Every successful business in the world relies on a strong marketing strategy. That strategy usually includes the use of promotional goods. Promotional goods still remain one of the most effective advertising tools. The principle of rewarding customers for loyalty, or attracting new ones by sending them an attractive promotional good, works.

Some small companies do not have a large marketing budget, but that doesn’t mean they have to lose out, on this valuable marketing opportunity. Why should they? 

One of the most popular promotional advertising gifts are promotional sweets. Why? Because they are colourful, taste nice, and are very affordable. Promotional sweets can be in the form of chocolate bars, chocolate hearts, scrumptious boiled sweeties, and brightly coloured jelly beans just to name a few. You can even order a chocolate CD! The most important factor is they will be covered or wrapped with your company logo.

Promotional sweets are a lovely treat to send out to your customers, and you can also reward your staff members, for all their hard work. People will always respond positively to kindness and appreciation. By using the right promotional goods your business will really benefit, improving customer relations and helping you acquire new business.  

All you have to do if find a reputable promotional goods company that produces the promotional sweets of the highest quality, and has a customer service second to none. www.argonpromo.co.uk.

  

Promotional gift giving is the magic ingredient in any marketing mix and is a crucial part of customer relationship management.

However, care must be taken to choose the right gifts to suit the level of business contact. Spend too much and it could look a bribe; too little and it may appear that you don’t care enough. Categorising contacts will help you decide how to choose the appropriate level of promotional gifts:

Existing customers Existing customers are where the majority of your business comes from, with the least effort. Keeping these customers happy is of utmost importance so that the relationship can develop and you can make sure you don’t lose the customer to a competitor. Gift type: reward. Gift level: top range.Referrers Generally they won’t use your services but they are prolific recommendation makers. A referral is hundreds of times more effective than any advertisement. Referrers should therefore be rewarded every time they refer a good quality lead. Gift type: reward. Gift level: high.Prospective customers and referrers Not yet a part of your customer or referrer base, but you want them to be. You want to entice them to recommend or buy from you. If they are the type of prospect that would make a lucrative customer or referrer, then good quality, medium range promotional gifts should be chosen, although care should be taken to ensure it doesn’t appear you are bribing them to do business with you. Gift type: incentive. Gift level: medium.Using promotional gifts is an effective way to gain and maintain business contacts, develop and nurture relationships and encourage more business and referrals. However, care should be taken when choosing gifts so that they don’t over or understate your message.

 

Say promotional gift and you automatically think business marketing campaign, customer rewards, staff incentives, product launch giveaways. It’s true, promotional gifts make excellent business tools. But if you look closer to home, there are numerous opportunities where gifts can be used to add zest to any special occasion and form long-lasting memories of happy celebrations.

Everyday people can use promotional gifts to boost the character of a special celebration or fun event. And it doesn’t have to be the typical gifts that spring to mind like pens or mugs! There are so many different products to choose from that can add an innovative touch to a party.

From birthdays to Bar Mitzvahs; Christmas parties to New Year dos; Weddings to Christenings and school reunions to retirement parties, there is a perfect gift to pep up every occasion.

Stuck for an original idea for your wedding favours? Why not use a light-hearted promotional gift like a love heart stress reliever? Looking to add sparkle to a Christmas party? How about personalised light-up Santa hats for all, and gorgeous snow-globes as take-away goodies for guests?

For a coming of age party like a Bar Mitzvah or milestone birthday, hand out personalised keyrings to denote being awarded the key of the door; and for school reunions, you could imprint your school crest onto any number of promotional gifts. 

Using promotional gifts offers vast scope for giving a bit of zing to a special occasion – the only limit is your imagination! Gifts are inexpensive, fun and really easy to arrange, which is why businesses love them!

 

Brand awareness is one of the most important aspects of a marketing campaign and one of the best ways to filter a brand and sales message into all aspects of peoples’ lives is using promotional gifts.

Providing a campaign is well managed and a clever selection of promotional gifts is chosen, brand awareness could be excelled far beyond any media advertising campaign could achieve because these items have a habit of trickling into homes, workplaces and everyday lives.

In the home: A mug in the kitchen, a pen by the phone, a mouse mat in the study, a torch in the garage. Notepads and calendars; paperweights and corkscrews; things that are used every day will promote your message and display your brand to an entire family, as well as having that ‘handy’ appeal that makes everyone appreciate you even more.

In the workplace: A desktop is a haven for gifts like memo holders, clocks, coasters and USB drives; but the promotional gift collection doesn’t stop at the desk; take a walk through to the staff room or canteen and you’ll see branded mugs and glasses, wall clocks and decorative gifts like vases and picture frames.

