Running a successful business is a difficult task within itself. Additionally, for those marketers who are constantly trying to find ways to attract new customers while ensuring they retain existing clients where they can.
With so many other businesses selling similar products and services as your company, it is easy to see why brands develop marketing strategies with different tactics to target a wide audience to win in the marketplace.
Establishing brand awareness is valuable when marketing and promoting your business. As the adage goes – out of sight, out of mind – and this is especially so in an era where digital and offline marketing go hand in hand, helping companies to quickly grow overnight and to reach as many customers as they can.
Have you ever heard of people refer to themselves as ‘Savvy Aldi Shopper’, or an Apple Geek? This is exactly what brand awareness can do for your company: Embed itself into the lifestyles of consumers’ purchasing habits so that they don’t have to think twice before becoming a customer.
You only need to look at the some of the big brands that have excelled this year. According to leading promotional merchandise retailer 4imprint.co.uk, Netflix, Amazon, Cadbury’s were some of the top brands of 2024.
Researchers polled Brits to discover the household names which helped deal with the ups, downs and hardships of this year.
TikTok, Marks and Spencer and ASOS also made the list, as did LEGO, Disney + and Spotify.
Findings reveal that the brand – in addition to the price people are willing to pay for it – are what matters the most to consumers.
Click here to read the Best Brands 2024 report published by the promotional experts. The study emphasises that brand awareness heavily influences buyer behaviour.
But with so much competition, and many different ways to create brand awareness, what’s the best way to ensure that your brand is at the forefront of your customers’ minds?
Even in today’s digital age, promotional merchandise is of huge value to brands that want to gain greater awareness and build engagement.
Promotional Products
Companies large or small see promotional merchandise as a key solution to their overall marketing mix. According to research, in the UK alone, 8 out of 10 people own a promotional product of some kind with many holding on to the item for an average of 2 years.
Add to this that 82% of people have bought from businesses that they received promotional merchandise from, it will be of no surprise then that it’s one of the most cost-effective methods of reaching multiple audiences.
1. Promotes brand awareness
Think about it, we’ve all been given something with a logo on it, and more often than not, it’s something that we use every day, right?
A product with a name, strapline or key message is far more memorable than without according to 96% of people surveyed by BPMA.
One suggestion might be to bring digital and offline together by adding a QR code on your promotional materials. When a user scans the QR code, it will lead them directly to your website or a special offer you prepared especially for them.
2. Inexpensive
The big plus with promotional products is the price point. The cost of advertising in magazines, or on TV can sometimes be enormous amounts of money and new companies often cannot afford large budgets at the point of initial start-up.
Pens, branded umbrellas from branded-brolly.co.uk, calendars, keychains, and many other items are much more affordable and, in the long run, maybe even more effective. Compared to commercials and digital advertising, these types of products are more durable, which means that you can promote more while spending less!
3. A gift instead of a discount
People love free stuff, and in most cases, they love gifts even more than discounts. It is a frequent psychological marketing tactic often used by companies to entice new business by offering free gifts instead of money off.
At the heart of this may be the feeling that we are significant to someone if they were to give us a gift and that we feel happier after receiving a gift from someone else.
4. Customers are your ambassadors
The crucial thing for every company is to be seen frequently and to be present everywhere. It may sound complicated or even impossible, but with the right products and the right approach, your customers can be the perfect ambassadors for your brand.
Promotional materials like hats, t-shirts, or bags can help a lot to one company since that these are items people are using or wearing all the time – ultimately, your customers can become a mobile advert for your company and for free!
5. Event sponsorship
People often think that providing sponsorship to some event requires a lot of money, but that’s not the case. A brand can’t become popular if the local community doesn’t support it. Sometimes it is not easy for the new companies to gain the affection of the locals. Ask around for future events and offer help such as sponsorship. You could offer parasols for picnics with your logo on, or shirts or shorts for a local football team.
6. Rewarding employees
Your employees can also be some of the best ambassadors for your company. It is all the more reason to award those who give their best at the job and work the hardest. By doing so, you will not only get happier employees, as they will also wear those T-shirts with a sense of pride and use their promotional accessories everywhere they go.
Final thoughts
Promotional materials will always give preference to your product and company, and that is why it represents a crucial thing in your marketing campaign that should not be overlooked. It also offers you an inexhaustible set of ways you can present your brand and contribute to your business.
For those who don’t know where to start, or which suppliers to choose, it is always best to work with a company that has a lot of experience in this field since there are many websites that offer these types of advertising solutions.
Look for one that provides a step-by-step guide for your promotional needs so that you can start winning over new customers and securing more sales right away.
