Personalisation & Presentation: trends for 2016 | Incentive & Motivation

With 2016 now upon us, many organisations are looking at ways to increase brand awareness. Allison Cardona is owner of Custom Cookie Company, which provides promotional goods for business across the UK, picks out the two trends set to impact next year – personalisation and presentation.

The use of promotional products have long been a powerful way of delivering a brand’s message. In fact, it’s a tactic that many companies employ with sales of promotional products in the UK worth almost £1 billion per annum (British Promotional Merchandise Association).

Promotional products, or ‘freebies’, are extensively used by marketers from brands, companies and organisations to entice and encourage interest with end users. This could be items in a goody bag at an industry event, a giveaway at the local train station or products sent in the post. Many brand marketers have realised that we are a freebie loving nation and are using this to their advantage to confirm customer loyalty and gain competitive advantage, while also increasing brand recognition and longevity. Giving out promotional items to customers can not only encourage spend, but also spread the word about the business.

In short, promotional products present a unique opportunity to create a powerful and lasting connection between organisation and individual. 
However, these connections are more impactful when the product is personalised – if it’s the perfect fit for an organisation and its aims, the product will be more memorable and deliver results.

The right gift should be engaging, relevant and useful to the target audience. What’s more, a gift branded with the company logo ensures the product is memorable and is great for ongoing brand awareness.  Just think, if a business gives out plain, unbranded sweets to customers they may appreciate the gesture but will be unlikely to remember the company behind it. A product which is branded – with either a logo or corporate colours – delivers an immediate impact, connecting the product to the organisation.

Make sure the product fits the audience and the brand. Selfie sticks could be perfect for a business that caters to teenagers, while engraved beer mugs would be a great giveaway for a beer distributor. Food treats, as a whole, tend to have a very wide appeal as they ‘hit all the senses’. The look, smell, taste and touch of a hand crafted snack combine all the faculties to create an unforgettable experience.

Products should also be relevant to the business and to the situation where they’re presented. A cycling company can give branded helmets; a travel agent could give emergency chargers and a new bar can hand out wine bottle-shaped cookies, for example.

With a wide range of promotional products competing for consumer’s attention, now more than ever, the onus is on organisations to make sure that what they are providing is relevant, personal, practical and above all, fun!