Improve Response to an Advertising Campaign

An advertising campaign can use several forms of communication to reach the same audience. Print advertising, email, direct mail, digital marketing, events and promotional products can work together to reinforce a consistent message.

Promotional products can be especially useful when you want to add a physical item to a campaign. The product gives recipients something tangible that connects the advertising message with your company, organization, event or offer.

Start With a Clear Campaign Objective

Before selecting a promotional product, determine what you want the campaign to accomplish. You may be introducing a product or service, generating inquiries, encouraging event attendance, thanking customers, supporting a sales promotion or reaching prospective customers.

A clear objective makes it easier to select merchandise and develop a message that supports the rest of the campaign.

Coordinate the Promotional Product With Your Message

The promotional item should make sense for the audience and the campaign. Consider how the product will be distributed, who will receive it, the available budget and how the item relates to the message you are communicating.

Your company logo, campaign message or other appropriate artwork can help connect the merchandise with the advertising surrounding it.

Promotional Products and Direct Mail

Promotional products can be incorporated into direct-mail campaigns when the product is appropriate for mailing. A small branded item can accompany a letter, announcement, invitation or other marketing material.

When planning this type of campaign, consider the size and weight of the product as well as packaging and postage requirements. These factors can affect the overall cost and practicality of the mailing.

Using a Promotional Product as an Incentive

Another approach is to offer a promotional product as an incentive rather than including it with the initial communication. The item might be offered for visiting a booth, attending a presentation, responding to an offer, participating in a program or completing another desired action.

When using an incentive, make the requirements clear so recipients understand what they need to do and what they will receive.

Trade Shows and Events

Promotional merchandise can also support advertising before, during and after a trade show or company event. An item can be used with an invitation, distributed at the event or provided as part of a follow-up communication.

Matching the product to the audience and event can make the campaign feel more coordinated and help maintain a consistent company presentation.

Keep Your Branding Consistent

When several forms of advertising are used together, consistency becomes important. Logos, colors, messages and offers should be coordinated so customers can recognize that the different pieces belong to the same campaign.

The promotional product does not have to contain every detail of the campaign. Depending on the available imprint area, a clear logo or short message may be more practical than trying to reproduce a large amount of information on a small product.

Choose Products With Distribution in Mind

The way an item will reach the recipient should be considered before it is selected. Products intended for direct mail have different requirements from merchandise being handed out at a trade show, shipped with an order or distributed at a company event.

Size, weight, packaging, quantity, production time and available imprint options can all influence which promotional product is appropriate for a particular campaign.

Measure the Campaign

When possible, establish a way to evaluate the campaign based on its objective. Depending on the promotion, this might include inquiries, responses, event attendance, leads, orders or another measurement that is meaningful to your organization.

Reviewing the results can help you decide which approaches and promotional products to use in future campaigns.

Promotional Products for Advertising Campaigns

Garrett Specialties has been helping businesses and organizations select custom promotional merchandise for more than 30 years. Promotional products can be incorporated into direct mail, trade shows, customer programs, sales promotions, corporate events and other advertising campaigns.

For assistance selecting promotional products for your next campaign, call Garrett Specialties at 1-800-320-1510.