As human beings, we’ve been hardwired to make and create connections. Connections with other people and what we’re passionate about. Like our basic needs for shelter and food, we have a fundamental need to be social, belong to groups, and form relationships. Forming relationships are a central part of a flourishing life.

One of the reasons why our human brains have grown so big is, in fact, due to our social needs. But what does the need to be social have to do with promo items? Are they still valid? How would a promo item give a sense of equality in the workplace or with customers?

How Promo Items Bring People Together

Promotional items and products are about connecting internally with your team members and externally with customers and potential customers. But, how?

Let’s take a look at a few examples first:

• Thanking your customers for an order, or during holidays, or annually for continued business with you by sending them an extra gift to remind them how important they are and that you are grateful.
• Every new employee hired is given a welcome basket full of valuable branded items as part of your onboarding process, so they begin to feel part of the team immediately.
• You reach out to potential and interested customers with a promotional product during the sales process that gives them an idea about your company, brand while creating that critical first impression that you care about them.
• You recognize the hard work and effort employees have given to your company and show them promotional gifts during a complex project and birthdays or holidays.

And while we acknowledge branded promo items are a part of advertising, they do elicit an essential and positive emotional response when given—and that’s what makes well-thought-out promotional items so compelling.

Do Promo Items Still Have an Impact?

As we increasingly turn to and live in a more and more digitized world, many companies and small businesses may forget other avenues available to you for promo items that give a sense of equality. In 2016, the Advertising Specialty Institute (ASI) conducted a study1 that thoroughly explored the effectiveness of promotional products. One of the finds revealed that most people would keep your promo items upward of 8 months, meaning that your promo items remain with people much, much longer than a simple PPC ad, pop-up, or email. In some cases, depending on the promo item, your employees or customers can keep them up to 14 months.

Recognition Equality

One of the quickest ways that erode a workplace’s or customer’s sense of fairness is by unfairly giving recognition. This can be a challenge to tackle when you are also managing multiple employees across multiple work sites. One of the best ways to ensure recognition equality is to reaffirm that everyone will receive an equal opportunity to be recognized.

Promotional items for recognition are a great opportunity to reward, thank your customers, or motivate your team. Appreciation gifts for work anniversaries, team-building, holidays, and more can be a fantastic means of showing recognition equally to those who help make your company great.

Gender Equality with Promotional Products

Gender equality is an issue that has been ongoing for many years. One of the most frequent issues in gender equality that remains is the wage gap between men and women. Often, men earn more than women, even if women are doing the same job as men. When you begin to consider which kinds of promo items to use for your company or brand—don’t choose an item based on what gender will be interested in the item. Instead, select your promo items on what will be helpful to all your customers. Promo items that are versatile, inclusive, and useful to all your customers are promo items that customers or employees remember.

How to Build Better Bonds with Promo Items that Give a Sense of Equality

Branded merchandise can connect employees and offer a sense of equality and pride in the work they do. Having programs for onboarding, recognition for when they go above and beyond, acknowledge their engagement, celebrate their work anniversaries and their birthdays are essential to the health and well-being of your employees. Plus, they are also crucial to connect your employees and with the company they work at. When you consider that an employee will often work with you and other employees for up to 40 hours a week with an active team, or work creating a solid social connection makes people happier. Happier employees and customers are the backbone of a successful workforce and company.

Strengthen those important bonds by:

• Understand your employees or your target audience. One-size-fits-all won’t fit when selecting merchandise. While keeping your promo items gender-neutral, make sure your promotional items for long-term employees/customers are different from prospective customers/new employees and different for recognizing employees’ accomplishments. Lumping it all together makes it seem impersonal, cold, and that you may not care.
• Look for a way to place a personal touch on each one, whether it’s printing their name, their accomplishments, or what the promo item is celebrating. You can even include a handwritten note. There’s no better way to strengthen bonds than adding your personal touch.
• Make an impact with your promo items. Bigger is not always better. Ask yourself what would improve your customer’s or employee’s life, whether at work or home. Don’t just give ‘stuff,’ give a gift they’ll love to use and hold onto.

Promo items don’t just give the sense of equality but bring a sense of belonging, recognition, respect, and being rewarded for the work or loyalty shown. They build a connection between customers and businesses or companies and employees to create a healthier, happier environment for all. If you seek to develop these positive relationships authentically with exceptional quality promo items, we encourage you to book a consultation with us. It would be our pleasure to help you build crucial connections and long-lasting relationships to help you grow. We love to work with you to create an experience your employees or customers will never forget.

Sources:

1. https://media.asicentral.com/resources/impressions-study-2016.pdf