Put Branded Merchandise to Work for Your Business
April 22, 2022
Engage with your current customers, attract new customers and show your appreciation to your employees with branded merchandise.
Take a look around your desk or office - more than likely you'll see at least one branded merchandise item (also known as promotional products). Perhaps it's something as simple as a pen, mouse mat or mug or maybe you have something more substantial like an item of clothing or a bluetooth speaker.
Now think back to who gave you that item, or why you received it? What feeling does that give you? Perhaps it brings a smile to your face because someone you've become friends with gave it to you, maybe there is a funny story behind the item, or perhaps it makes you feel valued as a customer or employee of the company that gave you the item.
A 2021 Consumer Study by the Promotional Products Association International (PPAI) found that 94% of people like receiving promotional products and that 3 Out of 4 people keep a promotional item because it is useful.
To put it simply Branded Merchandise works..... but (isn't there is always a but) it is important to understand that the branded merchandise you are using needs to do a couple of important things, and this is where working with a local community partner like Behind Your Design can help:
- Represent Your Brand
Behind Your Design knows that the branded merchandise that you choose represents your brand. We all recognize this scenario: Boss comes into the office with a branded YETI mug that a vendor gave him. Boss tells his secretary that 'we should get some of these to give to our customers'. Secretary goes online and sees that custom YETI's cost over $30+ and thinks, 'wow that's too expensive' so instead searches for 'cheap travel mugs'. Secretary finds a product that is only $5 per mug so they order 100 of them and send in their logo. Fast forward to 3 weeks later and the mugs arrive - logo is a little blurry and the mugs look and feel cheap. Boss sees the mug and says 'there's no way we can give these out to our clients' so the mugs get shoved in a closet and handed out to other employees on their birthday (join us for another blog on this later!).
So what can we learn from this. The most important thing to remember is that the items you hand out represent your brand (in most situations). For example, you are a financial advisor handling retirement accounts of $1 million + and you meet with a potential client. Rewind to the story above and you hand the potential client a $5 plastic mug - what thoughts are they going to have in comparison to if you handed them the $30 YETI mug? - Be Useful, Unique, or Provide Long Term Value
As mentioned earlier 3 out of 4 people keep promotional items. 75% of these people keep them because they are useful, 38% kept them because they are fun to have and 19% of people kept the product because they feel loyal to the company that gave it to them.
So, utilizing items that are useful and have long term value will help make sure people continue to use your project (and therefore remember you). Being unique can be a little more challenging, some items will be useful always and aren't necessarily unique - pens, notebooks, keychains for example - but other items can also be useful while still be unique. Remember when fidget spinners were all the rage? Every tradeshow or expo we went to people handed them out and everyone thought they were going to be unique until they walked into the show and saw that EVERYONE else was handing them out as well. - Fit Your Budget
In the earlier example we discussed the secretary who didn't think $30 was in her budget so went cheap. A defined budget and purpose could have helped guide the decision making process better. For example, you sell HVAC units to large commercial clients. The average cost of the product and installation is $20,000. Your budget for a thank you gift is probably going to be higher than someone whose average client spends $500 a year with them. It's also important to consider what the product is going to be used for and why it is being handed out - Be Relevant to Your Customers and Employees
This again is an area where working with a local company and leaning on their expertise can be vital. Quite simply what works in one area of the country might not in others. For example handing out pool toys probably won't be much use in Michigan but would certainly be popular in Florida! - Promote A Cause
Supporting a cause through your promotional items is a great way to help showcase your business. Sustainable products, fair trade sourced, products that give back to charities are all examples of ways you can use your branded merchandise to help make the world a better place.
Ready to use Branded Merchandise to help grow your business and reward your employees. Contact Behind Your Design today to get started.
View more
Looking for a promotional product that's fun, functional and a little unexpected? Custom socks are a great way to put your brand on display! Whether you're looking for employee gifts, event giveaways, customer appreciation gifts or something unique for your next promotion, branded socks are a creative way to make a lasting impression. And with the holiday season approaching, they make a cozy, thoughtful gift that's perfect for spreading a little extra cheer! With endless possibilities for colors, patterns and custom designs, socks can be as bold or subtle as you'd like. Add your logo, incorporate your brand colors or create a completely unique design that people will love wearing. Comfortable, practical and memorable, custom socks are a promotional product that puts your brand in step with your audience!
Sometimes, the simplest promotional products make the biggest impact! We really enjoyed working with Notre Dame Prep to create these custom red pens for The Amazing Shake competition. Featuring both the school's logo and The Amazing Shake logo with a sleek silver imprint, they're a simple way to showcase both brands. The Amazing Shake is a competition that helps students build important life skills, including communication, professionalism, and confidence. Branded pens are a practical way to commemorate an event like this. They're something attendees can take home, use again and again, and remember the experience long after it's over. Looking for a useful way to promote your next event? Let Behind Your Design help you create something memorable! Click HERE to get started!
Old friends, favorite traditions and an awesome Homecoming weekend
Plan Christmas gifts for clients, customers and employees with Behind Your Design. Explore branded merch ideas and a timeline for ordering before the rush.
A great staff appreciation gift should be thoughtful, useful and connected to the organization. For the Crim Fitness Foundation , custom reverse umbrellas combined function with standout branding. These 46-inch umbrellas feature full-color sublimation on both sides of the canopy, giving the Crim brand plenty of room to make an impact. Branded Inside and Out The outside features the Crim Fitness Foundation logo and brand colors. Open the umbrella, and custom artwork of runners making their way through Flint is revealed inside. Using colors from the Crim brand, the artwork celebrates the organization’s connection to running, movement and the Flint community. Full sublimation on both sides of the canopy allows branded umbrellas to go beyond a logo. Colors, patterns, illustrations and original artwork can become part of the design.
Custom jerseys are a fun way to take spirit wear beyond the standard T-shirt or sweatshirt. With fully customizable designs, they can be created around your school, team, organization or event and made to feel completely unique. At Behind Your Design, we can customize jerseys with your colors, logos, graphics, names, numbers and more. Full-color dye sublimation gives you plenty of freedom to create bold designs across the entire jersey while keeping the finished piece comfortable and wearable. We’ve created several custom jersey styles for our clients, including football and baseball jerseys for Michigan State University Fall Fest. Each offered a different look while giving MSU a memorable piece of custom spirit wear that still felt true to their brand.