WHY IS BRANDED MERCHANDISE ESSENTIAL?

BRANDED MERCH CAN BE HIGHLY EFFECTIVE, BUT NOT ALL MERCH IS MADE EQUAL…

Let’s face it, we’ve all seen some terrible merch in our time.
A lot of it can be tacky, pedestrian, and uninspired. And entirely unmemorable.

Good quality merch, however, is totally memorable.

It is a highly effective marketing tool that helps the brand connect with their audience on a physical level., and it’s the only form of advertising your clients will ever thank you for.

Fun fact. Did you know promotional products are the only form of advertising that engage all the five senses (sight, touch, feel, smell, and taste)?

Pretty cool, huh?

In some cases, it’s possible to find custom items that aren’t usually found in promotional product catalogues. This is called bespoke merch and it’s what we at SOURCEY.M deliver.

We don’t do generic, boring, or vanilla branded merch. We do bespoke, fun, fully collaborative merch that is customised and fully integrated into your brand.

Good quality merch will elevate your brand. Bad quality merch will likely end up in landfill and may even damage your brand.

Why promotional merchandise is a critical part of any marketing strategy.

From lip balm to apparel to tech gadgets and beyond, promotional products come in all shapes, sizes, and colours. Promotional products are also known as corporate products, branded merchandise, or promo merch. And they can make a HUGE impact on your brand identity.

What are Promotional Products?

Essentially, promotional products are items that are imprinted with a brand’s logo and/or tagline designed to increase brand awareness and brand loyalty.

What are promo products used for?

There are so many opportunities to present an existing or potential customer with a promotional product to strengthen and position your brand. These can include tradeshow giveaways, gifts with purchase, corporate and conference gifts, and even loyalty & incentive items.

But here’s the caveat… Good quality merch will elevate your brand. Bad quality merch will likely end up in landfill and may even damage your brand.

One question that is asked by many in this modern digital age is, ” Are promotional products still relevant?”.

You betcha, they are!

Every single brand touchpoint adds a layer to how people perceive it. The brands that ensure every single layer is considered and branded are the ones that captivate their target market. Branded merch is a touchpoint that often gets forgotten, but it’s a critical piece of the marketing puzzle.

HERE ARE FOUR REASONS WHY PROMOTIONAL PRODUCTS NEED TO BE PART OF EVERY MARKETING PLAN

Cost effective marketing

Promotional products are cost-effective, offering an enviably low “cost per impression” – a major bonus when working with a limited marketing budget. High profile advertising such as billboards, television or radio can offer great exposure, but for many businesses it is cost prohibitive.

Many industries have been hit hard by Covid-19, and marketing budgets have been slashed. So now more than ever before branded merch is a highly cost-effective form of memorable marketing.

Instant brand recall and exposure

Here’s a stat will knock your socks off – an article published on technomarketinginc.com stated that 89% of consumers can recall the advertiser of a promotional product they had received in the last two years. Speaking of socks (see what we did just there?), did you know that socks are one of the most effective and popular merch items on the market? Socks get people talking and your brand walking…

Mass media gives only brief exposure because of the “clutter” in this category of advertising combined with our increasingly shorter attention spans in this modern technology age. Because they are practical, promotional products can “reside” in homes and offices for months and even years. Longevity for the win!

Leverage the perceived cost value of gift

The average person has no idea of the cost of producing promotional products. They are more likely to over-estimate the cost as their assumptions is based on the perceived purchase cost of just one item, not many. But as a marketer, you know all about economies of scale.

By bulk-purchasing your promotional products for far less cost than their individual retail value, but the perceived value to the recipient will be far higher. For example, a product that costs you $5 can represent a value of $15 to the recipient. When a product is bundled with a complimentary piece of merchandise, the total apparent value of the overall package is increased substantially beyond that of the cost of the original item.

Correctly targeted promotional merch is memorable

Research shows that 62% of people recall the details of the company who provided them with a promo item.

At SOURCEY.M we don’t have a catalogue as we believe anything is possible. We create memorable merch. We combine your vision with our clever ideas, creative strategy, and expert execution, to make you stand out from the crowd.

You tell us your goals and we will come up with the right products for you and your budget.