The decision to invest in promotional items for your company is always a difficult one. When tracking things as obscure as “brand awareness” it can be difficult to measure the success of a campaign. While promotional items like printed umbrellas might send a strong message about your brand, it can be difficult to know if you are getting a strong ROI for these items.

While you might not be able to assign an ROI for this type of promotional item, there are plenty of benefits to be found in this type of branding investment. Read on to learn more about printed company umbrellas and what they say about your brand.

Benefits of printed umbrellas

Perhaps the biggest obstacle companies face when deciding if they want to print umbrellas is the cost. These are not cheap, throwaway promotional items. They are an important branding tool that you’ll want to be careful about how you distribute.

One of the main benefits of printed umbrellas is that they are always useful. The UK is no stranger to an unexpected downpour, so you could be helping out a client or visitor by allowing them to take a promotional umbrella from your premises.

Another benefit of printed umbrellas is that they are very visible. Your brand colours, logo and name will be clearly visible while the umbrella is in use, ensuring that the user becomes a walking billboard for your company.

And finally, printed umbrellas are also great perks for your staff. They’ll be happy to use a high quality printed umbrella with your branding on it and advertise the company for free while they are out and about.

Why are printed umbrellas effective marketing tools?

There are a lot of reasons that umbrellas remain one of the most popular types of marketing tools.

1. They’re popular with a wide target audience. There are few people who wouldn’t benefit from an umbrella or find use from an umbrella.
2. They offer a larger printing area, with lots of space for branding and sharing your brand message. You can also use the colour of the umbrella to tie into your brand.
3. They’re not just useful in rainy weather! They can also be effective for summer events where attendees might want to be able to stay out of direct sunlight.
4. They are a powerful status symbol. As a more expensive choice for promotional items, it sends a message that your business is performing well if you have the budget for these types of giveaway items.
5. They’re eco-friendly. There are plenty of eco-friendly options available, including those made from recycled plastic bottles. You can shout about the eco credentials on the umbrella to make it clear that you are an environmentally responsible company. 

Who can make use of printed umbrellas?

Lots of businesses can take advantage of the promotional benefits of printed umbrellas. Here are just some of the instances when you might consider adding printed umbrellas to your promotional plans.

• Companies attending trade shows, conferences and exhibitions. If you’re heading out to promote your business, what better way to say thank you to those that sign up on the spot than with a free umbrella. Obviously, you’re not just giving these away to anyone who walks by, but you can save them for those people that make a commitment on the day.
• Perfect for outdoor pursuits and golf tournaments. If your company is heading to the races, a golf tournament or other outdoor event, you can make a big impact with your branding if you have all of your staff members carrying printed golf umbrellas. Remember that umbrellas are great in the sun and the rain.
• Go big with parasols. A scaled up printed umbrella is a parasol, and this could allow you to sponsor the outdoor seating area of a venue or event. You’ll enjoy excellent visibility and brand association.
• Ideal for launch events. When you’ve invested so much in planning a big launch event, you don’t want bad weather to put a damper on your plans. Offer free branded umbrellas to guests as they are leaving as a memorable memento of the event, and a way to get home without getting wet.
• Weddings and parties. It doesn’t have to be a corporate event to consider printed umbrellas. You could also include them as part of your wedding celebrations as a fun little keepsake for your bridesmaids, groomsmen and guests. 

As you can see, printed umbrellas are incredibly versatile as a marketing tool to help increase visibility of your brand during an event, for a launch, or for your staff and clients. Be sure to pick an evergreen design that you can use at multiple events so that you don’t end up with promotional items that you can’t use again and again.