The end of the year is fast approaching, leaving many businesses looking over their 2017 budget to see if there’s any money leftover. If there is, that's great news! Having an end-of-year budget is a huge business advantage. Now you've just got to decide how to responsibly spend it:
Don’t let it get to your head. No business can depend on a budget surplus happening annually but for the year(s) it does happen, it can feel like a second Christmas. Before going on a spur-of-the-moment spending spree, carefully consider the best places to spend your end-of-year budget in a way that maximizes your company’s benefit. Use this as an opportunity to evaluate your needs and invest in your business for the year to come. Think of your team members. If you’re having trouble coming up with a way to dispose of your excess money, investing in your employees with recognition gifts is a great way to go. The end of the year is a great time to show your appreciation to your employees and with a little extra budget on hand, you could really do something nice for them. According to a Reward Gateway study, 70% of employees say that motivation and morale would dramatically improve with managers saying thank you more. An even greater majority agreed that employers should reward their staff for great work. Drawing a blank on what to buy for your employees? Here are several terrific gift ideas.
0 Comments
Lowest Cost per Impression.
It’s estimated that promotional products are used anywhere from 1-5 years. Even if an individual uses the item once a week, the number of impressions created per year is 42. Increase in Booth traffic. What better way to grab the attention of the consumers at trade shows than promotional gifts? They help in gaining a lot of traffic at your booth and potential buyers, as compared to your competition who don’t offer a promotional gift. Promotional gifts aren't the only deciding factor of increased booth traffic so also make sure your display is organized and visually appealing! Huge Return on Investment. Promotional products don’t have to incur high cost to the company. The products can be simple, ranging from apparel and cups to bags and pens. Along with a unique design and a quality product, branded giveaways can go a long way in helping your company grow as a result of increase in sales. Prospects Remember Your Brand. The primary goal at trade shows isn’t just to sell your product but also to make sure that the consumers remember your brand, in a positive way. People remember the name of brands who benefitted them, which is beneficial for the company and can be the start of a long relationship with your brand. Improves Your Brand Image. While conceptualizing the promotional products for the event, make sure they’re of good and branded quality and not an old or outdated stuff, because they represent your brand’s image. Among the many booths at a trade show, a company with giveaways stands out and has a better brand image in the eyes of the customers than those who’re reluctant to give out free products. Some companies have big parties in the office or have a celebratory dinner, but a lot of companies give their staff holiday gifts. Here is a run-down of great promotional products that make wonderful thank you gifts for employees while promoting your brand as well!
Customizable Treats. The holidays are a great time to give your hard-working employees edible goodies. Tins, jars, mugs, and boxes can be imprinted with your company’s logo and come pre-filled with delicious treats. Some favorites are the Presidential Sweet Nine-Tier Holiday Gift Tower, the Holiday Snack Caddy Box with Peppermints, Cookies, Popcorn, and One Gallon Cookie Christmas Tin with Chocolate Chip Cookies. Custom Clothing. Your employees will love to sport their company’s logo proudly while wearing a custom apparel that you give them this year. Great gender-neutral clothing ideas include jackets, vests, t-shirts, sweatshirts, and polo shirts. Items like the Gildan Adult Heavy Blend Hooded Sweatshirt, New Era Knit Beanie, and FootJoy Sport Windshirt come in a variety of colors and sizes to suit any company’s needs. Customizable Office Essentials. If you’re looking to give your employees something they could use every day at work, there are plenty of custom gifts perfect for the office. For instance, padfolios help employees stay organized and have everything at their fingertips. The all-in-one design is perfect to eliminate desk clutter and looks very sophisticated. Other great office gift items are desk accessories such as clocks, photo frames, and pen holders. Gift Sets. If you’d rather cater to specific employee interests, then gift sets are a great way to go! A few popular company gift set ideas are the Thermos Sipp Travel Tumbler Gift Set, the Ghirardelli Gift Set, and the Deluxe Golf Tool Gift Set. Don’t forget about wine-loving, Midwest residents either! They may like the Tuscany Wine Set or the Keep Warm Buddy Set, which can both be personalized for classy thank you gifts they are sure to love. You will be satisfied with our selection of customizable products whether you're interested in gifts for employees, clients, or friends. Olive Promotions has exactly what you need to make this year memorable with the best corporate holiday gifts of 2017! Giving corporate gifts during the holidays is the perfect time to thank clients and employees. It also happens to be a great promotional marketing strategy for your business. For the best results, consider the following concepts when choosing your corporate holiday gifts.
