the do’s and don’ts of branded products

Do find a use for remnant products

Do you have remnant promotional products from last year? You’re leaving potential ROI sitting in a closet somewhere. Don’t let them collect dust — find a use for them!

You can breathe new life into remnant products by:

• Adding them to a branded box: If you want to zhuzh up your product’s appeal, add it to a boxed experience. You pick a creative theme and add products to the box that fit within that theme. As long as the remnants fit with the box theme, you can add them to bulk up the allure of your box — for zero added spend.

• Reusing them: If you chose universally pleasing products and have enough of them, there’s nothing wrong with reusing the product. Just make sure you match it to the right event, situation, or customer persona so it’s still relevant and useful.

• Recycling them: If you can’t think of a clever way to repurpose remnant products, don’t throw them away! Partners like Boundless can actually help you upcycle remnant products into something fresh and exciting. For example, you can recycle old flip-flops into upcycled journals. This cool, eco-friendly option is more affordable than you’d think, and reducing landfill waste is always a win.

Don’t reinvent the wheel

You don’t have to rethink everything. Sometimes it’s OK to let trends dictate your direction, and sometimes it’s best to remain true to yourself. Consider how you’re approaching your marketing to make the most of your budget.

• Invest in video content

• Forge ongoing influencer partnerships

• Repurpose content

• Reply and engage with customer comments

• Try TikTok trends

• Follow customer personas

• Have a corporate mission

• Create unique content

• Use physical marketing to overcome digital overwhelm

Do pick universally pleasing products

It’s hard to please everyone, but you can get more mileage out of branded products if you choose options that most people will like. If niche products work with your audience, then go for it! But generally speaking, it’s best to pick crowd-pleasers to connect with more people and make the most of your promo product spend.

When in doubt, choose universally pleasing products like:

• T-shirts

• Hats

• Lapel pins

• Tumblers & insulated mugs

• Reusable bags & nice totes

• Light outerwear

• Full-color screen cloths

• Camera covers

• Desk organizers & caddies

• Charging cables

• Bluetooth headphones or speakers

• Journals

• Blankets

• Instant cold brew or tea packs

• Essential oil diffusers

• Stress balls

• Adult coloring books

• Sunglasses

• Selfie kit

Pro tip:

If you’re having a hard time choosing just one product, opt for a boxed experience. You can create a collection of promo materials that center around a particular theme to craft a more high-end experience. Plus, you don’t have to choose just one item — you can include several options that you think your audience would love.

Don’t ignore past performance

Your business is never done growing. There’s always something to learn, as long as you’re willing to dig into your performance KPIs. Don’t continue repeating the same mistakes: review last year’s performance so you can improve even more this year.

That means calculating last year’s:

• Promotional product spend

• Conversions

• Impressions

• ROI

Look at each campaign separately as well as a whole. Can you spot any trends? Maybe your audience wasn’t a fan of a particular product, or maybe you realize you over-ordered certain items. Chances are, you’ll find areas where you can save money and increase ROI. And you can always lean on your Brand Consultant to help make sure you’re hitting the mark with your branded merchandise.

Do check customer personas

Make sure you order branded products that serve a business purpose and tie into your target audience’s needs and expectations. It’s easy to want to order something that looks great, but in the end, it might not accomplish your goals. You probably wouldn’t pass out fidget spinners and silly hats at a very serious business meeting, would you?

Ensure that your promotional products fit into your customer personas. They should be products your customers want to receive and would use frequently enough to see your logo on a regular basis.

Since most businesses target multiple personas, this might mean ordering different products for each persona. Sure, it’s a little more work, but you’ll get more conversions when you choose branded products designed specifically for each audience. Your Brand Consultant will help you make sure you can reach all of your target personas while respecting your budget.