ROI and Promotional Products

Are promotional products effective ROI generators? Short answer—yes. See below for more specifics following a round of studies recently conducted. 1. Recipients of promotional products remember the advertiser's name. A study by Schreiber & Associates (Peoria, IL) showed that 39% of the people receiving a promotional product could recall the name of the advertiser as long as six months after they received it. 2. Promotional products are ideal for creating awareness among a selective audience. Southern Methodist University conducted a study to measure attendee awareness of product demonstrations in three university communities. They found that selective distribution of promotional products outpolled school newspaper advertising by two-to-one. 3. Promotional products can boost response rates by up to 75% when used as dimensionals in direct mail solicitations according to a study by Baylor University. 4. Customers reorder faster and more often when promotional products are used instead of coupons. In a study by Southern Methodist University, customers receiving promotional products reordered up to 18% sooner than those who received coupons and up to 13% sooner than those who received no promotion. Promotional products effectively reinforce employee sales contests, too. Contests reinforced by periodic distribution of promotional products were cost-effective and outperformed non-stimulated contests by up to 50 percent, according to a Baylor University study of month-long sales contests in retail establishments.