Do's & Don'ts: Using Company's Branded Merchandise

It's no secret that company-branded merchandise has a significant positive impact on brand exposure, recognition, and loyalty. It also plays a crucial role in sponsorships and promotions. 

Delivering genuine value to prospects and customers gives you the chance to develop an emotional bond with them. It supports the tone and message of your brand and serves as a physical touchpoint for online marketing efforts. 

However, you must adopt a strategic approach if you want your company's branded items to be a vital component of your larger marketing strategy. You must consider the objectives of your business and marketing, set high standards, demand only the best quality, and decide how to measure the results and impressions they leave.

Here are Dos and Don'ts from our branding experts to help you make the most of branded items for your business.

Do: Understand Your target audience

Distributing promotional items at trade shows and other business events is a great way to get your company's name in front of potential new customers. The freebie you hand out represents your company in a sense. Every time they use it, they will be reminded of your company.

it is important then, that your promotional items be things that your target market actually needs. Before placing an order for marketing materials, consider the demographics of your target market. What is their age range?  Exactly where are they from? How much do they earn? The more specific the demographic information, the better.

Expand your investigation to include the preferences, interests, and habits of your target audience. Insights like this will help you create branded items that appeal to them

It would be a waste of money for instance to hand out golf clubs to teenagers who have no interest in playing the game. However, if you give custom golf gloves to golf enthusiasts, you will make an indelible mark. Promotional items that are thrown away or never used do not work to advertise your business.

Matching products to consumers' demographics demonstrates awareness of and appreciation for the target market. It's important to keep this in mind while shopping for gifts based on age range.

Don't: Settle for Poor Quality

Don't skimp on promotional products; doing so will hurt your brand's image and ultimately your bottom line.

Your promotional products are likely the first impression a customer will have of your company, and giving out low-quality merchandise reflects very poorly on your company. Many potential clients will automatically associate your company with poor quality and low prices.

The fact that cheap goods are fragile and can easily tear or break (depending on the material) is another disadvantage. Think about it,  If the receiver has to throw your promotional item, it can no longer serve the purpose it was created to serve, you have wasted money, given them a bad impression about your brand and indirectly contributed to environmental pollution. 

Make sure you're not compromising on quality for the sake of cutting costs. Think about the message you want to send, the outcome you hope to achieve with this item, and who you want to see it. Don't choose a promotional good based just on cost.

You'd be better off giving your target market fewer high-quality products than a large quantity of low-quality ones. Products that are of high quality and provide true value are always the most memorable.

Do: Pick products that are useful and seen as valuable. 

Simply said, branded products have no influence if customers are unable or unwilling to use them. 

You should therefore select lifestyle products with useful features that retain their value over time. Consider customized water bottles, USBs, laptop or tote bags, chargers, power banks, caps, and other items. 

The more frequently your prospects use these products, the more they will value them, and the more favorable sentiment and exposure your brand will receive. To prevent losses, you should mix it up instead of sticking with just one product. 

Your business will gain more exposure and reach as a whole if your brand products are more diversified. 

Tough nut to crack, this one

On one end, you have to create carefully targeted communications and distribution strategies. This makes sure your company's branded merchandise is well received by its target market.

But, on the other hand, using several or overlapping themes guarantees that your product reaches a larger audience and is bought more frequently.

Thankfully, it's possible to enjoy the advantages of both possibilities. If you want to attract a large audience, you should stock your store with staple items that people will want to buy again and again. Then, roll out more specialized merchandise in accordance with seasonal marketing, annual themes, or special edition releases.

Developing and putting a successful strategy into action is an important part of leveraging branded items and boosting your business's bottom line. You should emphasize your willingness to help others and the value you can bring to potential customers in your strategy. Show them how you can meet their challenges and fulfill their needs.

To achieve this goal, you must first identify the specific demographics of the people you intend to sell your products. Creating buyer personas will help you in selecting products that will appeal to their interests and demands. Determine the most effective channels for disseminating your company's branded materials by studying their demographics.

Pro tip: stay away from "trendy" items, as they will eventually become obsolete. 

Your company's promotional products are its brand ambassadors. take the time to ensure it's the best product you can make with your resources and plan. Don't rush your team into making decisions or releasing items. Plan beforehand to avoid having to make any costly adjustments.

Ask questions, request for samples, Speak with a brand and promotional products consultant. Inform them of the cost, quantity, and timeline to receive optimal recommendations.

Since promotional items are typically custom-ordered, production might take a while. If you put in the effort to plan ahead, you won't have to pay extra to avoid a rush job or decision.

Our tips should make it easy for you to increase your company's bottom line through the use of branded items. But first, you have to pick your products 

At BrandIt, we have spent years perfecting our brand-building techniques, and now we have a huge inventory of branded goods to show for it. Through our expertise in creating a quality branded products, we will help your business not only enjoy the most lucrative items but to maximize their potential.