The Power of Promotional Merchandise To Create Sales

A national survey by Source-e shows that promotional merchandise really works, and reveals what business people keep on their desk and why.

The survey provides an insight into the link between branding on promotional merchandise and sales. It also identifies the best and the strangest pieces of promotional merchandise that people keep on their desk.

The key findings included:

• Nine out 10 respondents (92 per cent) believe that branded Promotional Merchandise increases a company’s brand awareness.

• Over three quarters (76 per cent) said that they could name a brand or company/organisation featured on Promotional Merchandise on their desk without looking.

• Over half (52 per cent) purchased from the companies that were branded on a piece of Promotional Merchandise on their desk.

• 82 per cent said they would keep an item they were given rather than give it away.

David Lebond, Chairman of the British Promotional Merchandise Association (BPMA), commented: “These results offer a very strong indication of the positive link between Promotional Merchandise, Branding and Sales. The repeat exposure to a brand every day of the week has a positive effect on how business people react to that brand.”

“Advertising, direct marketing – any marketing medium – would be delighted to achieve such an impressive conversion rate from retained message to sales. It demonstrates why Promotional Merchandise should be an intrinsic element of marketing campaigns.”

Other interesting results included 53 per cent of respondents saying they had purchased something from the companies who supplied Promotional Merchandise.

The branded Promotional Merchandise respondents had on their desk, included Pens (13 per cent), Calendars (10 per cent), Post It Notes (8 per cent), Calculators (6 per cent) and Diaries (6 per cent).

When asked why they would keep the item, over 89 per cent cited usefulness. Memories came in second place, and the value of the item was third.

Over 22 per cent said that if they could only keep one item then it would have to be a Calendar.

Some of the more bizarre and unusual Promotional Merchandise that appealed to business people included Furry Animals and Plastic Ducks.

The survey results are based on a 429 respondents of which nearly two thirds (62 per cent) of those surveyed would describe their job title as CEO/Chairman/MD/Manager.

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The Art of Marketing

BMW Seeks Opinionated Porsche Drivers

How do you engage with drivers of competitor vehicles and get them to look at another brand?

You tease them with an opportunity to participate in something extremely special. A really exclusive premium experience – the type of thing that money can’t buy.

The genius of this BMW campaign in New Zealand was in the pre-launch element. An unbranded pack with fake German stamps was hand delivered to Porsche and Range Rover drivers to make them think it had come from their existing car company.

The pack contained an MP3 player that had a mysterious message spoken in a German accent telling the targets that they had been selected to test drive a luxury German car.

So did it work? The expected response rate to a test-drive invitation is between 2% and 6%.The curiosity factor was huge and 72% of the target recipients responded positively to an invitation to be transported to an airport hangar to test drive the BMW X6.

The mailing not only produced an amazing response rate but it got Porsche drivers raving about the BMW X6. Outside, the fun really began. BMW closed a runway and set up a racetrack circuit.

Dashboard cameras recorded their comments on camera. They filmed each person as they put the X6 through its paces on the runway, and then edited the footage so that each driver had their own personal review on DVD. The most satisfying result was capturing Porsche drivers on camera raving about BMW.

Not everyone was able to take part in the experience. Those that missed out received an access code to a secret website to “experience the vehicle that defies the laws of physics”. (The secret website is at www.xcar.co.nz, enter access code: x65555 )

This was the most overwhelming response BMW has ever had in New Zealand. So overwhelming, in fact, that they had to stop mailing when they were only halfway through the list.

Source: Direct Daily

Looking for promos? Find promotional items, corporate clothing and free marketing ideas at Purple Promotions.