Promotional products have a rich history, dating back much further than many realize. In fact, the first promotional products in the United States were commemorative buttons, which were introduced in 1789 to celebrate George Washington's election as president. However, it wasn't until the late 1800s that the promotional products industry truly began to take shape.
He approached a friend who owned a local shoe store, Cantwell Shoes, and convinced him to imprint a burlap book bag with this simple and direct message: Buy Cantwell Shoes. Cantwell gave a free bag to every child that came into his store. The children enjoyed the bags and made use of them, essentially promoting Cantwell Shoes wherever they went.
Meek's visionary marketing strategy proved to be very effective, and Cantwell Shoes reaped the rewards. Following a second successful campaign featuring horse covers, Meek established his own promotional products company, and the rest, as they say, is history.
In short, yes. In today's digital age, physical marketing tools are becoming increasingly valuable. Giving out promotional items creates a give-to-get scenario, making the marketing tool even more powerful. People understand that they are being sold, but appreciate receiving something in return. A promotional giveaway can even generate feelings of gratitude toward the advertiser if it is useful.
The following are 25 fascinating stats about promotional products that speak to their effectiveness:
1.) Promotional Products are U.S. consumers’ favorite form of advertising regardless of age, gender, or geographic location.
2.) Promotional products are ranked the most effective form of advertising across all generations.
3.) 70% of brands consider promotional products mostly or always effective in achieving marketing goals.
5.) 85% of consumers have done business with an advertiser after receiving an item.
6.) 81% keep promotional products because they’re useful.
7.) 53% say they use promotional products they’ve received at least once a week.
8.) 72% of people say that a brand’s reputation is reflected in the quality of the promo products they receive.
9.) 88% looked up a company after receiving a promotional product.
10). 9 in 10 consumers recall the branding on the swag they receive.
11.) 8 in 10 consumers recall the messaging.
12.) 7 in 10 consumers recall the call to action.
13.) When no longer using an item, 66% of people pass the item to someone else.
14.) In a PPAI study, offering a promotional product as an incentive drew as many as 500 percent more referrals than an appeal letter alone.
15.) In a direct marketing study, using a promotional product as an incentive to respond reduced the cost per response by two-thirds.
16.) Promotional product recipients spent 27% more than coupon recipients over an 8-month period.
17.) Salespeople who gave promotional gifts to their customers received 22% more referrals than salespeople who did not use promo items.
18.) Nearly 100% of consumers say they will go out of their way to get a promotional product.
19.) 96% of people want to know ahead of time when companies offer promotional products.
20.) 53% of people have a more favorable opinion of an advertiser if the promotional product was made in the USA.
22.) The top 10 promotional products are:
24.) The average cost per impression of a promotional product is .6 cents.
24.) Number of lifetime impressions for common promotional products:
25.) Promotional products are the only advertising consumers say thank you for.
If you want to expand your brand reach and grow your leads with promotional marketing, contact us today. Our promotional products specialists can help you choose the best promotional items for your upcoming campaign.
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Sources: ASI Central, PPAI