Personalization. Know your customer so that the gift can reflect their personality and interests. This sends a message to the recipient that they were well thought of or at least, that you took time to look over their personal preferences. Adding these personal touches to gifts will show your genuine appreciation and extends the meaning behind the gift. Even if the gift is inexpensive, you’ll still be given good credit with the act of personalizing the gift. Appropriateness. Consideration should be taken to see if the gift is appropriate to the business relationship. The items chosen should make sense, stay within your budget, and not be too overwhelming or unjustifiable. For instance, it might not be a good idea to send a thousand-dollar gift to a business partner with insignificant investment in your business. In the end, make sure the corporate gift meets your marketing objectives while also driving a smooth relationship between you and your recipients. Presentation. The quality of the gift and its presentation reflects your company, so it’s important to consider its design. Promotional gifts shouldn’t only be attractive to the eyes of your recipient but to everyone else as well. In addition, the design should show consideration to your recipient’s business profile and include a formal message. As a result of designing an attractive promotional gift, you improve your reputation with current clients and establish brand awareness with prospect customers. Are you familiar with the term “sensory memory”? It's a type of short term memory that helps you associate one of the fives senses with memory. Promotional products can play a role in sensory memory and are among the only form of advertising that allows an audience to interact with a brand on a physical level. With promotional products, customers can see, hear, smell, taste, and touch what you're advertising.
Sight. This is the sense we use most frequently and explains why traditional uses of sight in advertising don’t get much attention. Television, billboards, magazines, and internet advertisements are just another thing we see throughout the course of the day. If you really want to make a lasting impression, give people something interesting or stimulating, like a branded fidget spinner. Your target audience will still visually receive your message but will also be engaged in such a way that they'll actually remember your logo or advertising message. Sound. Most people either don’t pay attention or switch the station/channel when radio advertisements and TV commercials come on. You can have much more success with your advertising efforts by using promotional products, such as imprinted earbuds or branded bluetooth speakers. These items engage the sense of sound, while simultaneously creating an enjoyable experience for the end user. In addition, you get your message out to your target audience in a memorable way that gets repeated engagements at no additional cost. Smell. Of all the five senses, smell creates the most powerful and lasting impression in your brain. This fact continues to be proven in scientific studies showing that particular scents can trigger memories from decades ago. When looking for promotional products that can incorporate the sense of smell, look for things that may be associated with the scent. That way, when a prospective client enjoys the aroma of their fresh morning coffee (or tea) rising out of a mug with your logo on it, you can be certain that you're making a favorable impression. Taste. Most people don't think of advertising by using food, but it's actually a very effective method. The best way to do this is by choosing an edible promotional product, such as a gourmet brownie with your logo on the wrapper. People love eating and tasting new things, so it’s a great way to reach potential customers. In fact, over 75% of Fortune 100 companies utilize edible promotional products because of their effectiveness in creating memorable experiences for the end-user. Touch. This may be a given, but promotional products are tangible. Practically anything you have for promotional products can be physically held in the customer’s hands and consequently, will inspire the touch sense by feeling and using them. For instance, when someone writes with a pen imprinted with your logo, they are able to perform a useful task. This is yet another unique experience that can only be created by using promotional advertising. The holiday season only comes around once a year and is the perfect time for businesses to take part in gift giving. Other than being in the seasonal spirit, there are several reasons to give holiday gifts to each of your stakeholders.
Customer Appreciation The holiday season is an excellent time to show your appreciation in a bigger way. Thus, remember to thank frequent or high-value customers for their loyalty with corporate gifts. This ends the year on a good note and starts the next year off on the right foot. Customers who feel appreciated and valued tend to stick around, increase their purchasing, and recommend your business to others. Employee Appreciation As with customers, a business would not exist without its staff members. More than 60% of businesses give gifts to employees during the holiday season to show their appreciation for hard work over the past year. This in turn, makes employees feel valued and improves their overall work satisfaction. This also fuels pride in the brand and even boosts productivity. Keep Your Brand Front and Center Even though your customers will likely receive other business-related gifts or greeting cards, you don’t want to stand out as the one who didn’t send anything. Giving holiday gifts keeps your brand top of mind with customers, prospects, and even lapsed customers. The more they see and hear about it, the greater the chance they will remember it when it’s time to make a purchase or respond to a call to action. Things to consider When choosing holiday gifts, be sensitive to others’ religious beliefs and cultures. Also, try avoiding gifts that end up in re- gifting collections by getting something practical for people to use. Lastly, avoid buying cheaply-made items that can break or malfunction easily. These will leave a bad brand impression on your recipients and likely end up in the trash. Tailgating season is upon us and is the perfect time to consider football promotional products! Whether you’re throwing a party for an upcoming game or you’re a part of a corporation looking to sponsor a sporting event, promotional products are always a huge hit. Family, friends, and clients will consider these as useful and fun party favors that double as advertising for your company.
