Common Mistakes when ordering merchandise

• Not allowing sufficient lead time to get products made. The more time provided the more likely it is businesses will reap benefits such as lower costs and a fully customised product. Rushing the thought process and not taking the time to consider small adjustments that could improve the product and campaign will affect the overall quality. 
• Not giving high quality artwork. Inferior artwork or logo design will impact on overall product aesthetic. See section on artwork for specific advice. 
• Not choosing a product with some correlation to your organisation or not relating the product back to your core message.  Every product distributed is a direct contributor to your brand image, therefore it is critical to ensure the item does not conflict with your business, image or industry.  If it doesn’t strengthen your brand, think carefully about why you are choosing that product/quality/design. 
• Choosing a product that is not appropriate to your audience or targeted consumers. Avoid ego-based decisions about what you like personally and have a good understanding of your target market and the best time to provide them with a product. 
• Choosing a manufacturer based on price alone. If you choose the cheapest product from the cheapest company you are likely to get the cheapest quality and service. Research demonstrates poor quality products, products that are not useful or are faulty can lead to the recipient having a negative perception of the company providing the product. 
• Not working with a professional organisation who understands the intricacies of the industry and products. 
• Viewing promotional products as “giveaways” rather than a way to motivate consumers and elicit responses. Items presented as Promotional Gifts rather than giveaways also help add value and significance, suggesting the receiver is particularly important to the organisation providing the product.
• Not considering promotional products as a consistent marketing tool, instead used for a one off campaign or to burn spare marketing budget. 
• Approaching the product in the same way you would approach other advertising such as television or print advertisements. It is a tangible item and needs to be treated differently. 
• Purchasing from web based companies who can – and in some cases have – literally disappeared over night. Consider reputation and industry standing when choosing product provider. 
• There has been instances of dangerous promotional products harming stakeholders, and being picked up and publicised by media, escalating the negative attention.
• Being deterred by the perceived high unit cost of promotional products in comparison to other mass media. Whilst the one-time exposure cost is higher, this needs to be considered in relation to the expected lifespan of the product, significantly above most other advertising. 
• Expecting a branded item to do all the marketing and communications work for a campaign and not exploring ways of integrating promotional items with other advertising. Often the product is best used to amplify other targeted marketing. 
• Not utilising a well conceived distribution plan. Whilst other media typically has pre-defined audiences, merchandise gives the distributor greater control over the targeted audience. This can be a great benefit when the audience is well considered, or wasteful if little consideration is given to the intended audience and ways of reaching them. 

APPA suggests the following guidelines;
What shouldn’t I hear from my promotional products company?
•       That they will undercut any price.
•       That promotional products are so cheap they can not be guaranteed to work.
•       That there is no reason for them to be an APPA member.
•       That there is no reason to sign off on art work approvals.

APPA notes potential pitfalls include:
•       Sizing and quality inferiority
•       Late deliveries
•       Lack of duty, safety and custom requirements
•       Payment in advance without delivery guarantees
•       Human rights infringements

Successfully marketing your promotional product

There are several key factors to getting the most success out of our promotional product;

The right time and the right place. Often promotional products are best integrated with a promotional campaign. You have hopefully considered the best time and place before purchasing the merchandise, and have a clear idea in mind e.g. at a company event, or as an ad-on with sales. A key benefit of promotional merchandise is that you determine where you will target and reach clients. If there has been a change in circumstances and you need to reconsider the most appropriate time for distribution, remember that the right circumstances will give a promotional product campaign maximum effect.   Putting the right product in the right place will also increase the likelihood of it being admired and envied by other potential customers. The right product is critical; however it also needs to be implemented successfully. Promotions are being increasingly run online, with consumers registering on websites to attain promotional gifts. This is invaluable for data collection, although the additional step may limit some people’s ability for redemption and participation.  Also consider where the recipient will use that product, ideally somewhere that will remind users of a company’s services at the most beneficial time.  Some organisations give a small branded gift to clients at times when they have had an anniversary with an organisation, to make them feel valued and acknowledge the relationship.

