An extraordinary experience encompasses everything.
The food, the accommodation, the interactions with staff and even the take-home mementos.
It’s the little things that all add up to make the memory unforgettable. An experience they will be excited to share on social media and recommend to their friends and family.
Giving your customers a promotional gift as a souvenir is an effective way to increase referrals, repeat business and stand out from your competitors.
In this post, you’ll learn a bit more about tips on marketing experiences and why you should be using promotional products if you’re not already.
- Tips for marketing an experience
- Benefits of gifting promotional products?
- Examples of experiences that can benefit from promotional products
- Merchandise use case examples
Tips For Marketing An Experience
1. Tell a story
Telling a story is important in selling any product or service, even more so when you’re selling an experience.
If you can have your target audience visualise themselves partaking in your experience you’re already halfway there.
Use copywriting and imagery/video that evokes the right emotions. For example, if you are marketing a sky diving experience you may want to touch on things such as “thrilling, bucket list, unreal”.
Whereas if you are marketing a group cooking class you may choose messaging that’s along the lines of “welcoming, meeting new people, friendly assistance”.
2. Utilise video and high-quality photography
It’s now easier than ever to record professional-looking videos and photos on your phone so there are no excuses.
Having the ability to post this content straight to your social media means that it’s easier than ever to speak directly with your target demographic.
If you do not have plenty of images and video available at your disposal you are 100% missing out.
3. Target the right people
The simple fact of the matter is your experience will not be for everyone, and that’s okay.
“When you speak to everyone, you speak to no one” Meredith Hill
The key is finding the right personas that resonate with your brand and understand how to speak directly with them.
If you haven’t already created personas for your brand it’s something that you will find great benefit in doing so.
4. Follow up post-purchase
Post experience follow-ups can be a goldmine for getting user-generated content or feedback about what they loved and what you can improve on.
It’s also a great opportunity to showcase your referral offers if you have them. Such as a discount when you go with a friend.
Whether this is a call, email or survey this information is invaluable and should be done to some extent.
5. Utilise social proof (reviews)
You know how great your experience is, but it’s not going to sound convincing coming from you.
So let others do the talking for you.
Using testimonials or reviews provides social proof that your experience is a good choice.
It’s why websites like Trip Advisor are so popular and why according to studies up to 56% of customers of consumers read at least 4 reviews before buying a product.
6. Sell benefits not features
This is another one that’s going to help you with selling anything.
If your business offers sky diving you’re not selling “jumping out of a plane” you’re selling the feeling of being “alive” and conquering your fears.
Alternatively, if you’re a luxury hotel you’re not selling “a nice place to sleep” you are selling relaxation, prestige and comfort.
What are the benefits of gifting promotional products?
Increased brand exposure
The simple fact of the matter is no one can buy from you if they don’t know who you are.
Increase exposure to your brand will naturally lead to more sales.
This is especially important in experiences that are not commonly known are an option.
Easily identifiable on social media/TV appearances
As experiences are something that people will commonly partake in when they’re on holiday you have probably already considered trying to market your experience on television or social media.
One easy way to stand out from the noise and increase the chance you will get remembered is using products in the media content that are customised with your brand’s logo.
This could be in the form of staff wearing a uniform, branded caps or other assorted merchandise.
Increase referrals and customer retention
A big part of the reason why promotional products are so effective is the reciprocity principle. Meaning that in many social situations we “pay back” what we receive from others.
In other words, because you have given them a gift that is seen as a favour they will feel compelled to do something in return such as recommending others or leaving a positive review.
Everyone loves receiving a gift or free things, so adding this to your experience is only going to sweeten the deal and improve their overall experience.
Branded merchandise also acts as a conversation starter that encourages the recipient to talk about the experience and hopefully recommend it.
Read more about why promotional products are important for marketing
Examples of experience brands who utilise promotional products
Here are just some possible examples of experience companies that we’ve helped create bespoke merchandise for:
- Stay in a resorts/hotels
- Getaways
- Hot air ballooning
- Massage/spa treatments
- Wine/Spirits tasting
- Tours
- Cooking classes
- Skydiving/bungee jumping
- Helicopter flights
- Cruises
- Escape rooms
- Animal encounters
- Theme parks
- Lessons
Some Examples Of Businesses That Used Promotional Products To Market Their Experience
Bungee Jumping (T-Shirt)
During a trip to New Zealand, I partook in a bucket list item of mine. Bungee jumping in Queenstown.
A memorable experience that’s for sure. And I even have the promotional shirt to prove that I did it!
Now I don’t usually wear this shirt out, but when I go to bed it always reminds me of that experience.
It’s the perfect example of a small added touch that leaves a lasting memory.
Aquarium Visit (Temporary Tattoos)
When I was younger I loved aquariums.
I still remember doing a class trip in primary school where we visited the local aquarium and got to learn about all of the different types of aquatic life and their roles in the ecosystem.
Looking back at old photos I came across one where my classmates and I had temporary tattoos applied to our shoulders. It was a free gift given out by the aquarium so that we enjoyed the experience, behaved and wanted to come back again.
I recall going back multiple times for other visits so it must have worked!
Summing Up
If you haven’t considered pairing the experiences you offer with promotional merchandise you could be missing out on a huge opportunity.
They help to increase the exposure of your brand, encourage referrals and look great on social media.
Have something in mind already or want some suggestions? Our team of experts are ready to help.
We have experience with helping organisations from all industries and can help you find the perfect product that resonates with your customers.
Matt has spent over eight years in Australia’s promotional products industry. As part of the Promotion Products marketing team, he manages product catalogues and content, keeping brands up to date with what’s new and what works. A contributor to the APPA Magazine, Matt brings practical insight into how quality merch helps businesses stand out.