Promotional Products Work

So, into September and I've relaunched Community Communication Ltd as a marketing service, with a specialism in promotional products.  And by good fortune, the 3rd week in September (16th to 20th) is the first national Promotional Products Week, a great platform to tell people how well promotional products work and position me and my business at the same time.

Now I've studied this and seen some quite compelling statistics that demonstrate how well Promotional Products Work.  The infographic below illustrates some headline stat's showing they are much more effective at building loyalty and getting recipients to take action.

A little test - have you been given an item of branded promotional merchandise?  And did you keep and use it?  Most people I've asked this question answer yes and yes, which hints at the power of promotional products.  But just why are promotional products so effective, why do promotional products work?

My theory why promotional products work effectively is because they have an impact at so many levels.  At an emotional level, they give recipients a warm feeling of being appreciated which helps build liking towards the giver.  At a logical level, promotional merchandise is tangible products, imprinted with branding or a marketing message, that has a high degree of longevity and durability; particularly if the product is practical rather than novel, it is likely to be kept and used as an enduring reminder of the giver.  And at a psychological level, the Law of Reciprocity means if someone receives a gift, they are likely to want to give back, which translates to increased customer loyalty and customer lifetime value for the giver.

However, promotional products aren't a 'one trick pony' and will not be fully effective unless used as part of a planned Marketing Strategy.  They complement certain marketing campaigns to give added impact and are well worth considering in the marketing mix.  Preliminary thought needs to be given to the target market - who is the right who for you?  Next, additional thought needs to go into the message that you want to deliver to your market.  Then the appropriate media to get your message across ... and keep it there.  This is the stage to consider whether promotional products can add to the impact and success of your campaign.

Yet despite the compelling evidence, promotional merchandise accounts for a tiny amount of marketing expenditure.  Of the £33 billion total marketing spend in the UK, only about £760 million is directed towards promotional products.  This suggests this powerful medium is under-utilised, especially by smaller businesses and organisations, and the use of such merchandise could help them stand out in their market place.

It's in relation to this that I want to bring added value.  My website www.communitycommunication.co.uk shows the levels of service I offer to help business owners, managers and marketers of SMEs and Voluntary or Charitable Organisations generate more leads, convert these to engaged, paying customers, and increase customer lifetime value.

John Dunwell

A Change of Direction

A Change of Direction

Last Birthday, in May, I reached 'a certain age' ... 55.  And in conversation with my financial adviser, he pointed out that, at 55, I qualified to start drawing my occupational pension.

Now it didn't take very long before I started thinking about the potential of this.  Early Retirement looked an attractive proposition.  But having checked, while my pension fund had grown to a respectable size, it wasn't enough to fully retire on.  And besides, I'd probably get bored anyway.

But this was the catalyst to take a long hard look at my life.  Up to this point, it had been a good one.  And whilst, latterly, I'd enjoyed the 9+ years running my Print & Copy Shop business, it didn't give me a spark any more.  Also, challenged by a group of other business owners whether it had potential to deliver what I wanted in life, my conclusion was probably not.

By good fortune, in a mysterious Law of Attraction sort of way, I was asked at this point if I would consider selling the business.  I knew the answer before the question was fully delivered!  And after a relatively short negotiation, the deal was done.  The sale price was quite modest but it enabled me to walk away and concentrate on the next stage of my life.

As for that pension, I signed the paperwork and claimed that too.  My plan was to get my finances in order so that Suzanne, my dear wife, and I could plan towards our real retirement, in a staged way, in 5 to 8 years.  With a lifestyle to which we'd like to become accustomed!

So, stage 1 of the plan came into effect on 1st August 2013.  That was the date the new owners of Bedale Copy Shop* took control.  And a few days earlier, our bank balance was also swelled by my pension lump sum pay-out.  It all felt quite liberating!

But what next?  I wasn't short of things to keep me occupied.  I had several part-time business activities, our property investing plus a plan to develop a new business.  Not to mention our home, which had long been neglected of my time and attention.

*Now it's worth pointing out at this stage that I'd only sold the Copy Shop business, not the company - Community Communication Ltd.  So I'd left the Printing & Office Supplies trading activity but the aspect of our company activity relating to promotional products I still retained.  Not to mention my decade of business ownership experience and knowledge relating to Marketing.

It's this Marketing experience and promotional merchandise activity that excites me.  And it's a fusion of the two that I've decided to develop my new business and expertise in.

So, watch this space!

John Dunwell