Marketing Ideas

We all respond differently to different messages, and those differences are generally affected by our age, income, and education level. Diving deeper, you can look at buying behaviors and psychographics – values, opinions, attitudes, and interests. Knowing more about your target customers' lifestyles will help determine your displays' product selections, layouts, and messages.

This may seem obvious – if your customers are predominantly women, you'll want to display items that will appeal more to women – but it goes beyond the surface demographics. If your research determines that your target customers tend to be interested in music, you would be wise to pepper your displays with music-themed products, even if you're not selling music products. The more you can hit your customers' hot buttons, the more effective your displays will be.

Customers like to see new and unique products when they return to a store, and it falls on the visual merchandiser to create innovative ways to display the products. Maintaining the same displays over time will produce a stagnant environment and discourage repeat customers, while constantly refreshing displays will create interest and enable merchandisers to show more of the breadth of available products.

Additionally, refreshing a display can help the visual merchandiser experiment and help with identifying what really makes the brand stand out. Try it, measure it, adjust it, repeat... Learn from what worked previously and grow from that knowledge!

The consistency of visual branding and messaging throughout a store strengthens your brand identity and creates a positive sentiment for your company. When a brand shows consistent messaging, customers will feel that your brand is more dependable. Imagine going to a retail store where everything is well organized and the customer service is remarkable but when you return two weeks later, the sales reps are flinging clothes around and not being attentive. You would get mixed messages and wonder who and what the store is really about. It works the same way when merchandising a showroom; if you maintain consistency through your brand, customers will have the feeling that they can trust you.

At Pinnacle Promotions, our reputation is built on ensuring brand consistency for our clients...and for ourselves. From the people that work here to the products we sell we all have understanding of how to Make the right impression.™

Creating the perfect product display requires a number of factors to take into account. First, know who your customers are...and what they want. Group your products together by whatever method makes sense for your business. Try the Rule of Three. Keep your displays fresh and new. And be consistent with your messaging.

Experiment with these techniques and keep your eyes open to new trends so you can continue to add to your merchandising knowledge. It is important to track what works and constantly adapt based on the needs of your target customer. Now, armed with these visual merchandising tips, go forth and see how much you can increase sales with effective product displays!

Have you ever considered the reasons why people actually own promotional products? Of course, many organizations hand out promotional products during events, and there's the occasional instance of accidental pen thievery, but what are the motivations for hanging on to these giveaways? Gaining insight to why people opt to keep your custom pens, branded polo shirts, and logoed tumblers can help you choose the most effective promotional items for your company to invest in, increasing the likelihood of impressions, brand interest, and cause awareness.

In a consumer study conducted by Promotional Products Association International (PPAI), over 1,000 individuals were surveyed on the reasons they chose to keep a promotional item. Of the top 10 reasons listed in the study, here are the top 5 that we feel are most important to our customers:

17% of people surveyed keep promotional products because the item represents a cause they align with. While many organizations build brand and cause awareness through fundraising with inexpensive, high-quality promotional products, these items also make great giveaways at local events, as well as symbolic keepsakes for community volunteers and donor appreciation!

Non-Profit Organizations and other Associations participate largely in symbolism because of the affordability aspects, as well as the reach of cause awareness through passionate supporters and advocates.

22% of people keep promotional products because they support the brand. When consumers like the company's products or services offered, or when they’ve had an exceptional experience with a company, they talk about it. Receiving a promotional product from a brand they’re loyal to generates more positive referrals from devoted customers.

Here at the office, we wear and carry a LOT of Pinnacle Promotions branded promotional items! Shameless plug, yes, but aside from what WE like, it’s common to see promotional items being carried by local gym members, college alumni, hipster Apple fanatics and so many other loyal consumers! Brand loyalty sometimes extends to the brand of the product itself. If your brand is less well known, consider investing in name brand promotional products like Nike or YETI, customized with your logo, as an opportunity to increase brand awareness. Your customers' loyalty to the manufacturer can be shared with your company, giving your brand an added boost.

28% of people keep promotional products because they have memorable value! Consumers are everywhere participating in everything from local community events to national conventions and festivals. In recent years, it has become an expectation of consumers to be reached at a personal level and there is no better way to create a resounding connection at these events than with a promotional item!

This is evident if you’ve ever seen an authentic Woodstock t-shirt, or a bag from SXSW, or a button pin from HOW Design Live, or a can cooler from the local arts festival down the street. People keep things that remind them of an awesome learning experience or an amazing time they had and if your company is participating in any type of similar event, you’ll want to show up with custom promotional items in hand!

43% of people keep promotional products because they fit their style or personality. Show of hands, who hasn’t seen a neon chartreuse or chevron printed, anything?! To help customize niche marketing campaigns, it’s imperative to keep up with industry and retail trends. Trendy promotional items attract people to your brand through colors, textures, patterns and construction! If there is something out there that speaks to your clientele specifically, it can, in most cases, be made into a promotional item.

The number one reason that people hang on to promotional items is for functional purposes. In fact, 85% of people own promotional products because they’re functional! We can venture to say that a majority of people enjoy products that serve multiple purposes or make their lives a little easier. No matter what your business is, no matter how big, or how small, a promotional product that is also functional will always be a successful option for gaining impressions, brand interest or cause awareness.

Your company can use these promotional product buying reasons to create connections that resonate with your existing clients, potential clients, and employees. Promotional products help your brand stand out from the competition and establish a solution for your brand’s offline marketing challenges. With the benefits of promotional products, you can achieve all of these goals through an increased positive perception and overall brand image, as well as a higher likelihood of recommending or becoming a patron of your business. Considering the average duration that a recipient keeps a promotional product is one to four years, the quality of the promotional products you select is essential to the long term impact you see on these goals.