Running a business is a complicated adventure, especially if you started the brand yourself. There are probably barriers to entry that you have had to overcome, or still need to overcome. You have a product or service to perfect that you believe will provide a solution to potential customers. You need to decide how to allocate your resources to maximize operations and foster growth.

No on ever said entrepreneurship was easy, and it may indeed be one of the most difficult things you have ever faced. Fortunately, there are many examples of successful businesses to follow in their footsteps and try to chart a path to success.

Marketing is a crucial aspect of every brand, and no company can succeed without a strategy in place. As of right now, what marketing channels are you taking advantage of? Do they reach your target audience effectively? Is the general public aware of your brand’s existence?

One Way to Increase Brand Awareness: Merchandise

As the key decision-maker for your organization, considering all the ways you could increase exposure is your responsibility. Whether you are planning to start a new business or have already carved out a niche in your industry, understanding how to increase brand awareness and recognition will be an important indicator of future success.

Branded merchandise is one method for achieving greater visibility. You probably see it all the time from other brands, even if you don’t realize it. Companies will purchase custom-made products that contain brand information and then give them away. The more people own and use these items, the greater the potential for exposing the business to new audiences. This method has been used for decades and will continue to be a key cog in the marketing departments of many businesses going forward.

What is the Strategy?

Like any other marketing channel, you need a well-planned strategy for this type of campaign to be successful. You cannot expect a branded merchandise initiative to generate leads due to its mere existence. Following a few of these strategic tips can keep the campaign focused and more likely to help the company grow.

Know the W’s of the Target Audience

For your promotional product campaign to work, you better know your target audience inside out. Who are they? What do they like? Where do they spend their time? When might they be most likely to interact with your brand and consider it? Why do they make the purchasing decisions that they do?

A branded merchandise campaign should target your buyer personas and provide value to your ideal customers when you give them promotional products. Otherwise, the campaign will fall flat and it will have been a waste of the marketing budget.

Quality Over Quantity

Businesses with more resources will often invest in larger numbers of promotional products to reach as many potential customers as possible. If you have a small business, you may be tempted to try the same tactic. For example, 100 mouse pads are cheaper than ten t-shirts, so more people will be exposed to your brand, right?

Not necessarily. A quality product will be used again and again by the owner. This means more potential impressions for your business. A high number of cheaply made items may not be useful enough to actually expose new people to your business. There is certainly a place for cheaper promotional products like pens and other office supplies, but sometimes a few higher quality items can go further toward increasing brand awareness.

Promotional Product Examples

Starting to consider the benefits of a branded merchandise campaign? Hopefully, you have a good idea of who your target audience is and the types of products they would enjoy and use. If you are looking for some great ideas for popular items that can carry your brand information to a broader audience, some of the following examples might be perfect for your company’s marketing initiatives.

• Hoodies
• Lighters
• Flash Drives
• Stress Balls
• Swag Bas
• Hats
• Koozies
• Stadium cushions
• Foam fingers
• Water bottles
• Tote bags
• Jackets
• Phone stands/covers
• Bluetooth devices

These items cover a range in pricing, allowing you to choose a high number of cheaper items or a small number of more useful products. A healthy balance between the two might be your best option to provide value to your audience and still achieve greater reach.

Branded Merchandise Can Boost Your Marketing

There are a lot of positives to a promotional product campaign. For one thing, it can be pretty cost-effective, with a one-time purchase leading to repeat impressions every time an item is used by the owner. Secondly, these items can elevate your presence in the local community, which is often the main supplier of customers for small businesses. There are also many opportunities to give these items away that will benefit your business, either as gifts to employees, prizes for the general public, or rewards for loyal customers.

Do some research to see what branded merchandise could benefit your marketing strategy by increasing awareness and recognition of the business.