Are you planning to distribute branded custom items at the next corporate event? Customization and personalization are the hottest trends in business right now. However, a study says 50% of businesses are only somewhat or aren’t confident about their ability to create customized experiences.
If you feel the same way, don’t worry about it. Below, we’ve got a few tips on branding and selecting customized items. Keep reading and you’ll never have to worry about making a bad investment with custom items again.
1. Start with Your Plan and Budget
Before anything else, it’s always important to have an intimate knowledge of your budget and plan. Begin the process with a rough plan. Brainstorm with colleagues who understand the complexities of customized marketing.
If you plan to get customized items for gifts during an event, make sure it fits the budget. Planning the event alone can use up all your financial resources. Don’t forget to set aside a part of the budget for ordering your guests’ gifts.
What if you want custom items to sell as merchandise? It’s the same thing but most of your budget gets focused on the items.
The bottom line is to understand your budget well to avoid overspending.
2. Research
We can’t stress this point enough. Before you commit to anything, research first. Even a little research can get you a long way.
Research everything from the custom items to the recipients. Research how well it will stick, for how long, and if it’s recommended for your brand. Will it make an impact at all and is it memorable enough?
If you plan to sell customized items as merchandise, research is even more necessary. You must know what’s going to sell and who’s going to buy it. Demographic knowledge is one of the barriers to getting started with customized products.
Research only takes an hour or two. That much time can give you vital information about an item that can make or break your event and/or brand. Plus, when you research, you get an idea of what other companies like to use and how you can make your brand stand out.
3. Create a Selection of Customizable Items
By this point, you should’ve already researched the customizable items you can get. Now, create a list or selection of the items you want to put out there. Don’t forget about their relevance to your customer, event, and brand.
Are you hitting a blank about which will make the most impact? Start with a list of the most mundane yet useful items. Umbrellas, tote bags, and hoodies are a popular choice for this.
If you want to invest in novelty items, go for it. Choose a bobblehead, a funny sign, or a lava lamp. They may be useless but they’re often interesting, humorous, and make great display items.
4. Diversify Customized Items
At the beginning of the winter, you already used branded scarves as your promo items. Next winter, try something new. You don’t want your clients to get bored with the things you offer them.
You’ve already given away branded t-shirts to your employees on the last anniversary. Now, it’s time for something new to give away. Go from something useful to something weird, like a horse mask.
Remember, it’s all in how you build up interest in your brand. There’s nothing wrong with getting branded caps every summer, but it gets old and predictable. This summer, try business branding with custom bracelets that glow in the dark instead.
5. Maintain Quality Items
Be wary of the cheapest options. Cheap isn’t always good, especially when we’re talking about customized items. In business, always focus on quality over quantity.
As we said before, a little research goes a long way. This includes checking samples of the items you’re going to use for customized items in person. Make sure you get to wear a sample for a trial period.
Looking at them up close and personal will give you a sense of their quality.
Let’s say you plan to distribute medical alert bracelets. Check a sample for any irritability issues or fading of text during a trial period. It’ll give you an idea about the quality of the bracelet and how long a recipient should wear it.
In another example, you want to distribute t-shirts to your employees during the company anniversary. Make sure you pick a custom t-shirt with quality fabric and a good cut. There’s no doubt your employees will appreciate the attention to detail.
6. Keep Graphics and Logos Flexible
Have you got a loud and colorful logo? Well, that’s difficult to put on most things. Here is where some brands experience problems.
When you’re choosing customized items for business, always consider your logo.
What if you have a logo that isn’t very flexible? Start with items that offer colors that can complement or match your logo. White items make a great choice for colorful logos.
Next, consider the item you’re pairing your logo up with. Let’s say your brand stands for saving the environment. Avoid items that you cannot recycle like plastic products and tires.
7. Don’t Forget the End Users
Always consider the recipients of your customized items. As much as you can, avoid the “one size fits all” principle. This is essential when you’re offering customized wearables and/or garments.
If you’re getting customized items in bulk, don’t order t-shirts in one size. Get smaller bulk orders in varying sizes instead. If possible, look for shops that offer bulk orders in size sets.
For example, you want to get a variety of customized items for him. Your research will tell you what products “he” wants and needs. Your research will also tell you how unique he can be.
Thus, you order branded custom t-shirts in various sizes. Choose adjustable caps or hats. If you’re distributing perfumes for men, get a selection of fragrances.
Get Customers Talking About Your Brand
That’s it for our guide on how you should choose branded customized items. In case the point didn’t get across before, we’ll say it again because we can’t stress it enough. Do research, research, and more research!
Now that that’s done, we hope you learned a lot from reading this guide. Are you ready to do more research about a possible custom item for your business? Contact us now or read more about how wristbands and bracelets help your brand.
