Baseball caps, space pens, miniature deck chairs for mobile phones, plug-in USB ports, juggling balls, umbrellas, chocolate wrappers, Frisbees sounds like the sort of stuff that television programmes like House Doctor and Life Laundry are made on. But in marketing’s parallel universe these objects serve a purpose, aside from what they were originally intended; they become mini brand ambassadors which can be edible, decorative, entertaining and even functional.
Pens are the most popular items for businesses to brand commanding 30 per cent of the market but there is more to merchandise. The scope of items available to brand is vast, though amongst the myriad chocolates and mugs there are some ridiculous items. For example the branded karate belt (targeting DM marketers) and the branded ring tone (a gift to GPs from a high profile pharmaceutical company) fell into the latter category. These ‘gifts’ committed the ultimate promotional faux pas: they were not relevant to the target audience. Merchandise that falls at this hurdle fails: it will be discarded in minutes therefore failing to raise awareness or adding value to the brand it may even de-value it.
The key factor to consider when planning a promotional campaign is the target audience who they are, what they like, and how important they are to you. Richard Wood, chief executive of the British Promotional Merchandise Association (BPMA), advises, Look at the target audience and tie into their needs and aspirations choose something that they are likely to use. This information should mould everything else including the budget, the choice of item and how it’s branded and distributed.
Stuart Warne, B2B channel sales manager for Sanford the US manufacturer behind Parker, Waterman and Paper Mate pens among others comments, Think about who you’re targeting, think about what they’re worth and that should dictate the budget.
Jonathan Haskell, CEO of Michael C Fina, puts it more bluntly: If you’re targeting a merchant banker earning a half million pounds a year and a huge bonus on top of that they are nor going to be switched on by a bic ballpoint pen. You need to make it [the merchandise] commensurate with the person.
Not only must the merchandise be appropriate, it must also measure up to the brand. Haskell of Michael C Fina, says, The whole idea is that the item acts as an embellishment and enhancement of the brand/product rather than to its detriment. For instance, a ‘quality’ data provider may lose its credibility if it presented clients with a useless widget worth 3p, or an accountancy practice may damage its ‘professional’ reputation with a cuddly penguin emblazoned in the company’s logo.
The objective is to be creative without getting silly it’s about thinking beyond the pen but not getting sidetracked by the gizmos and gimmicks. And the key to this is data. The more you know about your target the more informed your choice and therefore the more accurate the promotion. In the June edition of B2B Marketing (see B2BM, June 05, p22) Paul Cash outlined a typical IT director according to Tidalwave research: time-poor with frequent overseas travel…likes beer and wine and prefers rugby and cricket to football. Insight like this can make the difference between nonchalance and engagement. For example the Lions’ fan who finds a stress reliever in the shape of a rugby ball in the morning post will certainly give it a second glance and, chances are it will stay on the desk or surrounding bookcases for some time.
In reality though this calibre of data is not universally available nor is it necessary if it’s a mass awareness campaign. Therefore, the second factor to consider, after the target audience, is your message. Is it about general brand awareness? Or maybe it’s being used to promote something specific like a product or an event.
Anything edible chocolates, mints or sweets should only ever be used for raising brand awareness as people are unlikely to dwell on the message, here the logo or company name is sufficient. Items with a longer shelf life eg. mugs, pens and mouse mats can be exploited to communicate more: contact details or even a message about a new product can be added.
Seasonality may also affect your choice of item. If Christmas is approaching an item with a festive twist is worth considering, though Santa-shaped pens and chintzy baubles should be avoided. This is where it’s wise to apply the personal principal as Jonathan Haskell phrased it. He advises clients to use their own taste as a yardstick, Always ask yourself, ‘if I was receiving this would I use it?’. This may eliminate some of the silliness. Similarly it’s easy to get caught up in a summertime frenzy of branded beach balls and lilos but as Mark Spicer, product manager at Grass Roots, points out people who live in the city are unlikely to appreciate a lilo baseball caps or Frisbees are better choices.
The golden rule with branding the item is worth: high value products should be discreet whereas low value can be as brash as you like. Wood of the BPMA says, The branding should depend on the promotion: if it’s an expensive item you don’t want it to be heavily branded. Again this is just common sense. If you’re spending £10,000 on Mont Blanc pens or Waterford Crystal engraving the URL, email addresses, phone numbers and the mission statement will devalue what was essentially a quality product.
Haskell of Michael C Fina, comments, It’s best to be discreet because there’s a better chance of someone using it. Remember, you want the thing to be a constant reminder. Pick the right product and personalise it.
Finding the right supplier can be daunting. With 1000s of manufacturers out there all vying for your custom it’s good to start with the BPMA which has 750 members including manufacturers, suppliers and distributors all of whom are vetted and must adhere to a code of conduct. Mark Spicer of Grass Roots advises going to three or four suppliers, give them a rough idea of what you want. Tell them the quantity and the target audience and discuss the options with them as they are more likely to be up on all the new stuff in the market.
Distributing promotional merchandise presents two options: mail it to the recipient or give it to them face-to-face ie. at sales meetings, events, exhibitions, conferences or in-house. Consider the available methods of distribution before deciding on the product: if your only option is mailing, consider the cost implications of weight and fragility. Warne of Sanford comments, Pens are ideal for mailing, if you’re distributing crystal you have to factor in all of the shipping costs.
Conversely if you’re distributing at a trade show consider the competition: how creative/extravagant are they likely to be with the promotional merchandise? Confectionary is a good choice for exhibitions as it will lure people to you, but mailing promotional chocolates is unwise as Spicer points out it may get damaged or melt in transit. Not a good look.
Promotional merchandise can be effective in raising brand awareness, as a vehicle for new messages and as a constant reminder to those that matter. Yet sometimes there exists a laissez faire attitude to this type of marketing, a feeling of ‘why bother because everyone loves something for nothing’. This is not the case.
We live in a society that favours minimalism Feng Shui and white walls to clutter and chintzy décor so your offering must be functional and worth keeping. A bic ballpoint ticks the first box but is it worth making spacing in the desk tidier for? These are the questions that should be asked otherwise your mini brand ambassador will quickly find itself out of sight and your brand out of mind.
