The Why, How, What and Whom of Promotional Products published 14.07.2007

If you've ever been to an event, exhibition or trade show, you'll know that companies give away promotional products, brochures, leaflets, profiles, and gifts to those who attend the event freely. Attendees walk away with bags and bags of stuff designed to promote one thing or the other. Now, the question is…are they doing any good at all? Look closely at the people receiving those products…are they paying any real attention to the product and is it even remotely appealing to the recipient? Is the message being delivered? Does the promotional product stand out among the rest as it nestles with tons of other promotional items within the confines of the paper bag?

Suffice to say that giving away promotional products is only effective if done correctly. It's not possible to expect BIG results when the promotional product is just like everything else that everybody else is giving away.

The WHY

Branding is like trying to build a bridge between you and the customer. It's a kind of emotion and relationship that bridges a very big gap. Now, think about this for one minute. By giving the promotional product away, are you trying to create a brand? Communicate a message to your consumer? Motivate them and incite the instant desire to purchase? This is the first thing you'll have to think about because this is your MOTIVE…your goal.

The WHAT

Not surprisingly, this question will give most people a headache. What should it be? How creative do we want it to be? What is the budget? I dare say that there is an indefinite number of different types of promotional products available in the market and it will take some time for you to decide what type of promotional product to giveaway that will bring optimum results. First, it has to be practical…something that the consumer will continue using for some time. Secondly, it has to stand out from the rest because you want it to be unique and grab the attention of the consumer. Most importantly, you want it to be creative and unique enough for the consumer to remember you. Thirdly, the promotional product will have to reflect your company image too.

If you're giving the promotional products away at events, exhibitions or trade shows, the more useful and novel your promotional product is, the more attractive it will be. This is only one of the many different ways to help draw the crowd to your booth.

And of course, here, you'll also have to take your budget into consideration. Different promotional product companies have different types of options and there is no standardized pricing or even a price range. The price depends on the quality, quantity, special orders and method of purchase. Within the company, decide on a budget. How much are you willing to spend in order to bring in the results that you want? And then working within the budget, decide on a few types of promotional items that you like. Let's say you have decided on combs . Look around carefully and list down a few companies and compare the price. Remember, the more you order, the lower the price for each promotional product.

The How

Most of the time, the WHAT and the HOW goes together. How you give away your promotional item depends pretty much on what you give away. And there are many different ways to do this. For instance, you can give away your promotional products via your website, trade shows, road shows, or simple rewarding your return customers.

The WHOM

And finally, to whom do you want to give your promotional products to. First, you have to determine your target market. Get the demographics for your potential customers and find out which method will appeal to them the most. If your target market loves to shop, you can distribute your promotional products through shopping malls. If your target market are mainly internet surfers or work at home people, consider giving your promotional products away through your website.

As you can see, the why, what, how and whom will all tie in together to strengthen your marketing plan. Without knowing the four elements of promotional products, it's difficult to bring in maximum results.