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Understanding Buyer Personas to Select Promotional Merchandise

Understanding Buyer Personas to Select Promotional Merchandise

by | Sep 4, 2017 | Business Resources, Industry Trends, Marketing, Marketing Tips

Picture this: You’re flying out to Perth this Christmas to meet your girlfriend’s mother for the first time. Obviously, you need to bring her a gift. You could just settle for a generic basket of fruity lotions or a Myers gift card. However, you want to make a lasting impression, so you decide to dig deeper. What are your future mother-in-law’s (fingers crossed!) hobbies? What is she passionate about? In order to win her over, you need to find that perfect gift that she would have picked out herself. If you think about it, your girlfriend’s mother isn’t much different than your clients. In this article, we will show you the importance of understanding buyer personas to select promotional merchandise.

understanding buyer personas to select promotional merchandise

What are buyer personas, anyway?

We’re sure you’re familiar with what a buyer persona is, but just in case, it is described as follows: “Buyer personas (sometimes referred to as marketing personas) are fictional, generalised representations of your ideal customers. Personas help us… internalise the ideal customer we’re trying to attract, and relate to our customers as real humans. Having a deep understanding of your buyer persona(s) is critical to driving content creation, product development, sales follow up, and really anything that relates to customer acquisition and retention.” (Pamela Vaughan, 2015) Establishing buyer personas is crucial in determining what your promotional merchandise should be selected.

How, exactly, should you determine your buyer personas? While demographics such as age, sex, and ethnicity can be helpful, they are not the end-all. You need to dig deeper and discover what really makes your (present and future) clients tick. What are their motivations? What do they value, need, and desire?

understanding buyer personas to select promotional merchandise

How can you determine your unique buyer personas?

In order to reveal your buyer personas, you can send out a survey with questions similar to those above. Analyse your data to see who is visiting your social media channels and your website to glimpse what they are looking for. Another way is to use our straightforward Buyer Persona Template, which can be found in our toolbox.

The ideal client persona will be someone who has a high potential for brand loyalty and are likely not only to become return customers but also to refer your service to others. Once you have established who these personas are, and pinpointed their interests, you will be much better equipped to address their needs. In your marketing campaigns, you will be able to assist their professional goals by providing useful content based on their interests. In addition, by knowing who you are reaching out to, you can improve communication by adapting your tone. For instance, you would write an email to a CEO much differently than a millennial Event Manager. Use this buyer persona knowledge to your advantage.

understanding buyer personas to select promotional merchandise

What does this have to do with promotional merchandise?

Once you know your demographic well and have selected the buyer persona you’d like to target, you have access to the full potential of promotional products. The successful business owner with an affinity for sports would make a perfect candidate for golf balls. The digital nomad in their 20s or 30s would definitely carry around the Stark Tech Computer Backpack. Or the jet-setting businesswoman who’s always looking for unique souvenirs would love to bring some Kangaroo Chocolates home to her British friends.

No matter which promotional products you choose to give away, be sure that it caters directly to your ideal buyer persona. Not only will they feel understood, they will also proudly don that sweatshirt (with your logo on it) for all to see. Mission accomplished!

Have any questions about buyer personas or selecting the perfect promotional merchandise? Let us know!

How to Measure ROI with Promotional Merchandise

How to Measure ROI with Promotional Merchandise

by | Aug 27, 2017 | Business Resources

If you’re in the marketing world, you know that ROI is not just a convenient acronym. BRB, OMG, and LOL (amongst others) could never pull the weight that ROI does, and with good reason. When your business depends on your Return on Investment (ROI), this becomes a very serious matter. Promotional merchandise is a no-brainer when you’re growing your brand: it’s cost-effective, improves customer engagement, and boosts brand awareness. What’s best is that the use of promotional products is tangibly measurable. In this article, we’ll explore how to measure ROI with promotional merchandise.

