Promotional products are a great way to keep your brand and company fresh in the minds of your audience. But that does not mean that promo products don’t go wrong… one of the worst things for your brand is a failed marketing message. What makes promotional items so successful is that they act a little like a unique business card that has your logo, company name, details and message shown prominently. When a promotional product goes wrong, that means that your name is clearly associated with a product that has not quite hit the mark.

How can you be sure that your promotional product is more hit than miss?

Keep reading to find out.

Don’t Make These Mistakes When Choosing Promotional Products

Some of the biggest mistakes to avoid when planning  promotional products in Durban or anywhere else include the following:

Choosing products based on your own personal preferences. While you may love the idea of a branded Frisbee, your ideal customer may not feel quite the same. One of the most important things to consider for any promotional material is your target audience. Who will you give these products to? What sort of items would provide genuine use for these your ideal customer? Once you know who you are targeting, it will be easier to decide on which material would be best suited to your audience.

Offending or confusing people with a poorly planned design. You may not intend to offend anyone, but a badly thought-out logo or acronyms that mean something completely different to your intended message can be confusing at best. At worst, you may end up doing more harm to your reputation than good. Above all else, promo products should be a way to re-enforce your brand message in a way that is memorable for all the right reasons.

Not having a plan in place. Another major mistake is to not have any plan in place when getting promotional items made and produced. If you have budgeted for this type of marketing, you will need to be sure on what your primary goals are (recognition, once-off event or any other specific goal you may have). You will also need to know how you will get your products out to your audience, and how to achieve this distribution. Without a plan, you may end up with a back room full of items that no one uses.

Aiming for the cheapest option rather than the best quality option. While you obviously want to avoid spending your entire marketing budget on one product, it’s also never a good idea to go for cheap over quality. Ultimately, the products you send to people represents your company and overall brand. Do you want people to remember you for being cheap, or for providing a product that is made properly? If the item does not last, or worse, looks cheap, it will cost you far more in the long run.

Choosing a product with a limited shelf-life. That leads us to our final mistake – choosing a product that will be thrown away in a short time. As functional as pens and pencils are, they are not designed to last. The same applies to lighters and other single or limited use products. A branded mug, t-shirt, cap, mouse pad, laptop case or any other item that will be used often for a long period of time will not end up in the bin.

Looking for assistance in the design and creation of your products?  Contact Minuteman Press Pinetown for high quality promotional products in Durban.