Promotional merchandise, or swag, has long been a staple in the marketing world. From free t-shirts at conferences to branded water bottles, swag offers a tangible way to connect with potential customers and build brand awareness. But in today’s data-driven marketing landscape, simply handing out cool stuff isn’t enough. You need to be able to measure the return on investment (ROI) of your swag campaigns.
In the fast-paced world of marketing, every penny counts. When it comes to promotional merchandise, you want to ensure your investment is generating real results. But how do you measure the success of a swag campaign and quantify the return on investment?
Fear not, merch enthusiasts! There’s a whole host of handy methods you can use to elevate your swag from stylish to strategic and report on the success of your merchandise campaigns.
This guide will equip you with the tools to track and measure the effectiveness of your promotional campaigns, proving the power of your branded merchandise.
Setting SMART Goals
Before diving into metrics, establish clear SMART goals for your campaign. Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound. Are you aiming to increase brand awareness, generate leads, or drive website traffic? Clearly defined goals will guide your measurement strategy and support you in making the right choices to achieve your campaign objectives.
Tracking Techniques
Here’s a toolbox of methods to track your swag’s success:
- Branded URLs, QR Codes, and NFC chips: Emblazoning unique URLs or QR codes on your swag will give you the ability to monitor website traffic or conversions generated through these codes to track the lasting impact of your merchandise. A number of our tech items include NFC chips that will guide recipients to a URL of your choice when in close proximity to a smartphone.
- Social Media Tracking: Encourage recipients to share photos of your swag in use, or to engage using a hashtag. This gauges brand exposure and audience engagement.
- Lead Capture Forms: Offer exclusive content or discounts in exchange for contact information when users interact with your swag (e.g. scanning a QR code on a product). This allows for lead generation and audience building.
- Event Check-Ins: Using merch as an event incentive? Why not track the number of attendees who check-in with your swag in-hand. This provides a direct connection between merchandise distribution and event participation.
Making the Most of NFC
NFC can be used to engage with customers whenever they use your merch. When a customer taps their phone on your NFC-enabled merchandise, they’ll be directed to a landing page of your choosing, meaning you can provide more information about your business, a special offer, video content, or anything else you can dream up.
You can even reprogram the NFC tag to link to a new landing page, extending the useful life of your merch.
Merch Metrics that Matter
Once you have your tracking methods in place, analyse the data to understand your campaign’s effectiveness. Here are key metrics to consider:
- Cost per Acquisition (CPA): This measures the cost of acquiring a new customer or lead through your swag campaign. Divide your total campaign cost by the number of leads/customers acquired.
- Brand Awareness: Analyse social media engagement/sentiment, website traffic, or survey results to gauge how much brand awareness your swag generated.
- Brand Recall: Conduct surveys after a campaign to see how well recipients remember your brand after receiving your swag.
Beyond The Numbers
While quantifiable metrics are crucial, consider qualitative factors too. Customer feedback can offer valuable insights into the effectiveness and perceived value of your swag.
Maximising ROI:
By analysing data and feedback, you can refine your future campaigns.
- Optimise Product Selection: Choose items that resonate with your target audience and align with your campaign goals.
- Personalisation Matters: Consider personalisation options like names or logos to enhance gifting experience and brand recall.
- Track Long-Term Impact: Monitor website traffic or social media mentions over time to see how long the impact of your swag lasts.
Sustainable Swag = Sustainable ROI
Many sustainable products are conversation starters; choosing the right items can generate many long-term brand impressions over the product’s life, when compared to disposable or uninspiring options, potentially leading to a higher ROI over time.
Track Environmental Impact
While not a direct ROI metric, consider tracking the environmental impact of your sustainable swag compared to traditional options. This could involve metrics like reduced plastic use (e.g. number of plastic bottles saved by using reusable water bottles) or lower carbon footprint (e.g. percentage reduction in CO2 emissions compared to traditional swag production). In line with our Climate Pledge, we’ll tell you how many trees are planted and the CO2e avoidance associated with every order you place – great for contributing to ESG objectives!
The Sustainability Advantage
Looking to justify the shift to sustainable merch? Why not track the rate of ‘sell-through’ versus past campaigns using traditional items? Sustainable products that effectively convey sustainable values are desirable and can attract greater uptake. One of the benefits of utilising our Gifting Hubs is that we can track exactly which items perform well with your customers, to help inform your future decisions.
By incorporating these elements, you can demonstrate that sustainability isn’t just about environmental responsibility but can also be a strategic choice that contributes to a positive ROI for your merchandise campaigns.
Let’s chat about your specific needs!
Contact our merchandise experts to discuss how we can create a customised, sustainable promotional merchandise campaign that tracks results and drives success for your business.
