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One
of the most effective method of advertising is through promotional
products. They bear extensive importance in a marketing strategy be
it internal or external. As it is cost-effective, it has proven time
and time again that it is the most appreciated form of marketing.
With this versatility, they too are vulnerable to a wide range of
errors.
Nothing
is foolproof. But, if one learns from the mistakes of others, it is
likely that he/she will overcome slip-ups. For this purpose, we
listed down the top 10 mistakes companies make when planning a
promotional campaign.
Top
10 mistakes people make when they use promotional products:
1.
Lack or Unclear objectives
Lack
of clear-cut goal and defined objective can ruin the whole process of
your promotional campaign. Every theater must have a straightforward
goal, a well-defined purpose, and an obvious desired outcome. The
objective of the promotional campaign needs to have a target audience
in mind. The purpose has to be particular and understandable. Lastly,
we should identify a demographic that the items need to reach.
2.
Lack of Distribution planning
Most
of the business doing promotional campaign fails to pay attention to
a distribution plan. Let's say that you've chosen the right kind of
items for the right kind of people, the question of how to distribute
correctly crops up. While distributing, you got to make sure that
your products reach the right target audience in good condition. It
involves warehousing, repacking, shipping, delivery, and assembly of
products.
As
an example, magnetic to do list (paper to do list that you can pin on
your fridge) needs to be shipped to a location disassembled. This
being said, you need to allocate an extra day for assembly before
handing out.
A distribution plan also addresses the cost of
shipping and handling. We had a client once that had to distribute
5000+ items to 25 different locations. Their lead-time did not
properly address the man-hours needed to repack so we had to rush
everything thereby increasing the cost of freight.
The
type of delivery also matters, would you have a fork lift to handle a
pallet? Do you have enough space to house the delivery? Would your
staff directly hand it out to onlookers? Will your manager be handing
out to select clients?
Survey shows that a well-designed
distribution tremendously increases the effectiveness of
your promotional
products and
budget.
3.
Unattractive colour theme or graphics
It
is necessary to create an appealing colour theme or graphic. One of
the common aims of advertising is exposure. So, how can you expose
and present your brand to get recognition from your target
demographic? You need to create a good design and recognizable
business logo or colour scheme in your promotional products. They
should carry your corporate colour.
4.
Irrelevant products
Another
main factor of failure in promotional strategy is the use of
irrelevant products. It is of high significance to build a conceptual
link between the promo products and your company. If the item chosen
does not make any association with your brand, how good a purpose
will it serve? You need to imprint the image of your brand on the
product so that each time people see it, they will identify them with
your company.
Like
a carwash to a chamois, produce company to a fruit fusion water
bottle, and a computer company to a USB flash drive.
5.
Lack of theme message
Another
shortcoming is the inability to create a good theme that conveys the
message about your purpose. Every purpose is represented and
propagated by a slogan. Would you like an environmentally friendly
company to distribute plastic bags (the non-recycled ones)? Or an
anti-whaling organization distribute harpoon key rings? No!
Definitely not. It’s downright ironic.
Theme
message is important because advertising aims to convey a message
that will result in a behavior. This is the reason why almost all
companies, big and small, use themes to exemplify their company name,
products, and services in the minds of their target audience.
6.
Single minded choice and Lack of Market insights
By
our instinct and personality, we are always accustomed to the way of
doing things in our own terms. This should be shed when it comes to
marketing. Making choice about the kind of products to be used for
the campaign should not be based on what you do or don't like. The
goal is a successful campaign. What’s important is the likes and
dislikes of your target market. Thus the choice of the products have
to be determined by the company's goal and the target audience's
taste and preference.
7.
Price factor and Perceived Value
The
phrase 'everyone loves freebies' doesn't mean that whatever you hand
out will be liked and loved by recipients. As they are free, most
companies make the mistake of cutting corners. There’s nothing
wrong with that but it is imperative to understand that your company
is not the only one that gives freebies. Your promotional products
represent your company and in this highly competitive era, no company
would want to devalue its reputation by choosing a cheap looking
product.
You
always need to look for products with higher perceived value.
8.
Poor design
Most
businesses commit this mistake by handing out products that are
boring. In today's trend, people are well aware of fashion and they
don't want things that are flat and bland. The design of the products
have to be loved and liked by people. In order to make the design or
colour more appealing, you can customise the products to suit the
taste of your audience.
9.
Irrelevant information
There's
no need to print unnecessary information on the product as it will
look messy and unattractive. Information such as your company's
address, phone numbers, URL is the way to go as they will help people
in reaching you. In other words, when customers want to take real
action, these information will assist them whether in contacting the
company or in purchasing the company's product.
10.
Single handed effort
The
most common mistake committed by most of the small and medium
business is taking matters into their own hands. A company will need
external assistance in a promotional marketing program. You will need
someone who specializes in the industry to save you most of the
troubles that we enumerated.
You need assistance in order to
finalize which products are suitable, what are the options available,
etc. Moreover, suppliers with expertise in this field had acquired
enormous experiences in terms of promotional programs. These
suppliers will provide you a one stop shop for your promotional
needs.
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