As I began to write this article, “The Times They are a Changin’” was playing in my head (don’t miss “A Complete Unknown”). Why? Because I’m on a mission to change how branded products are regarded. If you think they are mere stakeholder gifts that convey fleeting expressions of appreciation and recognition, hop aboard a new train of thought. Every item—no matter how inconsequential or colossal you believe it is—can be a powerful impression-maker when backed by thoughtful planning, procurement, and presentation. Because branded products bring your brand to life, they represent your organization’s values, culture, and market position, speaking volumes to recipients and observers about how you want your business to be perceived. What’s more, their “shelf life” means those impressions are long lasting.
Keeping in mind the role that branded products play in your business’s reputation, thoughtful and calculated consideration and planning should be given to the selection process—beyond relying on the latest and greatest gadget or lowest priced. After all, whether a branded item screams your logo or subtly whispers your brand colors, it creates an impression that sticks.
All about the ROX
Identifying the right product(s) should not be a forced eleventh-hour decision because time has run out. Yet we routinely receive SOS calls from Marketing and HR folks desperately seeking help with selecting and sourcing products because their backs are up against the proverbial wall.
Panic drives poor choices that typically don’t resonate with recipients and therefore diminish return on experience (ROX) along with brand equity. That’s why organizations need to make branded-product selections part of their annual marketing and recognition planning—in other words, at the front end of their thinking.
For instance, if your fiscal year ends in December 31, you’re likely planning and budgeting for the next year during your fourth quarter. We reach out to our clients during the early part of that quarter to help them stay on track. This includes a walk-through of their previous year with a recap of initiatives involving branded products and results. Items that need sunsetting and requirements for new items are also part of the discussion.
Also, consider potential supply chain challenges that continue to interfere with schedules. Though less prevalent than a few years ago, we’re still seeing fluctuations in product availability. Manufacturers have trimmed warehouse inventory levels. There are staffing shortages in manufacturing plants where the product is customized. Weather issues (ice storms, hurricanes, and tornadoes) that disrupt transit are playing an ongoing role, and tariffs that were just announced may make advanced planning and budgeting more critical than ever.
The goal is to ensure that the right products are ready when needed for recipients in order to take advantage of trade show, recognition, and engagement opportunities. Unless the right products are selected and distributed at the right time for the right people, the effort does not meet ROX expectations. Spending money without a return is a gaffe that goes right to the bottom line.
Cue the Checklist
Checklist for being trend right and protecting your brand reputation
To facilitate a thoughtful process that optimizes you’re your branded product investment, we’ve developed a “Checklist to Get More Bang for Your Branded Product Buck”. It’s a guide for identifying trend-right products (see “New and Still Popular Notables”) that protect your brand’s reputation lands results in stellar ROX. Product selection is a balancing act that requires careful orchestration.
- Quality: Don’t let budget limitations impact product quality. Even the lowest-cost item needs to perform to expectations in order to avoid being viewed negatively and tossed (think leaky water bottles flimsy, difficult-to-use pens, poor-fitting t-shirts, and cheap, tangled earbuds). Experienced industry insiders know what to look for and which manufacturers deliver on their promises. They understand how to use your budget strategically to avoid wasting resources. Think about aligning product quality with the quality you want your brand to stand for.
- Investment: Consider the big picture when assessing products, costs, and return on investment—or in this case ROX. Categorize recipients within various applications (recognition, gratitude, marketing) in terms of the value they offer in achieving company goals, and determine quantities needed for each category. An array of products—from entry-level to mid-range and luxury—can be used strategically for each application.
- Functionality: A highly functional product that is frequently used personally or professionally generates positive brand recall when used. While these kinds of products can be more challenging to identify, they are more meaningful to targeted recipients and therefore deliver greater ROX.
For example, a sugar beet manufacturing client was looking for products to support a “safety-in-the-kitchen” initiative. Applying creativity outside the lines and stealth sourcing, we settled on branding an emergency fire blanket to snuff out a BBQ fire, food grade stainless steel safety gloves for cutting meat, oyster shucking and use with a mandoline, a knife guard and a set of silicone oven rack shield guards (no more oven burns).
