Are promo materials still worth it?

07 Nov Are promo materials still worth it?

Posted at 11:12h in Integrated Marketing by

I’ve been writing quite a bit about content marketing and the appeal of having your intellectual capital on full display online. But a client asked me this question the other day, and I thought it was worth answering.

Are promotional materials (swag, tchotchkes, doodads or whatever you call them) still worth it? The answer has to be a resounding yes! Promotional materials are an excellent add-on to an integrated campaign. Mugs, t-shirts, a URL on the back of your car…all of these are excellent reminders and for the most part, really inexpensive impressions. One of the most memorable promotional pieces I saw once as a  pencil that changed color depending on the mood of the user. That was certainly a conversation starter for the brand. (Here’s the URL for that product, if you’re interested: http://www.qualitylogoproducts.com/pencil-personalized.htm )

Here are a few ideas that work well for “on the ground” marketing to supplement your online work:

  • If you want to bump up your web traffic, try paying a few people running the next 5K to wear a t-shirt bearing your company logo and website address. Sometimes family and friends will do it for free.
  • Find a really unique product that people won’t want to lose. Stay away from stress balls and other things are commonplace.
  • Hand out hats to your friends (again, runners or x-country skiers always love a free hat!) and make sure they wear them. Often, you’ll create brand ambassadors for your product as well. People always ask about a logo or brand someone is wearing.
  • Find an inexpensive piece of swag and donate it to event gift bags. They always need more little gifts.
Whatever you choose to do, my advice is to budget correctly so you can order a nicely made piece. If your swag falls apart easily, people might think your brand is of similar quality!
As usual, know your audience. Find a product that your customer will use frequently. People will often visit your page out of curiosity and from there you can educate them with more content and digital marketing.
Tags:
,