Tips for buying promotional merchandise

a few useful pointers!
What exactly are you trying to achieve with your promotional merchandise?

Are you trying to increase sales or awareness of your brand or message?
Are you rewarding customer loyalty or is it an exercise in improving staff morale?
Having a clear understanding of your commercial goals will streamline the process of sourcing the right product.

Who is your audience? Twenty something sales people? Delivery drivers? Nurses? 8-10 year olds? Engineers?
Knowing who your audience is and what makes them tick will help you save time and money.

What is your budget?
£0.10p or £100.00 per item? With so many promotional products available it s imperative that all concerned have a sense of the financial parameters in play right from the start! Why waste time waiting for a quote which was always going to be double your budget?

What is your target delivery date?
Always specify a target date or approximate lead time even if you don t really have one! It especially important that all concerned are aware from the outset if the goods are destined for use at a particular event. Always try to give yourself some extra leeway and consider the logistical implications involved where are you going to put 100 boxes of stress balls?
Will the hotel in Malta know what to do with 400 pairs of sunglasses and 400 beach towels?

Other pointers include ..
What have your competitors or partners been up to?
What type of product does your boss like and why?
Whilst no one wants to be bogged down in a long winded decision making process, it can be useful to ask around within your organisation to make sure you re not missing an opportunity or are about to make the same mistake as your predecessor!

Are there any seasonal or topical themes approaching?
Religious festivals, major sporting events, specials days and seasonal themes can offer inspiration. But be careful, always make sure your idea is appropriate for all and is not too clever or over sophisticated. Well timed simplicity wins the day! This doesn t necessarily mean let s copy someone else s approach it might actually mean let s avoid making the same mistake ! Either way it can be useful to have a look at the merchandise they have produced and if possible get some feedback as to what worked and what didn t!

Copyright, brand guidelines and proper artwork matter!
Are you about to infringe a copyright by branding an item in a particular way or are you about to break the rules set out in your organisation s brand guidelines? Does your supplier have a copy of your brand guidelines?
Always make sure you offer the appropriate artwork files and clear instructions as to how your design should be reproduced. Knowing the Pantone colour references used within your design is important. If you are printing in full colour i.e. CMYK process images, your supplier will need the highest quality artwork you can lay your hands on i.e. the original Photoshop file or a high resolution JPEG.

If your supplier says there is a problem with reproducing your design then work together to find a solution. For example, Registered and TM symbols can often cause problems as they are too small to reproduce properly but your organisation may insist that they are reproduced come what may!

Don t take unnecessary risks! Ask for a proof or sample prior to production to make absolutely sure you are happy with everything before the machines start rolling!

Tips for speeding up the sourcing process

A picture says a thousand words!

Cut and paste a link, take a picture with your phone or just scribble a diagram on a beer mat!
Having an image of the item you are trying to source can reduce the time it takes to source it.

Far East price = larger quantity = longer lead time

There are massive savings to be gained by buying direct from the Far East. Additionally, you are able to personalise the product to a much greater extent. However the minimum order quantities are higher and the lead times are much longer. Air freight shortens the lead time but increases the price. Sea shipment means a typical lead time of 3 months from sample approval.

Stock price = small quantities = shorter lead times

Essentially this approach is the inverse of the above and the most appropriate course in most cases. Stock or EU manufactured product is available in much smaller quantities and typically at a much shorter lead time. However the cost of labour and materials in the EU compared to the Far East means the prices are almost always much higher.

And finally
Price is important but the most experienced buyers of promotional merchandise have learned that it is not everything!