Promotional or branded gifts are considered one of the most cost effective marketing investments when compared using  "cost per impression" with other forms of advertising medias. The most recent ASI Study conducted by the Advertising Specialty Institute compares different types of branded gifts to each other as well as alternative medias including TV, and radio advertising.

The comparison looks at the cost of placing your brand in front of people to increase awareness. For example, while writing instruments are the most popular and widely used gift, The logo is only viewed by and average of 437 people per month. A branded bag while used less frequently than a pen is viewed by an average of 1078 people per month. The study compares the average life, cost and number of views to arrive at an average "cost per impression" which is then compared to other forms of advertising.

While the average cost per impression of $.018 for prime time TV, compares poorly to the average for advertising specialties of $.005, there is a lot of information to improve a corporate gift strategy and ROI. The best performing gifts included pens and bags with average costs of $.001 per impression. This means gifts provide a great opportunity to promote your brand for a very low cost, so if you're interested in using gift to promote products, a Custom Tote Bag Printing is a must for your marketing events

So how do we design a program to maximize ROI that is consistent with our corporate and brand positioning? As with most advertising strategies, its not as simple as choosing the lowest cost item we can find for the budget. While we can afford a lot more $.25 cent pens, an important customer may not feel truly recognized or appreciated by that choice. At a trade show where qualifying prospects is difficult in  limited time, it does not make sense to distribute higher value items. In addition to the fundamental gift cost considerations, there are many other critical factors that will effect the success of the campaign;

  1. Different gifts perform very differently in different demographics. It is important to identify who the target of the campaign is in selecting the items.
  2. Consider the brand and any associated message in selecting the gift. If you are launching a new product, its hard to communicate the advantages on a pen.
  3. Consistency with corporate look and image should be considered in the selection including colors, styles, recycled content, build quality, etc. You can put together a swag bag here.
  4. Reserve budget for higher cost items to give to a select group of prospects & customers.
  5. Determine your budget for the year and a plan for  the different items, and occasions. Try to use a campaign where the items build on one another.
  6. Get professional assistance in applying these tips. Use our Alta Graphics Gift Search  site to look for items then schedule a visit to meet with our specialists who can guide you in your promotional campaign!