You’ve burned the midnight oil night after night, stayed up late, woke up early, and obsessed over your brand – your logo, your slogan, your image. Now that you’ve got it just how you want it, it’s time to spread it far and wide.
Merriam-Webster defines the word “ubiquitous” as “existing or being everywhere at the same time; constantly encountered; widespread.” The reason you associate fast food with McDonald’s and soda with Coca-Cola is that their brands are ubiquitous.
Getting and distributing promotional items are a great way to get people to associate your brand with the product you sell. Here’s why.
There are a million products just waiting for you to put your brand name on them.
Staying Power
You know when you go to the bank and you go to return the pen they loaned you to write out a check and they say, “You can keep that”? They’re not being nice. They want you to take their pen – with their name and image and logo and slogan on it – and think of them every time you write. Better yet, they want you to leave it on a park bench or give it away for the next person to pick up and think about their bank every time they write.
People are visual creatures, and study after study shows that there is nothing like seeing a brand’s image to make you remember their product or service.
Limitless Options
The beer koozie. The ballpoint pen. The mouse pad. The key chain. There is an endless list of been-there-done-that promotional items that have been handed to you by everyone from the exterminator to the dentist. But the digital age has opened the door so wide that you’re truly limited only by your imagination.
If you find the right partner, you can brand and distribute everything from a jar of knives to an odometer to a digital wine tester. If you pay enough, you can get someone to tattoo your brand on their body.
Show Your Colors
Promotional items are a great way to put some personality behind your business. Branding lets you show your customers that there’s an actual human being behind the product – that by buying from you, they’re doing business not with a nameless, faceless corporation, but with a small business owner who worked hard and built something. Don’t be afraid to let your sense of humor shine through.
Link to Networking
Promotional products can be used as giveaways for loyal customers. Your newsletter could include a line promising swag to the first 10 people to respond – even a retweet on Twitter could land a customer an awesome gift. Tie your merch into your social media marketing – it gives your customers a sense of inclusion and makes them feel like they’re a part of something.
Get creative! Put your logo on something people will actually enjoy.
Whether it’s a logo on a Frisbee or a slogan on a coffee mug, branding can be fun. Promotional items are a great way to show your business’s unique character and give something back to your customers. Put your brand in their mind by putting something in their hands. Don’t be afraid to have a little fun with your marketing campaign.