Quality or Quantity? Which is the Best Choice in Promo Products?

Qualty v. Quantity Promo_Brand Aid

 

 

At this point, the fight between quality v. quantity is an age-old battle.

But these days, most people (including us) seem to generally agree; quality is the way to go. This post was originally supposed to compare quality v. quantity in promo products but after all the research done and everything we already know and believe, it’s hard to make a strong case to go for quantity. The main selling point with quantity is that you can get the largest amount of product using the least amount of spend. And for some items this works. You can get low cost stickers, pens, and paper products that are still good quality but that doesn’t offer you a lot of flexibility and variety. Read on to find out why you should always go with quality promo products.

 

It represents your brand well

Always remember, your promo products reflects your brand. If you’re giving away cheap, plastic items that quickly break, your audience will associate you with that product and form an opinion about your company based on that experience. Instead of seeing promo products as a way to give out as many logoed items as possible, use them as an opportunity to represent and help your audience connect with your company. If you want your customers to see you as reliable and professional, will a skinny, plastic pen convey that to them? Probably not, but maybe a lacquer coated ballpoint pen might.

What is your brand image you’re trying to convey to your audience?

 

The better the quality, the longer they stick around

Respondents were asked how long they keep promotional items and the average was just over 7 months. Items such as calendars stay around longer (for one year), while others have a shorter lifespan (writing instruments stay for six months).  A lot of this has to do with how long the item stays useful. A calendar is only needed for a year and a pen used consistently probably only lasts six months before it runs dry. Promo products have real potential to stick around and earn you lots of brand exposure, but they can’t earn impressions if they break or your recipients don’t want to keep them.

asic-months-kept_Brand Aid

Provide great cost per impression

One of the most powerful aspects of promo products is that they are able to rake in impressions. That is, if they don’t immediately end up in the trash. But how do you really know how much your promo product is helping with brand exposure? By calculating the cost per thousand impression (CPM)!

CPM = Cost to an Advertiser x 1000 / Impressions

Let’s look at the best performing promo item to use in our calculation: bags. In the U.S., bags earn more impressions than any other promo product with most sources estimating it at 5,700+. So, let’s say you decided to go with a bundle of bags to give out that each costed $1.50. How much would it cost for 1,000 people to see one of these bags?

CPM = $1.50 x 1,000 / 5,700 = 0.26

That means that for every 1000 people who sees your promo product, you only had to pay 26 cents for it. The more your product is used and seen the less you’re paying per 1,000 impressions.

However, if you gave out a low quality bag that nobody wanted to keep or that quickly broke, how many impression would you expect it to earn?

promo-most-impressions_Brand Aid

 

Takeaway

Overall, the difference between quality and quantity is that going with quantity allows you to get more of your products in the hands of your audience but quality products will stay in their hands for far longer. Your money is better spent giving out a product that will be used more than once than one that is looked at once and then tossed. We know it’s so tempting to try to save money by giving out cheap swag items but you must think of the long-term implications. The better the quality, the longer customers will keep the item and the more impressions and brand exposure the product will earn in addition to boosting your brand’s reputation.

 

Ready to start your new project?

Let’s start your project! We love helping brands create the coolest and most innovative merchandise on the market. We focus on finding the best quality products in your price range, offer creative branding capabilities, and handle everything from ideation to delivery. With Brand+Aid you know you’re always using the best of the best premiums for your brand. Contact the Brand+Aid team to schedule a free consultation. Give us a ring at 323-800-2241 or shoot us an email at happy@brandaiding.com.

Brand+Aid is a promotional marketing agency based in Salt Lake City, Utah and Los Angeles, California. We turn ideas into tangible, fun experiences through experiential advertising. Have an idea you’d like to make happen? Contact our rescue team for a free consultation today at 323-800-2241 or shoot us an email at happy@brandaiding.com. For more information, check out our website: www.brandaiding.com.

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