How to Use Promotional Products for Brand Marketing

Posted: 16 Apr 2019

From custom bags to promotional mugs, branded merchandise is a great way of giving brand awareness a boost. Not sure how best to use promotional products in your marketing strategy? We’ve gathered all of our top tips for success!

What are Promotional Products?

Take a look at the mugs in your cupboard. How many of them have logos on them? Promotional products are company giveaways that you’ll probably use all the time. They’re small, everyday items like bookmarks or tote bags that we use all the time.

Why are Promotional Products Important?

Although they’re small, they’re also mighty. A powerful advertising tool, promotional materials build a strong brand awareness without the customer even realising! And as well as being one of the most affordable advertising methods, they’re also greatly appreciated – who doesn’t love a freebie?

Do Promotional Products Work?

Is there room for printed promotional products in our new digital world? According to a 2016 study by the Advertising Speciality Institute – yes!
They found that most people keep promotional products for an average of eight months – which means they last a lot longer than pop-up website banners and PPC ads. The study also discovered that people are also very likely (63%) to pass their branded merchandise along to someone else once they’ve finished with it.

How to Use Promotional Products

Give Away Promotional Products
You can combine print and digital to create a winning social media competition that’s sure to boost engagement!

Social media competitions are the fastest way to grow your online presence and get customers excited. But every good competition needs a prize worth winning – say hello to custom T-shirts! These work especially well for brands where you know free tees are the way to your customers’ hearts, like health and fitness businesses or technology and gaming companies.
Hand Them Out at Events
Ever been to a stand at an event because you knew they were handing out freebies? (Don’t worry, we don’t judge.) Stickers, tote bags, and notebooks draw attention to an exhibition stand like a moth to a flame.

Not only is all this extra attention extremely beneficial to your brand, there are lots of added benefits to this scenario. If there are people carrying around your promotional tote bag at an event, they’re basically advertising your brand for free. Consumers are also likely to take your products, like branded notebooks, home with them to use personally!
Leave Them Around Your Place of Work
Do you work somewhere where customers need to fill things in? Or do you have a waiting area? Make the most of this opportunity and leave a pot of custom printed pens handy for customers to pick up and take away with them.
Send Mugs Out in the Post
Ideal for Christmas campaigns or foodie companies, personalised mugs make great giveaways. Create a campaign where the first 100 orders get a free mug and watch the purchases fly in! You could add extra value to your promotional mugs by filling them with goodies like mug cake mix or hot chocolate sachets.
Give Them to Your Employees
Get the most out of your promotional merchandise by handing it out to your employees! Things like notepads and coasters will help to create a sense of unity in the office and it’s an easy way of decorating with your branding.

Giving employees custom logo T-shirts is also a fantastic way of raising awareness – say they call at the shop on the way home from work wearing your brand, that’s getting your business’s name out to loads of new potential customers!
Sell Them
If you’re a museum, library or tourism attraction that relies on a gift shop, printing promotional products are a really affordable option. Bookmarks appeal to many library and museum target audiences, T-shirts and mugs are always popular options for attractions.
Sponsor a Charity Event
Sponsoring an event is a great marketing tactic – and it’s always a win-win situation. You’re marketing your brand to loads of local people and the charity will benefit from the sponsorship.

Print and design your personalised T-shirts with both your logo and the charity on for people taking part in the event to wear. This then works as an advertisement for your business.

And what’s even better? It could also make for a fantastic PR opportunity!