Keeps Them Quenched – No one likes a warm soda or beer, so offer can coolers to guests as they arrive to keep their drinks refreshingly cold throughout the game. Would they rather pour their beverage into something? No problem! Customized mugs and stadium cups are the perfect addition to any tailgate. If your group has multiple drinks that need to be kept cold and on the go, try out a personalized cooler. Keeps Them Warm – If you live in the Midwest, you know how cold it can get from November to February. Fleece hooded sweatshirts and flannel joggers are two apparel items that will undoubtedly keep people cozy on a cold day when they cheer on their team. Promotional blankets are another great option because they add extra warmth and fold up into themselves to easily be carried to and from the stadium. Keeps Them Entertained – With promotional items like pom-poms, cow bells, frisbees, and lawn games, you’ll be sure to liven up the crowd. Tailgate parties are a great way to mingle with other fans, so invite people over to join in on a game of ladder toss or handout foam footballs for everyone to throw around. When the game starts, get out the noise makers to pump up the crowd and cheer on each football team! Millennials are said to be the most powerful consumer generation. A great deal of the growth of the economy lies in their hands. Therefore, the success of your business can be determined based on the relationship you form with millennials. The Promotional Products Association International (PPAI) did a study on this generation and their relationships with promotional products. Here is what we took away and want to share with you.
Who are they? Generations before millennials, individuals had goals that were only driven by money in the workplace. Now, however, these individuals are driven to find purpose in their work more than ever. They do not want bosses but rather coaches that will help develop their strengths instead of correcting their weaknesses. This connected, diverse, intelligent mass of people are not immediately brand loyal because they are primarily driven by engaging customer experiences. What do they want from advertising? Only 1% percent of millennials said that a compelling advertisement will make them trust your brand more. Well, that is not leaving you with the best odds is it? Millennials value advertising that is visually appealing followed by a message that is clear and concise, thought provoking, and personally resonates with them. What does this mean for your business? Millennials want advertising that breaks tradition and promotional products can be a great way to do just that. According to the PPAI study, 88% of millennials have a more favorable perception of the brand after receiving a promotional product. The gift of a promotional product creates brand awareness and keeps you top of mind. Many millennials report keeping these products for extended periods of time after they receive them. The number one reason they keep a product is because it provides a practical function to them. You could be the one to hold their morning cup of coffee with a mug or save the day when their phone dies with a power bank. Although there’s no official “wedding season”, June and September are the peak months for couples to tie the knot. So, as long as it’s not cold out, there will likely be plenty of weddings taking place, and correspondingly an increase of custom items being produced.
The More the Merrier. The demand for custom wedding items has substantially increased within the past decade. Now more than ever, people can customize practically anything online for an affordable price and have an endless supply of design inspiration from social media posts. Personalized party supplies for weddings, such as monogrammed napkins or balloons, are still popular but seem to be a bare minimum accessory. It’s All About the Guests. In addition to the variety of color and style options, custom wedding favors have become either much more practical or amusing in this digital age. Family members and friends attending the event can expect to receive a handful of these custom wedding favors, featuring the names of the bride and groom or the wedding date. Bridesmaids and groomsmen can expect to receive even more! What’s Trending. Popular products include drinkware, sunglasses, pens, and coasters but the #1 custom wedding favor is…drum roll please…wedding koozies! Both cost-effective and functional, this custom item continues to grow in popularity. Guests put these to use right away and love how the catchy phrase on the koozie is fitting to the couple’s personality. Here’s a few of our favorites: Live Well, Laugh Often, Love Always Eat, Drink, and Be Married To Have and To Hold and To Keep Your Beer Cold The Wedding is Here, Time for Beer The Vows Are Done, It’s Time for Fun Have a wedding coming up? Let Olive Promotions help you with all your customization needs for party supplies, reception items, and wedding favors! It seems like it was just yesterday we were in June, but now fall is just around the corner. At Olive Promotions, we believe this in-between season is a great time to get a promotional product out there for your business. This is because school homecomings, sports tailgating, and late summer state fairs are all coming very soon (and often)! As potential customers get ready for these community festivities, make sure your business is getting ready as well with these effective items for fall.
Writing Utensils. Whether you want a basic design or a writing utensil with a stylus, pens are always a great choice for giveaways. Starting in August, these promotional products become even more valuable, especially for students and teachers as they head back to school. Make sure your pens are customized with black ink, rather than blue or red, because many school projects require to be done in black ink only! Just think, wouldn’t it be nice for your logo to be seen in a classroom? Drinkware. As fall approaches, the high summer temperatures will continue stay. Beat the heat by providing your consumers with a customized tumbler or koozie for their cold beverages. These promotional products are reusable and functional practically anywhere, so customers are likely to repeatedly use them at tailgates and other social events. Talk about free advertising! Bags. If your business plans to attend and handout a product at a high foot traffic community event, tote bags or drawstring backpacks are an especially great choice. It’s likely there will be several other businesses giving away free items. Your bags will be a relief for attendees because they now have a place to put all their collected items…rather than having to hold everything by hand! This will also make your brand stand out amongst competitors. Plus, a promotional bag is basically a moving billboard when used by a consumer! When choosing your next promotional product for a community event or tradeshow, you can’t go wrong with any of these three items for fall. Is your business eager to get started with a product for the upcoming season? Contact Olive Promotions today! |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
August 2019
Categories |