Strengthening Your Brand with Promotional Gifts

If you take a break from staring at your screen and have a look at your desk tidy I am almost certain that you will find some pens, pencils and may be even rulers or erasers that have a business’s name or logo on them. And I’m also willing to bet that the business whose brand appears on these items is one that you, or others in your office, buy products or services from. Promotional items like branded stationary might seem inconsequential but they are in fact a brilliant way for brands to get ingrained into a person’s consciousness without them even realising.

The power of promotional gifts can be particularly beneficial for small businesses as it is an affordable method of direct advertising. To be most effective though, a promotional gift campaign must be well thought through; there is no point attaching your brand to a gift that won’t be used.

Stationary is a popular promotional gift and the reasoning behind that is clear; almost everyone uses pens, pencils and so on. The only downside to stationary is that it is disposable; meaning when the ink runs dry or the eraser runs out your brand will be binned. So perhaps consider attaching your brand to a more robust office staple like a mouse mat or coffee mug.

If your business offers a niche product or service that your clients or customers identify with on a personal level then branded t-shirts, hoodies or tote bags might be a good idea. If your customers would actually wear something in their day to day lives that is adorned with your brand then you are not only keeping your business in the consciousness of the person wearing your promotional gift but you also have that person acting as a sort of walking billboard.

Another thing to consider in relation to promotional gifts is how appropriate they are for your brand. If, for example, your business works in the motor industry then a branded car air freshener is probably more likely to be used by your customer/client than a highlighter pen. This relationship between your business and your promotional gift is important because it demonstrates to your customers that you understand their needs and this will reinforce their faith in your business.

So, as you can see, promotional gifts have the potential to strengthen your brand if they are targeted to the correct audience and are genuinely useful.