Give it Away Pt. 2 - Quality Marketing Materials

Bonji Hot Takes Volume 20

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Welcome back to another edition of Bonji Hot Takes! Happy Thursday, we hope your week is going well and you are excited for another fast-approaching weekend. In the past, we've talked about giving away items for free to help market your business. Although we find being generous to be a phenomenal way to bring in new customers and keep loyal customers around, giving menu items away isn't the strategy for everyone. Today, we want to discuss giving away promotional items instead of something that you usually offer!

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Give Away Those Marketing Materials Promotional items are far different from what you generally serve at your restaurant, but can truly carry a ton of weight. There are endless options when it comes to marketing materials to give away, yet we want to ensure that you aren't giving away anything you can get your hands on. When you put your logo and brand on something that you plan to give away or gift to your customers, you want to make sure that it is quality and not the cheapest thing you could buy. So many companies cheap out and get the crummiest items to give away and it never does as well as it should. Also, when a logo is too big or trying to make the item all about them, it can be a huge turnoff. Make these promotional items as calm and cool as possible. In reality, receiving a cheap pen that barely works or a drawstring bag that falls apart is simply not good for your business. On the contrary, a stainless steel water bottle or well-embroidered hat is going to carry your brand a long way. Essentially, don't take the cheap route even though it may seem like it's all the same… it's not. How many times have you gotten a free item and tossed it into the depths of your house, never to be seen again? Usually, the answer is far too many times. However, if you are gifted a nice water bottle, you are far more likely to carry that thing around with you when you go to the gym, work, or even the beach. That right there is what it's all about; getting your brand in front of as many people as possible. The gift you offer to a customer may become their go-to water bottle or hat, and you can bet they will be proud to show it off. Not only will the customer appreciate it and become a loyal customer, but people are going to ask, “where did you get that!?” It may cost you more money, but this is marketing that could last a lifetime. This especially applies to the situations when you go above and beyond and make a promotional item that actually works, lasts a long time, and is pretty darn cool!

Here is our list of some of our favorite promotional items (but remember don't take the cheap route):

• Water Bottles / Mugs

• Well-Made Clothing

• Coolers / Koozies

• Anything That You Use Daily! Get Creative!