On the move: Gifts in the car like key rings, air fresheners and tax disc holders promote your brand to drivers and their passengers; gifts for the bag or briefcase, like a promotional umbrella, pen, notepad or calculator are useful and appreciated; travel gifts like passport holders and luggage tags will make your brand take flight.

Filter your brand into homes and workplaces, and see it take off by personalising something practical with your logo and sales message. Promotional gifts are all around!

You might assume that promotional products need to cost a lot to make an impact, but this is far from the truth. Chosen tactically, your advertising can make the most of some low-cost products which will have massive appeal to your client base.

So how do you make sure that your clients look past the words ‘budget’ and ‘minimum cost’ when they pick up your promotional product for their office? It is possible if you choose with care.

Time for tea: budget or cheap promotional coasters are a great value product that can still look great with your name on. Try matching your logo to the design, and opt for a crystal, translucent coaster that is eye-catching yet great value. The flexible, gripping material will mean it’s a solid presence by their computers every day. Almost as indestructible as your brand and cheaper than a cup of tea!

Office companion: promotional bugs in bright colours can be bought in bulk and will make any conference stand appear bright and cheerful; easy to pick up and take back to the office, it brings cheer to any corporate environment, and will have your name printed proudly on the ribbon. A budget bug in royal blue will bring a smile to their faces whenever they see it, and that means a smile really can cost next to nothing.

It all adds up: even calculators, that handy tool that they’ll reach for whenever a quick calculation’s required on the spot, can be a budget option. A treat to receive in silver, a solar powered version with rubber buttons means low cost but high usage, with your company name associated with it too.

It’s clear to see that you can capitalise on the benefits of promotional products even if you’re on a tight advertising budget – there are some great items out there that will make your brand stand out in style at surprisingly low cost. To see some great value promotional items go to www.argonpromo.co.uk, where you’ll see that low-cost can still mean premium quality products.  

Sales driven businesses constantly motivate their sales force with grand incentive schemes, like offering holidays or cash bonuses to their star reps.

However, sales-increasing incentive schemes are not just limited to corporate enterprises. Whatever your business size; employees who regularly deal with your customers could be your sales team in disguise. You just have to motivate them, and using a corporate gift is the ideal way.  

A customer about to make a purchase has already bought into your brand. Selling more to that customer is much easier and cheaper than trying to sell from scratch to a cold prospect.

All you need to do is offer your staff an incentive so that they make the effort to sell more for you. Offering well-chosen corporate gifts is a great way to motivate people. There is a multitude available to suit everyone and every budget.   

Here a just a few ideas where motivating staff with corporate gifts could really enhance your sales:

Beauty industry: A client books a manicure. Maybe they’d like a pedicure too, or a facial? A therapist motivated by incentives could easily sell more treatments to someone who hadn’t considered completely pampering themselves.  

Restaurant: Diners order their meal but haven’t asked for any side dishes. An enthused waiter would subtly suggest adding to their dining experience with some carefully chosen additions.

Retail: A shopper asks to try on a pair of jeans. A sales assistant, encouraged by the thought of a classy gift from their employer, may suggest a belt to complement them, and perhaps even matching shoes and a bag.  

Motivate your staff, make them feel appreciated, and watch your sales escalate all at the same time by using corporate gifts as incentives.

 

If you’ve ever found yourself in the ideal situation to promote your business, but didn’t have a business card or anything with your company details on to hand, how did you feel? Embarrassed? Inadequate?

Be prepared with a ‘business kit’. Keeping a simple set of items in your briefcase so you’re ready for every meeting will make you appear professional and well-organised in front of your business associates. A business card and brochure are obvious contents, but go a step further and include some carefully selected promotional items and you’ll stand out in the crowd, leave a lasting impression and get the chance to send your branding out into your contact’s office.

Here are some promotional items that would benefit your business kit:

Branded pens – keep two or three in your kit. Use one to take notes during your meeting, and leave one or two with your contact to take back to their office, along with your logo!

Branded notebook – take notes on logo-marked paper and keep your corporate identity in front of your contact throughout the meeting.

Personalised calculator – a really handy promotional item. If your meeting involves making calculations, use a machine printed or engraved with your company logo.

Branded sweets – talking can be thirsty work. A thirst-quenching packet of sweets, printed with your company logo, could prove very useful and much appreciated by your customer during your meeting.

Promotional conference folder – pack your kit into a quality leather folder embossed with your logo. You will look and feel organised and polished.

