Does Advertising With Promotional Items Work?

Survey: Consumers Say Promotional Items Are the BEST Advertising: Part 1 of 6

I’ve just come across some survey results that support something I’ve known for a long time and I am excited to share it with every CEO, marketing executive, business owner and sales person out there. I see far too many businesses spending loads of money on traditional advertising and “new media”, but they regard promotional products as merely “giveaways” or trinkets that aren’t as powerful. This is a costly mistake.

The 2016 Consumer Study conducted through Survey Sampling International, produced results that ought to change some minds. First, you should know that promotional products account for approximately 7% of the total spent on advertising annually in the United States. But the survey showed promotional products are ranked highest by consumers across all generations as the most effective advertising vehicle.

More effective than broadcast. More than mobile. More than online. And more than magazine and newspaper ads. The survey says promotional items just might be more important than you thought. Unless, of course, sales aren’t very important to you! That’s why I’m beginning this series of posts providing you more specifics from this survey. But first, a bit more about the survey itself.

How TODAY’S Consumers View Promotional Products

The study, sponsored by the Promotional Products Association International (PPAI), surveyed 1,000 respondents. There was a 50/50 split between males and females.

Here is an age breakdown for sample respondents:

43% Millennials
35% Generation X
19% Baby Boomers
3% The Silent Generation (aged 70 and older)

Clearly the results are an accurate snapshot of contemporary attitudes. After all, they include the opinions of those digital, online younger folks.

Promotional Items “R” Extremely Effective Advertising

We identified five key metrics to help assess the value and weight of options used by survey respondents in making their choices. Think of them as the “Five R’s” of promotional items.

Reach – Ability to deliver adequate exposure to recipients
Recall – Ability to generate high recall and awareness of the brand
Resonance – Ability to translate a favorable attitude to recipients about the brand
Reaction – Ability to influence change in recipients’ buying behavior
Relativity – Ability to satisfy recipients relative to other advertising channels

In each of these areas, promotional products rated highly. In this series of posts, I will be discussing these “R” factors one at a time. I plan to provide you more information on how each metric was measured, and how promotional items fared in each case.

Boost Your Advertising with Promotional Item Expertise

Look for the “5 R’s of promotional products” in my upcoming posts. But I can tell you this right now. If your advertising program doesn’t include promotional items, you are missing the most effective and efficient channel of all. First, consumers love promotional products. Second, they respond to promotional products. How can you pass that up? Now is the time to use the power of promotional products.

Promotional items clearly work when there is a plan in place to use them, and increased sales will happen. Don’t wait. Contact Superior today or reach out to one of our award-winning promotional item sales reps and ask for a free promotional item audit today.