Marketing Trend - Freebies are In

It's been awhile since my last post and I apologize for that. Business has really picked up for me over the past 4 weeks, plus I've had some personal commitments that have prevented me from posting to this blog. I hesitate to say that this is part of a trend, but the business end of things is definitely a welcome sign following a year that could charitably be described as 'challenging'.

Here's article on MSNBC's website about a current marketing trend that ties right in to the power of promotional products. And the trend itself is probably a direct result of last year's downturn:

Weak Economy Means it's a Freebie Nation

Using a valued promotional product as a gift with purchase is certainly a great use of the medium to boost sales. In fact offering a promo item that isn't directly related to the retail product(s) being sold is probably a better approach vs giving away 'free goods'. I agree with the sentiment expressed in the article that giving product away in the hopes of boosting sales of that same product can backfire - especially if the product in question is an established one.

On the other hand, giving away a gift that's indirectly related -- says a gym that offers a free gym bag with a new membership -- can be a very effective technique. The key to making it work however is the product being good enough that someone would actually want it. That person who's been thinking of joining a gym may finally commit if they can get a nice gym bag as part of the deal.

One of the core values of promotional products is their ability to motivate someone to take action. A gift with purchase is a great way to make that happen - and it has an added value -- you can easily calculate Return On Investment (ROI) by simply looking at the number of bags given out and comparing current and past sales numbers.

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