Now is the Time: Why Tech Promo Products are on the Rise

Promotional products industry is filled with different swag. It is not always easy to find best promotional products companies and products. The variety is so big it is easy to get confused. Because usually the more options we have the bigger the chance of choosing first thing you see. Let’s not rush and go through facts step by step. We'll see how to achieve a company’s goal, satisfy customers’ needs, and what place technology takes up in this story.
If you are interested in basics of why you actually should use promotional products and why they work - suggest you start here.

Everyone else - follow me.
The first argument against using tech promotional items is simply budget. It can’t be stretched endlessly. Well, hold that thought and bear a little bit.

We all are 21st-century humans. You are company leaders, fathers or mothers, husbands or wives, someone’s children, someone’s friends. There is one thing that is always with you in all your social roles and in your whole life - technology. Most of the time we don’t focus on how much we depend on it. But we can’t deny that development of technology shapes most of the industries and promotional products industry is not an exception.

Nowadays technology shapes our personal lives and our societies. Photo by Jakob Owens 

Most of us don’t ever think about how long technology has been around. Here’s a brief timeline of some of the important dates in the world of tech and our everyday lives:

- Artificial Intelligence becomes an academic discipline - 1956;
- Apple Computers Launches Macintosh - 1984;
- World Wide Web invented - 1989;
- Laptops became popular - 90’s;
- Facebook launches - 2004;
- Smartphones become mainstream - the 2010’s;
- Beta version of Siri - 2011.

Those are just some of the dates to illustrate the point: Facebook launched 14(!) years ago, smartphones became mainstream about 18 years ago, and now, so many wants and needs are satisfied with some kind of tech. So why is promo market still full of products that simply cannot be interesting or useful for a tech-oriented society?

What are some basic goals of a promotional campaign? Why would you or any other company use promo products? Yes, we can say brand awareness, brand recognition, clients’ loyalty, ‘walking’ ad in a customer’s pocket, attracting new leads, etc.

Every company wants to be recognized and seen as reliable, client-oriented and forward-looking. Reminding about your brand with a cheap promo swag, then, won’t make any sense, would it? If the gift you give to your target audience is low-quality tacky or simply not useful for a modern person - how is that good for your brand image and your company perception?

So, without more ado, let’s start the five reasons countdown to why technology giveaways are your best shot.  

#5 - Tech is fun
According to PPAI, one out of three reasons why people keep promotional products is that they are fun. They bring joy, surprise, amazement and other shades of positive. Unique promotional products are a great option, but even if your budget is pretty tight there are still options. Remember that Coca-Cola promotional campaign? Cardboard VR goggles are pretty cheap, they are also eco (for those who seek to be viewed as environmentally aware), and they are fun!

#4 - Introduce a Brand Image
Every person has an image of him/herself, and they want to be seen and perceived in a certain way. Same goes for every brand, every company that builds its image. Of course, different companies may have different values and principles, but there are as well universal aspects of every brand. Showing that you value your customers, that you are a forward-looking, future-oriented and progressive brand is a must. So, if you give your target audience cheap useless swag, your image of a brand will start to differ from how your customers see you. To come across as a modern company tech promotional items are your best option.

#3 - High-Value items Attract New Leads
Here, by the value, we mean the usefulness or worth of the product to your target audience. Let’s not consider just any promotional gadgets. Innovative promotional products are the ones bringing new leads. Not the cheapest option, of course, but if you have a solid goal, a custom-made gadget will do the trick. One thing to remember, though: promotional product is a long-term investment, so give it a little time.

#2 - When you have tried everything
New companies don’t have this problem, but when you’ve been on the market for decades, you have probably tried everything from ubiquitous pens and T-shirts to trendy items like yo-yos in the 90’s and pretty recent fidget spinner boom. Practice shows that the best option is to get yourself custom promo products: something with a wow-effect than no-one else has ever given. Even simple things like a pen, a T-shirt or a water bottle are now improved by technology. If you haven’t heard about a digital pen or an AR T-shirt in promo industry - you are most welcome to see how custom and digital come together, boosting ordinary promo swag here.

And finally…

#1 -  Solving customer’s problem equals achieving your goal
Introducing your brand image as innovative is a great idea. Purchasing high-value products to attract new leads is also a good call. When you surprise your customers with fun products - it will give them positive emotions, that will associate with your brand. But the most important reason to use technology giveaways is to satisfy the need or solve the problem that your particular target audience is facing right now. Nothing is more important for your product than to be used as much as possible. It needs to be plugged into client’s socket, it should be connected to his phone, it should have an app on his phone. Your giveaway should be carried around in the bag or a pocket, travel in the car, be clipped to his keys or proudly settle at his desk. You get the point: innovative, creative tech promotional products best fit the description of something that will be used on a daily basis by a 21st-century person.

When it comes to promotional product ideas one should keep in mind that it still should be in line with your vision and with what you produce or provide. Whenever you consider getting promo gadgets, remember this:

- Know who is your target audience: it is impossible to give a perfect promo product if you are not sure whom you are giving it to;
- Know their values: what product will they actually appreciate and remember;
- Less is more: it’s better to buy a lesser amount of great products than a lot of tacky swag;
- Quality and certificates: when it comes to gadgets, it is an absolute must for them to be of a high quality, otherwise they can harm your clients and your business may have significant material losses.

In a 21st century providing a promo product in the first place means relating to a modern customer’s needs. And most of them more or less connected to a technological side of our lives. It is time to forget about old-school swag and lessen the gap between what people want and what promo industry has to offer. Ask yourself this: would you have used the thing you are about to give to people? If the answer is no, your promo campaign will probably have little to no result. But giving technology giveaways is worth every penny because your brand will be remembered, appreciated and attractive to your customers.