| What Are Promotional Products?
Promotional products
- usually imprinted with a company's name, logo or
message - include useful or decorative articles of
merchandise that are utilized in marketing and communication
programs.
Imprinted products that are distributed
free are called advertising specialties. Imprinted
items given as an incentive for a specific action
are known as premiums. Business gifts, awards and
commemoratives are also considered promotional products.
How is promotional products marketing used?
Since promotional products can be used alone, or integrated
with other media, there are virtually limitless ways
to use them. Popular programs cited most often by
industry distributors are business gifts; employee
relations; orientation programs; corporate communications;
and at trade shows to generate booth traffic.
They're also effective
for dealer/distribution programs; co-op programs;
company stores; generating new customers or new accounts;
nonprofit fundraising; public awareness campaings;
and for promotion of brand awareness and brand loyalty.
Other uses include employee incentive programs; new
product or service introduction; and marketing research
for survey and focus group participants.
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What
kinds of promotional products are available?
There are literally tens
of thousands of different types and styles of promotional
products. In many cases, it's even possible to obtain
custom items that aren't found in any catalogue. Examples
of common items include: pens, calendars, T-shirts,
caps, coffee mugs, calculators, keychains, desk accessories
and bumper stickers.
What are some of the
pros and cons of using imprinted promotional products?
Pros:
Promotional products marketing fits into any advertising
budget, complements other media, can be directed to
selected audiences and remains to repeat the advertising
message each time the product is used, without extra
cost per exposure. People like to receive them. And
since the items are useful and appealing they are
effective as incentives and motivators. Because there
are so many products available, there is a lot of
flexibility in planning a successful promotion.
Cons: On many products
the imprint area is limited. Production time could
range from days to as much as eight weeks
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