subject: Using Promotional Products For Direct Mail Campaigns [print this page] Using promotional products for direct mail campaigns is not a new idea. For years it has been a favourite option for direct marketing. Mail campaigns target your customer directly, while promotional products keep the brand value alive in the customers mind. However, like every marketing campaign it needs research and attention to detail.
Target market
Every marketing strategy must begin with deciding the target market. Are you aiming for new consumers? Or are you focusing on consolidating your position with existing ones? Ideally, every campaign is a mix of both. You want to find new customers, while strengthening your position among your loyal consumers.
Distinguishing your consumers for marketing purposes helps you define the financial outlay. For prospective consumers it is a better idea to use small inexpensive items for daily use, such as a pen. For loyal consumers you may consider something more expensive as a reward for their loyalty, such as T-shirts, caps and cups.
Product Branding
Using promotional products for direct mail campaigns is pointless if it does not carry the company name. Whatever the product and its size, it must carry the company name and logo. Doing so has obvious benefits. It keeps the company name alive in the customer mind. In fact the brand can be used on generic articles to make it a promotional product. For instance, during season a sports calendar can carry your logo.
At the very least the product must carry the name and logo. If possible, include some contact information such as the website address. Certain items such as pens may be too small to carry too much information. However, the brand must be spelled out clearly and professionally.
Brand association
For the best brand promotion, it is a good idea to use products that have the best association with your brand. For instance a sports company can put its brand on a sports calendar, a beer company may choose to use bottle openers. There are good reasons behind such a move. It strengthens your brand position for target users. By choosing a product that is commonly used by them you are assured that your promotional product will be valued.
It also assures a better brand recall. This will carry over even when the user is using a rival product. For instance, even when the customer is using a rival companys beer, your bottle opener will make sure that your brand is recalled by the consumer every time he/she opens a bottle.
While using promotional products for direct mail campaigns may not be a novel idea, it is nevertheless an effective strategy. However, as the above article points out, it must be done judiciously and after due research.
