According to a report done by the Promotional Products Association, 71% of an audience (consisting primarily of business people) reported having received a promotional product in the last 12 months. And 52% of respondents did business with the advertiser after receiving the promotional product. Clearly, promotional items like pens, calendar, buttons, and bumper stickers can be well worth the investment! They are a great way to introduce your business to new customers, drive new business, and build your overall brand. But which items are the best for your business? How should you spend your promotional product budget to get the best bang for your buck?
In a report put out by the Promotional Products Association on consumer attitudes towards promotional items, customers who received an item that cost less than $5 (a button, for instance):
- 56% perceived the item was given to make them aware of the advertiser, product or service.
- 20 % stated that it was a thank you for doing business with the advertiser.
- 7%t thought it was given to motivate them to take action
28% of those who received a promotional product that cost less than $5 had a more positive attitude about the brand.
Unlike a more expensive product, like a jacket or branded watch, which are viewed more as “thank you” items for repeat customers, buttons are a great way to make customers aware of your brand or products, as most customers look at them as a form of advertising already. This makes them great platforms for promoting specials or deals, using at conferences to connect with attendees, and more.
And believe it or not, promotional products can actually be more successful than other forms of advertising. While 88% of surveyed consumers recalled the advertiser from a promotional product received in the past 12 months, 71% recalled advertisers on a newspaper or magazine read a week before. Those promotional products, even the less expensive ones, have a much more lasting impact than regular ads.
Buttons account for 4.3% of sales in the promotional products industry. But the top categories of promotional products kept because they can be used for contact information reference are Buttons/Badges/Ribbons/Stickers/Magnets (33%), so when designing your custom button consider adding a phone number or website into the design, making it more useful to your customers and therefore more likely for them to hold onto. Usefulness is key if you want your promotional items to be kept and not just tossed in the trash!
Fun fact: the big election year in 2012 helped increase sales of buttons, badges and bumper stickers by 48% over 2011.