A strong brand not only identifies a company in the mind of the consumer, but it creates a memorable link between what it is and what it does. It’s true whether your business is a large corporation or a small, one-person show you need a good brand identity.

Consumers have a staggering number of choices today. When presented with so many options, people gravitate toward the familiar. Trusted names can boost sales, and their brand value is immense. That’s why it’s important to create a strong brand identity for your business. It builds credibility and loyalty, and differentiates your business from the competition.

What is brand identity?

A brand identity is a trademark or distinctive name that identifies your business in the mind of the consumer. This can include (but is not limited to) a name, a logo, corporate colors, a style, a typeface, a tagline, or a slogan.

A brand should evoke some emotional response in the consumer. Think of Prudential Insurance. This brand not only calls up the idea of wisdom and careful thought (or “prudence”), but also evokes stability with the image of the Rock of Gibraltar in the logo. A good brand should have this kind of subtext.

How do you create a brand identity?

The first step in creating your business identity is to answer the following questions:

What is your mission?

What do you want to communicate?

What image do you want to convey?

Which words best describe your business?

Keep the answers in mind as you begin creating your brand.

Developing your logo and brand identity

There are several ways to get started. First, consider the following points:

Who is your target audience?

Who are your main competitors?

What kinds of logos and brand identities do your competitors have?

Which of their brands appeal to you? Why?

Once you’ve determined the answers to these questions, take some time to look at the memorable identities and logos all around you. Look at Nike. The name is short and catchy, and was inspired by Nike, the Greek goddess of victory. The swoosh logo is simple, recognizable, and implies speed and forward motion. This is a good name, a nice logo, and a great brand ID.

Thinking Ahead

You should also make sure your logo can survive in any medium: in print, on the Web, in full color, in grayscale, in black and white, in a large format, or in a tiny ad. Think ahead. You may not need your logo embroidered on a cap today, but what about ten years from now? Make sure the design is simple and clear enough to survive any kind of treatment.

The best way to get a logo is to have it designed by a graphic artist or design firm with experience in creating logos and brand identities.  If you decide to create your logo yourself, you might be able to find a stock illustration or image that fits your needs. But this low-budget approach usually leaves a low-budget impression, and that’s not what you want to communicate to your customers.

Make Your Brand Identity Consistent Throughout

Once you’ve established the name and logo of your business, consider the rest of your brand identity strategy. This includes corporate colors, typefaces, taglines, slogans and all the other ways your Brand ID is implemented. It’s important that your web site matches your signs, and that your business cards, letterhead, labels and forms are all consistent with each other.

You may also want to develop a style guide for the use of your brand. A guide will make sure that other people who handle your brand use it consistently. It should include the exact colors, typefaces, and design specifications for your logo and the way it should be presented in both marketing and internal documents.

Think about how your brand identity will be disseminated – in social media, direct mail pieces, ads, brochures, business cards, press releases, and so on. With proper forethought and the help from Gallant, your brand identity can help your business thrive.

And don’t forget to take advantage of our 5 TIMES PROFIT offer while it is still available!

YOUR ROLE AS A promotional products consultant is to be an expert in generating ideas for brand strategies with your customers. Generally, you offer products, information, resources, and tactics to help your customers gain new level of brand awareness in their respective markets. You help your customers communicate their brand externally to the world. This is called external branding. Ultimately your influence contributes to a higher level of preference for your customers’ brands. Without you, customers would be less likely to succeed in business.

Imagine that you can apply the expertise you have in external branding to a new opportunity and create a new sales channel for yourself. Everything you know about external branding can be applied to a new audience: the employees who work for your customer. This audience is considered an internal customer to the company, and your role with this audience is to strengthen the company’s brand internally. This type of branding is called internal branding.

Internal Branding vs. External Branding
Internal branding strategies are used to significantly reinforce an organization’s corporate purpose, values and culture. These strategies ultimately raise the level of employee engagement and consequently have an incredibly positive impact on your customer’s business.

In reality, external and internal branding are almost identical, so leveraging internal branding will be a natural extension of your business. Below is a quick comparison of each.

