- 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
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