Before kicking off your next promotional campaign for a trade show, customer retention, or to enhance your company's image, here are 7 steps to a successful promotional products campaign.
1. Define a specific objective. Whether the goal is to increase traffic at a trade show exhibit or to boost sales with current clients, the first step in any campaign is to clarify the purpose of the program.
2. Determine a workable distribution plan to a targeted audience. Distribution of a promotional product is as important as the item itself. Research shows that a carefully executed distribution plan significantly increases the effectiveness of promotional products. For example, a pre-show mailing to a select audience delivers more trade show traffic and qualified leads than simply distributing items to passerby at the show.
3. Create a central theme. Linking a recognizable logo and color to all aspects of a campaign, from promotional products to sales sheets to product packaging, helps create an instantly recognizable image.
4. Develop a message to support the theme. Supporting a campaign's theme with a message helps to solidify a company's name, service or products in the target audience's mind. For instance, to promote its services to small businesses, a bank created the theme "Are you tired of being treated like a small fish?" and sent fish-related products to its prospects along with promotional literature.
5. Select a promotional product that bears a natural relationship to your profession or communications theme. A good example is a company that developed a magic motif for its conference at Disney World. Attendees received magic-related products to tie in with the theme "Experience the magic at Disney®."
6. Don’t pick an item based solely on uniqueness, price or perceived value. Don't fall prey to the latest trends or fads. The most effective promotional products are used in a cohesive, well-planned campaign. What Recipients Look For When Receiving Promos:
- Usefulness 98.3%
- Quality 71.8%
- Attractiveness 61.5%
- Tastefulness 59.8%
- Convenience 45.4%
- Uniqueness 43.7%
- Longevity 28.2%
7. Use a qualified promotional products distributor. A good promotional products distributor will help you answer all of these questions as well as offer a variety of value-added services, including unique product ideas, creative distribution solutions and insight on the different imprinting methods just to name a few. PPAI distributors have met the highest qualification standards in the industry and display "The Mark of a Professional."
Published by the Promotional Products Association of America.