BrandIT

6 ways that successful marketers use merchandise to build profile and profits in the IT sector

Aisling Graham

• Publisher: Over the Top Promotions Pty Ltd
• Year: 2020
• ISBN:
  9781922391834
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Negocios y empresa
• Subtopic: Marketing digital

Are you wasting money on marketing merchandise that doesn't cut through with your customers?

Does your brand need to stay ahead of the pack by using effective, innovative promotional materials?

Do you want to surprise and delight your clients (and your boss!) with memorable merchandise that brings bang for your marketing buck?

Twenty-first century marketing can be a minefield, but with the right strategies and promotional products, it's easy to build brand recall and recognition.

Brand-It shares the six essential steps that marketing professionals need to follow to make the most of branded merchandise in their business.

This book will help you to:

• Have the product knowledge you need to succeed
• Choose merchandise that matches your brand's message
• Mix your merchandise up so that your brand stays front of mind with your customers
• Get the ROI your company needs
• Create memorable merchandise by keeping up with trends and technology.

1. Why use promotional products?

Many people think that 21st century marketing is all about online connections. While it is certainly true that the way to build a brand has changed, there is still immense value in putting a physical reminder of your organisation in your client’s hand or on their desk or even in their car.

At Over the Top Promotions we have been lucky enough to work with a number of epic IT companies over the years, and we have seen a wide range in their spend on merchandise. It all comes down to the reasons why the merchandise is being used.

There is no right or wrong here. I believe that if a company really wants to drive brand recalls (see Chapter 2), and they understand how merchandise can be incorporated into the event or purpose, they will see the value in having promotional products. However, companies whose focus is on digital marketing, with little value placed on merchandise, will not. Their ordering process will often be last minute, with little thought given to choosing the right product — the one that will align with their brand. Those companies inevitably fail to see how promotional products can help with their marketing activity.

Having said that, I know of companies that don’t use any merchandise and are still successful. That’s fine. At least they acknowledge it. It’s preferable for them not to go anywhere near merchandise if they don’t see the value in it.

We spend thousands of dollars working in the background, making sure our clients have the right products, so we would never want a client working with us that didn’t see the value of what we offer. We would almost certainly clash, and it would be a waste of time for everyone concerned. And if they’re achieving results, that’s great.

As much as I believe in the value of promotional products, I can’t claim that they are a must for everyone. Marketing teams must see the value in them, and understand how and why they should be used. That message usually filters down from the management level. Throughout this book I offer advice and support, plus a wealth of statistics that show how effective merchandise can be. It’s then up to you, the reader, to decide if this is something that will benefit your particular company.

The value of trade shows

Over the years I have spent many hours walking around trade shows. I always like to see how our products have been received, and how our clients have responded to the results. This is an extremely valuable exercise for me. I can see all the new products that are coming out, specifically which ones match which brand. It is invaluable to be on the spot and seeing people’s reactions when they look at the merchandise.

I love nothing more than seeing people being drawn to our stand to see the merchandise. That’s the whole point of displaying products at a trade show. The products draw them in and our client’s sales team does the rest, using the potential client’s interest to start a conversation.

I especially love walking around a trade show and seeing everyone carrying branded bags like mobile billboards. There can be hundreds of them.

When merchandise doesn’t work

On the other hand, I have also seen merchandise achieve nothing. This is usually because the products are old, they don’t align with the company’s message, not enough thought has been put into the products, or they’re boring. It could simply be a case of wanting to get rid of excess stock. In cases like this, it’s a waste of money to buy any of the products. The sellers of the merchandise would be better just giving it away to charity.

Don’t bother with merchandise unless you can clearly see the value in it. I cannot stress this enough. It’s not worth it. Achieving a sufficient marketing budget is hard enough without throwing money away. You want bang for your buck.

Growing a client’s brand

The aim of promotional products is to see a client’s brand grow, and help the client’s brand stand out from their competitors’ brands. Branded merchandise should be seen as a support tool to reinforce the client’s message.

Maybe you have left it to the last minute, or can only choose a small number of products. Either way, you can still keep true to your brand’s message. You don’t need to spend lots of money. Sometimes all it takes is a bit of thought, and it can be surprising how often the best ideas appear to be a little outside the box. Spend less, achieve more, and remind people of the benefits of doing business with you.

Ideally, your promotional supplier should be familiar with your brand and be able to help with ideas. An advertising agency may know your brand well, but they may not always know what the newest products are. In the IT industry, it’s essential to use only the newest products.

