Promo professionals know the value of promotional products – it’s a $25.8 billion industry, after all – but there’s still a misperception among the general public that they are disposable, cheesy or even wasteful. It’s our job to break down those preconceived notions to show the true value of promo to our customers.

Of course, there are plenty of suppliers offering a wide array of affordable promos (from pens to magnets to plastic drinkware) that all have a place in certain promo campaigns and can be extremely effective marketing tools. But when it comes to improving promo’s reputation in the advertising world, ASI is out to show that the industry is a lot more than free tchotchkes handed out at trade shows and conventions.

Let’s examine some trends that are rewriting the narrative and debunking the cheap promo myth.

Relating Promo to Larger Ideas
As the old saying goes: It’s not what you sell, it’s how you sell it. There’s nothing inherently wrong with selling a low-cost promo to your customers if you can express the value this product will have on their business. If your company is confident in its approach and inspires brand loyalty with a low-cost promo, you will grow beyond the obvious benefits of the product and start to highlight your value as a trustworthy business partner.

Sustainability Sells
One of the fastest rising trends in the promotional products industry is sustainability. Customers who are tired of cheaply made, single-use items are willing to pay more for items that are ethically sourced and reusable, and the industry is listening to these claims by offering more eco-friendly and sustainable promos than ever before.

Moreso than aligning with a particular product or brand, consumers are shifting their focus on practices that reflect their values. These ideas can be adapted to traditional promo products – reusable drinkware, for example – but it can also extend to apparel by shifting the focus away from cheaply made synthetics toward a sturdy design that’s built to last for years. You can also rethink your packaging – ASI Media’s 2022 Product of the Year – as a way to minimize your carbon footprint.

Promo as a Lifestyle Choice
Your customers go to great lengths to cultivate a specific image for their brand, especially when posting to social media and creating content for their website and other channels. As a distributor, you can tap into this sense of strong brand identity by selling products as specific lifestyle choices, rather than simply as practical tools.

The way you frame your offerings to clients will go a long way in shaping their opinions on them. Let’s use a stainless steel tumbler as an example. This is a common promo item that can come across as unnecessary if it’s described plainly and displayed with just a plain white background. However, by twisting the narrative slightly and selling it as a sustainable alternative to plastic that’s perfect for hiking or trips to the beach, you’ve painted a picture in your customer’s mind that will more closely align with their brand identity.

Brand Names for the Win
Tying into promo as a lifestyle choice is end-users’ propensity to trust brand name promo products, and for good reason. More often than not, they are made of high-quality materials that are built to last and evoke strong feelings of trust and dependability in the marketplace. Customers are more than happy to pay a premium to associate themselves with well-known names in apparel and tech. Many of these products are the focus of our annual Gift Book catalog, which highlights high-end gift and rewards items.

More Than Meets the Eye
At the core of the promotional products industry is the idea that promo is a lot more than just “stuff” – you’re not necessarily marketing the product, you’re marketing the brand associated with the product. And considering that end-users tend to hold on to promos for a year or longer and can recall brands at a higher rate from promo than other forms of marketing, it’s safe to say that these strategies work. While conveying these ideas might be a little more complex than can be expressed in a single phone call or email, it’ll be an easy task to foster trusted relationships if you speak to these truths and express how mutually beneficial promo is for everyone.

Interested in learning more strategies that’ll help debunk promo stereotypes? Join the conversation on our members-only Facebook page.