External Branding
Builds customer loyalty
Shortens the buying cycle and increases repeat business Increases in brand preference

Internal Branding
Increases in employee loyalty
Increases in employee productivity
Increases level of employee’s alignment with the company

Who Decides What A Brand Stands For?
One myth we need to debunk before we go any further is this: Most people think that the marketing department defines the external company brand. This is not true; customers define the brand. Customers enter a store, visit a website or talk to a company representative on the phone. When the experience is over, they make their own conclusions about the company and its brand. The external brand is ultimately defined by the customer experience. They are the judge and jury to the meaning of any corporate brand.

The lynchpin to the success of an external brand is the company employee. The employee has the power to weave the company brand into every customer experience. The only way to make sure that a brand is translated correctly is to integrate it at the employee level through an effective internal branding strategy.

Which Type Of Branding Is More Important—External Or Internal?
Although it may seem counterintuitive, internal branding is more important than external branding for the success of a business. A strong internal brand builds employee engagement, which compels employees to provide a higher level of service to customers. In the end, the high level of service will build a positive customer experience and deliver an equally strong external brand to the marketplace.

I can make this claim because I have seen it happen inside my own company. Years ago, I thought internal branding was a nice idea but not a realistic strategy to build a business. However, nine years ago I had a change of heart and implemented a number of internal branding strategies with the ultimate goal of building a highly engaged workforce. Today my company is stronger, inside and outside, then it has ever been. I am a true believer in the power of internal branding

In my experience, employee engagement programs are the most effective way to create and sustain an internal brand. An employee engagement program is designed to reward employees who do their work with their brain and their heart—these employees are engaged.

The link between rising levels of employee engagement and positive business outcomes is growing stronger all the time. A recent study by The Gallup Organization found that engaged employees are:

• 18 percent more productive
• 16 percent more profitable
• Generating 18 percent higher earnings
• 12 percent better at engaging customers
• Creating 2.6 times higher growth rates
• Reducing quality defects by 60 percent

Employee Engagement And Employee Recognition
The experts recommend using an employee recognition program as a base for a dynamic engagement program. When a company does this, employees who are recognized know that what they are doing counts. Employees receive immediate feedback and become more productive; increasing customer satisfaction and company profits, according to a report by Northwestern University’s Forum for People Performance Management.

Companies favor employee recognition programs to increase engagement levels because they are measurable and produce results. A recent study conducted by World at Work reveals the following data:
• 86 percent of organizations have recognition programs in place
o 70 percent of those offer between three and six different programs
• In the next 12 months, 90 percent of these organizations plan to continue their programs
• Organizations implement recognition programs in order to:
o Honor years of service
o Create a positive work environment
o Motivate high performance
o Create a culture of recognition
o Increase morale

The factors listed above are exactly what an organization needs to increase employee engagement and build strong internal and external brands.

Here Is Your Opportunity
In the midst of all these statistics is a shiny golden nugget for you: Most successful companies know that the best way to increase employee engagement is through an effective internal branding program by way of employee recognition. A solid recognition program is at the heart of internal branding and employee engagement.

A recent PPAI industry survey shows that more than 20 percent of dollars spent in the promotional products industry are used for internal purposes. This equals more than $3 billion spent on awards and promotional products. How much of this business do you own?

Internal branding and employee recognition programs are your way to create new sales with your customers and optimize your business.

The most common comment I hear from promotional consultants is that their goal is to grow their business. I’ve seen many changes in the way we do business during the past 20 years. However, the one constant is the need for a strong, committed workforce throughout corporate America. Your ability to differentiate internal and external branding strategies from each other will give you an opportunity for amazing business growth.

http://www.thekingcenter.org/Default.aspx

Custom “Super Note” Medals -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgVHqhegStI

Rhett & Link - Super Note Medals

Customized Medals from Gallant

We also did some awesome looking custom “Sticky Backed” patches

Customized Patches

If you are looking for some customized swag for your brand.  Please visit us at www.GallantGifts.com

What Promotional Product Buyers Really Want

To find out how distributors can best serve their clients, PPB went directly to the source—the buyers themselves—to find out what they want from their distributor partners and where there is opportunity for improved service—and growth. Here’s what they had to say.