Marketers in Australia spend $1.5–$2 billion a year on promotional products for one reason: because they work. A few statistics:

• 52 percent of consumers surveyed say their impression of a company is more positive after receiving a promotional product
• 76 percent recall the name advertised on the product
• 55 percent keep the item for more than one year
• Nearly 50 percent use the product daily
• 52 percent will go on to do business with a company after receiving a promotional product

2. Investing in merchandise

In this chapter I list the many reasons why you will benefit from purchasing promotional products. Hopefully this will prompt you to consider how they can work for you, and add value to your business.

Brand recall

This is probably one of my top reasons for buying merchandise. Ideally, the company will first have cut through their competitors, and their brand will be remembered for as long as possible. For example, for a company distributing to the government, some great brand-recall products would be desk items. These may seem like old-fashioned items, but they are perfect for brand recall.

For government departments, in particular, desk items can be given without any issues, and the items that are used the most frequently are those that are best at building recall. These items could include mouse pads, mugs, drink bottles, USBs and power banks. Many people working within government are desk-bound, not mobile at all, and they appreciate objects that can stay on the desk.

Think about how many times you look at your mouse pad each day. For just a few dollars, you have a great way to build brand recall. Low cost, but high recall. You could do some great stuff like putting dates of events that you run throughout the year, or maybe a calendar, or contact names and numbers. Or you could print your logo and a list of the key core values of your company to reinforce what you stand for, and what makes you different from your competitors.

If you’re working with the channel, giving away some nice high-end polo shirts is also a great way to build brand recall. They must be good quality; after all, you want the shirts to be worn again and again. One added benefit of high-end polos is that you’re aligning yourself with quality. Polos seem to be the staple clothing for workers within the IT industry, in particular. I can promise that if you hand out Ralph Lauren or designer polo brands to your clients, the shirts will seem to grow legs and run out the door.

Another great option is to align your business with a company like Nike. Among many other things, Nike represents speed, so it would be a great choice if your company wants to be agile in the market. With polo shirts, you are effectively building brand recall with no effort on your part by having a team of people walking around displaying your logo to their clients on a daily basis.

A few statistics on brand recall:

• 71 percent of business travellers surveyed reported receiving a promotional product within a 12-month period
• 7 percent had the item on their person when surveyed
• 56 percent kept their promotional product for more than one year
• 76 percent could recall the name advertised on the product

With brand recall, you don’t need to recreate the wheel. The best products are the most used, and the most used are standard products like mugs, polos, drink bottles, bags, mouse pads, power banks, USBs, power chargers, and hubs. It might be tempting to go for something different, and there is definitely a time and place for that, but to get the most out of brand recall, my message is: keep it simple.

If your market is desk-bound, give them desk items.

If your market is mobile, give them power banks, USBs, cable chargers and webcam covers.

A5 notebooks are another great suggestion. If your brand is a little loud, go for coloured notebooks; they will really stand out.

At Over the Top Promotions, we offer over ten thousand products as standard items, so there are hundreds and hundreds to choose from. Talk to your promotional-product supplier and explain what you are looking for in a product. They should be able to suggest the most suitable products for you.

Building customer relationships

People love giveaways. Use promotional products to take advantage of that. If you want to reward a staff member for helping to get a project over the line, or to onboard a new client with a welcome pack, promotional products are a great way to say thanks or welcome. Most merchandise will work for this, but I suggest using products from the cupboard for this.

If you want to start the year with a bang, put packs together for your clients. This is a great time to restock your clients with merchandise because usually everyone is fresh and happy at the beginning of the year. They will be happy to accept the product, and, more importantly, willing to listen to what you have planned for the year ahead.

You could consider a notebook that has details of products that are going to be launched that year, or events that will take place. Use it as an opportunity to add contact details, ensuring you include the staff they can contact with any queries.

Creating a custom welcome pack is also a great way to welcome new customers. Work within your budget; the options are endless. For instance, you could give away bags containing a notebook, polo, power bank, USB and pen.

Christmas is also a good time for giveaways. There are endless possibilities for inclusion. Outdoor speakers, towels, beach bags and beach umbrellas are all things that say relax and thanks for a great year.

If you’re working on products for the cloud, something like an umbrella with a cloud printed on the inside, or a product that’s suspended in the air, would be great. These gifts are a little different, although at the high-end of the market. If you are looking at security items, products like webcam covers, RFID (radio-frequency identification) items and...