Promotional products and branded items can be powerful tools in achieving great ROI results from your marketing campaigns if done well.

Promo With A Purpose: 6 Tips To Strategic Promo Marketing That Earns ROI

Campaigns form the core of marketing. They employ a careful strategy to reach and engage customers with a blend of content, social media, advertising and creative execution.

However, one crucial element often gets overlooked until the very end: promo products.

When executed well, branded promotional items can strengthen marketing campaigns and offer a significant Return of Investment (ROI) for businesses.  Sadly, instead of planning them efficiently and realising their actual value from the start, they’re often left as an afterthought in the strategic planning process. So, it’s high time to rethink when you are implementing your promotional products.

This delay can turn them into a gimmick.

In today’s world, where audiences have high expectations and short attention spans, promotional marketing products can make a significant impact when incorporated into a campaign. However, to do this effectively, promotional marketing needs to have a purpose. This purpose ensures it adds true value to your business.

Promotional marketing - 6 ways your marketing team can get the most out of promo marketing

To help you ‘promo with purpose’, we have compiled 6 ways your Marketing team can get the most out of promo marketing.

(1) Begin with the end results in mind

Understanding the overarching goals your campaign aims for is the best way to achieve a positive outcome from your promo marketing.

Determining the ideal outcome will assist in setting your performance indicators. This understanding will also guide your team to tailor your strategy to meet these goals. By knowing where your campaign is headed, you can be clear about your approach and about what kind of promotional products will help you achieve your goals.

(2) Plan your promo marketing 

A good plan never fails. 

Just like you determine the content and social media elements of your campaigns, it’s equally important to consider the role that promotional items will play in the overall execution and rollout of your marketing from the very beginning.

This early planning will allow them to form a useful component of your campaign. Consequently, they won’t be a poorly considered afterthought which ends up having little effect on the outcome.

(3) Consider your objectives

What is your business aiming to achieve? Launching a new product, sharing a PR update, showing loyal customers some love, or generating more leads?

When you have a clear purpose, you can pair it with a branded item that will leverage an ideal outcome.

Ask questions like:

    • What kind of promotional materials will be ideal to use?
    • How will promo-branded items contribute to the campaign’s message?
    • How will these products connect us with our customers better?
    • What physical promo items will reinforce the digital elements?


For instance, if your campaign goal is to raise brand awareness, which tangible branded items will contribute to this? You might create gift packs or merchandise that customers can redeem when they click on an advert or attend an event.

Images of different with a message of how can you identify your ideal customer

(4) Determine the target audience

Knowing your ideal customer will allow you to personalise your promotional marketing strategy and deliver a brand message that resonates with them. When you understand who your audiences are, you can select relevant promotional items that will engage their interest.

Remember, your promotional marketing strategy should add value to the person you’re targeting. Knowing what they need and what appeals to them will ensure that what you’re giving is valuable and desired, rather than a discarded item.

(5) Decide the kind of impression you want to make

The right promotional item can connect with customers like no other marketing can.

A wearable device feels satisfying and practical. An event wristband brings people together. A prize creates excitement, and a gift pack can make someone feel truly appreciated.

These are vibrant emotional responses that can leave a lasting impression and develop deep fondness for your brand.

Therefore, spend time considering designs, colours, packaging and anything else that can improve your branded items and ensure consistency with your overall campaign.

For example:

    • Do eco-friendly products align with our brand message?
    • Are tailored welcome kits beneficial to business clients?
    • Will that branded item reflect our company’s image?
(6) Choose the right promotional product

While the world is going digital today, there’s something exceptional about a physical promotional product that you can touch and interact with.

Your audience can easily recall your business every time they see your logo on their reusable coffee cup, the calendar or the leather journal they use daily. Tangible items can enhance a customer’s experience and extend your brand’s reach without getting lost in cyberspace.

Just make sure you pick the right promotional products. You can’t expect a successful result if your promotional marketing products do not align with the marketing campaigns.

Mixed product about promo inspiration

Want some promo inspiration?

To give you some ideas, here is a list of our suggested products that may match with that social media execution or your upcoming event. 

The importance of strategic promotional marketing

When you consider these 6 tips above, suddenly you shift your perspective away from gimmick items that do nothing for your brand, and more towards developing creative applications that extend your campaign’s reach and augment its strength in the eyes of your customers.

This can increase your Marketing ROI.

Want to see how? Check out our Promotional Marketing ROI Calculator here.

Planning about promotion? Red tomato can help you

Simple – we can take you through it step-by-step through our free Plan A Promotion service.

Our team can be an extension of your Marketing department. Leave it to us, and we can come up with a creative and tailored solution.

How can Red Tomato help you?

At Red Tomato, we take your marketing strategy to the next level by providing you with innovative promotional products that serve a real purpose – elevating your brand and increasing your returns. 

Contact us directly to discuss your promotional marketing strategy and we’ll work on getting you only the right products for the right clients at the right time!
Phone: 1300 776 733