Promotional products and campaigns - stepping up your game

With the number of channels available to today's consumers, successful business communication with your customers is no longer a one-size-fits-all scenario. A successful promotional campaign contains a mixture of elements, each of which addresses a different customer preference. Respecting customer preferences is the key to continued business success in an age of ever-increasing options.

Advertising

No matter how sophisticated, advertising is the least personal form of business communication. Whether it's print, television, radio, or web-based, advertising provides consumers with valuable information about your company, but doesn't provide them with the opportunity to interact. That's why it's important that advertising is only one vital element of a promotional campaign. With today's media-savvy consumers, the best media advertising campaigns are those that challenge usual advertising methods.

For example, Dove launched a campaign that, rather than using picture-perfect models, challenged the whole concept of model perfection. Their video became one of the most viewed in advertising history.

Public Relations

While consumers want high quality at affordable prices, they also want to know that their dollars are contributing to making the world a better place. Investing in building a reputation as a socially responsible business can increase public regard as well as long-term profits. From sponsoring local sports teams to donating to local charities, there are few things that inspire customer loyalty as much as the knowledge that your company is invested in the health and well-being of the community, and increasingly, the planet.

Promotional Items and Corporate Gifts

Customers like gifts. Corporate gifts are available from cheap to luxurious price, and this promotional tool are a great way if you want to invest small sum of money in your brand or corporate promotion. Statistic show that promo gifts are popular around the world. In UK and Australia research shows that the most popular promotional products were USB drives, pens, electrical item or a mug. Check this page for more info on how you can incorporate this into your overall marketing mix.

Sales Promotions

Sales promotions are a great way to attract new customers as well as reward long-time ones. Price markdowns and bundling have proven to be successful. However, it's not just the success of a promotion that matters. Statistics show that a promotional failure can result in as many loyal customers as a successful promotion, depending on the way your company handles it. A promotional mistake, such as underestimating demand for a sale item, can be an opportunity for your superior customer service to shine. While potential customers may not be impressed by a failed promotion, they are sure to be impressed with a customer service team that stops at nothing to make things right.

Direct Marketing

Direct marketing has the benefit of being more personal than advertising. It also has the benefit of being one of the least expensive ways to build brand loyalty. Customers usually appreciate receiving money-saving coupons and information about upcoming sales events through the mail. Telemarketing is often less appreciated unless the customer has specified that the telephone is their preferred method of communication. Even then, it's important that the telemarketer be properly trained to recognize cues for when to end the call. A simple poster with a QR code can deliver a potential customer to your company website via their smartphone to learn more about your products.

Personal Selling

Not even the internet and social media can take the place of face-to-face communication and genuine meaningful human connection. While personal selling is used less often than other modern methods, there are a still number of timeless benefits. One of them is eliminating the possibility of misunderstanding. It is much easier to both request and provide clarification of important issues in person than over the phone or through email. A customer forming and enjoyable and mutually beneficial relationship with a company salesperson is often synonymous with forming a long-lasting relationship with the company.

Finding the right mix of these elements can be a challenge. Meeting that challenge will ensure that you'll reach, and successfully engage, the greatest number of potential customers possible.

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