Category Archives for Products With Punch

Fore! The Love Of Golf

golf gloveAccording to the National Golf Foundation, there are over 29,000,000 golfers in the United States, with an average annual household income of $95,000.  In consideration of the popularity of the sport and the purchasing power of those individuals, corporate marketers continue to add their logo to everything from golf balls to golf gloves in an effort to increase brand awareness.

And why not?  The statistics give us a picture of a demographic that most companies, regardless of their product or service, would be pleased to attract.  The profile of the average golfer describes a mostly male demographic at an average age of 46, attended and/or graduated college and owns at least one home.  Insurance companies, financial institutions, automobile manufacturers and the travel industry are just a few of the corporate entities that would have a reason to distribute branded golf merchandise through an annual sponsored tournament or just as a leave-behind when visiting key customers.

Want to know more about the golf enthusiasts in your target audience?  Read on for a little more insight into where they may be spending their money in the next 12 months.

Golfer Purchase Plans:

  • 53% Golf equipment
  • 47% Automobile purchase/lease
  • 40% Financial planning
  • 59% Banking
  • 46% Computer Hardware
  • 46% Continuing education/training
  • 84% travel/vacation
  • 33% Furniture/home furnishings
  • 37% Legal/consulting services
  • 45% Health/auto/life insurance
  • 48% Office equipment

Golf is a year-round sport in the warmer climates, and goes into full swing for the rest of us in the next few months.  Those individuals who never have enough golf balls for the tall  grass in the rough and the watery graves of the water holes are the same people with purchasing power.  Start now with plans to consider some of the creative new golf products that can increase your brand’s visibility with the golfers in your target market.

(Image via Ball Pro)

Scratch And Win Customers

scratch off Marketing your brand should be fun for you, and more importantly, for your customer.  Grabbing the attention of increasingly savvy customers who can easily choose to tune out advertising messages is difficult without an integrated approach that pulls clients in, rather than just pushing the message out.

One way to pull those clients in is with a scratch-off game campaign.  This inexpensive, versatile marketing tool owes its popularity to the lottery games that made it famous.  But today it can be customized for any industry and aimed at audiences of every age, gender or ethnic background.  The element of chance and surprise draw the customers in, and once there, the sales team can inform, consult and sell those products and services that make up your brand.  The cards can be distributed in various ways, such as direct-mail campaigns or gift-with-purchase promotions.  The point is, everyone loves a chance to win!

Some of the more popular scratch-off promotions are described below.

  • Bank Promotions:   increase customer accounts & deposits;  new branch opening awareness;  employee incentives;  increase loan application
  • Prize Ideas:    rate reduction;  loan application fee rebate;  new account deposit bonus;  branded gift items
  •  Trade Show Marketing:  motivate attendees to stop by booth;  capture new contact information;  gain early information on upcoming new projects
  • Prize Ideas:   branded gift items;  meal coupon at local restaurant;  spa service at hotel
  • Employee Wellness Programs:  boost participation in community wellness programs;  reward hitting fitness target;  motivate participation in wellness seminars
  • Prize Ideas:  workout clothes;  water bottles;  gym bags;  healthy recipe books 

Today’s always-connected consumer is besieged with advertising messages through every conceivable media vehicle.   The company that finds creative ways to market their brand with different types of media will win customers, increase sales and improve profits.

Low Price Losers

costBranded merchandise doesn’t have to be expensive to have a high perceived value, just as high prices don’t guarantee quality.  It is the job of your corporate supplier partners to introduce you to product options in all price categories that will enhance your company brand and carry the message of quality, creativity and reliability that most firms want their customers to see in their own products and services.

Distributing quality merchandise, regardless of the price point, should be one of the most important considerations for corporate marketing and procurement departments.  There are thousands of well-made low-cost items in the advertising specialty industry that can improve brand awareness.  However, there are just as many inexpensive giveaways that are poorly made and/or have little or no value for the recipient.  So why consider those options just because they are cheap?  After all, if the gift you decide to give is discarded immediately, why give it at all?

I have listed below a few of my favorite low-cost promotional items, and have followed that list with the same number of low price losers that I recommend leaving off your list of options for the next giveaway.

Favorites:

  1. Pen/Stylus:  Less than $1.00.  You never have enough!  Available in multiple colors with double duty practical applications for writing and working on a touch screen device.
  2. Anti-Slip Phone Sticker:  Less than $2.00.  Keep that phone in place!  Full color digital graphics on phone grip that comes attached to a full color marketing card.
  3. Laser Cut Acrylic Magnet:  Less than $1.50.  Creative approach to a classic!  Available in custom shapes with full color graphics, and inexpensive to mail.
  4. Neoprene Can Cooler:  Less than $1.00.  Especially in the summer!  Multiple colors and decoration options from camo pattern to rhinestones.
  5. Hand Sanitizer:  Less than $1.50.  Everyone uses it!  Full color label graphics available on a variety of container options from small bottles to credit card shape.

