A common reason for business owners to avoid investing in promotional products is down to the difficulty in calculating the return on investment (ROI). All marketing spend should ideally be tracked and then attributed to associated sales, and this allows business owners to make an informed decision about whether or not the promotion is successful.
However, promotional products aren’t as easy to track as marketing activities such as social media advertising. Creating promotional products can lead to increased brand awareness and a boost in brand loyalty, but these are less tangible and difficult to track.
Brand loyalty is something that all companies strive for, but it isn’t always clear how it helps your business. In this guide, we’re breaking down how promotional products can impact brand loyalty and how this benefits your bottom line.
Brand loyalty is when a customer sides with your company over others. When making a purchasing decision, customers have a choice between shopping around, or going with what they know and love. Having repeat positive experiences with the same company can lead individuals to subconsciously form an attachment to this brand.
Companies with a strong brand identity will often strive for increased brand loyalty. Examples of this include the tribal affinity that individuals have for Apple products versus Android products. Their customers not only prefer their products, but they make it part of their identity, and advertise their love for one over the other.
| Approach | Ease of Tracking | Longevity | Customer Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paid Advertising | High | Short-term | Transactional |
| Promotional Products | Low | Long-term | Emotional |
| Brand Loyalty | Low | Ongoing | Habit-forming |
In all industries and sectors, we see brands with a strong identity winning customers based on this sense of identity and affinity. So, how exactly does this help the brand? And how can promotional products help to drive brand loyalty?
When your customer base reports a strong affinity with your brand, they’re turning to you on autopilot. They don’t bother shopping around or looking for the best deal. They know what they like and they know where they can get it.
Brand loyalty helps to simplify everyday life by reducing the amount of decisions an individual has to make. An example of this would be choosing a supermarket every week. Most people stick to the same one, as they know that this supermarket will have the products they want and they will know roughly how much they can expect to spend.
Without this kind of brand loyalty, the weekly shop would be another decision to make, and humans typically don’t want to be presented with too many decisions.
Promotional products work because they move beyond transactions and create experiences. When customers feel recognised, rewarded, and aligned with a brand, loyalty develops naturally.
So, how does this increase sales? When you achieve a strong sense of brand loyalty, you can enjoy repeat sales from customers without having to advertise to them. You’ve already secured their support, so you just have to keep doing what you are doing to secure their custom.
The customers that display brand loyalty are also more likely to talk about your brand to others and to recommend your company to their network. So not only do they purchase from you without the need to advertise, they also do your advertising for you.
While it’s more difficult to track, sales from brand loyalty will typically come from direct traffic or remarketing campaigns. Now let’s explore how promotional products can help to spark increased brand loyalty.
Promotional products offer a simple way to tap into your customer base and turn loyal customers into brand advocates. If you choose the right items, you can even enjoy increased brand exposure and free advertising, as your loyal customers will carry their promotional items around with them. Here are just some of the ways that promotional products impact brand loyalty.
When a customer is loyal to a brand, it’s because they see themselves reflected in your company values. They align themselves with your objectives, and want their patronage of your brand to be part of their personality.
When you give these customers free promotional items, they feel seen by the company. Their support is wholly recognised and they get confirmation that they’re in the right place.
We’re used to seeing videos of influencers unpacking boxes of goodies provided by brands on social media. Through branded products, you can recognise the ordinary customer, making them feel seen and valued.
If a customer loves your company, the easiest way to get them to do the hard work of advertising your company to others is to get a promotional product into their hands. Items like clothing, hats, coffee cups, stickers and water bottles are highly effective for achieving this aim.
Receiving a free product from a brand will encourage the person to feel connected with your brand. They will then use your item out and about in the world, offering free advertising for your company everywhere they go.
If someone spots this out and about, and they’re currently trying to make a purchase decision, they could take this chance encounter as a sign that they should take a chance on you. After all, they’ve just seen someone proudly advertising your company for free, so you must be good to your customers!
Brand loyalty often shows up in repeat visits, direct traffic and recommendations — not immediate conversions.
When a customer gets their hands on a promotional product that they love, they will automatically be entering into a community of people who also love their branded product. An example of this would be a tote bag. These are endlessly useful items that make ideal promotional items.
When a customer is using their branded tote, they are telling others around them what they stand for and the kinds of companies that they prefer. Newspapers and magazines will often produce free promotional totes for subscribers, as this allows those individuals to shout about their choice of reading material to those around them. When they spot another tote out and about, they will enjoy a sense of affinity with that stranger.
The free promotional item could be the thing that kick starts the entire relationship with a brand. If you are attending a conference or trade show, giving away free items and chatting to prospective customers will help to spark natural conversations. The individual walks away with a positive brand sentiment and a free item.
They get home from the conference and have a purchasing decision to make. You’re already ahead of your competition because the individual has had a positive pre-purchase experience. They take a chance on your company and you deliver exactly as expected.
This customer is more likely to shout about their experience online and to those in their social circle. Before they were even a customer, you gave them a positive experience. They will return to you time and time again out of a sense of loyalty.
While it might be more difficult to track, brand loyalty certainly has value for brands. It can put your advertising efforts on autopilot, taking some of the heavy lifting out of attracting new customers to your company.
You can either use promotional items to reward loyal customers, or you can use promotional items to create loyal customers. Either way, you’ll enjoy free advertising and repeat sales, all for the cost of a simple promotional item.
Explore eco-friendly promotional items designed to build long-term brand relationships.
Is brand loyalty more valuable than one-off sales?
Yes — loyal customers often generate repeat revenue and referrals over time.
Can promotional products create loyalty from scratch?
Yes — a positive first experience can be the foundation of a long-term relationship.