Find The Unusual
Overwhelmingly, the most common point of dissatisfaction with the buyers interviewed for this story is the lack of effective sourcing to find truly unusual products.

“Lately, I have found myself forgoing vendors and getting items on my own,” says Liz Hersey, chief marketing officer for a Minnesota-based commercial litigation and business law firm, who has literally purchased thousands of promotional products throughout her career. “While cost is sometimes an issue, I go on my own primarily because I seem to have better luck—or perhaps more motivation for—finding unusual items. If I ask for something truly unusual, please don’t send specs on yet another tote bag, eco-friendly notebook or food basket. If every vendor is advertising it, it’s not unusual.”

Christie Lambert, president of a Texas-based graphic design studio, agrees. Whether she is looking for promotional products to complete a self-promotion for her company or items to complement a project she has created for a client, originality is key. “We are usually looking for unique items or have specific items that we are trying to find, and we want something that’s out of the norm that doesn’t look like it came out of a mass catalog,” she says. “In my experience, distributors have just been order takers. I have not found one that really has gone out and looked for specialty items for us.”

What constitutes unusual? For Hersey, one item that stands out in her mind was a custom grate for an outdoor fire pit. “They were $200 apiece, but a branded fire pit—what a beautiful, cool gift.”

And Lambert once needed some rubber ducks, which are not necessarily unusual—unless they need to be nearly a foot tall. “We designed a promotion for a story-time book that had a lucky ducky theme,” she says. “We needed rubber ducks that were huge—at least 10 inches—that could be sent out in big boxes that supported the theme. That’s an item not everybody’s going to be looking for.”

But don’t think these buyers and others like them are averse to working with distributors. Quite the opposite. They want to develop a relationship with a trusted vendor so they get the products and services that meet their needs.

What must distributors do to win their business? “Just give me service,” Hersey says. “Get back to me when I call, give me good and unusual ideas, ask more questions and really take the time to do the legwork that I have to do now to find the new and unusual items.”

Showcase Creativity
With the perception of limited numbers of truly unique items in the marketplace, how can distributors improve traditional promotional products’ appeal? By using them in more creative ways.

Case histories that showcase your creativity not only position you as an expert but also prove your ideas work. Shelley Bosler, vice president of product management for a Kansas-based point-of-sale technology company for the retail channel, says that distributors can serve her better by providing ideas of what truly works in the field. “Documenting success that your customers have experienced when using specific promotional items to target markets successfully or increase brand awareness is very helpful,” she says. “Measurable results are imperative.”

Providing this kind of creative food-for-thought is an excellent way to differentiate yourself from the competition as each promotion you design is unique. Not only did the buyers interviewed for this story say they currently do not receive any newsletters, e-mails or other communications that contain success stories, but they also indicated they would welcome such ideas as they are much more effective than the e-mails that simply push products currently on sale.

Understand The Customer
Successful salespeople know they can provide the best service and solutions only if they have a strong understanding of their customers. By doing the research to learn about the challenges their customers face, distributors can identify where there is opportunity to create promotions that enhance brand awareness, create differentiation from the competition, generate sales and, ultimately, build loyalty.

Unfortunately, many distributors aren’t taking the time to do the background work. “I have found when working with distributors that sometimes the sales representative has no idea or concept of the service we provide,” says Jill Schott, MS, director of marketing for a Pennsylvania-based nonprofit community behavioral healthcare organization. “It would definitely be helpful if they took the time to research our organization and understand at least some part of what we do.”

Hersey indicates most distributors tend to first ask about her budget followed by what quantity is needed without going any further. “I’d like them to ask ‘Who’s your audience?’ and be really specific in terms of occupation, age ranges and even their market [geographic location],” she says.

Taraneh Foster, marketing consultant for an energy company with offices along the West Coast, has also experienced frustration when a distributor hadn’t done his research and didn’t come to the sales call ready to make recommendations. “I’m with a company that manufactures an alternative energy product,” she explains. “The mints the company purchased last time were packaged in a plastic case that cannot be recycled. That doesn’t support our brand and cannot be considered an environmentally friendly promotional product, which was the reason the distributor gave for why we bought from him previously.”

