Swag strategy: Keys to driving an impactful promotional campaign

The best business promotional items and corporate gifts hit on three main points: They reflect an understanding of the target audience, offer a high perceived value and encourage reuse. But without a strategy in place, those points are moot.

In this interview, Jim Kalthoff, Account Development Executive in Promotional Solutions at Deluxe, shares insights on data points that are key to pinpointing your target audience and achieving solid results from your custom promotional products. From ideation to manufacturing and reporting, read on to explore how Deluxe supports businesses to create a swag strategy that delivers.

What is a promotional product, and what does Deluxe do in the promotional product space?

Jim Kalthoff: We consider promotional products as any item that helps a client relate to their employees, recruits, targets or clients. Broadly, this includes printed material or branded merchandise such as apparel or a promotional/swag item, and often these pieces end up being packaged in dimensional mail which usually features printed material, too.

When it comes to promotional strategy, Deluxe is a marketing execution partner for our clients. We’re aligned with our clients in their objectives to help them  strategically utilize their budget and receive responses that they’re looking for.

What are some challenges that businesses commonly face with their promotional product strategies?

Kalthoff: Businesses must figure out what their goal is and what experience they’re trying to create for the end user. In the world of promotional marketing, there are so many options available, from types of promotional items to print and mail strategies. The biggest challenge our clients have is trying to simplify all of that into one engaging user experience. We can help them by pinpointing their objectives, asking questions like: What are they trying to accomplish? Who is going to be receiving this product? And, what call to action are they trying to create?

What is the importance of reporting in promotional strategies, and what kind of metrics or data should businesses track to measure the success of their swag strategy?

Kalthoff: This is always the key question, right? How do we know that one, people are getting what they want, and two, that they’re engaging with the brand? I still think there's some trial and error that goes into trying to get people to engage, but that’s true with any marketing campaign. For promotional strategies, we rely on metrics like USPS Tracking®, QR code scans or site visits.

That element of trial and error is why I believe print is still so relevant. I encourage clients to utilize print as that first reach out to get people to understand that you're trying to engage with them. And based on that response, then you can pivot your strategy and start to increase what you're spending on the campaign.

You collaborate with clients to not only supply promotional products, but to choose the right products. In your experience, how should companies choose what items to leverage?

Kalthoff: I try to put myself in the recipient's shoes. Start with the box or piece of dimensional mail – how am I going to feel when I open that? And then, what is the promotional item? Is it usable? Is it something that I’m going to keep around?

Using promotional marketing is all about trying to get your target audience to remember your brand and utilize your promotional product. Think backpacks, coaster sets or things that people will repeatedly engage with and be reminded of your brand as they do.

We frequently get to support our clients with employee engagement. Since the pandemic, employee engagement has been really challenging. In terms of getting employees excited about their brand, we do a lot in the area of apparel and other branded merchandise to help them feel re-engaged with their company, regardless of whether they’ve worked there for a few months or years.

Do you have any insight into the future state of print and promotion strategy? What trends do you foresee?

Kalthoff: Postage is getting more expensive, and at the same time, new technologies like generative AI are hitting the market. I think we need to continue to blend technology with the physical items that we produce to create compelling user experiences.

I remember when QR codes first came out and people didn't know how to use them. Truthfully, I thought they were going to fail. But now that we’ve collectively learned how to use them the right way, QR codes have become very effective. I think a lot of the tools and products we have in our hands now are going to change in the future. Yes, some may stick around, much like the QR code has for going on almost 20 years now. Where we need to continue to transform is to use innovations to relate to a younger generation, and that requires a blending of both the digital and physical.

Based on your deep experience in the print and promo space, what’s your top piece of advice for businesses looking to start or enhance their promotional strategy?

Kalthoff: I love this question. We get an opportunity to work with marketing teams of all sizes, and they all have the same challenge, which is: “We have this budget, it's tighter than it used to be, and I need to reach people.”

That’s when I ask the question: “What are you trying to accomplish?” And their response is usually that they need to get individuals to perform an action. Following that, we have to talk about who that individual is. Just having a conversation where the client can start to understand our ability to execute as a manufacturer and a top promotional products company helps them understand the scope of what’s possible. Slowing down and diving into the question of what you’re really trying to accomplish seems to be most effective for driving desired results.