Gear yourself up for meetings by preparing a business kit. Fill it with a few cleverly chosen promotional items and make a real impression at your next appointment. 

It is said that a tidy workspace leads to a tidy mind, and therefore a more efficient working day. This is certainly true, but many employees lack the right storage and organisational goods needed. This is where your advertising can reap the benefits!

Far from being the safe option, goods that organise and streamline and office will be welcome by everyone, and will be snapped up as ‘old faithfuls’ at conferences too.

Go for durable, high-quality goods and they will become a permanent office fixture. Often these are items that are overlooked when it comes to choosing effective promotional goods. 

Binders, folders and conference wallets displaying your company logo will keep safe and organised all those important documents and can be in the form of A4 ringbinders in anything from recycled board in turquoise and red to luxury folders made from padded black leather with even more organisational tools included (such as notepads and pens). They will display an ordered approach in meetings and make lost and disorganised papers a thing of the past.

Business cards are nearly always exchanged in meetings, so your customers will always be grateful to receive a business card holder for their desk, ready for easy access and reference. Some can hold up to 100 cards in neat, tidy plastic pockets within your branded holder, which can be stylish with an aluminium finish or metallic red with a lanyard attached for clients on the move; an invaluable and lasting promotional item that will be called upon time and time again.

Practical promotional goods are a great choice if you want your advertising to last the course and provide valuable assistance in making your client’s office a more professional, organised environment – and a regularly used promotional good is the best advertising your company could have.

And if you want to browse a wide range of practical promotional goods, a great place to start is www.argonpromo.co.uk.

You might assume that promotional goods only fall into the category of desktop items; indeed, this is an effective way to market your business, but there are promotional goods on which your company name and slogan can be printed that encourage energetic pursuits in your clients and will get your brand noticed out of the office domain.

A couple of ideas for goods for your business’ clients might be

Sporty goods: even fitness activities can be capiltalised on for your promotional purposes. A brightly coloured nylon sports bag could accompany your customer to the gym and be taken out to a wider audience who can see your name, logo or website url in association with someone’s spare time and with something that is in regular use. Or opt for a PU digital sporty watch which will really impress your clients with a fashionable but functional way to advertise your brand.

Travel aids: want a promotional good that will come in really handy for your travelling clients and new customers? Then why not pick a glove box atlas in padded burgundy leather, a classic way to accompany your client wherever they may drive and show your brand embossed on something useful and durable. Or you could thank customers and attract new ones with a travel wallet or luggage tag in leather for the jetsetter in them. These gifts show you really understand your client and that their needs in business extend beyond the office.

Choosing a promotional good that is fun, active and practical will send the right message not only to your client but to anyone who sees your branded item; from the tennis courts to a café on the continent, your goods will be seen by anyone who passes and above all will be a practical items that your client will use time and time again when they’re on the move.

Visit www.argonpromo.co.uk to choose the outdoor promotional goods that are right for your company, or call our expert team on 0870 300 1426 for specialist advice.

Why not match your advertising to the seasons? During the summer months, when temperatures rise and your clients and customers are getting out and about, it is the perfect opportunity to send out your company message on something tailored to the season.

Choosing summer-related products means that you’re saying to your clients that you recognise and take into account what they need and want to provide them with a gift that they can actually use when the sun shines.

Outdoor advertising Sending out branded, colourful Frisbees, tennis balls and customised boomerangs means a great opportunity to show your logo on something fun and that will be used during office lunchtimes to break from the routine. Summer means getting out of the office and sending promotional gifts to facilitate this makes marketing sense; these brightly coloured, fun items will be hard to ignore, whether sent out to clients or snapped up at conferences.Shelter from the sun Baseball caps are a great idea if you want to show you care about your client’s safety in the sun. We all need to be aware of looking after our health and choosing a stylish hat in brushed cotton means they will keep cool and shaded from the midday sun, plus your logo will be shown publicly as something people want to wear and trust. And a sport-themed hat will be perfect for your client’s summer sporting pursuits.Indoor comfort Not every office employs air conditioning, so providing your valued clients (and staff) with promotional gifts that will add to their comfort levels are invaluable. From bottled spring water of the highest quality to a compact personal fan in translucent blue, this is an ideal opportunity for your business to thank your clients and employees with something useful, practical and above all, thoughtful.So make your business really shine in the summer – show that you value your clients by thinking about their comfort and style and by choosing a promotional gift that’s perfect when the temperature rises!

For a huge range of promotional gift options just go to www.argonpromo.co.uk and find the gift that’s right for your clients in the summer time.