How to Measure ROI with Promotional Merchandise


Benefits of Promotional Merchandise

We know that there are various avenues of marketing nowadays- from radio ads to social media promotion. Nonetheless, promotional merchandise continues to be an effective way to reach a wide audience. Most people keep promotional products and use them quite frequently. This doesn’t just remind clients of your services. It’s been found that one in three people are more likely to do business with a company after they’ve received a branded gift. In addition, your exposure will multiply if you’re using merchandise like reusable bags or branded t-shirts that will be used frequently in public.

Choosing the Best Product for ROI

At Red Tomato, we understand that, as a Marketer, it’s crucial to measure your success. Your marketing campaign can’t be a haphazard, blind investment. Your strategy needs to have a tangible, quantifiable endgame. As Andy Cohen, of the Advertising Specialty Institute, stated, “Ultimately, the return on investment that clients receive from using promotional products in their marketing campaigns can be found in the fact that the items have an extremely low cost-per-impression (CPI).” In other words, your choice of product needs to be wisely calculated. You may want to impress your clients with an expensive bottle of wine or the shiniest new tech gadget, but you may end up spending too much money on something that your client will never use.

How to Measure ROI with Promotional Merchandise

How, then are you to choose the best product for your ROI? After all, you are looking to build positive brand associations with your clients. Sending them cheap or useless products with your logo on it, just to lower your CPI, will only prove that you’re cheap and thoughtless. At Red Tomato, we will brainstorm what kind of product is related to your business, useful, and will provide high visibility. Talkdesk’s Shauna Geraghty suggests, “The perfect promotional item with the largest ROI will inevitably be one that takes into account brand messaging, costs constraints and customer interest equally to make the appropriate product decision.”

How to Measure ROI with Promotional Merchandise

After you’ve chosen and distributed the perfect promotional merchandise, it’s important to measure how successful your campaign has been. This is where ROI comes in. A simplified way of calculating ROI would be to take the amount you’ve earned from the campaign and subtract the amount you spent on the product, shipping, trade show costs, and so on. However, with promotional merchandise, this measurement can be a bit more complex, due to factors such as reach and quantifiable purchases. Thankfully, you don’t have to worry about complicated math equations anymore. We’ve taken the time to create an ROI Calculator specifically for promotional merchandise products to help you measure your success. Be sure to take a look and use it for your next marketing campaign!

How to Measure ROI with Promotional Merchandise

Do you have any questions about how to measure ROI with promotional merchandise? What products have been the most successful for your ROI? Please share in the comments below!

3 tips for a great Father’s Day promotion

3 tips for a great Father’s Day promotion

by | Aug 25, 2017 | Business Resources, Industry Trends, Marketing, Marketing Tips, Promo Products

Father’s Day is your once-a-year chance to show Dad how much he means to you. Father figures have a lot of influence in the way we shape our lives and Father’s Day is a good prompt to thank them. It’s also a great excuse to run a fun, creative marketing campaign! We’ve created this blog article to elaborate on our top 3 tips for a great Father’s Day promotion –  we hope you love the ideas as much as we do.

1. Use the power of social media

If you’re a marketer, you’ll know that social media can really boost your marketing campaigns. There are a couple of ways you can harness this epic power. Firstly, run a competition! Advertise your product and give all participants the opportunity to win an amazing prize (a promotional merchandise pack, gift voucher or just some cash) if they post a photo using your product or share and tag a particular photo with their friends list. This is a great way to boost your brand presence and also grow your social media following. Using a timely excuse like Father’s Day is a great reason for people to enjoy participating.

Father's Day gifts

Secondly, you can use Father’s Day  as a theme for social media posts for a week or even a month. Creating content for social media can be hard sometimes – it’s often tough to find relevant content to contribute to your channels. By using Father’s Day as a theme you won’t be short of great content to post.

Gifts with purchase

What motivates people more to make a purchase than… a free gift? (How many times have you spent an extra $100 at Estee Lauder so you can get that goodie bag? Person Raising Hand on Apple iOS 10.3 Guilty!)

We’ve thought of a few Father’s Day gift ideas using promotional merchandise that we think would be the perfect incentive to get your clients to buy or invest in your business, just so they can get that gift!

