Promotional gifts are great story telling opportunity
Promotional gifts are considered to be the best-suited marketing tools. The impact of promotional gifts on customers have been explored in many research studies. These studies have found the relation between promotional gifts and their impact on the psyche of customers. Promotional gifts not only leave a lasting impression on the customers but also allow the business to tell a story. It has been found that storytelling is a great way to connect with customers. Hence, when it comes down to generating storytelling opportunity, promotional gifts can provide a business just that. Let’s look at how they provide this opportunity.
1. Creating a cohesive and consistent brand narrative
Whenever you are creating a brand right from scratch or trying to reposition your brand which is more established, then your storytelling strategy must be deeply anchored by a consistent and cohesive narrative- one which captures the essential essence of who you are and exactly why you exist as a business. According to famous author Simon Sinek, people don’t actually buy what you do, but they buy why you do it. The brand narrative of a business serves as a framework for external communication as well as a beacon which attracts the audience who actually share your values.
Hence, when it comes to conveying what your business stands for and why you are running the business, promotional gifts can play a crucial role. They can inform the customers about your vision, mission as well as goals. You can define your business with the help of promotional gifts. Customized T-shirts, mugs etc. with your business motto and vision can act as a gentle reminder to the customers about your business and what it stands for.
It is an established fact that when it comes to storytelling, there is a multitude of tools which can aid a business. Audience and industry research, employee and customer interviews, and much more can help your businesses to build their stories. However, promotional gifts give you a chance to communicate your message with the customers directly. The connection created by giving a promotional gift to a customer also adds authenticity to your story.
2. Aiding in sharing a consistent and coherent story across multiple channels
In order to achieve maximum impact, you need to tell the same coherent and cohesive story across all media that you use to engage with your audiences. Social media tends to be a great starting point to let your narrative out, but it is only the start. You can partner with different events as well as other companies which share your own values as well as align with the brand purpose of your business which will allow you to reach a wider audience while developing your narrative further. You can distribute promotional gifts in such events, employees of these other businesses as well as their customers. It will not only help those businesses to reward their customers but give you an opportunity to tell your own story through these promotional gifts. By partnering up, two businesses can offer a unique experience. However, the partnership only works when it is based on the common values and allows both brands to continue developing their own unique brand stories easily. Hence, a promotional gift can not only aid your own business but also helps in narrating the story of other business.
3. Including your story with the product
Product sales aren’t simply a way to actually increase your bottom line but also an opportunity for customers to become an integral part of your brand story. You can devise a strategy which includes a story surrounding a promotional product and give it with your own product. Pairing your products with a promotional product with a story helps in progressing the same story among all the customers of your products. You can give a choice to your customers to choose from a range of promotional items, each with a dedicated story so that every customer can feel a connects of his or her own right. However, all of such stories should have the same underlying message and goals.
4. Empowering your audience
The brand story of your business becomes much more powerful when your own customers tell it. Similar to product reviews or even customer testimonials, the user-generated content has the utmost power to resonate with different potential customers in a way that conventional marketing messages simply can’t do it.
The innovative marketing strategy should be at part with your innovative products. For instance, Tesla has been quite able to compete with different established companies such as Toyota and Ford, by relying on word of mouth as well as user-generated content to reach their audiences. Similarly, you can use your promotional gifts to create word of mouth among customers which increases your reach among potential customers. For instance, customized T-shirts with an appealing and attractive message which also highlight your brand can create a buzz around your business. This leads to more attention paid by potential customers when they encounter your brand while doing business. The product recall is one of the effects of such marketing efforts through promotional gifts. Such promotional gifts not only empower your audience but also make them storyteller of your own story.
Conclusion
A brand story is authentic when it reflects the daily actions of the brand. A business can’t just tell a brand story. It has to live it. Your actions should mirror your own messaging, and it will resonate with your audiences. In this regard, promotional gifts can provide you with a perfect medium. You can use these items to tell a cohesive and coherent story which connects with the audiences. You can utilize these promotional gifts to create an emotional bridge between your business and the customers through conveying an authentic story. It is an established fact that ideas spread over time via storytelling, and in case you start with an authentic, cohesive narrative, you can easily begin to craft a perfect story which people will keep on telling for many years to come. In this regard, nothing suits better than a promotional gift. Above-mentioned factors prove that promotional gifts are perfect storytelling opportunities.