HOW DO YOU CHOOSE A PROMOTIONAL PRODUCT?

When deciding what your organization wants to use for a promotional product, there are typically four things to keep in mind.

Target Demographic

Who do you intend to reach as a result of your promotion? A cheap frisbee probably wouldn't be a good choice to let people know about the grand opening of a Rolex dealer. However, if your a handyman or a home warranty company, a branded tape measure or hammer could get people to think of your company at exactly the time when they're likely to need your help.

Price

The cost of your target promotional product should be somewhat determined by the amount of profit you expect to generate from each sale. 3-5% of your profit is a standard range for a good promotional product. If you're a realtor who makes $8,000-20,000 per deal, you may be able to give clients a $200 custom engraved bottle of wine, or a custom engraved crystal vase that will never be tossed aside. But if you own a service station where the average profit per deal is $100, maybe a good promotional product for you is a key chain or air freshener with your company's logo and contact information. While it's true that you've got to spend money to make money, it's important to keep the cost of your gifts in proportion to the profit you intend to make.

Campaign

It's usually a good idea to choose a promotional product that is consistent with the image, slogan, or philosophy of your business. Although this is generally the norm, sometimes it is effective to choose a product that is in stark contrast to your product or service, simply to emphasize why your company is important to your customers.

Distribution

The size and shape of your promotional products set limitations on they way you intend to distribute them. Light weight, thin items like pens, magnets and calendars can be bulk mailed to pre qualified leads. Larger, bulkier items like apparel and mugs can be handed out at trade shows and sales conventions. Expensive items like technology items and watches should be hand-delivered or sent via insured mail. It's important to design the promotional product so that its manner of distribution will be simple, convenient, and appreciated by the people you intend to reach.