Losers:

  1. Small Plastic Toys:  Choking hazards are never good!
  2. Scented Anything:  So many people are sensitive to smells and additives, it’s safer to choose unscented products made from natural ingredients.
  3. Inferior Tools:  Tools that break under the pressure of using them are frustrating for the user and a poor reflection on the giver.
  4. Low-Grade Speakers:  Speakers are meant to improve sound, not drive the listener to turn it off!
  5. Open Cell Foam:  Fingers, balls, hats.  These things are cheap for a reason!  For the tournament game, go with a noisemaker or rally towel for close to the same investment.

Creative marketing giveaways can be found at every price point.  Be sure to enlist a supplier partner who understands the merchandise as well as the budget.  Your customer will be glad you did!

Drink Up, Ladies!

mugsAccording to a recent article in the Harvard Business Review, “In aggregate, women represent a growth market bigger than China and India combined—more than twice as big, in fact. Given those numbers, it would be foolish to ignore or underestimate the female consumer.”   Ergo, when considering the next branded giveaway aimed at a female audience, it would be wise to look at the product category that is nearly twice as popular with women as it is with men:  branded drinkware.

Branded drinkware has long been a popular option as a corporate promotional giveaway, but in recent years the advertising specialty suppliers have stepped up their game in terms of styles, color choices and materials.

  • Mugs:  ceramic, acrylic or glass mugs are offered in shapes and colors designed to hold any type of coffee concoction the local barista can whip up
  • Sport bottles:  made from aluminum, BPA-free plastic and collapsible polyethylene, and are constructed in sizes perfect for the serious bikers, casual sports enthusiasts or students’ backpacks
  • Stadium cups:  still available in paper, plastic or Styrofoam (not my recommendation), have been reimagined to accommodate the sports team tailgaters as well as the sippy cup toddlers

In consideration of capturing the highest return on the investment, marketing and procurement teams may want to read on for a few more statistics to help provide further insight into this popular promotional product category.

What percentage of U.S. consumers own branded drinkware?

  • 21%

What age group owns the most branded drinkware?

  • 21-34:  25%
  • 35-44:  20%
  • 45-54:  20%
  • 55+:     19%

Where is the drinkware most likely to be used?

  • Office:  39%   Home:  39%

Branded drinkware joins the ranks of the most widely used promotional merchandise, particularly with young women.  Next time your company wants to target this powerful market segment, think about drinks!

The Power Of Bags

ultimate2In a recent study, the Advertising Specialty Institute (ASI) conducted a national survey of end buyers to determine the effectiveness of promotional products versus other advertising media, and the results highlighted the effectiveness of bags as an advertising vehicle.   Besides what we see at the retail stores, eco alternatives are increasingly used to replace paper or plastic on our grocery runs; trade show attendees often receive a lightweight bag at registration to carry all the literature and giveaways; and even the humble brown paper lunch bag and upscale wine bottle totes have gotten bag makeovers.  How do all these bags give corporate marketing departments better brand power?   See below for the highlights of that ASI study:

  • Bags were reported to be one of the most frequently-used promotional products, nearly 6 times per month – even more than shirts or caps.
  • Bags made the highest number of marketing “impressions” during their use, approximately 1,084 per month. This was more than twice the number for caps or writing instruments, and 3 times number of impressions made by shirts.
  • Even more remarkable, bags were kept a long time, nearly 7 months. That’s more than 7,200 marketing impacts over the life of the bag!
  • 88% said their reason for keeping a bag was because it was considered “useful”. The second most cited reason was its “attractiveness”.
  • 82% of recipients said they could clearly identify the advertiser who gave them the bag and 45% said they now had a “more favorable” impression of the advertiser. Best of all, 59% reported doing business with the advertiser after receiving the bag!
  • The overall “cost-per-impression” for bags averages only $0.001. That’s less expensive than traditional media such as prime time TV ($0.018), cable TV ($0.005) or national magazines ($0.045). When measured against other promotional product categories, bags scored equally as well. Bags have a lower cost-per-impression than calendars ($0.003), drinkware ($0.004), shirts ($0.005) and business accessories ($0.008).

Bags are extremely effective marketing and branding vehicles, giving companies a better return on their investment.  Few promotional products are more powerful, so consider one of the thousands of different bag styles when looking at options for your next branded giveaway.

