“Many companies have forgotten they sell to actual people. Humans care about the entire experience, not just marketing, sales, or service.” (Dharmesh Shah, CTO and co-founder, HubSpot)
Brand awareness is at the heart of building a successful business. If your target customers, and the public at large don’t know who you are, you might as well close your doors. Promotional gifts have long been a powerful and effective element of successful marketing. But recently companies seem to be forgetting this and instead are offering their customers the cheapest thing they can stick a logo on.
This attitude lowers the effectiveness of the brand campaign, and risks making your promotional gifting a total waste of money. Here are five reasons you should ask your accountant to free up the budget for a proper campaign, rather than handing out something your client is just going to put in the bin.
Build a real connection
By giving your customer a cheap, nearly useless gift you inadvertently send them the signal that they are unimportant to you. A well-thought-out gift that they can actually use does the opposite. This doesn’t mean you need to break the bank (although spending big for high-end clients can be well worth it). Think of items that they may need such as a torch, measuring tape, or small kitchen implement. Another great option is experiential gifting. Depending on the customer, this might be a round of golf at a sought-after course, or a bungee jumping voucher. By giving customers something they might really use (or an experience they will never forget), you make them feel like you value them as more than just a source of income. In a recent report, 58% of respondents said that they kept useful promotional gifts for more than a year, and many of them for a lot longer.
Your customer becomes the advert
If you’re really crafty, you’ll give people something they can actually use outside of their home. By giving folks a gift they’ll go out with, you turn them into a walking billboard for your business. An umbrella, backpack, or warm jacket that is built to last will give you many years of value as your brand will be subtly showcased at events and venues you haven’t even dreamed of.
Love at first sight
Many companies first meet new customers at events or expos. By giving potential customers a gift before they have even bought anything, you stand out from the horde of other companies vying for their business. Once again, you need to make your gift useful – if everyone else is doing pens and lanyards, your bottle opener, snack or kids’ toy can be the difference between blending into the crowd and being remembered when the time comes to make an enquiry.
According to Giftsenda’s Customer Gifting Report for 2024, almost 85% of people who receive a promotional item remember the advertiser, with 82% of recipients saying it gave them a more favourable perception of that brand. What’s more, a whopping 66% are able to clearly recall the name of that brand a year after receiving the gift.
Repeat business
If you have done this correctly over many years, you may find a customer has several of your products circulating in their daily lives – each of those items is a constant reminder of you and the impact you have had. This helps reinforce connections and ensure you are top-of-mind for the next call.
Keep them loyal
Depending on which study you believe, acquiring a new customer is anywhere from five to 25 times more costly than retaining a loyal one. The best promotional gifts are those that help you keep your loyal customers by showing that you truly understand them. The key to giving these is research.
If your research reveals most of your clients are travellers, then offering them protective suitcase covers, or travel pillows may be the way to go. If they’re into gaming, why not offer them a branded carry bag for their laptop or a quality mousepad with a unique design? We humans want to be understood – and if the companies we work with show they know us, we’re much more likely to stick around.
Promotional gifting doesn’t have to be expensive. In fact, one of the attractions is that it can give you a lot of bang for your buck. But don’t get so lost in the price that you forget why you’re doing it in the first place.
If this article has convinced you to up your gifting game, ask your accountant to help you with your budget. This way you can ensure you make an impact instead of throwing money away on yet another lanyard.
Disclaimer: The information provided herein should not be used or relied on as professional advice. No liability can be accepted for any errors or omissions nor for any loss or damage arising from reliance upon any information herein. Always contact your professional adviser for specific and detailed advice.
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