|
|
 Using
Promotional Products To Increase Your
Profits
By Dennie Marks |
|
What could possibly make a difference between your company and that of your competitor? The right kind of advertising, reminding your clients who you are, how they can benefit from your services and letting them know that you are the right company to provide those services to them. One of the most effective ways to market is through the use of promotional products. These items display your corporate identification or message. They are effective! They create good will! They are a powerful means to promote your business! The purpose of this article is to bring your attention to the inherent values of using products within your marketing programs. The promotional product industry strengthens the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. Those of us who are promotional product consultants enhance the work of the ad agency. We act as your advisor and are a part of the big picture. We provide the knowledge necessary to assist companies to increase their profitability through a practical advertising technique. According to documented studies there are three elements of goodwill; customer loyalty, willingness to make repeat purchases and a willingness on the part of your clients to make referrals. Those studies indicated that companies using promotional products increased goodwill standing over their competitors. Adding a promotional product to a mail promotion can generate up to a four times greater response rate than a sales letter alone. This motivating technique can stimulate employees as well as promote customer interest. As incentives, in-house promotion and award programs are just as important to insure high performance and loyalty in your company. Frequently companies seeking to market in this way are not focused on just what they want to accomplish. Many questions have to be asked and answered by both the business planning a promotional program and the promotional product consultant they choose to work with. Your consultant should be committed to providing the highest quality products available for your budget at competitive prices while ensuring outstanding individualized service in a timely and cost effective manner. They will assist you to build a quality image. The right consultant will individually review each project according to the clients requirements, evaluate budget allotments, determine quantities required, evaluate lead times and determine the complexity of logos to be reproduced. Consider your consultant a partner. Select a company you feel comfortable with. A successful project will depend on the information you provide to your advisor. There are thousands of items available to be used for logo imprinted messages. Useful gifts will always be valued. Remember, promotional products can be used all year in a variety of ways. They are often used on a daily basis. When items are used the advertisers message is remembered. Advertising with promotional products has positive long-term affects when customers use and re-use them. Promotion in this manner can provide advantages that cannot be attained through other media. These include. high recall of advertisers message, helping to change from passive impressions of a company to a positive impression. Mainly, positive impact is a direct result of items kept, used and referred to. Reinforcement takes place with each use. When you are planning a project 'brainstorm"! Your consultant is prepared to ask and answer many questions. Understanding the variables along with certain limitations of the numerous products available will help you make an effective decision for your company. Some important considerations:
As you go deeper into the subject of item marketing you will discover that there will be numerous contributing factors to consider when planning a project. Let your promotional product consultant help. The tuned in consultant will help you focus on your goals and guide you in your selections based on the information you provide. Sometimes flexibility is necessary. It is seldom that two projects are exactly the same. It is vital to consider your consultant a partner. Your objective is to effectively market your business and satisfy your clients. The relationship you have with your product consultant should be based on trust. Feel comfortable with the company you select. Keep in mind that your advisor's objective is to satisfy and assist in every way possible. Dennie Marks |
