Brand awareness becomes a concerted effort of every employee of the company, and putting promotional merchandise to work for your business will help keep your brand top of mind for customers and employees alike.
Face it, competition rules the day, whether you accept it or not. The biggest problem you have today is how to make your product stand out from the others. New customers are not convinced that yours deserves their attention. Established customers love you, but they too will raise their eyebrows if your competition shows them something innovative, better, and more functional. Can you beat that?
Yes, you can. Here is how. Branding.
Brand Awareness Through Promotional Merchandise
You cannot ignore the importance of branded merchandise. Forget business cards for the moment. They have their place, yes, but not for branding. How can you get your promotional merchandise in front of as many people as possible, and keep it there?
Business cards are convenient note cards, and then they get thrown away. So much for branding. If you handed a customer a useful tool or gadget, would they use it over and over? From mini-screwdrivers to coffee mugs (the good solid kind) to Bluetooth speakers and phone chargers carrying your branding, these represent a significant upgrade from business cards.
Instead of spending a small fortune on stuff customers will never use, change it up a little and give them something useful. They will remember you every time they pour a cup of coffee or listen to music on the back porch. In other words, make your merchandise a part of their daily routine.
Brand Association
When your customers use the gift you gave them because it is useful, you can bet they will remember the exchange for a long time. Not only did you help build a good customer relationship, but you also created a positive association with your brand, too. If they continue to use the gift, they will also remember your company as generous and kind. Do you think you won a customer?
Keep your customer loyal by going out of your way to make them feel special. That does not mean to lay it on too thick, which is a turn-off. What it means is to treat every customer with respect and dignity, whether you gave them a gift or not.
Even with a creative and useful promo gift giveaway, remember that customer service is at the core of a successful business. The best customer service in town goes a long way toward increasing brand awareness, and it is promotional merchandise that provides value to every transaction with your customer.
Define Your Brand
One of the most telling things about your company is its logo. At first glance, a well-designed logo creates an emotion that becomes part of your customer’s opinion of you. The design should speak volumes about your brand and instantly recognizable that stands out from the others.
Colors, fonts, white space, and type of design need to define what your company is and what it does for its customers. Branding, among others, has everything to do with logo design. Is your company image one of compassion and understanding, or is it associated with influential people in sports or business? Whichever is the case, your logo should speak that loudly.
The best logo design results from deep-thinking into the company’s mission statement and how current customers feel about your company. Also, what qualities must the logo represent? Are you keeping with your brand promise?
Consistently communicating your brand will keep it in front of customers every day. On every piece of promotional merchandise, your logo needs to be there. Integrate your brand message throughout the company. In the voicemail, email signatures, letterhead, envelopes, and on company garments (i.e., hats, jackets, sporting goods, etc.)
