It may sound like a David vs. Goliath story. However, small businesses can positively impact their bottom line by using an effective tool that Fortune 500 companies enjoy for less than a penny per impression.
Promotional products, also known as advertising specialties, are more effective and affordable than most media. For the newcomer, advertising specialties are useful items imprinted with the company name and / or logo. Types include, but are not limited to, caps, pens, polo shirts, car accessories, and mugs.
Unlike a business card, which can end up in the trash, promotional products are perceived as useful and valuable. Look around your house. Chances are, if you’re like most people, you have several on display: a couple of printed pens on your desk, that specialty coffee mug inside your closet, or that colored magnet on your refrigerator door.
Recently, the Advertising Specialty Institute (ASI) conducted a landmark study showing that promotional products are less expensive per impression than most other media. Furthermore, the study found that promotional products are very effective and affordable compared to other forms of media.
ASI conducted a total of 3,332 in-person and online surveys, including interviews with business professionals in major metropolitan areas such as Los Angeles, New York, London, Montreal, and Sydney. As a follow-up to its 2008 survey, ASI included new demographic information on politics, ethnicity, gender, and age. Because knowing the recipient of the advertising specialties is of utmost importance for advertisers. In addition, the survey included global markets and more promotional products, such as food and automotive accessories.
The survey found:
The cost per impression of a specialty item remained about the same in the US between 2008 and 2010, at 0.005 cents. Imagine the number of impressions received from a printed pen, which often changes hands on numerous occasions!
Tote bags have the highest number of impressions per month, over 1,000. The fact is, 36% of people with annual incomes less than $ 50,000 own suitcases. This gives advertisers more bang for their buck.
Gender differences prevailed in the survey: Men were more likely than women to own polo shirts and caps. Women, on the other hand, were more likely to have bags, writing instruments, calendars, and health and safety products.
The survey also found strong identification of advertisers. In fact, 83% of Americans remember the advertiser on a promotional item they own. After all, the goal of any company offering specialties is to be remembered. No other medium offers such a powerful impact.
Promotional products provide positive company reviews. According to the survey, 41% of Americans say their opinion of the advertiser is more positive when receiving a special article.
The positive impact of promotional products expands the world. More than 63% of those surveyed in London have received and kept a pen in the last 12 months. In the US, writing instruments are used most frequently, an average of 18.2 times per month.
Advertising specialties have incredible transfer rates! Almost 63% of US respondents give the promotional item to someone else if they don’t use it themselves. It is almost impossible to do that with any other form of advertising!
The popularity of promotional products (advertising specialties) has never been greater! The most widely used promotional products in the US are writing instruments (46%), T-shirts (38%), and calendars (24%).
When it comes to effectiveness, affordability, popularity, and selection, the promotional products can’t be beat! Shouldn’t they become a vital part of your company’s marketing team?