by Raine Morie

Created on: March 23, 2009

Brand Awareness

Brand awareness and knowing your organizational identity is of key importance for success these days. We all recognize company logos like Pepsi and there are vital reasons why we do.

The promotional product industry is a multi-billion dollar industry, surpassing television advertising as a marketing tool in campaigns. The power to engage your audience is a very real phenomenon when it comes to brand awareness, and this is what promotional products do solidify a positive identity with the audience your organization hopes to communicate with.

Successful marketing is targeted to both the organizational needs and of those you are communicating with the audience. Promoting products and items to either gain a loyal fan base, or to attract new customers, or simply to foster goodwill with your supporters follows the same marketing premises.

It requires a specific plan before marketing plans are launched publicly. Here are some basic guidelines to get you started if this is the first time working on a promotional branding campaign.

A Guide to Developing an Effective Brand Strategy

Before you begin, start with asking "what is our campaign goal?" Are you sending out a thank you to loyal customers? Are you trying to launch a new service or product?

This is the first step your campaign must take so you know where everyone is going. Next decide what the budgetary ceiling is if this is not clear already.

A true sense of the budget will make which way to go much clearer. It will assist in what types of promotional products are available for your branding strategy, and which ones are out of your league.

Finally, know your audience inside and out. Once you know your audience and what appeals to them, along with a solid campaign objective, you are on your way to a successful branding campaign.

Know Your Audience Inside and Out

Knowing your audience inside and out is the most important building block in building an effective marketing strategy. Some people believe creating a unique product for their audience is the only way to go. Each situation is different, but the most important factor to keep in mind is how your audience will perceive your organizational gesture.

One category which has made leaps is the Green Category; there are promotional products in organics and recyclables due to a heightened awareness in our culture about green living. Thus, successful promotional branding is always thought out with a clear understanding of that which appeals to the select audience. This is a win-win campaign for all groups involved.

An example of a poorly thought out campaign could be a situation where an organization markets gifts in which the receiver finds unethical in some way. This has occurred in marketing strategies where the audience was eco conscious and perceived gifts as harmful to the environment in a specific way. What was intended as a goodwill gesture backfired and created an ill-defined relationship rather than a win-win relationship.

Do your research. If necessary, consult a professional to assist you with your organizational goals. There are over 20,000 promotional consultants in the promotional product industry that can assist your organization with a strong branding campaign.

Do your research and identify your organizational strengths and resources. Enjoy the journey and the solid relationships you'll build with your audience.

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