We give promotional products to promote, motivate, and reinforce. When you design your program, consider the differences between the reasons for giving. Promotions grab your attention. Incentives dangle a carrot and motivate you to action. Gifts reinforce your brand, show recognition, appreciation, and build allegiance. They are closely related, and the same item may in fact be used, but their purposes are different. So the way in which they are delivered to your audience carries a different message – the first says, “Look at me!” and do something, the second asks you to “Please do this first,” and then rewards you for your effort, while the latter, says “We remembered you, so remember me!”.

As we mentioned above, there are three main areas of promotional product giving, but there are also many blends and reasons for giving. The following list highlights those differences so that you will have a clearer picture of what your efforts can accomplish.

• Given as an attention getting item to draw focus on a promotional announcement — such as a replica bobble-head of a car dealership owner being sent to existing customers to announce a trade-in special on new cars.
• Given as an attention getting item to introduce and promote an internal program — as in cases such as:
  
  • when a sales team receives themed wearables and promotional items in support of a sales program – such as tropical shirts and coconuts filled with sun tan lotion, lip balm, mood ring, and surfer pass.
  • when a manufacturing production department receives buttons and high-five hands that promote taking the safe steps to eliminating job related accidents.
• Given as a promotional reminder of an action to take or not to take — such as in the cases of:
  
  • when a fort-lift operator receives a flip-book picturing a falling house of cards — as a safety reminder to not stack pallets too high.
  • when hourly employees that generate billable time receive packets of charred play money as a reminder to record their time and not allow company profits to go up in smoke.
• Given as an incentive, a motivational carrot that influences an action through a reward once the action is taken — examples are:
  
  • when customer service representatives successfully complete a course introducing the technical features and troubleshooting problems of a new product.
  • when potential customers are motivated to redeem a promotional item they have received for merchandise, a service discount, or chance to win a prize by visiting a retail location.
  • when sales associates receive prizes awarded on performance.
  • when sales representatives receive premium points based on performance for redemption of merchandise.
  • when donors or subscribers receive premium items based on the size of their contribution or subscription level such as in the case of a natural history museum giving ascending items of value corresponding to a donor’s contribution amount — for example a coffee mug, evolution poster, table-top anthology, and a bronze replica of a dinosaur.
• Given to customers, consumers, and clients to reinforce brand and service identification and the eventual use of a product or service — such an in the cases of:
  
  • when tee-shirts, bumper stickers, frisbees, and beach balls are distributed by radio stations during on-location promotional broadcasts.
  • when magnet calendars containing the schedules of local or national sports teams are mailed to area residences by realtors.
• Given to reinforce affiliation and identification with an organization or company
  
  • when new museum members receive a window decal featuring the museum’s logo upon joining the museum.
  • when upon employment, delivery crews receive branded jackets, caps, clip boards, note pads, pens, and thermo-glasses.
  • when employees receive a recognition award for service, longevity, attendance, performance or retirement.
• Given as a thank you to reinforce the company/customer relationship after the sale — such as in the cases of:
  
  • when an auto dealership sends an engraved set of fine dinner glasses after the purchase of a new car.
  • when a small retail store includes a branded gift in a customer’s bag after the sale — such as a branded flower or herb seed packet.
  • when a real estate broker gives a bouquet of chocolate flowers to homeowners upon listing their home for sale.
• Sold as themed or branded merchandise for fundraising purposes in support of a civic or health-related effort — such as in the cases of:
  • when framed photographs and replicas are sold to raise funds for an architectural restitution project.
  • when branded and named stuffed animals are sold through a web site and at participating retail locations to raise funds for research into a cure for a disease that affects children.

A promotional item has the purpose of driving your market to your service or product – Your expectation from the use of the promotional product is that a customer or client will remember you or your product on a subliminal level, and many promotional items help you achieve this goal. You also can construct your promotional project to reward an immediate response – an appointment, a visit, a contract, a purchase – a phone call from your customer, an order for a product, a request for more information, a promotional contest entry, a trade show booth visit, a redemption for value-added services, repeat retail business, or return customers. These are all results you can expect from a well-executed incentive program.

In these cases, the way you have used your promotional item to connect your service or product with your client or customer’s need contributes to your standing out in their mind – and their selection of your product or service. Here, you should look for promotional items that identify and reinforce the strengths of your offering, its benefits to the user, and the advantages of selecting you.

An incentive, promotional or premium reward or gift reinforces actions that generate sales.

A recognition award builds performance, achievement, and service. Through recognition awards your organization can build member self-confidence, pride in accomplishment, allegience, and commoraderie, personal and organizational brand recognition certificates, trophies.

Proceed to the next page to review and Choose Your Goals that you want to achieve through your promotional, incentive or reinforcement project or program.