Should Your Business Invest In Promotional Merchandise?

As a University student, I, Zoe, see a lot of promotional merchandise. In fact, only yesterday I was at a graduate jobs and internships fair, and with nearly 100 stalls there, I would estimate that 95% of them had promotional products with them, with students around campus flaunting their new branded tote bags and pens.

These promotional products allow people to see, associate, and recognise your brand, and in turn, the more people who are aware of your brand, the better results you will see in sales.

We’ve all heard of promotional products, and it’s likely that most of you reading this will have a few promotional products kicking back on your desk right now. In fact, according to BPMA research, 89% of respondents had 1 or more promotional products on their desk at that given time.

Promotional products are effective tools for building brand recognition during marketing campaigns, and have been popular for many years. In more recent years, it has become possible to track your data from advertising, so companies can retrieve genuine data about the positive effects that promotional products have on their brand and sales.

I wanted to run through a few of the key reasons I believe that promotional products should be invested in as part of your marketing strategy, and the main benefits that it can have for your business.

Brand Awareness

You may have the greatest brand in the world, but if no one knows about it you aren’t going to make any sales. Promotional products, be it a pen or a bag, have longevity and often provide real use to the client such that they will normally hold on to it for a while.

Cotton tote bags are a bestseller for Total Merchandise and I can clearly see why. Walking around campus, particularly after the Fresher’s Fair, I have seen so many branded tote bags you couldn’t count them. I have one with me right now which promotes a local bar! Studies have shown that people tend to keep promotional products for one year or longer so your investment should see results heading into the long term.

Later this week I will continue on by explaining how promotional products increase customer loyalty, the cost of your investment, and some key findings from the BPMA about the power of promotional products. In the meantime, take a look around you and see how many promotional products you can spot!