In New York, there are currently more than 200,000 businesses. Out of them, 98% are SMBs and startups. Almost every company looks for new ways to reach new customer bases. A consumer market is a treacherous place, where finding solid ground takes more than conventional advertising and PPC marketing.
What is the lifespan of promotional products?
According to a recent study by ASI, around 80% of the New Yorkers have between eight and ten promotional products from different brands. The average lifespan of these products is about ten months. The longevity of these products does not only depend upon the product quality but also the usefulness of every product. While a branded mug may only be around for seven months, a premium quality branded umbrella might stick around for more than 1.5 years.
Promotional products have a lifespan that is longer than the lifespan of any PPC marketing or print advertising campaign. They create a tangibility that is otherwise not visible among modern brands. With each repeated contact between the target customer and the branded products, the brand recall becomes stronger. Investing in high-quality sponsored products is the only way to boost brand recall without recurring investments in marketing tactics.
How to pick the right promotional products for your campaign?
When starting a promotional campaign, you need to pick the items carefully and distribute them specifically among your target audience. Picking random products and distributing them without any goal among an undefined audience will never have the high impact targeted distribution of promotional products should have. All your branded merchandise should be a part of your brand’s campaigns and sponsorships. Keeping a few things in mind will help you choose the best promotional products NYC has ever seen.
Before you begin to device distribution strategies, you need to design or choose the right products –
- Match the merchandise to brand personality and product quality
- Pick the quality of each item individually
- Establish an emotional connect with the target customers
- Device ways to measure the impact after distribution
- Choose a message that engages the customer
- Ensure that there is repeated contact between the customer and the said product
- Always make the company logo visible on the products
- Choose fewer items, but they should be of high quality
- Pick items within your budget, but choose enough products to cover the entire target customer base
With promotional items, it is difficult to determine the return on the investment. The performance is not immediate, and when the profit does come, it is not always measurable.
What should be the feature of your promotional products?
When choosing the promotional products for your NYC consumers, you need to either select or create products with a considerable lifespan. Now, the question is how does a brand do that?
- Make the item wearable
Most wearable promotional products provide high returns to brands. They brandish the name of the company, brand colors and messages boldly, but not obnoxiously. The real challenge is creating aesthetically pleasing t-shirts, sweatshirts, hats and other outerwear that is not flashy. To incorporate branding, you need to include eye-catching graphics and taglines without pushing your agenda.
- Match the sentiment
People are likely to keep branded mugs, calendars, hats and umbrellas for almost a year, if not more. Studies show that women in NYC, between the ages of 18 and 24, own bags with promotional messages and logos. On the other hand, rural women are more likely to own promotional calendars, mugs, and coasters. USB drives and outerwear are more popular with men than women. You need to keep the environment of the users, and their demographics in mind before designing the promotional products.
- Target a problem
Giving out hats to a population that does not see much sun, or handing out t-shirts in an area that experiences persistent rain and snow, will achieve little in terms of brand recall. You need to choose the city, study the demographics and think about addressing a particular “problem” your target consumer faces. Does your target customer sign paperwork or documents frequently? Does your consumer depend on electronics for his or her livelihood? Do they engage in outdoor activities? Thinking along the lines of solving a problem for your NYC consumers will bring you closer to successful promotional campaigns. You can choose pens, power banks, USB drives, umbrellas, hats or drinkware depending upon the regular need of your consumers.
How to measure the progress?
Measuring the return remains a challenge for most brands after handing out promotional products. Since there is no immediate sign in or registration process or the question of sales, tracking the metrics becomes tricky. You can depend on surveys or feedback mechanisms to enhance your marketing insight.
Open new lines of communication with your existing consumers and inquire about their favorite promotional products. Gathering information about your branded promotional products can help you create rewarding marketing campaigns. The freebies are additional tools that can serve as strong incentives for your consumers for your business.
