Promotional merchandise gives the versatility that marketing demands

When planning any marketing campaign it’s vital that your activity is timely, imaginative and flexible to cope with the changing face of the marketplace. It’s another reason why promotional merchandise is now as popular as ever ranging from promotional carrier bags, world cup products of branded iPod cases.

Recent national and international trends and events have given clear indications that promotional products offer not only truly versatile opportunities but also are extremely cost effective compared to the more high impact formats of television and other media advertising.

Internationally, recycling has become a major social issue and is on the agenda of most families and businesses. Promotional merchandise suppliers have produced many variations of the carrier bag to allow businesses to continue to use the format for brand awareness campaigns whilst satisfying the need of the consumer to contribute to the environmental debate with their own statement. Promotional carrier bags are now available in a range of materials including recycled cotton, jute, hessian, denim and paper.

The World cup in South Africa provided a great demonstration of how a national phenomenon can provide a marketing opportunity to those companies that have a flexible attitude to their marketing. The vuvuzela horn was identified many months ago by the promotional merchandise industry as the ‘one to watch’ and spawned a number of promotional gimmicks such as horns, rattles, whistles and hand clappers that allowed marketers to ride on the tails of a truly global opportunity.
The iPod family is also providing opportunities. It is now possible to get branded covers for the iPod, iPhone and iPad in silicon, rubber and leather allowing large branding opportunities in one of the fastest growing retail sectors in 2010.

Promotional merchandise is constantly providing evidence that it is THE most adaptable marketing tool currently available in a marketing directors arsenal and should be considered accordingly...rather than being treated as a last minute filler that is sometimes evident judging by the short lead times we promotional merchandise distributors often have to work to!