Branded giveaways have been around for a long time. A marketing tool that has proven successful for some businesses and which is designed to provide a useful and attractive product that will be appealing to the user. The idea being that the branded giveaway will be used repeatedly by the lucky recipients while maintaining awareness and visibility of the brand.
However, there is a cost attached to purchasing products destined to be given away which needs to be weighed against the benefits. Get it right and the rewards will be obvious. Get it wrong and you could be stuck managing the loss to your bottom line.
Right product, right time
Choosing your product carefully for promotional giveaways is important if you want to send the right message about your brand. Remember, this is all about marketing and branding. The product is going to carry your company colours and logo. You don’t want there to be any negative associations between your brand and the giveaway.
Avoid:
- Products that may offend such as humourous or personal products unless this is your business type, ie. joke shop.
- Items of any kind unrelated to your business.
- Items that are likely to be dangerous such as objects with sharp edges.
- Items of such poor quality that they are not likely to withstand use.
Choose:
- Items that are likely to be useful to your target market. Nobody will keep the product if they have no use for it.
- Items that stand out. You need to choose a product that catches the eye of the intended recipient. Colours and design are useful considerations and knowledge of buyer behaviour and needs when choosing a product for a giveaway.
- Items that reinforce the message you want to send about your business to your target market. For instance, if you have run an advertising campaign, taking an item that relates to that advertising would be a good idea.
- Timing is everything. The holidays, New Year, Easter, etc. are all good times for giveaways. If you have an event at whatever time of year, think of a giveaway that might be relevant at that time.
- A giveaway does not need to be a physical product. Depending on business type it may be an event, on or offline. Or it could be a digital download. All good ideas for businesses of varying budgets.
5 Examples of branded giveaways ideas
Your choice of branded giveaway will depend on your business type and marketing goals. However, the ten ideas listed below are examples of effective branded giveaways that work.
- Customised tote bags. If you want to send the message that you care about the environment and ensure your brand is displayed for the recipient and other shoppers to see, customised tote bags made of recycled material may be the best option. Its something we all need and use regularly. Consider the colours and style of the bags to compliment the brand and you’re good to go.
- If promoting good health is a good look for your brand customised water bottles made of stainless steel may worth considering. It is something that will last and if it looks good, it might get the attention of others beside the original recipient of the giveaway.
- Customised transparent travel bag. If your brand has something to do with cosmetics, commuting, hospitality or travel in general a customised transparent travel bag might be a good idea. We all need to use transparent bags for liquids and creams at airport security. Providing a durable bag with your logo could be an item that gets plenty of use while promoting your brand to the recipient and fellow travellers.
- Customised phone covers or chargers would be useful for most people today. If you have a business catering for other businesses or a tech related business this might be for you.
- Customised desk accessories can work if they are not covered with advertising. This probably seems a little counter intuitive when the whole point of branded giveaways is that they are, well, …. branded! However, how you brand the product is part of the message about your brand you are communicating. Depending on your market you might want the brand to be clearly visible but subtle. The recipient is more likely to use the product for longer, exposing them and others to your brand over a longer period of time. If your market is young, brightly coloured items might work, etc.
And finally…
Brand marketing has changed over the years and there are many channels through which the message about a brand can be delivered. From email signatures and digital advertising though to the packaging on boxes, brand marketing can be an expensive and time consuming task.
Promotional giveaways as a means to promote a brand has been around for a while, and although not as popular as it once was, still has value. Analysing your target market, your campaign goals and the type and quality of giveaway that would best represent your message, will put you in a strong position. Like any kind of marketing initiative, measuring performance is important. Whether the goal was to raise awareness of the brand or to increase sales, its vital to measure and follow up on objectives. While branded giveaways may have fallen out of favour with some businesses, for those who put the work into finding the right product may find it one of the best forms of marketing available.