Did you know that promotional marketing is one of the most important ways to spread your brand reach and raise the profile of your business? Many people think that promotional marketing is not an effective investment in our modern world, but the Global Ad Impressions Study, released by the Advertising Specialities Institute (ASI) each year, shows that promotional products are the most highly regarded form of advertising, and that consumers are 2.5 times more likely to have a positive opinion of promotional products compared to internet advertising.

Like any marketing strategy, promotional products can only have a positive effect on your business if developed and targeted correctly. Working with an expert in this area can be a helpful way to make the most of your investment in promotional merchandise, and here at Connect Promotions, we specialise in working with businesses to develop a unique range of relevant and engaging promotional products that will create positive outcomes. A range of products gives you options and puts your business in a better position to maximise the impact of this marketing tool. Working with us can put you streets ahead of the competition, and understanding the value and impact of promotional products is a great place to start.

Why Use Promotional Marketing?

Marketing campaigns aim to put your brand at front of mind for as many people as possible across your target demographic, and promotional products are a very immediate way to achieve this aim. It’s all about brand recognition and promotional products have a longevity that other forms of marketing do not have. They get your logo out there in the world, increasing brand visibility, and are an excellent way to create a physical connection with your audience.

Promotional marketing works because:

1. It lasts. While video and radio adverts usually last for one to two minutes, promotional items are kept for long periods of time, ranging from around 9 months for writing instruments to around 16 months for branded outerwear, according to ASI research. While the millennial generation has already learned to effectively ‘tune out’ advertising on TV and online, a tangible product cannot be ignored. This means that the people who receive your promotional products will interact with your brand in a much more real way, and for much longer than any other form of advertising, and this works to build a strong and effective connection between your business and your audience.

2. It’s cost effective. The cost of promotional marketing can be significantly lower than the cost of digital advertising campaigns, for example, so your value for money in relation to brand exposure is much greater when you get your promotional marketing right. Promotional marketing done well is a great way to boost your business revenue, and customers who receive promotional products tend to order and re-order from your business more frequently than those who do not. Even high end promotional items are shown to be cost effective in terms of the brand loyalty and return custom that they inspire, and we can help you to design low cost promotional items that really work for your brand.

3. It’s relevant. Good promotional marketing is relevant to the brand and audience in question, and is a far cry from the generic branded items that have become outdated. Consumers are becoming very selective in the way that they connect with promotional items, and low quality, unsustainable products are not likely to have a positive effect on your audience. When you work with us, we will identify your target audience and their preferences, and this will enable us to design a range of products that are attractive and relevant to them. At the moment, great looking products that are useful are the most likely to have a positive and lasting impact, and those companies that make sustainable choices are likely to reap the rewards. ASI statistics show that the quality of a product accounts for 52% of the decision to keep a promotional product, while 48% relates to the utility of the item and 36% to the attractiveness of it, so you can see how influential these factors really are.

4. It’s positive. The way in which promotional marketing is used influences the positive feelings that your customers and potential customers have about your brand, and studies show that using a promotional product in conjunction with a sales letter in direct mailings can increase response rates by up to 50%. Crucially, customers who receive promotional products are seen to express more goodwill towards a company than those who do not, and this can only be good news for any business. Brand ambassadors are an extension of this idea, taking customer loyalty to the next level and creating an active audience who will engage further with the concept of your business and encourage others to engage similarly.

5. It’s flexible. Any good marketing campaign will be adaptable to a multi platform approach, and promotional marketing is especially flexible in this way. You will, no doubt, have seen marketing campaigns that engage consumers in a collective online campaign, such as those that call for videos of individuals carrying out a challenge. These are easily adapted to feature a promotional product, and this can be a great way to build brand identity, customer loyalty and a sense of community in your marketing. Successful campaigns run this way are extremely popular with customers and businesses alike, and we can help you to hone this technique and create a campaign that really works for your business.

Promotional products for brand recognition

Customers love promotional gifts and you can tailor your promotional products to run a social media campaign or giveaway at trade shows. We’ll help you create a cost effective range of branded promotional products such as water bottles, t-shirts and tote bags, ideally suited to your loyal customers. We are experienced in the promotional products industry and we can make your promotional products stand out from the rest so that they increase brand awareness and raise the profile of your company logo. Brand exposure is vital, especially in this digital marketing age, and we can ensure that your promotional products maximise your impact.

Promotional products may be used for up to two years, which gives multiple opportunities to spread brand awareness, and this is a very effective way for small businesses and large scale businesses to advertise. Effective promotional products will reach consumers and potential consumers in a direct way, enabling companies such as yours to generate buzz. You can reach out to your loyal customer base and more potential customers in the same way, making branded products a cost effective way to reach your marketing goals.

Find the ideal promotional item for your company

To find the most effective promotional products for your company, we’ll look at what people tend to consider great value items and we’ll encourage you to make the most of these. For instance, sustainability is a buzz word right now. Your company may employ divergent media campaigns and you’ll want a different approach for a social media campaign to a customer facing event. For instance, you can make use of qr codes, your logo and low cost promotional products in different ways to create a specific impact for your company. You could even partner with a brand like coca cola to create personalised products that bear your logo and make your business stand out.

Customer connection is key, and identifying what will work for your demographic can help to boost your branding in just the right way. Our aim is to get your logo in front of as many people as possible and promotional products can do this much more effectively than the traditional business card. Promotional products display your logo and often your contact details, but unlike a business card, they are also a useful and practical item that will be reached for many times. Companies love promotional products because they build a real connection with their audience, and you can begin to reap the benefits of this today.

Get your promotional marketing right with Connect Promotions

Here at Connect Promotions, our expertise can take your marketing strategy to the next level. We have many years of experience in creating campaigns that work and developing effective ways to use promotional marketing to grow your brand. Every business is unique, and we will tailor our approach to suit you and your ethos, so that you receive the service you really need.

When you are looking for promotional merchandise in Ireland, including Cork, Dublin, Limerick, Galway and Waterford, we can help you to get it right. Our team can work with you to streamline the way you advertise, from conceptualisation to delivery of your products to you or your recipients worldwide. From luxury promotional items to corporate gift bags, we are on hand to create the brand recognition you want. We can optimise the way promotional products work for your business when you give us a call or drop us a message today.