In addition to asking what products are desirable, distributors should also ask if there are any products that are definitely off limits. “We primarily serve children with emotional and behavioral healthcare needs,” says Schott, “so we cannot use certain products such as food items or anything that can be used as a weapon.”

The bottom line is that distributors must truly understand their clients’ businesses to make the best possible recommendations. “We have used our main vendor for years because they understand what we do,” Schott says. “They have taken time to tour our offices and come to the events that we have so they get to know us as an organization. This has been imperative in helping us find the products that are right for us.”

Bill Walker, marketing manager for a Washington, D.C.-based IT consulting firm, says he has found the ideal promotional products distributor through a referral from another company. They have taken the time to understand his business, and it shows in the success they have had together.

“They’re very attentive to my needs and offer plenty of real solutions without pushing what it is they want to sell,” he says. “I’ll say that I’m looking for something in a particular area, and they come back with five ideas. A couple of those I may have thought of, but the others may not have even crossed my mind—and were exactly what I needed. This really highlights what is sometimes faulty about such vendors—they are often more focused on selling what’s overstocked or new and shiny than with fulfilling my specific needs.

“There are plenty of places to buy promotional products these days,” Walker continues. “But I appreciate the experience and feedback of the professionals. They can tell me about the reputation of the factory, resolve problems and recommend products based on feedback and personal experience. You can’t get that level of service from a website or from someone that doesn’t fully understand your business.”

100% Proof Approved before Mass Production
Amazing things can be done with photographs today—just ask celebrities. Buyers know photoshopping images is common practice, and the product shown in a catalog may not be anything remotely like what they expect. To assist in the decision making process—always provide your clients with a art proof for their final approval before you start mass production.

Communicate Appropriately
What style of communication do your clients prefer when you want to share products or ideas that don’t pertain to a current project: phone call, e-mail, newsletter, blog post, update on a social media site? How often do they want to hear from you? Have you asked them? If not, you should.

“If you know I seek unusual items, shoot me an e-mail periodically when you come across a cool idea,” Hersey says. “But don’t ignore me all year and then bombard me with e-mails and calls come holiday time and expect to get the business.”

In addition to infrequent communication, too much communication can be even more of a turn off. “I’m the type of person who will reach out when I need something, and the more you bug me the less likely I am to respond,” Schott says when describing a recent meeting with a potential distributor. “Two phone calls and four e-mails later they keep asking if I’ve made a decision yet. Unfortunately, that experience was with the new vendor I was thinking about using—and will not be using now.”

Lambert has had a similar experience. “I’ll get calls every two weeks asking if I need anything and it annoys me,” she says. “They’ll also say they have a great deal on pens, for example, or Koozies or calculators—stuff that to me just seems like normal business products [that aren’t applicable to my needs]. I don’t like being hit with that stuff.”

Understand It’s Not All About Price
Don’t read this wrong. Price is certainly important, especially in today’s business climate when every dollar is scrutinized. But distributors who consistently sell solely on price will eventually lose because they won’t have built client loyalty and there’s always someone willing to sell products for less.

So while buyers want a good price, they crave advice for how to get the most value within their budget. “I want something that is inexpensive, but I don’t want it to feel cheap,” Troutman says. “I don’t want the recipient to think, ‘Big deal, they didn’t splurge on this item.’ Good advice helps me balance the amount I have to spend. Perhaps I go for a slightly more expensive item but order less of them if there is a better wow factor. That is important to me on a limited budget.”

Walker agrees. “Even on a small budget, you still want a quality product because you want to give somebody an item that appropriately represents your company,” he says. “Even if the item is as simple as a pen, if recipients take it and it doesn’t work, then it is a reflection on you and your company. You must vet the vendors and the quality of the items. It all doesn’t come down to just cost. If you are searching on the web or through someone you don’t have a relationship with, I find it is harder to manage or to truly evaluate that.”

