Promotional products often underrated as advertising media
In some cases, horrific amounts of money are spent on marketing every year. This part of the advertising budget is divided among the individual advertising media. Classical advertising such as print advertisements and TV spots are still the top-selling elements of the marketing mix. However, the downright inflationary development of daily advertising messages inevitably leads to a loss of impact. The advertising breaks in movies, for example, are now perceived as real breaks and used accordingly for channel-hopping. Quotation from Johann Lindenberg, former head of Unilever: “These days, 70 percent of TV spots sink without trace.” The promotional product is still underrated as a marketing instrument. It can contribute positively to the marketing mix in various ways, thus influencing the customer’s perception. Hans-Joachim Evers, first chairman of the Gesamtverband der Werbeartikel-Wirtschaft (GWW, German promotional product business association), agrees with this: “As a multisensory advertising medium, the promotional product can make valuable contributions to the marketing mix.”
Advantages of promotional products
One form of advertising which still has great potential and shows possible ways out of the “advertising inflation crisis” is the promotional product. This kind of advertising, understood rather to be a gift, has numerous advantages over the classical media. Direct value added for the customer – normally a publicity deployment will offer the addressee no immediate value added, though promo items are quite different. While TV spots steal valuable time, items add lingering value. Users like to be emotionally spoken to. This is much more difficult to accomplish through print advertising or television spots, than it is with promo items which can have effects on touch, hearing, smell, taste, and sight. The effect of a multi-sensory advertisement should be ranked potentially higher.
Lingering Effect
The optimal promo item pleases the customer through its functionality and design. Whether it’s a writing set or a USB-mouse, the repeated use of the article by the addressee creates a certain value. With this method advertising Euros just don’t fizzle away sight unseen. In times of mass communication, and given the fact that the classical advertising domain elicits a recognition response only after eight placements, the advantage of promo items and their lingering effect becomes clearer and clearer. Corporate writings and internet addresses applied on the items ideally allow even more customers to be lured to ones web site.
Better recall with promo articles
A representative study by the GWW Gesamtverband der Werbeartikel-Wirtschaft e.V. (GWW, German promotional product business association) participants were asked about the penetration of the advertising medium application – the so-called unsupported awareness. Here one asks them, without naming the company, whether they can remember a particular advertisement. On average tested marks on promo items generated an unsupported awareness of 72%. The print medium engaged advertising group barely achieves 24% awareness while the TV group still achieves 49%.
This makes it clear that advertising recall for promo items is significantly higher than for TV and print advertising. The first and most important level of the chain of advertising effects, the perception of the message, is thus best captured with the promo item.
The potential for noise, which calls into question the communicative success of the advertising message, is lower with promo items. Less noise – higher penetration.
Wide acceptance – positive rating
Walter Müller is on the mark when he says: „Better to hold a promo item in one’s hand than a spot on TV“. It’s no wonder that promo items offer especially high acceptance. That acceptance is far ahead of classical advertising forms. 78% of the participants in the mentioned study thought it irritating to find advertisements in their mailboxes. 66% preferred not to watch TV spots. Yet only 21% found promo items to be a nuisance. Thus the promo item itself sets the foundation for fashioning advertising in such a way that it comes to be accepted by the addressee. After all, acceptance of the advertising medium is one of the greatest challenges in marketing.
This advantage is unambiguous and particularly significant – a positive recognition of the advertising medium that yet is essential for a completely positive acceptance of the advertised product or service. Thus 70% of the participants viewed positively companies that used appropriate advertising items. The goal of each marketing expert is – to master the two cornerstones of classical communication instruments: acceptance and message recognition. A small side effect is also not to be underestimated: By using promo items, the person advertised to becomes automatically the advertiser. A fortunate chain reaction for the company which utilizes promo items!
Limited Dispersion Loss
A large problem with advertising media is the unavoidable dispersion loss. The Cross Rating Point or contact frequency (Sum of gross contacts with a medium per 100 target persons) is the important indicator at this juncture. No instrument other than the promo item achieves values that are this good. After all, the target audience can be spoken to with penetrating accuracy.
Limited Contact Price
The advertising lands literally into the hands of the addressee. The contact price, an additional informative assessment for achieving advertising goals, is comparatively limited in promo items. An advertisement through Google Adwords under the Keyword „detektei essen“ cost in September 2006 on average, per click (a single click on the advertisement!), €46.43. Even the word „privatkrankenversicherung“ resulted in an average €10.45 due per click.
Promo Items With no Competition
Currently, handing out promo items is without competition, while other advertising media regularly are placed in the sphere of competition. Several advertisements are placed on a single advertising sheet. And, TV ads are placed within a single block.
Creating Purchase Incentives
Once a product has grabbed the attention of a customer, the decisive moment arrives: Will the customer take, or not? After becoming aware of and evaluating the price, it’s up to decision and reaction. Whether a consumer decides positively, is a razor thin question. If a stimulus – the advertising point in the form of a supplementary product – is added to existing external stimuli within marketing instruments, consumer behavior can be nudged in the right direction.
Bottom Line
Various studies have proven the advantages of promo items that have been explained here. Naturally one can and should not refrain from utilizing other marketing resources. Yet a much greater effect can be achieved through the interplay of existing advertising efforts and the advertised product together with a fitting advertising strategy.
As a result the promo item is an effective resource in improving company recognition and culling the market.
(7 Rating/s, average: 5 of 5)
Loading ...