Offering promotional products at your educational institution is a valuable marketing tool that can be used to generate awareness, foster unity, promote events or initiatives, ignite school spirit, and entice potential students to attend your university. Gone are the days when schools would simply pass out pens or pencils with their logo on them; in today’s world, promotional products can look like logoed drinkware, charging cables, a laptop bag, crewnecks, or a coffee mug. And the genius behind today’s promo products? The more useful the product, the longer a student, teacher, or alumni will keep it around. Before the bell rings on the new school year, the experts at The Hive share how effective promotional marketing is for schools and how beMarketing can help.
Why Promotional Marketing Is Essential
A promotional product is an effective education marketing tactic that displays your institution’s logo or message in a quick, efficient, and long-term manner. A recent study by Promotional Product Association International found that 76% of the recipients of a promotional product can remember the company’s name, whereas only 53.5% of people could recall an advertiser from a print publication. Further, 73% of recipients used the promotional product at least once a week, and 45.2% used the product at least once a day. Unlike billboards, print publications, or online advertisements, offering promo products at your school is a great way to ensure your educational organization will receive constant exposure. Below are some ideas on how you can utilize promotional items for every rung of the education ladder.
Students
Regardless of age, get your students excited about learning with products that can make their everyday life easier. Items like branded pens, backpacks, and notebooks are great options, but today, these clichéd promo products should be avoided. Instead, carefully select products that are useful and unique to your school. Planners, flash drives, and charging cables are more sought after and typically last longer. You can also utilize hoodies, T-shirts, or tote bags decorated with your logo to build school spirit during a career fair, orientation, or athletic tournament.
Teachers
While pens and pencils might not be the best promo option for students, they are an excellent choice for teachers. Celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week with calendars, mouse pads, badge holders, and tumblers to show your thankfulness.
Alumni
Your alumni are your biggest supporters. Whether you’re hosting a “Welcome to the Alumni Community” event or are moderating a networking experience, having promotional items to distribute to your graduated students is a creative way to bolster your school’s brand and reputation. T-shirts, sweatshirts, and tote bags are crowd favorites and are walking advertisements for your school. We guarantee these promotional products will be worn multiple times!
Parents and Families
What parent doesn’t want to show off the accomplishments of their children? Like your alumni, parents and family members will love swag like hoodies, logoed drinkware, and sweatpants. These can be made available on your school’s website, at a campus store, in the concession stand at events, or as a recruitment tool for prospective students and their families.
How beMarketing Can Help Your Educational Institution With Promotional Marketing
If you’ve done your homework, you know beMarketing is the premier digital marketing agency, offering several educational marketing services such as promotional marketing, search engine optimization, digital advertising, and content and social media management. If you’re ready to get started on a project or would like to learn more about how educational marketing can help your school, contact our team today.
