At a price of $4m for a 60 second slot, a Super Bowl half time advert is out of the reach of 99% of businesses’ advertising and marketing budgets – however, there are limitless branding opportunities for smaller companies with more modest means.
Eschewing some of the more traditional branding opportunities, it is possible to develop a refined, intricate brand identity for your company.
Be Personal and Relevant
Standard branded items such as pens have remained enduringly popular due to their affordability and almost universal relevance. However, the thousands (if not millions) of companies who have created branded pens and sent them out to customers, clients and partners have wildly saturated the institution. Most branded pens now find their way into kitchen draws with teams of other branded pens, seldom completing their secondary task of creating brand awareness.
More unique and industry-relevant branded items can help create a stronger identity for your brand. If your company roasts and grinds coffee beans to sell to the public; branded mugs, coffee pots, coasters and even packets of digestive biscuits can keep your brand in mind when customers are enjoying a brew.
If you are sponsoring an event, team or organisation – it is important to consider the impact rather than just the exposure. An event attended by 1,000 people may seem a better investment that one attended by 100, but if the latter is more relevant to your brand and industry, it may produce a larger return on investment.
Think Outside the Box
The more unique and unusual the branded item, the more unforgettable it becomes – in turn ensuring your brand remains in the consciousness of customers, clients and partners for longer. This cocktail set from Leighmans is a great example.
Upon the release of the Wes Anderson movie adaptation of Roald Dahl’s family favourite, Fantastic Mr Fox, the film’s production company, 20th Century Fox, sent out fox tail neck ties. This unusual promotional item paid tribute to a memorable scene in the film, and the tie itself will have stayed in the minds of recipients for longer than a traditional promotional poster.
Do Your Research
If you want to really appeal emotionally to your customers, clients and partners through branding, then it is important you truly understand them and their tastes. Send out short questionnaires probing into their tastes, hobbies and passions to collate information which can be used in branding. If your company attracts people who also enjoy country walks, a branded thermos flask or walking stick could appeal to them and become a part of their hobby.
It is easy to set up a quick survey to complete the research with simple tools such as Survey Monkey which provide easy-to-use templates and collate findings automatically. It may be prudent to offer an incentive to complete the survey, such as entry into a prize draw – otherwise it will likely be ignored.
