Branded Promotional products Influence Purchase Decisions
Placing your company logo on drinkware, hats, t-shirts, writing utensils and shopping bags can not only enhance your brand’s awareness, but will also increase the number of impressions your brand receives, guaranteeing repeat exposure. This ultimately impacts consumer purchase decisions.
FACT: a Promotional Products Association International (PPAI) study revealed that: before receiving the promotional products, over half of the consumers in the study had done business with the advertiser (55%). While after receiving the promotional products, 85% did business with the advertiser.
More research finds that some promotional products can generate nearly 6,000 impressions before being tossed. For example: branded apparel – like t-shirts and hats, extend your brands reach well beyond the point-of-purchase by turning your loyal fans into brand ambassadors. By wearing your apparel in public it’s like free advertising.
Another FACT: According to the Advertising Specialty Institute (ASI) 44% of U.S. consumers own some type of a branded shirt. That’s a lot of impressions and likely this percent is even higher.
Branded promotional products and apparel, also known as ad specialties and wearables, make up a nearly $20 billion dollar industry and are used by virtually every business in America. Retailers and Consumer Brand Marketers are using products like mugs and pens to advertise or promote a product or service, a business or a cause, thank consumers for their business, reward loyal customers, or to directly drive sales by using these products as purchase incentives.
Promotional products should be a part of every brand’s marketing mix. There are thousands of items to choose from to fit about any marketing theme, budget or target audience. So, how do you choose?
Choose Specialty Items that are Useful and Memorable
The secret is theintrinsic value of promotional products. Not only are the majority of these items not seen as advertising, they are typically things that people can actually use, which means they won’t be thrown away.
The more useful your product is, the more impressions it will create which increases the ROI of that product. Additionally, this will create a positive and memorable association with your company in the mind of the user. Careful consideration should be made as to selecting items that align with your marketing message and intended brand experience.
Products should also be chosen and used to more closely appeal to your target audience, also making them more memorable. Unlike a mass media purchase such as TV or magazines advertisements which may appeal to about only 2% of the people .
Another study conducted by PPAI revealing the influence of promotional products on consumer behavior found that:
- Over half (53%) of consumers use a promotional item at least once a week or more often
- Usefulness was the most common reason people kept branded products
- Computer products, health and safety products, and writing instruments were considered most useful
- Sporting goods, leisure items, hats and apparel were also often kept for their usefulness. However, attractiveness of the item was a bigger factor