4 ways you can use print giveaways to enhance your branding

The table was set-up a mere 20 feet away, and I could feel a rush of excitement as my eyes greedily scanned the spread: water bottles, sling backpacks, stickers, planners, brochures and the ever coveted volunteer tee shirt. I wanted it all!!

My daughter has been participating with Girls on the Run, a local nonprofit, for three years now and each time I ‘run’ the 5K with her; I get excited about the registration giveaways. They usually consist of the above mentioned swag in addition to granola bars, healthy sports drinks and various other mom approved snacks. And, don’t forget the tee shirt, which I wear proudly all of the time. And, from time to time, while out and about, I will run into other moms or teachers who recognize the logo and instant conversation and bonding occurs as we chat about that year it rained and sleeted for the fall 5K or the first year we ran at Anacostia Park. The brand and what it represents brings us together.

Branding, in the business world is sometimes crucial to recognition and success and the same goes for nonprofits and associations. While printed branding materials can sometimes feel costly, the benefits of utilizing such materials can be immeasurable.

Here are a few tips on the types of printed items you could use to increase your nonprofit or association’s brand recognition.

Corporate Identity Package

A corporate identity package is one of the most basic branding materials a company can have and most have one even if they don’t refer to it as such. An identity package could include things like business cards, letterhead and envelopes, postcards, mugs, swag bags, pens, pencils and so on.

A corporate identity package can include just about anything that you would consider a must have for new members and employees and should have a recognizable color scheme, font, logo, and format.  These enhance branding by ensuring that prospective customers know your logo.

Direct Mail Campaigns

Direct mail campaigns have been losing steam over the last ten years or so as more and more organizations are taking their branding and advertising strictly to the internet. That is what makes a good mailer campaign a great call these days. For example, since fewer companies are engaging in these types of campaigns, you can get attention and get it fast if the campaign is visually attractive, has some practical use for the consumer and is well executed.

Click here to read our recent post “5 Tips for Your Next Mailer Campaign”

Stickers and Bumper Stickers

Stickers are underrated, and they aren’t just for 7 year old sticker collectors! Additionally, share-ability doesn’t just refer to that great blog post you read this morning…

Creating brand recognition with stickers can be effective and inexpensive. Think about successful stickers campaigns past like Apple’s. It wasn’t that long ago that Apple gave consumers a sheet of stickers of the recognizable white Apple logo with each purchase.

I loved those stickers, frequently putting them on my personal belongings and even going so far as to brandish my car with one. With the Apple stickers specifically, the stickers, like my GOTR tee mentioned above, create a sense of community amongst those who have one.

Additionally, don’t discount the share-ability of stickers, so if you do launch a sticker campaign be sure to give folks more than one at a time so that they can put them on personal belongings but also so that they can share them with friends and family.

Remember, because stickers can be put anywhere, it is an easy way to get free exposure, creating the likelihood of brand recognition.

Calendars

Like stickers are good for share-ability, calendars are good for practicality reasons. When thinking about brand and recognition, don’t forget about practicality.

Most want something that they can use; as a result, things like wall calendars, banners and desk calendars can be inexpensive and useful giveaways. Calendars, for instance, are used every day and so a calendar giveaway ensures that those who use the calendar will think about your organization each time they check the date. Also, be creative with the form the calendar takes; they don’t have to be wall calendars, you could also look into pop-up calendars and desk calendars which have the potential to be less costly.

Conclusion

Things like share-ability, logo recognition and practical use can make some printed brand materials a must have to a well-rounded marketing campaign or annual conference for nonprofits and associations.

The next time you are considering a new branding campaign or planning an annual conference, consider the benefits of printed brand materials and give CTR a call so that our specialized and experienced staff can help you launch an effective and affordable campaign.