What makes you memorable, can your client find your contact details whenever they need them?

Last week as I left my house, my neighbour was trying to jump start her car with little success. Eventually she started searching for the Green flag contact number. After a quick scan through her phone contacts she pulled out her ice scraper and proceeded to call them. Brilliant and effective use for these branded promotional Items. Contact numbers where you need them whenever you need them!

This highlights the importance of choosing the right branded merchandise designed to promote your business. Using your branding to its full potential.

However looking through the huge catalogue of promotional items, the choice is endless so where do you start and how much to spend? The main consideration is to choose branded promotional items carefully or you will be throwing money away. Wasting time and effort with no return on your investment at all.

To begin with who are you targeting?

You may have several target customers so this needs very careful analysis before you start.

What would they find useful and what would they actually use?

A little guess work may be needed but be realistic, look at everyday items you use around your house, office, car….

The item needs to be accessible, close to hand, easy to reach or see or ideally in constant use.

Branded promotional items must be designed using the right information. Not just a logo and your business name but your contact details and if space allows, a web address and maybe email. Even better, if possible include the services you offer. (This may not be possible and not always advisable depending the product see mugs, business card holders and diaries below)

Remember when promoting your business you need to be seen in several different places for the best possible exposure.

Your business needs to be in the forefront of your customers mind especially when needing repeat business or services. Customers need to be able to remember who you are and more importantly that it was you that supplied that wonderful product/service they can’t live without! The customer then needs to be able to lay their hands on your contact details not your competitor at a moments notice!

Choose an object that is relevant to your business if possible or will remind them of you and as said before could be in constant use!

It must be brand consistent, the right colours the right logo and the right look. You are aiming for identification and recognition. Implanting your brand name into their mind and sub conscious. The chosen item must also be of a decent quality. For example don’t waste money on cheap pens that don’t work or break. Make sure any item will not fall apart or wear out immediately. It won’t do your reputation much good if it does.

Remember you can also have the best product but if the branding rubs off or wears away there will be no way of identifying who made it or where to get it from. I have a favourite pair of flip flops and wanted to replace them but identifying them was almost impossible after I’d worn the printed logo away ! A great mascara/lipstick, (or golf ball) can’t be replaced if you can’t remember what make it was.

Don’t waste money!

Pens are a popular and can be cheap but they get lost, stolen and run out, then thrown away.
Mugs are great, everyone drinks tea or coffee or something so an ideal item but make them look nice they will get used more often!
Card holders, oyster cards and business card holders will suffer the same fate if over branded. People may not use your gift if your branding is plastered all over, a subtle approach is required here.
The Ice scraper – ideal for garages. breakdown service, tyres etc insurance companies, kept in the car and easy to find when in need!
Telephone notepads and desk pads are brilliant. Telephone/notepads can be A6 size and sit on everyones desk, who doesn’t need a note pad! Room for branding messages and contact details – done well they can be an essential in all your client’s offices. Desk pads, obviously bigger, not everyone will have room or use them but for a courier company who has customers booking collections it is an ideal item to send out. Even with the current years calendar and space for notes, there is still room for all your details services and contact numbers.

Calendars are an attractive gift every year but again don’t over brand, desk calendars are brilliant, especially the plastic cassette types. They sit in a small space and just wait for when you need them, my printer gives them out every year and I wouldn’t be without it! Totally bespoke, can be produced cost effectively.
Diaries are great but again the over branding can put people off using them. If you can afford to produce them with your customers details and branding alongside yours, you may find your customers are more than impressed. Do this with good quality clever labelling.

One of the best uses of a keyring is by a Lettings agency. Simple, effective, totally relevant and always in constant use! Brilliant!
For beauticians a branded emery board, cheap, simple and in constant use!
Electricians – branded torches! Do I need to say more!

For the desk once again – a mouse mat – even with an optical mouse I still have to use one and it has room for a whole list of services offered by the telephone answering company who I designed it for. Get tablet and phone holders that sit on the desk, the branding is covered but there is plenty of room for the details you want to display and when the phone is in use its displayed for all to see.

Printed promotional bags are a godsend for businesses with clients with loads of paperwork, give them a bag to put it in!! When transporting the important paperwork your business is being advertised wherever they go! Bespoke paper bags are usually kept, all good shops have them, while plastic ones get thrown away, I can assure you!

I have a very clever Garage Door supplier, GarageDoor and Shutter Services, we produce brightly coloured stickers – waterproof of course – which he sticks not the inside of any new installation or any doors he services. When they need the yearly service, guess where they can instantly find his details? Perfect, easy accessible and will inevitably see it every time they enter or leave the garage! The same client recently sponsored a beer at a beer festival in Peterborough. He was chatting to the organiser and asked about supplying beer mats. Sadly they said it would be a bit tricky with the other main sponsors but he could have them on the club bar all year round! All year round, men drinking beer using his branded beer mats all most likely with cars!!!

So in conclusion think about your branded promotional items, think very carefully about placement and targeting.

• Who uses it, where is it kept, how would it be used?
• What details you need to get your message across and how much space you need to do that nicely not cramming it into every available space.
• The more time your brand is seen the stronger it gets!
• Don’t miss out on new business or repeat orders because your details were not the first to be found but your competitors were!

To stand out do something different and get seen!

These umbrellas certainly stand out in a crowd!

Written by Angie Phillips, Design Consultant - Helping you create business by creating IMPACT! Fabulous effective design that makes you say WOW! Using my expertise to promote yours. Fiercely committed to my clients and getting my hands on your assets! Always happy to offer help and advice. Promoting and helping you to grow through networking & introductions even after our work is done. #CreatingBusinessByDesign  #CreatingIMPACT  #LOVEwhatIdo

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