Make sure you play more than branded mug's game

By SIMON HENDERY

A quick brand audit of my desktop shows American Express to be the clear promotional products winner in this particular home office.

A thick, comfortable Amex-branded pen is my writing implement of choice and will remain so until I lose it.

An Amex calendar was one of three on the desk until last month, when its functional layout and pretty pictures won it exclusive placement rights during a mid-year clean-up.

My mouse pad is courtesy of Tourism New Zealand and, although there are 38 branded pens in the top draw, only three have made it to a place in the desktop pen-holder.

One came from a NZ Winegrowers conference and another is a permanent reminder of a stay at the Novotel.

The third pen is the intriguing stray found in most collections. It is kilometres from home and no one can explain how it got here.

This particular mysterious yellow Bic comes from Taupo Stationery & Furniture on Tamamutu St.

The Australasian Promotional Products Association (APPA) says New Zealand companies spend $280 million a year on promotional products, making it a significant part of the national marketing mix.

In comparison, $689 million was spent on newspaper advertising last year, $592 million on television, $224 million on radio ads and $194 million in magazines.

Internationally, the promotional products industry has been experiencing annual double-digit growth for the past decade as manufacturers wary of the diminishing grip of traditional mass advertising channels look for more effective ways to target their brand exposure.

But marketing consultant Maria Carlton, the co-author of a book on the subject, says most businesses still do not get as much value out of their spending on promotional products as they could.

It is a big part of the marketing mix and if you use someone who knows what he or she is doing, you can create something outstanding.

Carlton says the key factor in making a promotional product-based campaign successful is planning.

While many corporates will phone a product company and order 1000 branded coffee mugs to be delivered within two weeks, an effective campaign may be six or 12 months in the planning and involve a promotions consultant working with the company to find a product that fits with its brand values.

Carlton's book, The Power of Promotional Products, co-written with American business consultant David Blaise, says from bags and T-shirts to electronic devices and food gifts, more than 650,000 items are offered by promotional products suppliers worldwide.

Several hundred items are on display at the showroom of Auckland promotional products company High Impact, whose clients include Coca-Cola, Gillette, Burger King, Air New Zealand and Sky City.

High Impact director Carol Comer says smart businesses are becoming more creative and sophisticated in their use of promotional products.

Once, it was almost always about pens, bags and caps, but now "with our creativity and innovation and also wanting to drive more sales, you've got to think of something different", she says.

"Our objective is to create a promotional product never seen before."

That often involves designing and manufacturing the product from scratch after consultation with the client.

"Clients are allocating more of their marketing spend to a promotional tool because they know it works."

But, says APPA, the love affair with the marketing mainstays of pens, caps and T-shirts has not dimmed.

The clothing and headwear category accounts for 28 per cent of sales of promotional products in New Zealand.

Diaries and calendars are the next-best sellers at 12 per cent, followed by writing instruments (10 per cent) and sporting, leisure and travel goods (8 per cent).

Carlton says coffee mugs are one of the industry's most over-rated items because, while they are often suggested as an ideal give-away, they seldom make it out of the office kitchenette and are seen by many as too tacky for everyday use at home.

She believes more use should be made of functional items.

"For me personally, my favourite promotional product in the whole wide world is a small Swiss Army knife which goes on my key-ring because I use it so much."

Factoring in success

* 1. Audience-appropriate product. The most compelling marketing message in the world will be lost if the promotional item is not appropriate to the target audience.

* 2. Effective marketing message. Too often, promotional products convey only company names or logos without any strong benefit statement, advantage or call to action. It generally costs no more to add these things to the imprint, but the effect they can have on the entire campaign is dramatic.

* 3. Targeted, qualified recipients. Few companies can afford to market to everyone so promotions should be geared towards those most likely to generate positive results.

* 4. The right time. It's been said the difference between salad and garbage is timing. This is equally true of marketing. The perfect marketing message delivered too soon or too late will not produce the desired result.

* Source: The Power of Promotional Products by Maria Carlton & David Blaise

Australasian Promotional Products Association