- Sustainability: Concern about the environment and ethical sourcing continues to grow with increasing numbers, especially with younger members in the workplace. If your company advocates environmental and social responsibility for the products it sells and procures, incorporating your company’s ESG values and your recipients’ beliefs into your decision-making makes sense.
Keeping up with demand, there are a growing number of products constructed with repurposed and recycled materials as well as materials that replenish quickly, such as bamboo. Other sustainability factors to consider are carbon footprint, domestic and local sourcing vs. imported items, and workforce sustainability (items made by disabled and economically challenged laborers and those in rehabilitation programs).
Examples:
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- A drinkware manufacturer that donates 1% of all sales to a safe water program
- Bamboo cutting board
- Journals with a cover and interior paper are made from apple pulp and other vegetable fibers that are ground and emulsified into an organic material.
- Gift baskets created entirely with locally made items
Be sure to share with recipients in an accompanying message the sustainability information associated with the product they’re receiving and how it dovetails with your organization’s values.
- Presentation & Packaging: Since packaging and presentation forge the recipient’s first impression, it is worth it—if not essential—to incorporate into the planning and budgeting process. This dynamic duo churns a promotional branded product into a meaningful gift. When done correctly—whether with full-color custom boxes, a custom ribbon accent, custom print companion pieces, etc.—these components introduce your brand with a visual splash and launch brand judgment and recognition
(custom canister with a personalized “romance” card that matches the canister).
Don’t forget a message (handwritten is preferable) that includes a meaningful sentiment to tie the occasion, product, and brand. Adding some emotion deepens the heart-mind connection to make the recipient experience more memorable. Also, an in-person delivery enhances the value of the experience.
- Customization/Personalization: There was a time when just putting your logo on a product was considered sufficient customization. However, combining a logo with the recipient’s name packs a double punch, and a triple whammy if the product is a fit with their personal interests. Make logo placement discrete to create a more appealing appearance, so recipients don’t feel like promotional agents. By all means, subjugate the logo’s size and placement to the person’s name (the bottom of a charcuterie board with the person’s last name on top). Instead of imprinting your logo on an item, perhaps the item features your brand colors.
Retail brands are available across a wide range of product categories. Because perceived value is based on the retail brand’s current status and credibility, be aware that what’s hot today could cool off with time or unplanned events. Today’s darling could be tomorrow’s lemon that subtly transfers to your brand.
New and Still Popular Notables
One of the newest ways to engage recipients is through the application of Near Field Communication (NFC), which allows two devices to communicate with each other. NFC technology is supplied through a microchip that’s incorporated into an item that when a phone is placed near the chip provides a link to a web page, much like how a QR code operates.
Examples:
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- A pen distributed at a conference/trade show links to the schedule of the conference or an invitation to an after-hours event you’re hosting.
- An interactive sticker can be put on just about anything to market your podcast or blog.
- A hydration bottle links to an app that tracks a person’s hydration or to county and state hiking trails—something that supports well-being, which brings me to the still-popular wellness trend.
- A koozie’s embedded chip links to a web page announcing a new canned refreshment.
- A visor links to a reservation form for a golf event.
Well-being continues to be a top-of-mind issue as people struggle to keep their lives in balance under the stress imposed by massive doses of burnout and uncertainty due to economic, geopolitical, and other sources. There are a wide range of brandable items (fitness, comfort, relaxation, etc.) that support recipients striving to achieve their wellness goals.
Outside Experience + Fresh Perspective
A virtually unlimited number of choices for branded products can complicate planning and decision-making. Partnering with a professional outside of your industry offers the experience and fresh perspective needed for clarity and creativity in meeting your goals and strategically optimizing ROX.
Need a little help getting started? If you’re looking for a partner to guide you through discovery, planning, implementation, and measurement, let’s start a conversation. Call 800-742-6800 or email us today. For more information and tips for engaging and onboarding stakeholders, sign up for our monthly newsletter at askhillarys.com (bottom right corner of the page).