Keep in mind, however, that the price should be based on value provided. “With budget constraints today, there is a limit of what I can spend and I must spend it wisely,” Hersey says. “There are times when it is certainly not worth it for me to spend an inordinate amount of time trying to track something down. I’ll pay a reasonable fee for a distributor’s time, especially when it’s necessary to put in legwork seeking something very unusual or a custom-produced product. But if I’m going to be saving a substantial amount of money doing it myself (such as with a recent purchase of high-end logoed golf balls when my trusted vendor’s quote was 40 percent higher than a national online source), I have to weigh this.”

Ask For Feedback
For some distributors, their service ends when products are delivered and the sale is viewed as complete. But these distributors are missing out on valuable information that can help cement the relationship—even if the promotion didn’t go 100 percent as planned.

By working with buyers after the promotion has concluded to debrief what worked and didn’t, distributors can gain insight that will improve future performance. “It’s important for distributors to get out there and see how the products we have purchased from them are used,” Bosler says. “Ask what the organization management, sales teams and other departments think of the products.”

Walker looks at his relationship with his distributor as a two-way street. “Whether it’s for a sample item or actual item ordered, I give feedback from us as well as our clients (or whoever is using the products) so that it furthers our relationship as well as their overall knowledge,” he says. “Hopefully over time, they have a better idea of what I expect and what they can deliver to us as well as their other clients.”

While building this kind of relationship takes a true partnership and a willingness to take constructive criticism, it is so worthwhile because distributors will be able to give even greater service than they did with the initial order that won the business in the first place. And this is what creates loyalty between a buyer and a distributor.

Be Polite
One final note: Don’t forget to be polite. In today’s high-speed, technology-based, immediate-gratification world, manners are often forgotten. But an etiquette mistake could result in not only losing an order but also a client.

“Like journalists, marketing communications and PR folks are on constant deadline,” says Foster. “We pick up the phone rather than letting it go to voicemail in case it’s that one person we need to talk to calling from a number we don’t recognize. And when it’s not the person we need, well, we stop listening. [Rather than jumping into your pitch], ask your prospect if he or she is on a deadline. If so, ask when it would be better to call back. You will get a better response.”

Did we get it right?
Share your thoughts buy calling one of our customer services representatives today at 800-GALLANT (330-1343) or visit us at www.GallantGifts.com

Branding by www.GallantGifts.com

Your Brand

Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos.com, Inc., the billion-dollar online footwear retailer, says he has been an entrepreneur for most of his life. In 1996 he co-founded LinkExchange, which was sold to Microsoft in 1998 for $265 million. In 1999 he became an advisor and investor for Zappos and then rose to CEO. Last year the company was acquired by Amazon in an amazing deal valued at more than $1.2 billion. What makes Zappos so successful? The boots and shoes it sells are great, but it’s the Zappos employees to whom Hsieh gives credit for the company’s meteoric rise. And his No. 1 priority is honing the company’s culture.

In the wake of the release of Hsieh’s new book, Delivering Happiness: A Path To Profits, Passion, And Purpose, PPB talked with him about the essential connection between company culture, customer service and branding, and how to make it happen for you.

In what ways does a company’s culture affect its customer service and why?

It’s pretty hard to give great customer service if employees are unhappy. Employees need to genuinely care about both the customer and the company, which ultimately all comes down to having the right service-oriented culture.

The culture at Zappos is quickly becoming legendary. What parts of the culture were planned and what parts just evolved?

There were parts that we planned not to do, such as not hiring egotistical people. But for the most part, the culture has developed organically and continues to evolve. The core values came from sending an e-mail out to all our employees asking them what they should be. The key is to try to create an environment where employees feel comfortable being themselves. We’ve found that when that happens, that’s when the creativity shines and the ideas come out for taking our culture to the next level.

What was the most important step in creating your company culture?
The most important step was committing to culture and making it the No. 1 priority for the company. Once employees realize it’s actually a priority, a lot of amazing things start to happen.

What advice would you have for a long-established company wanting to change its culture?

Come up with committable core values that you are actually willing to hire and fire people based on, independent of job performance. Once you come up with the list, chances are there will be some people in important positions that don’t live up to those core values. You have to be willing to part ways with those people.

You say the philosophy at Zappos is that you are willing to make short-term sacrifices if the long-term benefits are worth it. Can you give me an example of when this was the right decision? What’s an example of when it was the wrong decision?

