Which advertising media are there and which are useful? Who does not know them, the promotional gifts? No matter whether a large corporation, a small medium-sized company or a political party. Everywhere you can take something with you that reminds you of the advertiser.
In the past the choice was small. Inflatable balloons on World Savings Day and the obligatory ballpoint pen. That’s it. In the meantime, however, the possibilities of advertising through promotional gifts have expanded considerably. Lighters, ballpoint pens and sweets are still available. USB sticks have been added to this. The production prices are negligible and the customer usually has a lasting benefit. I myself have been using a USB stick from an IT software company for 10 years. It looks very good and was made of metal. The storage capacity is not up to date anymore, but it is sufficient to store documents.
From the point of view of the advertised party, i.e. the recipient of advertising material, it is mainly products that offer lasting added value that are worthwhile.
Take the ballpoint pen as an example. Usually the user will use it for months or even years. Whenever he uses it, he is reminded of the company that gave it to him. And also everyone who is around will, consciously or unconsciously, become aware of this pen. Since we absorb most of our information unconsciously, the pen and its sponsor are noticed.
If, on the other hand, the advertising medium is not useful, it quickly disappears in a drawer or ends up in the trash. Then the advertising message can of course no longer be perceived.
Another possibility is to trigger positive feelings. Sweets are one such example. One then associates the company’s brand with the delicious taste of chocolate or candy. Although the product can only be consumed once and only by one person or a small group, the emotions are much stronger. The recipient of this promotional gift will now see the company in a more positive light than before using the gift.
There is another effect. When someone is given a gift, they tend to return the gift. The presentee will “not owe anything”. The tendency is that the return gift is usually more valuable than the promotional gift received. Many companies take advantage of this effect. Who does not know this: You get something as a gift at a trade fair. The least you can give in return is the time for a sales talk.
It is important to adapt the promotional gifts to the product or service offered and the target group. Anyone who sells luxury real estate should never offer cheap hooch, but should distribute a high-quality wine as a gift to their customers. On the other hand, if you produce software or hardware, you can give a USB stick as a gift. In the case of a software manufacturer, it would be a good idea to put a demo version of his products on the USB stick. It is also possible to offer different promotional gifts, depending on the target group. So it may be that a prospective buyer for luxury real estate is not interested in alcohol and even the highest quality wine does not please him. Or a vegan will not enjoy even the best steak.
Advertising material for different occasions
In addition to the usual and more familiar advertising media, such as pens, balloons and the like, the company also sells advertising media that can be distributed on special occasions. There are different variants.
One is the season. So for the cold seasons woolly hats with company logo can be given away. In summer, on the other hand, peaked caps or a water polo ball are a good idea. In autumn, a kite is certainly possible. The joy that is felt is similar to that of enjoying sweets or a good wine.
On the other hand, there are also fixed times during the year, which have a common theme. In winter it is the Christmas season. Santa Clauses and other motifs are in demand during the Advent season. Another event based on the Christian faith is Easter. Advertising novelties to Easter offer themselves accordingly: Easter bunnies, Easter nests, Easter eggs, the fantasy no borders are set, thereby its advertising message under this topic to align.
Conclusion
Promotional gifts are an inexpensive way to gain the goodwill of (potential) customers. There are different strategies and types of promotional gifts. In the end it is always about making the customer feel good. This should convince him to give his time for an advertising conversation or even to make a purchase.
Adapting the promotional gifts to the seasons or recurring events such as Christmas and Easter is another way of optimizing.
