Picture this. You’re enjoying a cup of your favorite coffee when you look down at your pen and see that old logo. You can’t help but think of the company’s catchy jingle from last year’s event while you scribble notes. Strange occurrence? Very unlikely. Astute marketers Positive Media Promotions would call that a deliberate move.
You neglected to water the office plant for two weeks, and now it’s branded merchandise. If you don’t touch it, it will collect dust. Just a little TLC turns it into a show-stopper, full of praise and growth. Mugs, bottle openers, and even those hip tote bags are often imprinted with company logos, and for good cause. Free goods is always popular. Assuming it has any practical value? The jackpot.
Having a logoed water bottle is like having a moving billboard. Its brand is constantly flaunted in break rooms, gyms, buses, and anywhere else it goes. Nobody is able to avoid it. It’s a cunning strategy to maintain visibility without being pushy.
Consider conventions and expos. Big groups of individuals, all wearing the same cap or lanyard with the same logo. Handouts include strangely shaped USB drives, miniature flashlights, and other such trinkets. I was once given a cheese cutter that bore the name of someone’s company. Needed it or not? Not at all. However, their names kept popping into my head as I sliced Gouda. There you have it—experience.
Sticky impressions are the essence of corporate swag. It goes beyond logos. Recollection is based on the senses. You have a mental image of how well that T-shirt fit or how long your coffee stayed hot in that thermos. All of a sudden, you see how this company is valuable, even in its smallest forms.
Of all, not every piece of swag is acceptable. Pens of poor quality will burst in your purse. Weak stress balls jiggle beneath the sofa. Items that are both practical and well selected are where the magic occurs. Items that you utilize on a daily basis. Loyalty begins to emerge unconsciously at that point.
And internal branding must be considered as well. Workers desire a sense of significance in their work. Unification is fostered with company sweaters, badges, and even socks. All of a sudden, the workplace no longer feels like a factory and more like a home.
No doubt about it; digital marketing is pervasive. However, physical products add a human touch. Doing both at once? Suddenly, you’re the one who’s playing chess and everyone else is playing checkers. Would you like to leave a lasting impression on people? Make sure they don’t toss it aside. Therein lies the true foundation of brand recall.