Tip No. 1

Promotional products can increase booth traffic at trade shows. Exhibit Surveys, Inc. discovered promotional products use by exhibitors can give an advantage over other exhibitors for buyer attention. A research study showed that in addition to increasing booth traffic, trade show registrants had a stronger post-show memory of the exhibiting company as well as positive feelings (goodwill) toward the company.

Tip No. 2

Promotional products give customers "warm fuzzies" toward a company and the salespeople! In a Baylor University study customers receiving a calculator with a thank-you letter felt more positive toward the sales representatives than those who received a thank-you letter with a less expensive highlighter pen.

Tip No. 3

On promotional product's creative impact: because of promotional products utility value, they naturally create involvement. This involvement combined with factors such as effective targeting, appropriate timing, marketing campaign objectives, creative copy and/or creative imprint design, only multiplies creative impact. Other factors affecting impact include the promotional item's size, value, shape, practicality, appropriateness, humor, personalization and artistic flair.

Tip No. 4

A new twist in gift giving: give gifts to someone else on behalf of your customers. California court reporter firm Tearney & Tearney, seeking to stretch a limited budget to say thanks to all its attorney clients, bought plush dinosaur toys, told clients they were being given in their names to underprivileged children. Attached to the toys were stamped postcards which the children could use to send a thank-you to the "givers."

Tip No. 5

The diversity of available promotional items lends to the countless applications of this medium. Here are five ideal opportunities to demonstrate effectiveness of promotional products marketing: promoting branch openings, introducing new products, motivating salespeople, opening new accounts, and stimulating sales meetings.

Tip No. 6

You can triple booth traffic just by including a promotional product in your pre-show mailing, according to the Trade Show Bureau. Most effective are the use of "companion gifts," such as sending an imprinted coaster before the show and giving away a matching coffee mug at your booth.

Tip No. 7

For creating awareness among a selective audience, promotional products are hard to beat. In a study on attendee awareness of product demonstrations staged in three university communities, Southern Methodist University found that selective distribution of ad specialties out pulled school newspaper advertising by a 2-to-1 ratio.

Tip No. 8

Pre-show promotions are important. Research shows 76 percent of trade show attendees have decided BEFORE they get to the convention which booths they will visit.

Tip No. 9

As a professional promotional products distributor, I can offer many special services like artwork, computer graphics, layout/paste-up, warehousing, fulfillment, packaging, gift wrapping, copywriting, imprinting and engraving.

Tip No. 10

The top 10 industries purchasing of promotional products are financials; healthcare; non-profit organizations; education; general manufacturing; insurance (companies, agents, adjusters); automotive; government; entertainment/sporting events and media/advertising & PR agencies.

Tip No. 11

Developing trade show traffic, balancing improper product mix, activating inactive accounts, changing product/company names and sales aids for door openers are a few more ways promotional products marketing can enhance campaign results.

Tip No. 12

In the promotional products industry, suppliers are those that manufacture or import products. They imprint your name or message on products, and rely on distributors to sell products to you -- the client. Suppliers promote their products to distributors like me through catalogs, tradeshow exhibits, industry publications, direct mail. They also promote to independent supplier representatives who in turn keep me informed of new products.

Tip No. 13

Promotion goals aren't met by chance. Successful marketing campaigns are carefully researched and planned, having taken into consideration the audience, budget and the desired goal.

Tip No. 14

With the expansive variety of available products, creative ideas for promoting your company, product or message are virtually infinite. The industry's constant quest for the unique ensures an infinite supply of ideas. In addition to being designed to enhance an advertiser's image, promotional products stick around...and around...and, well, you know. With each use, the advertising message is seen again, at no additional cost per exposure.

Tip No. 15

Qualities to expect from me as your promotional products distributor: 1. A solid reputation with good references; a CAS or MAS industry designation earned through continuing education. 2. Creative exchange of ideas serving as your consultant, rather than an order taker. 3. A business philosophy and style that match the firm's needs. 4. Accurate, inclusive price quotes. 5. Record of on-time delivery.

Tip No. 16

Promotional products work best as part of an integrated marketing plan. Although advertising is usually what we think of first, promotional products are also ideal for sales promotions, public relations, branding and internal communications.

Tip No. 17

Promotional products are effective in reinforcing employee sales contests, too. A month-long Baylor University study of sales contests in retail stores indicated that using promotional products as periodic reinforcement were not only cost-effective, but also outperformed the contest that didn't use promotional products by as much as 50%!

