SWAG (A Blog Series on Promotional Products (pt 2)

In our previous blog we covered the "Promo with Purpose" method of approaching promotional products. What the Promo with Purpose concept does is answer the who, what, why, where, when, and how for promotional products buying. In the previous blog we covered the who and the what.

WHERE

As with the “who” question, there are two considerations when looking at “where” a promotional product is used: where you are going to be distributing the item and where your customers are going to be using it. Knowing where you’ll be distributing the item can help determine how large, heavy, or portable it needs to be for both you and your promotion recipients. Knowing where your customers will typically be using the item can determine what items will be the best fit. For example, you would not want to give refrigerator/file magnets to those who are spending the majority of the time in a vehicle.

Your distribution “where” might also be through the mail or other delivery service. Weight and size are even bigger factors in this case!

As well, think of where your customers would likely be when they are in a buying mood for what you sell. You want your promotion there! Drill down to the room and personal location. Are they at a desk? In the kitchen? It’s why Yellow Pages phone directories worked for as long as they did before the Internet became the norm. People were going there to find and dial up solutions to their immediate needs.

WHEN

Very closely related to “where” is “when.” If your “when” is coming up next week, that will severely limit your choices of promotional items. And knowing when your customers are in a buying mood can help determine a place where you might want to put your promotion. What is happening at that moment when a buying decision process begins?

HOW

The effectiveness of your promotion, as well as whether you stay on budget or not, is often determined by how you distribute it.

Will it be through direct mail? Response (not actual sales!) rates for direct mail can be as low as 1-2%. So, you’ll have to buy a lot more of whatever you’re distributing to get an acceptable return.

If you are distributing it at a tradeshow, indiscriminately giving out your promotion to everyone who wanders by your booth, it is a recipe for budget blunders. Qualifying booth visitors, and only giving your promotions to those that do, can save you money on promotional products as well as on time and effort wasted on non-qualifying leads.

Additionally, knowing how your customers will be using your promotion can help you decide what investment you wish to make. For example, if you are using branded disposable drinkware at an event, you don’t want to invest too much into something that will be trashed or recycled as soon as the event is over.

WHAT

This is where is all comes together. Your analysis of all the above pieces will help you determine what to buy.

Two final “what” questions are needed prior to the final analysis: What is your budget? What quantity will you need? It is easy to determine if it is a mailing and you have the list quantity available or for events where each attendee will receive an item. For tradeshows, you do not have to buy enough product to distribute to each attendee unless you have an arrangement to put your promotion in attendee welcome bags. Planning for 10-20% of total attendance to stop by your booth is usually more than enough, especially if you are going to be carefully distributing to only qualified prospects.

Thorne, Heidi. SWAG: How to Choose and Use Promotional Products for Marketing Your Business (p. 11). UNKNOWN. Kindle Edition.