The problem with some companies giving out promotional merchandise is that they expect something in return. In a way, it’s understandable. You spend money on the promotional campaign, so you expect something in return. Besides, any other marketing campaign would need a target result; otherwise, you can’t determine if the strategy is effective.
However, you need to understand that promotional merchandise is different. It’s not the usual advertising strategy where your primary goal is to convince people to buy. It’s different because your goal is to win people’s hearts. You want to create an image that you’re not only after people’s money. You want to give them something without expecting anything in exchange.
People will feel used
If you’re too obvious that you’re only giving out items because you want something in return, your target audience will sense it. They will feel that you don’t really care about them. Accepting the free stuff would mean they eventually have to spend more. Whether you’re advertising to existing customers or you want to expand your target audience, you want them to feel that you’re sincere in your efforts; otherwise, your strategy could backfire and make people move away from you.
It puts pressure on the marketing team
Your marketing team can come up with creative ways to advertise. They can also think of ways to boost your company using promotional merchandise. However, if you set expectations for them when they decide to use this strategy, they might feel under immense pressure. They can’t think of the best way to give people what they deserve since their minds will focus on how to increase sales. You need to give them freedom in deciding how to warm people’s hearts.
People will buy if they feel like doing it
When you want to give out free items, just give them. If people buy something later, they will do so. Besides, they have other factors to consider in their decision-making process. You can’t dictate to them what they need to do and how they should feel towards your brand. If they see the sincerity of your company and you show it in various ways, you can win them over.
Don’t forget that the quality of your products also matters a lot. You can’t expect people to change their decision if they see no reason for doing it.
Think about the best strategy
The use of promotional merchandise is effective, and it’s been around for years. You need to determine the right strategy to ensure that you can give to the people who deserve the items most. You also need to check how you can partner this strategy with other ways to boost your brand.
Again, it’s only one of the many marketing plans you can use to improve your popularity. If you feel like you did the right thing, you have to wait for the results. Be patient since it takes time for some people to decide which items to buy.
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