Distribution & Packaging. You also need to consider how you will give the promotional item to your valued customers or employees. This may be as an ad-on with a purchase, at a corporate event, trade show, posting to customers, registering for promotion online and so on. Depending on the situation, some methods will be more effective and have greater cost-benefits than others. If the item is large or heavy, it may end up being far too costly for mass mailing, and recipients at an event may find it inconvenient to carry around for the duration of the event. How you get particular products into people’s possession will impact on the cost and impact of the product. Effective packaging can add an interactive layer to the promotional gift. Some companies present their merchandise in an eco-friendly branded bag that recipients can re-use and help minimise environmental impact.

Results. Promotional items are often best used as part of a campaign, which can complicate measuring the success of the product on its own. It is also impossible to determine the exact number of brand exposures a product will bring in its life cycle. However, if you have approached the campaign with particular goals and objectives in mind you should be able to attain clear and measurable results as to its success. Organisations are also able to use promotional products as incentives to increase consumer response, and then track the results. Consider ways to increase publicity and further engage with the recipients of your promotional merchandise e.g. competitions/promotions where the recipient takes a photo of themselves with your merchandise in an exotic or unusual location and posts it on your website or on social media.

Hints for ordering Promotional Merchandise

Prominent logo, message, slogan or website URL on product. Often there are several options and the most obvious location is not always best. For instance on a mouse pad, the centre may not be the best option for a company logo and address details as this area is typically covered by the mouse. Effective placement of key information will help ensure maximum benefits from a product.

Simple but engaging. A product does not need to overwhelm to impress users. If the design or artwork is too complicated it may be confusing for the consumer and harm the building of a clear brand message for a company. This is also important because the item is likely to leave an impression on many people (who may only have a moment for the item to engage with them), not just the recipient.

Colour choice. Typically bright, vibrant colours have an impact, as they break away from corporate shades such as greys. They will also ensure that particular product is noticed in a crowded room! However, this is only beneficial if it does not contradict a company message or portray an image that isn’t desirable for a business. Classic corporate colours can bring a sense of professionalism and dignity and may be particularly suitable if designed for use by corporate users in an office environment.

Link brand with product. Try to choose a product that has some correlation to your brand, as this will give maximum impact, particularly in terms of when, where and how you will be remembered by a consumer e.g. a beverage provider giving away customised stubby holders. However, generic items such as t-shirts can also have maximum effect if they have a custom design to relate back to the company in question. Linking the product with a campaign, memorable catch phrase or company message will help the item signify more than just a logo or symbol.

Get quotes in writing. This will ensure there is no confusion about what is included or not included in a price e.g. freight, GST, sample charges, and set-up costs. Also enquire about payment charges (e.g. credit card surcharge) and whether payment is required upfront. If you are getting quotes on several products before making a decision, check how long the quote is valid for and ensure the quoted figures are still accepted when placing the order.

Placing the order

1. After choosing the Promotional Products Provider and product desired you can begin the ordering process.
2. Provide an official purchase order stating agreed pricing, as well as anything else of importance e.g. desired lead time, decoration option and delivery address.
3. Give your artwork to the provider, as per minimum requirements. They may require you to provide your artwork using their artwork templates which dictate where artwork can fit on a product, indicating bleed and outlines. 300dpi artwork is preferable to ensure the artwork will remain at a high quality on the promotional item. Use artwork template (if provided) to demonstrate exactly where you want your artwork positioned and provide PMS colour code to ensure the closest possible match.
4. Typically the organisation will offer you a tangible sample of the product desired before mass-manufacturing the order, and/or a visual mock-up of how the promotional product will appear. Mock-ups are a time-efficient way of ensuring the product is being manufactured as desired and need to be approved and signed off by the organisation before the product will be manufactured.
5. The Promotional product will then be manufactured and distributed as required.

Tip – The Creative Locker has a range of patented and exclusive products to guarantee you a unique product sure to impress!