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Promotional Products Market
Finding and Distribution by Gareth Parkin
When it comes to the time of year when you need
to spend some time and money on promoting your
brand, promotional products are one form of
advertising that you simply cannot afford to
neglect. However, even if you choose the right
range of products to distribute as free gifts or
samples, there is no guarantee that any of the
people you give these items will ever even
notice your logo, let alone call you for a
quote. Here are a few tips on finding out where
the most likely customers might be found and
getting your products to them.
Know Your Market
This might sound obvious to any experienced
marketer, but knowing your market takes on a
different meaning when you are dealing with
promotional products. You know who they are,
what they like to buy and how much they can
afford to spend, but what would they like to get
for free? A lot of companies make the mistake of
handing out products that are related to their
company directly. This is done under the
mistaken impression that people associate
products with companies, and this is not true.
People associate products with brands and ideas,
and this is what you need to focus on.
This is the rationale behind major investment
companies holding golf days. They know that a
large segment of their high profile clientele
play golf at least once a week, and so they
appeal to this by providing a way for them to
enjoy their hobby for free. They give out golf
products, prizes of golf clubs and loads of
golfing apparel, all bearing the company logo.
None of these items have anything to do with
investing, but they build the brand effectively
by creating positive associations in the
customers' minds.
Location, Location!
Knowing who to distribute your promotional
products to is one thing, but knowing exactly
when and where to do so is also very important.
If possible, try to distribute your products
where there is a need for them, rather than a
general unfelt desire. For example, people on
the beach might want a Bluetooth headset for
their mobile phone, but what they need is a cold
drink, right now. Give this to them with a piece
of promotional literature and they will be more
than happy to at least read it or listen to what
you have to say.
Try to find a location where your target market
is likely to gather. For example, if you are
selling student loans then the obvious place to
go would be a college campus. However, students
are highly targeted on campus, so try to find
social spots where students gather but do not
feel like they are being targeted by companies
marketing to students. Bars, sporting events and
concerts are excellent places to distribute your
promotional products because students are no
longer on their guard and will be far more open
to free gifts and a little bit of promotional
literature.
About the Author
Gareth Parkin is the co-founder of Ideasbynet,
the UK's largest online source of promotional
products and promotional gifts. He has taken the
UK gift market by storm by the application of
modern business thinking and the latest search
engine marketing techniques.
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