Tip No. 18

Using me as a consultant can mean the difference between success and failure of a promotional campaign. As a professional promotional products distributor, I have the expertise to help you create a campaign theme, an imprint message, method of distribution and products which are appropriate to your campaign and budget.

Tip No. 20

Presenting a promotional item personally wields the strongest impression on the recipient.

Tip No. 21

A survey of 180 college students at five U.S. universities revealed that promotional products are indeed influential and appreciated. Ninety-five percent of the students surveyed mentioned appreciation at having received the items, and 85 percent named an imprinted item in their immediate possession or at their home. Eighty-three percent of respondents said that promotional products would motivate them in one or more of the following ways: respond to a survey, enter a contest, purchase a product or service, patronize a business or donate to a charity.

Tip No. 22

Customers reorder faster and more often when promotional products are used instead of coupons. In a study by Southern Methodist University, customers receiving promotional products reordered up to 18 percent sooner than those who received coupons and up to 13 percent sooner than those who received no promotion.

Tip No. 23

For that extra performance boost, look to awards and incentives because employees are willing to work hard to get them. That's the conclusion drawn from a new study by Baylor University. Employees say they are likely to try harder when competing for awards and incentives in teams rather than individually.

Tip No. 24

Promotional product recipients typically have a higher opinion of companies who give away promotional items; however, that opinion is reduced if a company gives away promotional products for a time, and then stops.

Tip No. 25

Promotional products provide high message recall. In one study, 68 percent of recipients remembered the advertiser's name or message.

Tip No. 26

Promotional products improve the recipient's impressions of an advertiser. A survey revealed that 56 percent of respondents had a favorable impression of the advertiser before receiving a promotional product. That number increased to 71 percent after receiving a promotional item.

Tip No. 27

Promotional products can maximize trade show attendance. A pre-show gift, according to a study on trade show attendees, can produce three times greater traffic to an exhibit than an invitation without a gift.

Tip No. 28

Promotional products build goodwill. In one study, a company using promotional products improved its goodwill standing over competitors by 11 percent. A promotional product, the findings indicate, can surpass by as much as 52 percent a thank-you letter alone in improving a customer's general feelings about a company and its sales reps.

Tip No. 29

Since everyone naturally likes to receive gifts, that makes promotional products marketing the only advertising medium that has built in ingratiation.

Tip No. 30

Direct mail response rates increase with promotional products. Using promotional products as an incentive to respond can generate four times as many responses as a sales letter alone. The promotional product incentive can reduce by as much as two-thirds the cost per response.

Tip No. 31

Customers receiving promotional gifts are more likely to give salespeople referrals. In one experiment, the difference in the number of referrals was as much as 24 percent.

Tip No. 32

Promotional products should relate to the advertiser's message. However, prior to choosing the products, we will spend important time discussing the best way to achieve your goals. Consider these six elements when planning a successful promotion: 1.Define Promotion Objectives 2.Identify Target Audience 3.Plan Product Distribution 4.Determine Central Theme 5.Develop Message for Imprint 6.Select Products

Tip No. 33

Promotional products maximize the effectiveness of employee sales contests by sustaining employee enthusiasm over the contest period. Contest results in one study show 50 percent more stores achieving sales gains.

Tip No. 34

Mary Kay beauty consultants realized using promotional products encouraged customers to provide the consultants with names of friends and associates as sales leads. The consultants who gave promotional gifts to their customers received as much as 22 percent more referrals than those who didn't use them.

Tip No. 35

Promotional product mailings can dramatically improve response rates for campaigns involving other media, such as print advertising. In a study by Dallas Marketing Group, a national tile distributor wanted to integrate the use of direct mail and promotional products into an existing print advertising campaign. Response rates were tracked for a known group of subscribers. Some subscribers received only the trade ad, while others also received a sales letter, a promotional product, or a promotional product incentive. From those respondents exposed to both the trade ad and some form of direct mail, two-thirds identified the direct mail piece as the catalyst that prompted their response.

Tip No. 36

To change employee behavior, corporate awards and incentive programs need to be frequent and should specifically reward employees for sustaining the desired change. Otherwise, the Baylor University study reveals, up to half the time, the particular behavior change that management seeks disappears once the program ends.

