5 Product Branding Rules To Follow

Strategic branding is one of the key elements of any successful marketing campaign. Ultimately, clients remember your brand as that distinguishing factor that sets your business apart from the competition. It also increases customer loyalty, seeing as clients can associate your company with a solid brand identity. If you are planning a marketing campaign that calls for branded promotional items, whether that be clothing, stationery, kitchenware or even bags, it is important that your brand is properly reflected on these, because first impressions matter. At Brandability, our team has set out these 5 rules that you should always follow when branding promotional items. 1. Determine what your audience will react best to Before even starting to plan a marketing campaign, you need to give proper thought to who your target audience is and what they like. In particular, you need to think about what kind of branding, colours and items will resonate the best with them. Questions you can ask to this end are: How old are they? What is important to them? What are some things they enjoy or need? The main idea is to create a branded product that your audience will not just enjoy, but love. If the branding you chose speaks to them, they are more likely to use the products on a more regular basis, thereby ensuring your company remains visible to them for longer. Other factors to keep in mind are more practical. For instance, one survey found that choosing colours and fonts that are more legible will increase customer readership by almost 40%. 2. Spend some time and money on your logo A logo is a deep psychological trigger that connects your company to certain associations in the mind of your clients. Think of the most successful companies in the world, like Apple or Google. When we see their logos, we immediately know who they are, what they do and which products and services we use from them on a daily basis. Quality promotional products are one thing, but you also need to ensure that the branding you place on them is strong enough to really leave a lasting impression. Consumers usually make up their minds on if they like a company within the first 10 seconds of seeing their logo. A weak logo is less likely to assist you in acquiring new leads. When you have a logo designed, you also have a fixed corporate identity so that your marketing can be consistent on all the various products you wish to buy for your campaign. Any promotional gift supplier will also ask you for your logo in certain high-resolution files before processing your order, so you might just as well ensure you have this sorted in advance. 3. Keep it simple When it comes to branding, less really is more. Busy designs can become confusing and distract from the main messaging or goal you want to achieve with your promotional products. Brands that have simple, to-the-point branding on promotional products are 3.5 times more likely to earn brand recognition from a new audience base than those who have opted for confusing, over-the-top branding. By keeping things simple, recipients are also more likely to keep and use the branded products they received from your company. That being said, you don’t have to be boring. By all means, use interesting colours and have fun with the creative process, but remember the fewer different elements you use, the more appealing the effect will be. Further to this, by not making things too busy, you keep more focus and prominence on your company's logo. 4. Stay focused on your message Your company definitely has something to say. That’s part of the reason why you probably chose to run a marketing campaign in the first place! It is important to figure out what this message is during the planning stage of your marketing plan. Branded products sometimes communicate better than words. About 83% of all consumers are more likely to remember the message attached to a branded product than a TV commercial. That’s why you need to make sure that the kind of branding you opt for on your promotional items match the overarching message and tone you selected for your marketing drive. This not only plays into how you brand the products you want to use, but what these products are. For instance, if your messaging revolves around eco-friendliness, you should use products made from recycled or sustainable materials. If your message is focused more on technology, you ought to opt for tech-savvy items, like thumb drives or cell phone covers. In terms of branding, the above can be achieved by including a hard-hitting slogan on your promotional products. Even simply adding a trending hashtag can also have beneficial effects. 5. Let people know how they can get a hold of you A call-to-action (CTA) most often refers to the use of words or phrases that can be incorporated into the branding you place on your products. This can be as simple as a website address, contact number or email address. The reason why this should always be present on your branding is that it immediately lets people know how they can get hold of you, should they wish to make use of your services or products. You don’t want to make it difficult for clients to reach you or open the door for them to reach your competitors by accident! Where to buy properly branded promotional items Brandability offers a variety of products that we can masterfully brand with your company’s logo and identity. We keep the above rules in mind and advise you on the best course of action to ensure the success of your upcoming marketing campaign Visit our store here.