Have you ever thought of the use of promotional items and apparel as a part of your marketing strategy? If you haven't, thousands of vendors have...A portion of our marketing team has just returned from a huge advertising specialties tradeshow in Downtown Chicago. Our goal: to check out the landscape of all that is offered in the promotional/apparel industry. And let me tell you that if you can think of a product, vendors have already thought of a way to place your logo on it. We saw everything from refridgerators, corporate awards, golf balls, pens, magnets, deck of cards, dog tags, apparell, tatoos, ipod cases, watches, roses, chocolates, nail polish, teddy bears, hats, lenticulars, radio coolers, bags, the list goes on and on. In fact... we had 2 full work days to visit every vendor and we only made it through approximately 75% of them. So...are promotional items and apparel worth your time? YES! However, you have to be strategic in your product selection and use. Here are a few good reasons why your company should use promotional items/apparel: (click link below to read more)
▪Branding your company▪Providing your sales force with a high touch tool
▪Recognizing top performers within your company
▪Retaining top clients by offering a gift of appreciation
▪Offering as incentive for response
Just remember, be strategic with your purchase whenever you do decide to implement promotional items/apparel. Don't just get a pen simply because every other business has one. Or purchase the cheapest item you can find just because it's cheap... you often get what you pay for and it can reflect poorly on your company. Your marketing dollars are valuable...so choose wisely and execute with diligence.
What has your company used (regarding advertising specialties) that has/hasn't worked? Comment and share with other marketers.
-Ernie DiMalanta
