Promotional merchandise, it’s the ninja of the marketing world. Look around you and you will no doubt see an item or two in the same room as you a branded item that has comfortably made its way into your home or office and is subtly conveying a marketing message to every unknowing passerby! Whether it’s a branded reusable coffee cup, tech products or IPad covers, promotional merchandise is a well-established and effective means of marketing in today’s society.
Why brands use promotional merchandise
into their marketing approach
Promotional merchandise provides businesses with the opportunity for limitless forward-thinking, exciting and head-spinning ideas that truly showcase the brand. While the upfront cost of promotional merchandise may put businesses off, the positive impact on the brand’s business is unquestionable.
Promotional merchandise should be part of every marketing plan through a carefully thought-out strategy that brings the right product with the right message to the right audience. Put your branded product out there and it will do all the hard work for you!
So,
What is the real value of promotional merchandise?
is it a worthwhile cost to your business? Yes!
Why wouldn’t you want to receive a free gift,
…which is why 85.4% of consumers would rather receive a promotional product than a promotional email. The return of investment is significantly demonstrated by countless studies like the one pictured below by the Promotional Products Association International 2019 Consumer Study. There is a good reason why marketers and agencies have made promotional merchandise an integral part of their businesses marketing strategy.
Promotional merchandise…the facts
We can talk about it, but ultimately the statistics speak for themselves. There are three key areas where promotional merchandise makes a real difference:
- Improving brand exposure, recognition and recall
Promotional merchandise builds brand awareness. It’s basic science, the more you are exposed to something the more familiar you become and likely to remember it. Anything familiar becomes comfortable, and therefore more trusted. A trusted brand is likely to attract sales. Unlike a promotional brochure or email, consumers keep hold of merchandise. 57% are reported to keep products for more than five years!
Ultimately this means that promotional merchandise can attract more prospective customers into the sales and marketing funnel to nurture and convert. But obviously, this depends on the quality of the product and whether it holds value. Juice Promotions promise to deliver only products of high quality that meet all industry standards.
Another advantage to promotional merchandise is that it is relevant at any stage of the company’s development. Starting out? Hit the market with a bang! Need a refresh, having a rebrand, or just need a boost in a competitive market? Promotional merchandise could be your solution. It’s an opportunity to emphasise the core values of the brand, and shape your corporate image.
- Conveying a message that is creative and memorable
Juice Promotions recognises the need to produce products that actually add value. Quality products that are not just your regular offering from the other suppliers of stock-standard promotional merchandise. They supply the usual items you’d expect such as: reusable coffee cups, calico bags, custom pens, promotional water bottles, promotional umbrellas, polo shirts. But the key to bringing a brand to pole position with potential customers is creativity. It’s the ability to think outside the box and come up with innovative ideas that generate talkability.
It must capture …
- – attention and create memorable,
- – lasting impressions that connect,
- – help attract,
- – acquire and convert prospective customers.
Quality promotional merchandise is memorable with a longer shelf life than other forms of advertising. A leaflet will likely be thrown away after a first read. A billboard is forgotten about once out of sight and a social media ad blocked by a user tired by the repetitive nature of some targeted ads. Promotional merchandise has the power of longevity.
- Converting customers
Not only does promotional merchandise have the power of longevity but it opens up your audience to the masses. A brand ambassador may wear your promotional baseball cap but in wearing it they are a walking billboard for all to see.
And it works which is why as an agency partner Juice Promotions has been trusted to provide promotional merchandise to many leading global brands including Audi, Coca Cola, Uber, Air New Zealand, Microsoft and 2dayFM. They thrive on conceptualising creative ideas that are new, imaginative and customised to the brand and the message which the client is aiming to convey. Brands are becoming increasingly creative regarding what items to brand and how to present them.
Here are some examples of client case studies at Juice Promotions:
Jack Daniels – Chopper bike
The challenge:
Jack Daniels wanted to drive sales of their twin-packs at BWS via an exclusive instore competition. They needed to align with Jack Daniels racing and target 18-25-year-old males.
The solution:
Juice Promotions designed and produced a fully-customised Jack Daniels chopper bike for the prize. A bike that aligns with the demographic of Jack Daniels (the client). Buy a twin pack and go in the draw to win the bike which was displayed in all BWS stores across Australia. The collaboration enforces a more powerful message as two brands over one with the reputation. Kudos and associations of the chopper now true to the Jack Daniels brand.
Despite the upfront cost of the bike, the ROI for Jack Daniels is high, and the impressive vision of a motorbike in a bottle shop creates a memorable moment for shoppers and passerby’s imprinting brand recognition and recall. It’s also creating an incentive for shoppers to choose Jack Daniels in the hope of winning the prize when they might otherwise have chosen a rival brand.
Aeroplane Jelly – 90th anniversary
The challenge:
The brief was to conceptualise a limited-edition item for Woolworths supermarkets to celebrate the 90th anniversary of Aeroplane Jelly. The item needed to be memorable and practical, with a vintage feel as a nod to its heritage.
The solution:
Juice Promotions delivered a custom antique-looking spoon, the perfect accompaniment to every jelly-lover young and old. The spoon was to be given away along with die-cut, printed display boxes for Woolworths check-outs. Possessing a limited-edition item creates a feeling of being special, knowing that not everyone will own this particular type of spoon. The fun design appeals to the younger audience and its reference to the anniversary may be appreciated more by an older audience.
This promotional merchandise is about creating an experience – don’t use your regular dessert spoon, you can now use your specific Aeroplane Jelly spoon!
Audi – Keep cup
The challenge:
Audi asked Juice Promotions to conceptualise a unique product to include in the Welcome Pack for new owners of Audi vehicles.
The solution:
Juice Promotions delivered a reusable coffee cup that upholds the quality cues of the Audi brand, while fitting the cup holders of all Audi vehicles. The design features a tyre-tread grip around the circumference. Practicality is key, a reusable coffee cup will not only reside easily within the car but will be an accessory that joins the journey of the Audi user, advertising the brand in every office, coffee shop and social encounter of the day. There’s an abundance of reusable coffee cups on the market, this design is unique and styled to the target market of Audi.
A conscious supplier
Juice Promotions has been a trusted supplier of promotional merchandise and more recently PPE to both local and international brands for the last 17 years. Ethical practices derive from the core of the business, with a transparent approach to addressing environmental concerns.
The merchandise industry may not have the best credentials regarding waste reduction, but Juice Promotions are invested in reducing their carbon footprint, making every effort to understand the sustainability journey from design to delivery in their commitment to a clean and safe environment.
Contact Juice Promotions to discuss your business and creative needs. The team is committed to building enduring relationships built on integrity and increasing brand awareness through fully customisable products that creatively and effectively communicate the values of its client. They will prepare innovative concepts that can help you attract, connect with and acquire new customers so that ultimately, you smash your targets.
