If you haven’t added promotional products to your marketing mix, you are missing an opportunity. Promotional products like branded pens and refrigerator magnets, or even more unusual items such as branded toys or back scratchers, reinforce your brand every time the recipient sees or uses them. Branded promotional products also tend to be kept for more extended periods than traditional marketing pieces, giving you a very low cost per impression.
Branded products are powerful tools to have in the marketing arsenal. However, ordering these items isn’t like ordering print. Here is a quick checklist to make the most of your investment.
Don’t try to overload the product with copy or images. Often, a logo and phone number are all you need. There may not be a significant difference in cost between single-color and multicolor printing in the commercial print world. In the promotional products world, there is. Use single-color versions of graphics and logos to keep the cost down.
You may be used to being able to place rush orders for brochures and direct mail, but promotional items require more lead time. Plan at least several weeks in advance.
Storefronts are great brand organizers. Your print pieces can be print on demand and your branded items, like cups, pens, bags, etc can be stored at a warehouse for fulfillment. Aradius AXIS is our storefront solution that lets you keep an eye on inventory and allows your entire team to order materials when they need it – check it out and see if it’s a fit for your business.
In the world of commercial print, you don’t want to over-order products simply to get a price break, especially when considering the cost of obsolescence. Promotional items will go out of date less quickly, however, and the price breaks with volume can be substantial.
If you are going to be mailing your promotional items, remember to consider mailing cost, too. A more expensive promotional item that ships flat may have a lower overall cost than a lower-priced but bulky item that needs to be mailed in a dimensional package.
Want to learn more about best-in-class use of promotional items? Contact us to uncover how we can help you stay on top of your promo items.
Aradius Group is a commercial printing company that specializes in marketing strategy, specifically with direct mail, based out of Omaha, NE.