(Image and data courtesy of Bag Makers)  

Tee It Up!

tee3According to an industry poll, 44% of US consumers own a promotional t-shirt.  Surprised?  Probably not!  Considering how many tees most of us have stashed in our drawers at home, this statistic is probably not breaking news.  There are more fabric color choices than ever, with creative decoration options like sublimation, bleaching, all over screenprints, and metallic inks that allow for unique logo treatments for all types of brands.

But who should corporate marketers target with this ever-popular wardrobe staple?  Read on for the numbers that tell the story.

What age group is most likely to own a branded shirt?

  • 48%:  21 to 34 years old
  • 45%:  35 to 44 years old
  • 33%:  45 to 54 years old
  • 35%:  55+

Do Women or Men own the most promo shirts?

  • Men:  45%  Women:  40%

Of the twelve U.S. metro cities where people were polled, where are the residents most likely to own a promotional t-shirt?

  • Atlanta, Georgia:  46% vs 44% in the U.S.

Of the 21 international metro areas, where do consumers own the most branded shirts?

  • Rome, Italy:  53%

What racial demographic owns the most promotional t-shirts?

  • Latinos:  52%

Which voters are most likely to own a branded shirt?

  • Independent:  46%
  • Republicans:  41%
  • Democrats:  40%

T-shirts are an inexpensive giveaway that can carry a brand message in unlimited creative ways.  Young male consumers, in particular, are likely to continue wearing the shirt, but their appeal is broad and the high number of impressions captured from repeated exposure on the street, in the gym and around town makes it an easy choice for the investment.  Don’t overlook this seemingly common promotional giveaway for the next marketing event – the numbers will support your choice!

(Image via megbiram.com)

It Is All About The Presentation

gift wrapCorporate gift giving is serious business.  It helps establish or enhance important relationships with customers and employees.  Different than an incentive award given to high achievers, or promotional products used as advertising, the corporate gift should affirm the personal relationship between the giver and the recipient.  And there’s no better way to achieve that sense of partnership than with heart felt attention to the details around the presentation of the gift.

Investing in nice wrapping paper, unique embellishments and quality card stock with a hand written note makes a statement about the value of not only the gift itself, but of the thought behind it.  Keeping in mind that creative ideas for gift wrapping don’t have to include elaborate bows or Martha Stewart crafting talents, I have listed below a few simple ways to upgrade your next gift presentation.

  • Wrap the gift box in single color wrapping paper that matches your corporate color with wide logo ribbon tied in a simple bow
  • Use brightly colored handle bags for small gifts, stuffed with logo tissue paper, and labeled with the recipient’s name
  • Add plain colored tissue or crinkle paper inside a box or bag that comes in a coordinating color; seal with a simple single color logo label
  • For baskets, bags or odd-shaped boxes, use translucent gift wrap secured with an extra long metallic twist tie that holds a large colorful hang tag
  • Put locally sourced food items inside a customized gift tin or colorful gabled box custom printed with the company logo or seasonal message

Of course, most corporate associates are working hard on the tasks associated with their daily jobs and have little time left over for wrapping gifts.  Understandable, but not a reason to avoid this important part of the gift giving process.  Gift wrapping is often offered for a small fee, or included in the added value services of your promotional products provider.   The next time you work with her or him on a corporate gift idea, make a point to ask about their service options for improving the presentation.

(Image via olderandwiser.com)

Cold Weather Staple: Fashion Fleece

fashion fleeceWhen it’s important for your brand to be seen in more places than just the customer’s backyard, fleece garments with fashionable styling, lighter weight fabrics and better fit are an option that has grown in popularity.  And since branded apparel purchases are generally more costly than the average promotional product, selecting a style that many consumers would choose for themselves is the best way to get the biggest return on those limited marketing funds.

The trends in retail fashion influence the corporate clothing market, and now that market offers styles that range from rustic, casual fleece jackets to polished, sleek options with contrasting drawcords and white metallic zippers. Performance fabrics provide warmth with less weight, and moisture-wicking technology draws perspiration away from the body in order to maintain warmth and dry skin.  Color choices range from earth tones to jewel tones, while always maintaining the classic white, black and navy for the more conservative crowd.  Even with classic college-style crewneck and hoodie sweatshirts, corporate apparel suppliers have answered the call with distressed fabrics, hockey style laced fronts and retro styling.

Gone are the days when the choices for branded sweatshirts and fleece jackets were limited to four basic (or some might say “boring”) styles offered in three colors and the five standard men’s sizes.  Enlist creative thinking and consider your audience when choosing the best fashion fleece for that next executive premium or customer gift-with-purchase – the improved brand awareness and customer appreciation will be worth it!

(Image via Tri-Mountain)