As the name signifies the sole purpose of a promotional product is to promote your product and brand. To create awareness the big brands with deep pockets start with newspaper ads which spills over to hoardings and televisions. Once the introductory blitz is over the focus shifts to actual activation on the ground at the point of purchase to ensure enough trials and there by regular users for the product. Depending on the actual results campaign is tinkered for better penetration at the marketplace and resources are increased. However if the results are average then the market is allowed to decide the future of the product over the extended period of time. And in maximum cases the product is withdrawn as the results are not up to the expected plans. Being too aggressive or spending more is not the answer but to understand where to play and how to win the marketing warfare.
Awareness & Different Tactics to Increase the Market Share
Awareness can be created by the mass advertising but the bigger challenge is the consideration by the users and actual trials to understand the repeat sales which is the hallmark of a successful product. Here the focus shifts to how to ensure enough trials as then if the buyer likes the product he will buy again and again ensuring the success of the product. The first challenge is to understand the main influencers of the product? There are multiple influencers at different phases of the product life cycle and accordingly different tactics are employed to increase the market share. Depending on the current market share and competition in a particular geography different promotion schemes are run to increase the overall market share at the minimum of promotional expenses. Let us understand this with more clarity with an example of cement manufacturers.
a) Channel retail partner as the product is a commodity? (Price advantage with better margins along with curiosity among all constituents about the new product).
b) Distributor or stockist of the cement can be influenced by bulk lifting and attractive bonuses on liquidating the secondary stocks.
c) Masons for a cement company can influence end users as they tends to listen to the more knowledgeable source. (similarly mechanic for the oil company can make the big difference).
d) Cement companies must influence engineers with the composition and technical superiority of their products over rival brands.
e) Cement companies must work with architects too as they are major influencers for their brand.
Retail Outlets:-
The replica of cement bag can be made as balloons and properly displayed at all the counter to remind the end users at the point of purchase. Similarly replica of cement bags as key chains can be distributed to all visitors to increase the brand recall. Writing pads and pens are another good examples of catching attention at a very low price. Needless to say that all these products is a copy of the brand and acts as constant reminder. The outlet can have a wall clock with timely reminds the visitors of news paper, television or hoarding. The coasters, table mats, paper weight, pen stand and even the counter sales person in the t-shirt and caps remind the buyer about the brand.
Masons:-
Tiffin boxes, carry bags, shoulder bags, pouches, umbrellas, rain coats, mason kits and shaving kits are the utility items to gain the mind share of the masons.
Engineers:-
Diaries, USBs, Power Banks, backpacks, trolley bags, jackets, conference folders constantly remind the engineers about superiority of your product with unique and distinctive features.
Architects / Builders:-
Personalized products like portable miniature golf kit set, executive table top leather folder, leather overnighter, crystal, brass table tops, mementos can be considered to be always present around them to constantly remind them about their relationship with your brand.
While short listing the various products it is always desired to have true insight of your brand’s USP and to meaningfully connect with the selected promotional product to make it natural fit.