Tip No. 37

Promotional products used in conjunction with a sales letter or as an incentive to respond, make a notable difference in direct mail response rates. They also improve a business' likelihood of converting leads into sales appointments. Silver Marketing Group conducted a study where a promotional product was added to a direct mail promotion, and response rates went up 50 percent! Promotional products used as response incentives generated as much as four times as many responses as a sales letter alone.

Tip No. 38

Awards and incentive programs improve employee performance and morale. In addition to higher productivity, happy employees have fewer accidents and give customers better service. Baylor University discovered in a random survey, employees are indeed motivated to participate in award and incentive programs. However, employees cited they are most excited about these contests when their input is part of the initial planning and they receive timely feedback throughout the contest.

Tip No. 39

As a promotional products distributor, I wear many hats. In addition to knowing where to get items for clients, I'm also familiar with manufacturing methods and the pros and cons of different fabrics and materials used. Distributors range from one-person to businesses with hundreds of salespeople and branches nationwide. All distributors can be product sellers and take orders effectively for clients who express that need. However, many distributors are promotional marketing program consultants. These program consultants work closely with their clients, and the clients' advertising agency (if applicable) to assure a successful campaign.

Tip No. 40

Recipients of promotional products remember the advertiser's name. A study by Schreiber & Associates, in Peoria, IL, showed that nearly four out of ten (39 percent) persons receiving promotional items could recall the name of the advertiser as long as six months after they received the item.

Tip No. 41

When charged with such challenges as building a company or product image, promoting a new facility, motivating employees, introducing new salespeople or improving client/customer relations, a promotional product distributor will give you guidance and ideas to assure success.

Tip No. 42

Have you ever tried to buy a gift for someone you don't know? If so, you know it's quite difficult. Knowing your target audience is a crucial key to a successful promotion. Companies should clearly communicate their intended use of promotional products to a professional distributor.

Tip No. 43

The "staying power" of promotional products marketing gives it an edge over other types of marketing. Because these useful items are kept, they keep on advertising long after other elements of a campaign have been forgotten.

Tip No. 44

Walking billboards still top the charts. Wearables, including T-shirts, jackets, baseball caps, headbands, shorts, etc., are still most popular category of promotional products. Often called walking billboards, sales of wearables account for 29.5 percent of the $14.94 billion promotional products industry.

Tip No. 45

Promotional product recipients prefer subtle imprinting for certain products -- particularly the higher-end items including awards, plaques, briefcases, luggage, clothing, portfolios, writing instruments, etc.

Tip No. 46

Promotional products, used as dimensionals in direct mail solicitations, can boost response rates by as much at 75 percent, according to a Baylor University study.

Tip No. 47

Business gifts need not be limited to holidays. Presenting gifts on birthdays, special occasions, or just to say "thank you," creates impact because recipients don't expect it.
Tip No. 48

To improve your telemarketing sales, send product literature BEFORE you make the call. According to Telemarketing magazine, that tactic can reduce the time it takes to close the sale.

Tip No. 49

Uses for promotional products: introducing new products, motivating sales people, building goodwill, opening new accounts, stimulating sales meetings, developing trade show traffic, activating inactive accounts and changing names of products or companies. More uses include marking branch openings, creating sales door openers, motivating customers through premiums and improving client or customer relations and image building.

Tip No. 50

Sharables are a recent trend. These include gifts of mixed nuts or confections and gourmet food packages that can be shared by everyone in the office, thereby spreading goodwill.

Tip No. 51

A study by Southern Methodist University shows: In building customer loyalty, in terms of reducing elapsed time between orders and repeat orders, promotional products are likely to outperform coupons or no promotion at all by as much as 12.9 percent. And in terms of order frequency, by as much as 16.2 percent.

Tip No. 52

Design tip for business-to-business package... While much effort goes into consumer package design, business-to-business packaging rarely gets the same attention. Here's a way to make b2b boxes easy to read in the warehouse: rather than printing a stock number that's meaningless to the receiver, manufacturers should indicate what's actually inside. This decreases needless handling and lessens the risk of damage. - Sales and Marketing Management, February 2000

Tip No. 53

Traditional media channels still do the job... Many experts tout the Web as the ultimate place to find new customers, but in reality many dotcom companies rely on traditional media channels to attract new business. The top 15 Internet companies alone spent $630 million in 1999 to promote themselves through TV, radio and print media. Of course the Internet will continue to garner a larger role in efforts to connect with customers, but it seems the standbys are still the best bet. - George Colombo, president of Influence Technologies