For Pleasing Consumers, Umbrellas Reign!
If your business serves only people in Las Vegas or Phoenix, maybe this post isn’t for you. But if your customers are among the millions of Americans who don’t live where it’s always sunny, I’d like to share some thoughts for a rainy day. You want your promotional marketing to be especially effective? We’ve got a promotional product that been popping up lately, umbrellas.
Promotional umbrellas aren’t the least expensive promotional products you can hand out, so it’s only natural to question whether or not the cost is worth it. But you don’t need to question it for long. A peek at the results of the 2017 Impressions Study by the Advertising Specialty Institute (ASI) reveals that the answer is resounding “YES.”
Consumers Love Them (and the Companies That Provide Them)
Let’s look at five key numbers from the study results, and what they tell us about umbrellas as promotional marketing items.
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Twenty-five percent of U.S. consumers own promotional umbrellas.
That means one in four of the people you pass on the street have at least one umbrella that shows off the logo and/or message of some business or organization (Don’t you wish it was yours?). Those consumers who received one were pleased enough to hang onto it. Which is no surprise, considering…
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Eighty-three percent of consumers state they would keep a promotional umbrella because it’s useful.
Clearly, umbrellas carry a highly perceived value in the consumer’s mind. It is certainly functional. If you’ve ever been caught in the rain (and who hasn’t?) you know how much you appreciated having one nearby. And think of the warm feelings consumers transfer to the logo they see on it. Again and again.
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More than half of consumers ─ 51 percent ─ say that would be more likely to do business with the advertiser who gave them the umbrella.
Here’s where that “ROI” thing comes in. Consumers get more than a warm-and-fuzzy feeling when they get an umbrella from you. A majority say they would probably thank you with their business. Hmm—quick math: 51 percent would do business with a company that gave them one, but only 25% have one so far. That leaves 26% of those consumers high and not-so-dry. Now that’s a “sales forecast.”
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Consumers keep umbrellas longer than any other promotional item measured.
Promotional items can have short lifespans if the perceived value isn’t very high. But umbrellas have staying power. The ASI study shows that consumers hang onto promotional umbrellas for an average of 14 months. That’s longer than USB drives, activewear, pens or office accessories. And it’s nearly twice the average for all promotional products. Which means, of course, your branding stays at work nearly twice as long, too. Which is why…
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Umbrellas Generate More Than 1,300 Impressions During Their Lifespan.
You want people to see your branding, remember you, look you up and decide to do business with you. It’s the whole reason you do promotional marketing in the first place. Umbrellas have a special talent for getting extra visibility. They earn, on average, 1,331 impressions before they are done. They are on the job any place, any time of year. And when they pop open, your image pops right along with them. And it’s seen by plenty of other active people who are out and about, probably including quite a few potential prospects.
The Best Way to Keep Your Customers Dry … and Loyal
We’ve talked before about how custom promotional items are the form of advertising that consumers say they are most likely to respond to. Now you know umbrellas offer unique benefits that make them an even smarter choice. So stock them in your custom online company store for promotional products or hand them out at the next trade show when rain is in the forecast. And to find out about what works best, we’ll talk about a few really special umbrella choices in the next few posts.
Superior Business Solutions has decades of experience in helping businesses become more efficient and successful. It may not be umbrellas, but we can always help you select the most effective promotional items for your needs. With our nationwide vendor connections we handle sourcing, procurement, production and distribution with minimum hassle on your end. We can even manufacture exactly what you need.
Our ISO certification helps ensure we let nothing slip through the cracks. And our second consecutive Best of Print and Digital award is evidence that we know how to satisfy customers. Contact Superior today with the link atop this page, and we’ll help you improve your promotional marketing, rain or shine.