In the example above, letting go of a top performer who is bad for the culture is an example of a short-term sacrifice for a long-term benefit. It can be the wrong decision if doing so puts the company out of business.

What mistake taught you the most and why?

Our biggest mistakes with Zappos have all been around hiring. We’ve gotten better at it, but we tend to hire too quickly and fire too slowly, when it should be the other way around. If you add up the cost of all the bad decisions made by bad hires, plus the cost of their bad hires and subsequent bad decisions, I would estimate it’s cost the company more than $100 million.

What makes you the happiest?

Feeling connected with friends, coming up with creative new ideas and being part of building something.

Gallant partners with Disney, ESPN Sports to help Haiti Relief Efforts

Gallant partners with Disney, ESPN Sports  and the Many Hearts One Goal foundation to help fund a relief trip for the Women’s Soccer Team of Haiti.

Check out this feature here on ESPN -
http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=5434931&categoryid=3060647

and then visit the Many Hearts One Goal Foundation.

* There is no better feeling than to give unconditionally because it makes “you” feel good.

Promotional products hold their own against major advertising media in an across-the-board comparison study

Advertising legend Steuart Henderson Britt once said, “Doing business without advertising is like winking at a girl in the dark. You know what you are doing, but nobody else does.” This is business 101. However, the way in which an advertiser chooses to market his or her message is where strategy, innovation and an in-depth knowledge of the audience comes into play.

So, which of the top advertising vehicles—TV, print, online or promotional products—is a front runner when it comes to overall effectiveness according to consumers?

A 2009 two-part study designed by PPAI and fielded through independent research company MarketTools, Inc. evaluated a cross-section of the American consumer population in regard to these top advertising mediums. (The first part of the study was reported in the January 2010 issue of PPB.)

Looking to uncover which vehicle ranked highest in terms of reach, recall and reaction from the consumer’s perspective, promotional products most often received top nods.

The Reach
Reach is a numbers game. The more times an advertiser exposes a message to the masses, the greater chance consumers will see it, which increases the propensity for a positive response. Or, so the theory goes.

Nearly half of the panel had received more than three promotional products within the last 12 months, while 56.20 percent reported having seen 11 or more TV commercials, 50 percent had seen three or more print ads and 53.05 percent had seen one online ad all within a two-week timeframe.

The Recall
Of greater importance than an advertiser’s reach is the recall. After all, widespread exposure is only effective if the audience connects and remembers the message. As such, participants were asked to identify the following in relation to the ads they’d seen:

1. Advertised company or brand
2. Advertised product/service/message
3. Type of promotional product received

Additionally, an evaluation was conducted to see how many respondents could remember both the advertiser/company and the product/service/message advertised and in the case of promotional products, the product received, as well.

Television Ads:
• Six out of 10 respondents remembered both the company/brand and the product/service/message advertised in the first commercial.
• More than half (56 percent) recalled both the company/brand and the product/service/message advertised in the second commercial.

Print Ads:
• Fifty-five percent of respondents remembered both the company/brand and the product/service/message advertised in the first print ad.
• More than half (51.2 percent) recalled both the company/brand and the product/service/message advertised in the second print ad

Online Ads:
• Nearly 3 out of 10 respondents remembered both the company/brand and the product/service/message advertised in the first online ad.
• Two out of 10 recalled both the company/brand and the product/service/message advertised in the second online ad.
 
Promotional Products:
• Nearly 70 percent of respondents remembered the brand/company and product/service advertised, as well as the type of promotional product for the first advertising message
• More than half recalled all three aspects for the second advertising message

Putting It All Together
In terms of maximizing one’s ROI, advertisers are primarily focused on consumers’ ability to recall the advertised company/brand, the advertised product/service/message, or, in an optimal setting, both. Below is a quick, side-by-side comparison of how the four advertising mediums performed in terms of recalling key characteristics:

• The above tables reveal that promotional products—above TV, print and online advertising—consistently deliver on higher recall rates of the company/brand, the product/service or both.
• Online advertising maintained the lowest recall of all four mediums, which shows a disconnect with advertisers’ reliance on the medium’s low CPM.

