Scaling a business requires strategic insights, finding the right partners, some investment in last-generation technology, and talented staff. But it also requires satisfying the end-users that can easily become advocates of your brand if they believe in your values and your corporate social responsibility efforts. In that sense, planning the perfect giveaway at a massive promotional event that will wow your customers is essential if you want to increase your visibility and maximize your reach. However, there are several common mistakes that most companies simply overlook. And they can undermine any effort for massive success and you might continue to linger in the shadows for quite some time.
1. Lack of objective and distribution plan
It is not uncommon for companies to buy promotional products before they even know what to do with them. Setting a clear objective from the very beginning can save you a lot of trouble, not to mention money. Before choosing the right promotional product and the appealing designs for it, you need to think about what you want to achieve with that promotion. Do you want to increase your brand awareness, promote a new product, or boost your website traffic?
Extending your reach simply won’t work if you don’t have a clear idea of where you want to distribute your business gifts. You can try to include a promotional product with each customer’s new purchase if you want them to come back. If you want to enlarge your audience, giving out free promotional gifts at trade shows or exhibitions is a really good way to do it. Make sure to target the people who might actually buy from you instead of random people who don’t have any interest in your products.
2. Building a promotional campaign around a product
Another mistake companies usually make is to design their entire marketing campaign around a product they have stumbled upon and they really want to use it. They buy extensive amounts of products that they don’t have a clear idea when or where they can use which is even worse. Promotions should be carefully planned so that you can avoid stocking products, even if you think they can be great for any kind of giveaways. For instance, if you want to promote your company at a golf sports event, giving away textiles bags with your logo won’t be the best idea. Instead, you can customize a limited edition of golf T-shirts or upcycled socks that can even emphasize your sustainability efforts as a company.
3. Not exploring what the target audience desires
One of the biggest mistakes you can make while planning a promotional event is assuming what your audience wants. Only because you like a product or it is related to your business doesn’t mean that it’s something everyone desires. This can happen if you consider your own taste, you get stuck with wanting to use a particular product, or if you stick with trends instead of involving the target audience in your decision-making process. For instance, you can customize the products to fit your clients’ lifestyles, interests, and hobbies. Pick a product that will be practical and will appeal to them, especially if you focus on using high-quality materials and mind-blowing design.
4. Settling for unappealing design
Business owners and marketing managers usually don’t get involved in the creative process of designing a promotional product. They just provide the company’s logo and leave everything in the hands of the graphic designer of the distributor’s company. Even if it is nice to let them unleash their creativity, but that can also be a bit problematic as they might get lost in their ideas. Or worse, they can come up with a design that is safe but not quite appealing. If you want your products to be customized in the best possible way and get a positive reaction from your end-users, get involved in the process and fascinate them with eye-catching designs that will take their breath away. At Kingly Ltd. we offer a free full-custom design service and always present the customers with several options, so they can make the right choice.
5. Ordering before requesting samples
Lots of clients don’t know too much about the materials used in producing socks, compact T-shirts, sweaters or other bespoke promotional products. If they don’t want to be disappointed when receiving their merchandise, they should request to get some samples and choose the materials that fit their needs the most. At Kingly Ltd. we always send out samples of our best-sellers promotional products to potential customers so that they can get a full understanding of what they could expect as an end result. We are noticing an increasing demand for our upcycled socks and sweaters as more companies are trying to introduce their corporate social responsibility efforts through choosing sustainable materials.
6. Ordering the wrong size
A mistake many companies make when it comes to apparel. If you have chosen to promote your business with T-shirts, you have to know that one size doesn’t fit all. If your employees or customers can’t wear your custom-made T-shirts because you have chosen the wrong sizes, that means you have wasted a lot of effort, time, and money into a product that won’t work. Mistakes can be made while placing the order as well, so you always have to be cautious. That is one of the reasons why most companies nowadays choose socks with creative designs as textile promotional gifts. At Kingly Ltd. we produce 3 sizes of socks – One size fits most (the equivalent of size 39-44), One size fits women and One size fits men.
7. Making an order way too late
Unfortunately, this is one of the greatest and most painful mistakes companies make. They are planning an event or a trade show for months but somehow never order the merchandise on time. If you don’t have a clear vision of how the products should look, consult with a firm that can help you come to a solution that will satisfy your customers. Plan ahead because otherwise, you might have to settle for products that the clients won’t find desirable. For example, our production lead times for creating at least 150 pairs of upcycled socks per size and design can vary between 2 and 4 weeks depending on the quality and time of the year.
Desislava Pateva
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Learn more about our outstanding promotional upcycled and organic socks that come in compostable bags that break down in 8 weeks after disposed of, as well as our themed sweaters here: https://kinglysocks.eu/
Take advantage of our free of charge design service and create promotional products your customers won’t be able to forget: service@kingly.eco. Get inspired by our creative garment packaging.