The United Kingdom is undergoing one of the longest-lasting recessions ever with six percent of economic output gone. Even though there's quantitative easing, banks continue to refuse to lend to smaller companies. It's estimated that almost thirty thousand businesses shut their doors this year and we're still not safe. It's great if you're a business and are doing fine. You might have watched a few competing businesses go down, decreasing market competitiveness, meaning that although market share might not be as much, you've got a larger piece of the pie. All in all, businesses with the greatest strength will be the ones left standing. The companies which can easily adapt to crises will likely to continue their strength in the coming years.
In such economic conditions it becomes even more crucial that you market your company effectively. Great marketing is effective marketing and even more so in such markets. Lessen the budget, identify the strategies that are the most effective and stick with them. All the same, whatever you do, don't cut the budget altogether. That of course would be a big mistake. If you are not getting new business, you cannot grow. Your existing customers will begin to drop off; your customer base will begin to diminish. It might be crucial in this market to check your marketing budget but cutting it altogether is obviously a very bad idea.
This means the marketing that you do needs to have more punch. Successful marketing needs to be targeted; making sure all you budget is spent in the right market. It needs to be long lasting; so the budget is not all spent in a 30 second radio commercial. It should engage your target audience so they notice your brand and know how to contact you. Lastly it needs to have an impact on your target audience; you need to give them a reason why they should come to you and not to one of your competitors.
This may sound like a tall order from any marketing strategy but I am about to reveal the one method that contains all of these aspects. This method is adopted by almost all the most successful companies in the world and now the internet has become so widely used this method is now even easier to deploy for your company. The answer lies in promotional merchandise.
Promotional merchandise is when a product branded with your logo and possibly company details is given to your target audience. There are thousands of different products to choose from and you should choose the ones that reflect your brand or the target audience. Every one loves a freebie and this method of advertising can be surprisingly effective. You get to choose exactly who you want to give the merchandise to and these people take your products home or to their offices - right where other customers probably are! Promotional merchandise does not have to be expensive. There are products on the market from 8p. Do you know of any advertising method that starts out so cheap and is still this effective?
This is not only a good strategy for customer acquisition but is a great method of retaining and rewarding your existing client base. Corporate gifts not only reinforce your brand, but keep them within your clients view all the time. This boosts customer loyalty and greatly increases the life time value of your customer for your business.
In such economic conditions it becomes even more crucial that you market your company effectively. Great marketing is effective marketing and even more so in such markets. Lessen the budget, identify the strategies that are the most effective and stick with them. All the same, whatever you do, don't cut the budget altogether. That of course would be a big mistake. If you are not getting new business, you cannot grow. Your existing customers will begin to drop off; your customer base will begin to diminish. It might be crucial in this market to check your marketing budget but cutting it altogether is obviously a very bad idea.
This means the marketing that you do needs to have more punch. Successful marketing needs to be targeted; making sure all you budget is spent in the right market. It needs to be long lasting; so the budget is not all spent in a 30 second radio commercial. It should engage your target audience so they notice your brand and know how to contact you. Lastly it needs to have an impact on your target audience; you need to give them a reason why they should come to you and not to one of your competitors.
This may sound like a tall order from any marketing strategy but I am about to reveal the one method that contains all of these aspects. This method is adopted by almost all the most successful companies in the world and now the internet has become so widely used this method is now even easier to deploy for your company. The answer lies in promotional merchandise.
Promotional merchandise is when a product branded with your logo and possibly company details is given to your target audience. There are thousands of different products to choose from and you should choose the ones that reflect your brand or the target audience. Every one loves a freebie and this method of advertising can be surprisingly effective. You get to choose exactly who you want to give the merchandise to and these people take your products home or to their offices - right where other customers probably are! Promotional merchandise does not have to be expensive. There are products on the market from 8p. Do you know of any advertising method that starts out so cheap and is still this effective?
This is not only a good strategy for customer acquisition but is a great method of retaining and rewarding your existing client base. Corporate gifts not only reinforce your brand, but keep them within your clients view all the time. This boosts customer loyalty and greatly increases the life time value of your customer for your business.
About the Author:
Liz Logan is the manager of Phoenix Corporate Gifts. Writing on promotional merchandise and Corporate clothing is like a passion to her. She has written many articles published at well know websites and blogs on promotional marketing.
