESPONDENTS SAID IT WOULD MAKE THEM MORE LIKELY TO DO BUSINESS WITH THE BRAND IN FUTURE.

Gifts and giveaways are one of the most enduring tactics used by brands, and it is easy to understand why. Customers will think of a business more favourably if they have been given something free.