From coffee cups and mouse pads to caps, bags, and pens, everywhere you look there’s a good chance you’ll find a promotional product. In 2017, American businesses spent around $23.3 billion on promotional products alone. In Canada, the figures are probably slightly less than that, but that’s still serious money. Why do companies continue to spend money on promotional products when they can spend a lot less on digital marketing or social media? With over a decade of experience delivering personalized gifts in Canada, some of the reasons we could think of include:
1. Promotional Products Create a Sense of Obligation:
Gift giving may seem like an innocent enough activity, but there is a lot of subtle psychology at work. For one, humans are dictated by an unwritten social code that says gifts must be reciprocated. We are conditioned to believe that those who give gifts are naturally in a superior position and such is why we try our best to balance this debt by repaying it as soon as possible. This reciprocation needn’t always be material; we can also repay by being kind or nice to the other person. In business, customers can try to repay by being loyal to a brand or by referring the business to friends and family.
2. Gifts Make People Happy:
In essence, a promotional product is a small but useful item stamped with the logo or brand name of the manufacturer. More importantly, they are inexpensive. Yet these gifts make us happy! Throughout the world, gift giving is associated with appreciation and recognition. This is especially true for material gifts. These gifts can be used multiple times, repeatedly generating moments of satisfaction. A typical promotional product is designed to last for at least two years. This means every time a person uses your product, the gift continues to make them happy. Coupons and discount vouchers are good, but they only guarantee a one-time experience of happiness. Promotional products, however, will repeatedly provide a happy experience.
3. Promotional Gifts Connect People to a Brand:
Giving personalized gifts creates a deeper emotional connection with customers and motivates them to do business with you. In fact, customers who are emotionally connected have double the lifetime value of highly satisfied customers. Personalized gifts make customers feel valued and even create a sense of community.
Whether you use them during conferences or trade shows or give them away as a fun surprise to customers, promotional products will always be an important way to promote a business.