Fortunately, that couldn’t be further from the truth. You can create hyper-personalized customer experiences with digital strategies, right? You can use similar principles from the world of digital marketing with your branded products. All you need is a modest lift from the right tech solution.
You need to take a customized approach to get results from your promotional product campaigns. Let’s dig into why customization is so important and three ways technology can help you design smarter promotional product campaigns.
Why customization matters so much
You might wonder, “Can’t I limp by with 10,000 pens with my logo?”
Absolutely. But this generalized approach just won’t lead to greatness. That’s because customization is the key ingredient for all successful branded product campaigns.
And you shouldn’t copy another brand’s idea, either. If you want to get true results, customization has to happen on the brand and campaign levels — here’s why.
1. Customers expect personalized experiences
We don’t have anything against can coolers, but very few customers want a generic promotional product from you. Actually, 80% of customers expect some kind of customization.
If you want to put each recipient’s name on reusable water bottles, go for it! But a “personalized experience” can also happen when you create swag tailored to a specific event. For example, you could create tie-dye sunglasses just for Lollapalooza.
Customers clearly want something more creative and meaningful, which means customization is a must.
2. You have a different budget
Coca-Cola has a marketing budget the size of Antarctica. That gives them the power to do some amazing, creative things, but many brands don’t have those resources. And guess what? That’s OK!
You have to choose branded products that fit your budget if you want to see a return on your marketing spend, after all. You absolutely have to customize your products based on your budget constraints.
But don’t worry: the right technology can help you monitor what you’re ordering, how much you’re spending, and determine which products are actually working. With the right tech solution, you can make the most of nearly any budget.
3. Your business is unique
A one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work because every business is unique. Sure, you share some similarities with your competitors, but whether you are a small business or bigger, you do things differently. You might admire the creativity of other brands in your space, but that doesn’t mean you should copy them.
Your brand personality is a huge component of promotional product marketing. For example, a serious corporate bank wouldn’t pass out branded whoopee cushions at a conference. You’ll need to customize your approach based on who you are and what customers expect from you.
3 tips to customize your promotional products with technology
In an age in which marketing spending is stretched to its limits, customization is a must. Marketing technology is one of the best ways to make customization happen at scale, but there’s one little problem: 67% of brands say they don’t have the right tech in place to do personalized marketing.
Let’s change that. Follow these 3 tips to use technology for more customized product marketing experiences.
1. Watch your budget like a hawk
Money makes the world go round, after all. Worry less about your branded product budget withtechnology like Boundless GroupBuy ™. Our technology allows you to collectively buy the same products with other staff at your company. Buy your most popular items in bulk so you can make the most of your budget with bigger orders. The Boundless Portal also allows you to run reports and track your spending, so there are never any surprises.
2. Customize based on audience preferences
Don’t be afraid to switch things up based on what your customers want to see. The more delighted they are to see your products, the more likely a customer is to remember your brand.
Try to choose trending, valuable items for your customers. You can tap the 24/7 Boundless Portal Store to see which product categories are trending right now. For example, pastels and tie-dye are in right now (hello, ‘90s). Feel free to change up your collections as needed so customers will go bananas for en vogue products and designs.
If you have a customer relationship management (CRM) platform, you can also determine which products you share with customers in different scenarios. For example, maybe you pass out platypus water bottles at conferences and share Bluetooth headphones at your B2B client meetings. Consult your buyer personas and sales funnel to see what products your audience wants right now.
3. Brand consistently
When it comes to brand strategy, consistency is the most important thing. But if you’re juggling multiple product orders across your company, it’s easy for things to spiral out of control.
That’s why the Boundless Portal Store gives you the power to hold approved products. This provides an added layer of assurance so your marketing intern doesn’t accidentally order products in an off-brand color. Boundless GroupBuy ™ can also help you order a lot of products at one time across different buyers. Then, everyone at your company receives the same products without any unwanted variations.
Branded products should break the mold
When it comes to promotional products, you’ve got to take a completely personalized approach. Your customers, budget, and brand identity are too different for cookie-cutter campaigns. Follow these three tips to customize your branded products with a little help from technology.
But the Boundless Technology Toolkit is just the beginning. Sure, we give you the convenience of an online platform for managing your products, but you also get our team of expert marketers on your side, too. See how Boundless takes a unique, client-centered approach to customize promotions for every brand, every time.
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