Does your company spend thousands of dollars on marketing with little to show for it? Poor response rates are enough to drive us all crazy. Fret no more. There is a solution!

According to recent studies, businesses are reaping greater rewards by using promotional products as extensions of other marketing activities. Advertising, direct mail, web promotions and public relations are significantly more effective when appropriate promotional products are included. Why? Because advertising specialties have the unique ability to customize a message to a specific audience or need.

For example, a microbrewery recently introduced its new brand of beer by giving away cork coasters imprinted with a replica of the product’s label. Besides protecting furniture, the coasters provide endless name recognition.

A film processor used imprinted magnetic frames for a store promotion. The company reported customers liked the frames so much, they told their friends, which ultimately led to a 22% increase in sales.

During the latter part of 1999, many companies used promotional products to generate enthusiasm for their millennium “bug” projects. One firm’s goal was to encourage enterprise-wide teamwork to upgrade computer systems. Items including baseball caps, beverage containers, screen savers, and newsletters were imprinted with slogans to remind employees of the program.

Marketers are also finding packaging makes a big difference. A building supply company sends prospects a tee shirt compressed into a brick. Another firm sends clients a packet of gourmet coffee or tea, inside a glass mug with the message, “Take a break on us.”

On the Internet, content-providers have only a few second to get a customers attention. Promotional Products are often used to get customers to linger a little longer at their site. A survey by the nonprofit think tank Privacy &American Business found that nearly nine out of 10 online respondents felt it was fair to give personal consumer information to companies that gave them a “valuable benefit”. A company can do no better for itself than to give consumers their web address. Companies not only give away promotional products once they’re at their web site, they also do just to get bring customers online in the first place. Promotional products are a walking hyperlink!

After you’ve read this article, sit back and take a look around you to the number of promotional products you see everyday. Your calendar, a coffee mug, how about a note pad or favorite pen? The most effective promotional products are useful, attractive, unique, and of good quality. Combine all these attributes and you will have a winning program.

How to Use Promotional Products

1. As business gifts to foster goodwill or customer retention

2. For tradeshows, conferences, and meetings

3. To enhance public relations

4. For employee relations and internal corporate events

5. To generate new customers

6. As employee service awards

7. To create brand awareness

8. To introduce a new product, service, or line

9. For sales incentives

10. As part of safety education programs

About Promoavenue.com

PromoAvenue.com provides business customers of any size, information and

ideas for improving sales, image and profits through the use of promotional

products. PromoAvenue has many programs designed to meet the unique needs of

your business. Each program is designed to increase awareness, name

recognition and lead generation for your business. Promotional Product

Programs, when used as incentives or rewards, will improve customer loyalty,

employee morale and productivity.