Increase Your Sales with Branded Merchandise

When considering branded merchandise, it is easy to skim over the finer details. Did you just register your company and you can’t wait to put your new logo out there? Or perhaps you have been running the company for years and you want to try and include a new branch of revenue? No matter the situation it’s important to think carefully about where you will be investing your money.

You may not expect this advice but branded merchandise—whether through print, custom embroidery or other methods—may be just the thing your business needs.

Let’s begin by asking the classic questions:

• Who?
• When?
• Where?
• Why?

Why Branded Merchandise?

Why should you buy branded merchandise? Is it a waste of precious time and money? The answer is a firm no. It has been found that branded products are some of the most cost-effective forms of marketing:

• 85% of people who have received a promotional item subsequently do business with that company.
• Up to 90% of consumers can recall the said company after receiving a branded item.
• In certain cases, branded items have been seen to increase sales by 500%.

The distribution of branded merchandise also allows for brand recognition. The “M” for McDonald’s has been a highly visible symbol for years and is now recognised almost worldwide. And we all know the famous apple that refers to computers.

Clearly, using branded merchandise is vital to the profitability of a company. This begs the question, what merchandise should you buy?

Who and What?

When deciding what merchandise to buy, the variety of options can seem overwhelming.

Make it easy on yourself:

• Ask yourself who is your target market?
• What does your company produce?

These are vital questions you must answer before deciding on branded merchandise.

Stay Relevant

Relevancy to your industry as well as your unique group of customers is important. A few examples may clarify this:

• If you manage a construction company, then perhaps you can give branded hard hats to your potential clients when showing them around a building site.
• A culinary company can give potential clients a custom embroidered apron to wear when touring the kitchen and tasting the food.
• A hospital can give potential investors a custom embroidered scrub shirt to wear and keep.
• Keep branded umbrellas to give to visiting clients if it suddenly starts to rain.

These are simply a few examples of the hundreds available. They are all unique gifts that ensure your company will be remembered, for the right reasons: attention to detail and customer-centred values.

Be Practical

It has been proven that the more frequently your customer uses the branded item they received the more likely they are to remember your company. So, make sure you give them something they’ll actually use instead of simply storing it away in a drawer or throwing it in the trash.

In addition, the higher the quality, the more likely the customer will use your services. The durable item communicates that you value quality in all aspects of your business.

Consider Costs

Will you be buying branded items in bulk or individually for priority clients? When buying in bulk, custom embroidered T-shirts and power banks can be useful gifts, although they are higher on the price range. More affordable options are pens and notepads.

Customisation and Personalisation

Buying fewer items at a time may cost you more, but in some cases paying a bit more may be worth it. If you will be buying for a priority client, you should make sure that your gift is personalised and thoughtful. Adding his or her name to the item—instead of simply your logo—could communicate the value you place on your working relationship. This attention to detail could make someone more loyal to your brand.

This leads us to our next question: when should you be giving branded merchandise?

When?

The right time to give branded merchandise is ‘always’. When you meet a prospective client, it is often better to give them a small branded item than a business card. With the rise of modern technology, all the client needs is access to the internet to find out how to contact you, so business cards may seem superfluous. And the card will simply get tossed in a pile with the rest.

However, if they’re using your pen every day then they will remember your company name instead of looking through a pile of business cards. So, the answer is, whenever you would usually give a business card it is better to give branded merchandise. These times can include:

• Seminars
• Business meetings
• Meeting clients in the office
• Expos

Where?

Last but not least, where should you be buying this merchandise from? Custom embroidery services or printing services can be found from various vendors. Simply pick the one that provides all your branded merchandise needs.

Also make sure you pick one that has industry experience so you know they can deliver the large number of items you may need at a time.

Do you have any other tips for business owners who want to add the X-factor to their branding campaigns? Leave a note below and share your insight