1. T-shirts

Printed t-shirts. We’re not talking about a t-shirt with your logo slapped right in the center that no one outside your company is likely to wear (unless you’re Deux Ex Machina). Why not print t-shirts with 5 reasons why you love Dad? Or your best Dad joke? Of course, include your logo – but put it in a more elegant position such as the bottom corner or the back yoke.

Father's Day gifts

2. A funny giveaway

Promotional merchandise giveaways with a bit of kick is a great way to engage your clients. Something as simple as a stress ball can be so effective for timely events such as Father’s Day! Because when do we not stress our Dads out?

Father's Day gifts

3. Make it relatable

We’ve discussed Father’s Day themed gifts. If you want to purchase a larger amount of merchandise that will last beyond Father’s Day. Choose a gift that directly relates to your product. If you’re selling shovels and gardening supplies – you wouldn’t give a toiletry bag or a towel away, it just doesn’t make sense. Perhaps a branded tin pot or a pair of gardening gloves. This will be much more appealing to your clientele.

Father's Day gifts

Use Father’s Day as an excuse to surprise your staff

91% of Dads are an active part of Australia’s work force – does this number scale out in your office? Due to there being such a large volume of Father’s in the work industry it’s a perfect excuse to put together some gifts for the office Dads. We’ve talked about using merchandise as a way to encourage staff retention. Why not put together a “Dad survival kit” not only will you get a laugh out of it, your Dads are sure to love it! You can even do one for Father’s of fur babies!

Father's Day gifts

We hope you’ve learnt some new ways to tie in timely events, such as Father’s Day and add a bit of creative flair to your marketing plans this quarter.  Want some more ideas? Click here to get help with planning a campaign.

5 Marketing Strategies to Help Increase Customer Loyalty

5 Marketing Strategies to Help Increase Customer Loyalty

by | Jul 24, 2017 | Business Resources, Industry Trends, Marketing, Marketing Tips, Promo Products

Customer loyalty doesn’t begin after you make the sale. Their are four main stages for obtaining and keeping a client: attract, convert, close, and delight. Every single stage in this process is essential for increasing customer loyalty to your brand.

So how do you increase customer loyalty? There are various ways to increase your customer loyalty while still staying true to your brand and making your company stand out amongst the competition.

1. Implement outreach processes

Delighting your customers needs to come at every single stage in the buyer process in order to increase customer loyalty to your brand. Implementing outreach processes can be a good way to delight customers at any stage. Outbound email campaigns, providing helpful tips, and recommending resources can be a great way to delight your customers at every stage in the buyer process, even after they make a purchase.

customer loyalty

Provide helpful content

It is much more cost-effective to keep a loyal customer happy than to continually obtaining new customers. Sending out a free eBook or a downloadable guide or template can be a great way to keep customers loyal to your brand both before and after you make the sale. It’s vital not to forget to delight your customers after you sold them your product or service. Returning customers are essential and can provide great referrals for future sales. Sending out a a genuinely helpful piece of content will show your customers you care about them even after you made the sale.

2. Sending promotional gifts to increase customer loyalty

Customers that receive a branded gift from a company are more than 85% percent likely to do business with that same company. With a strategic plan for gifting promotional products, customer loyalty towards your brand is almost guaranteed to increase. Timing and usefulness are two of the most important factors when creating a strategy to gift promotional products in order to increase brand loyalty.customer loyalty

For example, for Red Tomato’s 10-year anniversary we sent out a campaign integrating email and promotional gifts. Our account managers sent out high-quality “birthday” cards to all of our clients which was also accompanied by an email. The email contained a call to action which offered our clients a free gift – a branded box filled with a 1kg block of chocolate and a little hammer to smash and share it with colleagues! These thoughtful, and well-timed gifts increase Red Tomato’s customer loyalty and brand awareness.

3. Discounts

Offering your customers (or potential customers) special discounts and exclusive offers can increase their sense of brand loyalty. Why? Because it shows that you care about your customers enough to provide them with exclusive offers. Offer these types of discounts also instills a sense of urgency for them to act on the offer.