Reaction:
While an advertiser’s reach is important and the recall even more so, it is the reaction of and action by the consumer after he or she has seen the message that translates directly into ROI. This section asked consumers which particular action he or she took after viewing and/or receiving (in the case of promotional products) the first and second ads.

REACTION TO FIRST AD
• Consumers made a purchase after receiving a promotional product (20.9 percent) more often than after viewing a print ad (13.4 percent), TV commercial (7.1 percent) or online ad (4.6 percent).
• More than half of promotional products recipients had a favorable impression of the advertiser, as opposed to 33.2 percent who’d seen a print ad, 27.7 percent who’d watched a TV commercial and 11.9 percent who’d seen an online ad.
• Nearly 60 percent of consumers reported using the promotional product several times, while 7.6 percent let someone else use the item and 4.4 percent passed the product onto someone else.
• 14.7 percent of participants reported contacting the promotional products advertiser—a reaction rate nearly three times greater than other media, which generated a 3-5 percent response.
• When respondents were asked if they’d not taken action after seeing the ad, TV viewers topped the list with nearly half (46.4%) saying they weren’t moved to action, followed closely by 41.1 percent for print media and 33.2 percent for an online ad. Only 23.1 percent of promotional products recipients reported not taking any action.

REACTION TO SECOND AD
• Similar to the reactions for ad one, consumers, once again, made a purchase in greater numbers after receiving a promotional product (18.1 percent) versus just 13.9 percent who did so after seeing a print ad, 10.8 percent who’d watched a TV commercial and 3.5 percent who’d seen an online ad.
• 48.2 percent of promotional products recipients had a favorable impression of the advertiser, as opposed to just 28.6 percent of those who’d seen a print ad, 24.5 percent who’d watched a TV commercial and 10 percent who’d seen an online ad.
• More than half (56.4 percent) of consumers used their promotional product several times, while 8.6 percent also let someone else use the item and 3.5 percent passed the product onto someone else.
• Nearly 20 percent of participants reported contacting the promotional product advertiser—a reaction rate four to 10 times higher than other media, which generated a 2-5 percent response.
• When respondents were asked if they’d not taken action after seeing the ad, TV viewers, again, topped the list with 41.8 percent saying they weren’t moved to action, followed closely by 38.4 percent for print media and 30.2 percent for an online ad. Only 17.9 percent of promotional products recipients reported not taking any action.

The Annoyance Factor: Low For Promotional Products
The mean score represents the annoyance factor for each medium. From an advertiser’s perspective, this information is critical as the key to success is to balance a media buy that reaches the target audience and generates a favorable reaction. However, if advertisers, regardless of the CPM, invest their dollars in a medium that actually turns consumers away, they may be doing more harm than good, not only to their bottom line, but to their brand, as well.

This table reveals the mean annoyance scores, as determined by 1,005 participants, for all media included in this portion of the study. The higher the mean score, the better the rating, meaning respondents found the medium to be less of an annoyance.

Advertising Attributes: Consumer Appeal
There are many attributes/capabilities advertising mediums illustrate—the key is in understanding which ones convey the characteristics that are 1) most appealing to consumers and 2) in line with an advertiser’s objectives. This section asked respondents to choose one medium that best represents a specific attribute.

Summary
As Steuart Henderson Britt so imaginatively stated, advertising is crucial. However, of equal importance is the greater understanding of how consumers actually receive and perceive the vehicles which are to carry these advertising messages. Investing dollars without first doing the homework is still very much like winking at the girl—if the message doesn’t reach consumers, if they’re unable to recall it, if they’re not moved to action, if they become annoyed—the end result is still the same: everyone’s left in the dark.

This in-depth study sheds light on four of the most widely used advertising mediums, providing advertisers with much-needed insight and information when it comes to spending dollars and, more importantly, getting them back.

As always, TV commercials proved to be one of the top contenders when it comes to successful advertising, as did print media in specific categories. However, it’s the medium with the smallest, yet possibly the most profound foothold in the advertising arena that has shown the greatest gains: promotional products. An often overlooked, under-utilized medium, promotional products—according to consumers—prove once again that bigger is not always best when it comes to leaving a lasting impression.

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