As a marketing tool, it can be argued that swag never goes out of style. People will always need umbrellas to keep them dry, baseball hats to shield them from sun and pens with which to write notes and sign checks. From belt buckles to custom iPad cases, swag can be as highfalutin or as modest as any given business makes it, but one truth holds: If a business’s words and imaging don’t accurately and adequately represent it — regardless of whether those words and images are on a T-shirt or in a Super Bowl ad — its marketing efforts will be in vain.
Brand & Identity — Two Halves of the Same Horse
Whether you sell handmade aprons or window-washing services, your brand is the perceived image — and any corresponding feelings, memories, beliefs, stories and thoughts — that people have about your company. If you’ve been in business a while, but you’re unsure about how your customers (and potential customers) see you, consider the following questions:
How is your business perceived in relation to your competitors?
What is the origin story of the service or product you provide?
Who is your audience and how do you communicate with them?
How do you hope they feel in that communication experience?
What is your brand’s mission?
Why do you sell what you sell?
Now, take a look at your stationery, packaging, signage, email subject lines, ad copy, Facebook status updates, internal memos and the like — do they lend themselves toward a cohesive representation of who your company is, how you want it to be perceived and what your company has to offer? If so, is it clear enough to put on a billboard? How about on a pen? Does your brand identity evoke the feelings and actions you need it to?
The philosophical legwork of honestly assessing your brand’s identity — and the measure between what that is and what you want it to be — is an essential part of successfully marketing any business. The next equally essential part? Your logo.
That Horse’s Name Is Logo
A logo is the visual ambassador for your company, and as such, it should effectively communicate — albeit in an abstract way — your company’s values, mission and offerings. If you want people to associate your handmade aprons with post-World War II prosperity and home cooking, then you need a logo with a retrospective and nostalgic feel. If you want potential customers to correlate your IT services company with a worry- and hassle-free experience, a logo with clean, straightforward lines will work in your favor. Whatever you want to convey, your logo will communicate it — and represent you best — if it’s simple, memorable and easily replicated across multiple platforms. Make sure it translates across digital, print, fine print, swag, television and any other arena you might need it to. If it doesn’t look good on letterhead and on Twitter, keep tweaking it until it does.
Swag — A Safe Bet
Once you’ve put in the time and effort to make sure that you are properly representing your brand to the masses whose business you hope to gain and keep, it’s time to promote. Swag, while it can sometimes come off as campy or obvious when used with little foresight, is a time-tested marketing tool employed by anyone in the business of generating clients and profit, whether a Fortune 500 company or an a self-employed individual. Branded promotional products are a $19.4 billion-a-year industry, because they keep the businesses that use them at the front of customers’ and prospects’ minds. Just be sure to follow a few key guidelines.
Choose swag that has true usefulness. In other words, skip the mouse pads and give branded bottled water.
Select swag that will get repeated use. Some examples include pens, customizable iPad and iPhone cases, mugs, bottle openers, high-quality baseball or trucker hats and t-shirts.
Find a good vendor. The lowest price isn’t always the best deal. Research the company you’re about to buy your swag from. Remember, the quality of what you give away reflects on your brand as much as your logo does.
Once you’ve done the important work of identifying who you are and what you have to offer, and you have a visual representation that is worthy and appropriate for your business, make use of a marketing tool whose effectiveness hasn’t changed with the times. Swag and self-knowledge — two of the most effective tools a business needs to succeed — in the 21st century and beyond.
About the Author: Gary Austin can assist you with all your company’s or organization’s promotional needs with pens for every industry and any occasion. Visit ThePenGuy.com now to see what he has to offer.
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