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Promotional Products Market Finding and Distribution   by Gareth Parkin

When it comes to the time of year when you need to spend some time and money on promoting your brand, promotional products are one form of advertising that you simply cannot afford to neglect. However, even if you choose the right range of products to distribute as free gifts or samples, there is no guarantee that any of the people you give these items will ever even notice your logo, let alone call you for a quote. Here are a few tips on finding out where the most likely customers might be found and getting your products to them.

Know Your Market

This might sound obvious to any experienced marketer, but knowing your market takes on a different meaning when you are dealing with promotional products. You know who they are, what they like to buy and how much they can afford to spend, but what would they like to get for free? A lot of companies make the mistake of handing out products that are related to their company directly. This is done under the mistaken impression that people associate products with companies, and this is not true. People associate products with brands and ideas, and this is what you need to focus on.

This is the rationale behind major investment companies holding golf days. They know that a large segment of their high profile clientele play golf at least once a week, and so they appeal to this by providing a way for them to enjoy their hobby for free. They give out golf products, prizes of golf clubs and loads of golfing apparel, all bearing the company logo. None of these items have anything to do with investing, but they build the brand effectively by creating positive associations in the customers’ minds.

Location, Location!

Knowing who to distribute your promotional products to is one thing, but knowing exactly when and where to do so is also very important. If possible, try to distribute your products where there is a need for them, rather than a general unfelt desire. For example, people on the beach might want a Bluetooth headset for their mobile phone, but what they need is a cold drink, right now. Give this to them with a piece of promotional literature and they will be more than happy to at least read it or listen to what you have to say.

Try to find a location where your target market is likely to gather. For example, if you are selling student loans then the obvious place to go would be a college campus. However, students are highly targeted on campus, so try to find social spots where students gather but do not feel like they are being targeted by companies marketing to students. Bars, sporting events and concerts are excellent places to distribute your promotional products because students are no longer on their guard and will be far more open to free gifts and a little bit of promotional literature.

About the Author

Gareth Parkin is the co-founder of Ideasbynet, the UK’s largest online source of promotional products and promotional gifts. He has taken the UK gift market by storm by the application of modern business thinking and the latest search engine marketing techniques.
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