Over the years we have looked at a range of aspects of franchising from selection to funding to exiting to territories. What I want to do in this article is look at one aspect of how businesses, franchisees, can improve their market penetration; how they can be better known; and how they can start on that path of building relationships with customers and prospects.
One of the most basic (if not the most important) things franchisees need to understand is how to effectively and successfully promote their business.
Recognition Express, for example, is a franchise of long standing and is the market leader in the supply of promotional products, branded merchandise and corporate clothing.
I thought it useful therefore to use the experience of Recognition Express to paint a picture of how to effectively promote your business.
Recognition Express has been in business since 1979 – and our business is promoting your business.
We understand what makes customers respond, we understand customer behaviour and we understand how to help our customers influence their customers.
The basic facts:
Promotional products are the single most effective means of creating brand awareness, when used in conjunction with direct marketing.
- You can targetexactly who you send the product to with no high wastage factor of TV, radio, press
- By controlling the number of items sent you control the budget
- Precise and cost-effective marketing
According to the BPMA, 94% of people who receive a promotional product remember the brand more than six months later. Meanwhile, 79% of people indicated they would likely do business with the company again after receiving a promotional item. And 87% of recipients kept a promotional item for longer than a year, with 30% retaining items for between three and four years. So, it’s fair to say ppromotional products work!
So,how then do you maximise the effectiveness of promotional products?
Three points to consider:
Personal
The most effective product is that which is personal to the user. A product with their brand or more impressively with their actual name, is highly effective and will elicit a response. Clearly, you can’t put an individual name on every product you send out; but the days of having to do a minimum order of thousands is gone!
So, if you want to send something special and personal to twelve influential buyers you can (and should) do so.
Useable
In a B2B situation you’re looking for a product to remain on the desk and/or be personal to the person receiving the product.
According to Sourcing City’s market data report, the 10 most popular promotional items are: Bags; Pens; Sports Drinks Bottles; Travel Mugs; Jotters; Keyrings; Mugs; Chargers; Note Pads and Seeds
10 years ago, you would have seen calendars, mouse mats and calculators at the top of the list – so some items may have changed BUT what hasn’t changed is the need for companies to communicate with and promote to their client base.
Moreover, what remains critical is that each of the products can be personalised, branded and ‘messaged’ ensuring that the item is ‘intimate’ and so retained.
A product that’s useable is retained; a product that’s personal is retained AND a product retained is remembered and a product branded with your company details and personalised with theirs becomes a call to action!
Memorable
Something different or particular to an event or time of the year can also have the effect of raising awareness in the mind of the recipient. For instance, a mug branded one side with your logo and personalised to the recipient on the other filled with small chocolate eggs and sent out at Easter will be remembered.
If you can be personal, useable and memorable at the same time then you’ve found the right tool to promote your business.
