Consider your audience when investing in promotional merchandise!

As we enter 2010 and begin to ride out the economic recession, this is a message to all businesses to use their budgets wisely! Promotional merchandise, promotional products, promotional items (whatever terminology fits!) is still THE most cost effective form of marketing available...but it can all be wasted if you don’t match the product with the person.

So consider these 3 audiences and ponder some of the suggestions we have....

Motorists
The humble tax disc holder has developed rapidly from the days when it used to be plain plastic backing. Not only do businesses have the opportunity for 4 colour print but it’s a premium placed visual being seen by all occupants. And now, there is also the magnetic tax disc holder for even greater opportunities. And its catching on too...one food chain has been using it as a voucher dispenser for its drive-thru customers to great effect. The ice scraper...a classic for motorists! Never likely to be thrown away, always greatly received and available in a multitude of sixes to suit all budgets. With the advent of in-car cup holders, the industry has seen an explosion for travel mugs and travel cups. Thermal cups have seen strong growth and offer a large visual area to work your message around. A strong consideration for any business with a team of drivers on the road, to be used as an employee bonus.

Estate Agents
Promotional keyrings are a massive area of growth due to expansion in materials, formats and sizes. Acrylic keyrings, shaped keyrings, floating keyrings...the list is endless! As a middleman in key holding, the estate agent is an ideal target as when they had the keys back to the new owner; it’s their marketing message that passes along the chain. And with measuring being a key part of the job, promotional tape measures make a great giveaway to this audience. From keyrings attachments to laser beam tape measure versions, all offer long-term opportunities due to their functionality.

Office Managers
Think desks, think female, think useful! Promotional memo blocks are ideal. Large branding areas, always in use and more likely you will get a request for a replacement! The range of sizes of promotional memo blocks is also a factor in their popularity. The most popular sizes are 500 sheets glued down one side.
There has also been a great deal of development in the range of promotional mobile phone holders available on the market place – plastic, metal or card. Or what about considering pen pot holders which are now also available with in-built clocks, photo frames and thermometers. And finally, you have the good old fashioned and reliable promotional calculator! Plastic, metal or embedded in wood...take your pick!

So you see my point! Always consider the end user, their working environment, their job function and you won’t go wrong.