While promotional items are a cost-effective marketing method, they still require significant time and expense, so it’s important to ensure they deliver tangible results.
Luckily, we’ve got the data to prove that investing in promotional items really does pay off.
What are the benefits of promotional items?
So, do promotional items really work? Let’s find out.
Increases brand awareness
As reported by LSi, a British Promotional Merchandise Association (BPMA) study that was carried out in 2011 by ActionPoint Marketing Solutions Ltd highlighted the positive link between brand awareness and promotional products.
Crucially, it found that 84% of survey participants agreed that promotional gifts increase awareness of the advertised business. Rather than being seen as just a pen or tote bag, consumers are actually paying attention to the branding.
Offers long-term exposure
The same BPMA study also found that the perfect promotional gift is kept for nearly three years on average. Unlike digital ads which can be fleeting and easy to miss, these promotional items can be kept for years, ensuring repeat exposure to your brand.
Similarly, ASI’s 2020 Global Ad Impressions Study discovered that more than half of consumers involved in the study reported that they’d retained some promotional items for at least five years, with 40% of consumers keeping them for over a decade.
Leaves a positive impression
Based on data collated in a 2019 ASI (Advertising Specialty Institute) case study, consumers were almost 2.5 times more likely to think positively about tangible branded products than digital TV ads.
This highlights the positive impact that simply touching, feeling, and retaining a free, practical item can have on both brand appeal and satisfaction from the perspective of a consumer.
Encourages engagement
According to the PPAI (Promotional Products Association International), the aforementioned BPMA study also queried respondents on how promotional items influenced their behaviour.
The results? More than half of the respondents said they would “use that company or brand in the future” and “be more engaged with the company or brand.”
While handing out promotional items may not result in immediate conversions, it’s clear that promotional products helped consumers feel more engaged and connected to the brand, thereby increasing the likelihood of future interactions.
Fosters brand loyalty
Based on data published by BR Printers, a substantial 83% of customers “would experience a strengthened loyalty” to a brand they already shop with if they were given a promotional item. This approach can therefore support repeat business over a longer period of time, increasing the average lifetime customer spend.
Pick the perfect promotional products for your business?
Whether you want to secure greater brand recognition to put you on a level playing field with more established competitors or build a more positive brand reputation across consumers and potential partners and suppliers, the data shows that promotional items could be key.
At Birch, we can help you to select and design the most effective and memorable promotional products for your brand based on your industry, budget, target audience, and key marketing objectives.
On top of providing high-quality promotional products in the form of notebooks, pens, tote bags, gift packs, and even quirky giveaways that are perfect for creating a buzz at events and exhibitions, we can also create bespoke banners, signs, and displays as well as informative print literature.
Whatever your requirements might be for promoting your business’s brand, products, and services, please feel free to speak to our professional team today.
Alongside reaching out online, you can also get in touch by simply giving us a call on 0115 951 2468 or emailing your enquiry to team@birchprint.co.uk.
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