4 Tips for Incorporating Creative Messages into Your Promotional Products

by Ralph Trayfalgar

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People nowadays are all too familiar with the idea of promotional products. In its most common form, it is a functional object with the company logo printed on it, which can be bought in large numbers at not too high of a cost – usually a pen, or a mug, or a notepad. These are then given away to customers and clients at company meetings, events, or simply given away as freebies. From the perspective of the consumer, they might not see much in a promotional product outside of what it is at face value.

These freebies, however, hold quite a lot of value in the eyes of the company, as they serve many useful purposes besides their general function is to the customer. The promotional product serves as an extension of a company and its brand image, and is a crucial part of the company's marketing puzzle. Promotional products are one of the strongest ways to extend the reach of one's brand, as the identity of the company is reflected in a tangible product that customers can take with them wherever they go. This gives promotional products a unique advantage over more static marketing mediums such as print and broadcast advertising.

Promotional products already work quite effectively with not much more than the company colours and logos on the product, and many companies do, in fact, use this method without any issues. However, if one wants to form a more lasting connection to their customers, the use of promotional products should be taken a step further. And in this article, we will be giving you a few useful tips to help you do just that.

1. Go Beyond the Logo.

Slapping the company logo onto a promotional product is pretty much the foundation of the promotional product. With that in mind, a great way to shake things up is to use something other than just the company logo. A few good examples would be a tagline, slogan, or new graphic elements like a company mascot or visual motif that ties back to your brand. This gives you a lot more freedom to experiment in terms of what you want your audience to see. This also increases your marketing flexibility and is a great starting point for the next promotional product design tips.

2. Market for the Occasion.

Promotional products can be put to use at nearly any time, in nearly any place. That tends to be why many companies resort to the simple "logo on product" design for most if not all of their promotional products. That being said, customers would definitely appreciate going a step further with the freebies they see and receive. One way to take that extra step is by incorporating branding that is more relevant to or appropriate for a certain event or occasion.

Say, for example, that you are going to be handing out promotional product tie-ins for the holiday season. Instead of simply going with whatever you already have in your inventory, creating a new set of promotional products that have a theme relevant to the holiday or winter season would much better suit the occasion, and your customers are likely to notice and will better appreciate your brand and your promotional products for it.

3. Less Is More.

Effective marketing, especially marketing to the general public, operates on the principle of simplicity. Ideally, you would want your marketing materials and wordings to be very easy to read and understand – even to children. With this in mind, your promotional products would also benefit from branding elements that are easier to understand. Of course, simplifying your branding elements does not mean dumbing it down; rather, the focus is on making sure that your customers understand and are not confused by the message that your promotional products are trying to convey.

4. Stay True to the Brand.

While we are on the topic of message, a good marketer should always remember to tie the messages of their promotional products back to the brand. Promotional products are a direct reflection of your brand's image and core message, so all of the physical, visual, and textual elements of your promotional products should convey that brand image and message to whoever receives and uses them. Now of course, simplifying your brand's marketing elements does not mean dumbing it down; on the other hand, you as a marketer may need to adjust your marketing elements to fit your target audience.

Conclusion – Get Creative!

It should be noted that all of the tips we've discussed above are just that – tips. Although incorporating this advice into your company's marketing materials may help, it is not a rule that will guarantee improvements. As we've stated previously, effective marketing is flexible and should stay relevant to the wants and needs of the customer; therefore you, as the marketer with all of the relevant information about the target audience of your company, know the best possible way to reach and connect with that audience.

But the needs of the customer are continuously changing, and different customers will respond to your marketing materials in different ways. This means that, in order to adapt, you should take the opportunity to get creative with your company's marketing campaigns in order to properly communicate your brand to your customers and leave a strong impression.