For example, you could have a special offer in which customers share your brand’s social media post within 24 hours in order to receive a special discount or free gift with a purchase. This implements a sense of urgency to act on an offer in addition to a sense of customer loyalty because they will receive a special discount from your brand.

customer loyalty

4. Rewards for purchase

Enticing customers to make a purchase with an offer to receive a reward, will both increase sales and customer loyalty if executed correctly. For example, Red Tomato’s “Ugly Christmas Sweater” campaign encouraged customers to place an order before the end of the financial year. If they did, they would receive a free ugly sweater. The campaign was both fun, and a win-win for both Red Tomato and their clients.

customer loyalty

Customer loyalty using a points-back system

This is probably one of the most common examples of a customer loyalty program. Grocery stores and coffee shops that offer “points” for purchases that can be exchanged for discounts or free items. A points-back system is a good way to both increase revenue and customer loyalty.

5. Input

Customers, especially millennial customers, want to contribute to the evolution of a brand. Customers want to feel like they are part of the brand and can identify with its message. Asking customers for input can increase customer loyalty because they feel loyal to a brand they helped build.

A perfect example of this is Lego’s “Kronkiwongi” campaign. In this campaign, Lego asked kids to build a “Kronkiwongi” (a word Lego invented) and encouraged kids to use their imagination. Kids all over the world submitted their creations and explained what a “Kronkiwongi” does. The campaign was heartwarming, viral, and increased international customer loyalty towards Lego.

customer loyalty

How to Use Golf to Promote Your Business

How to Use Golf to Promote Your Business

by | Jul 6, 2017 | Business Resources, Golf, Industry Trends, Marketing

Golf is good for your business. Whether you run a technology start-up or specialise in aerodynamic golf clubs, incorporating golf into your marketing strategies can be highly beneficial. It doesn’t matter if your only experience with the sport was playing putt putt as a kid. We can still show you how to use golf to promote your business with promotional merchandise.

The Facts of Popularity

Studies done by the Professional Golfers Association (PGA) of Australia have shown that the sport’s popularity is consistently growing. While national participation was at 1.18 million in 2013, by 2015 this figure had grown by 7.2 percent. It is clear that golf’s 2016 Olympic debut in Rio and overall global interest have continued to increase. Some of the world’s best golfers are now attending Australian tournaments. Based on the facts, it appears that the sport’s popularity is here to stay.

 

Use Golf to Promote Your Business

How Golf and Business Promotion are Related

So, what is the link between golf and business promotion? First off, the demographic of golf players tends to be a successful, business-minded individual. Tapping into this demographic will allow you to forge connections with people you otherwise might not have access to. These people tend to favour quality products, and this could translate into a profitable relationship.

 

Use Golf to Promote Your Business

Ways to Use Golf to Promote Your Business Using Promotional Merchandise

One way to break into the realm of golf is to host a Golf Day for your company and clients. This fun, memorable occasion will allow you to further your bond with attendees, enhancing brand loyalty. Make sure to plan ahead and have plenty of promotional merchandise on hand. There’s nothing more enticing to golfers than free golf products. If you’re not sure how to use golf to promote your business during your Golf Day, be sure to check out our helpful list here.

 

Use Golf to Promote Your Business

 

Another way to get your foot into the world of golf is to become a sponsor at a tournament. Something as simple as sponsoring a hole or holding a raffle is an excellent way to spread the word about your business. Brand exposure is priceless, especially among high profile players and other organisations. By sharing your passion and networking effectively, you could also potentially collaborate with big names on the course, such as Titliest, Callaway, Taylormade, and Adidas. Remember to present yourself in a professional manner, but also to keep the atmosphere enjoyable. There’s nothing more irritating than trying to play a round of golf while having a salesperson forcing you to buy their product.

If hosting a Golf Day doesn’t seem like a fit for your business, there are plenty of other ways you can use golf to promote your business. Look up local charity events and donate golf-related promotional merchandise. If you are a knowledgeable golfer, consider volunteering to give kids free lessons at your local golf club. Remember that, by being creative and thinking outside the box, there are an endless amount of ways that this sport can help bolster your sales and brand recognition.

Have you used golf to promote your business? Do you have any tips that we missed? Please share your experiences or questions with us in the comments below!