Promotional gifts and "gift with purchase" (GWP) campaigns are strong marketing tools. They can boost consumer engagement, raise sales, and build brand loyalty. By using ideas from Byron Sharp's "How Brands Grow: What Marketers Don’t Know," we can improve these campaigns. This will help us increase their impact and effectiveness.
According to Sharp, brands grow by being easy to buy (physical availability) and by being easily recalled (mental availability). Promotional gifts should be accessible and memorable to maximise their impact.
Sharp highlights the need to connect with a wide audience. This includes light buyers who buy the brand now and then. Design promotional gifts to appeal to a wide audience to maximize reach and impact.
Use unique brand assets like logos, colours, and packaging consistently. This helps improve recognition and recall. Incorporate these assets into promotional gifts to reinforce brand identity and loyalty.
Continuous advertising and consistent use of brand elements help refresh and build memory structures. Execute promotional gift campaigns consistently to keep the brand top-of-mind.
Nissin Cup Noodles 53th Anniversary promotion: redeem Nissin Cup Noodles Sling Bag with purchase of Nissin products. Image: Nissin Foods
Nissin Cup Noodles have masterfully leveraged promotional gifts to enhance their brand's growth, making a remarkable case study in executing successful merchandising solutions. Here’s how they did it:
Nissin Cup Noodles gift-with-purchase onpack promotions: (left) free Cup Noodles Towel; (right) free CNY Deco Set. Image: Nissin Foods
Promotional Gifts: A range of creative, branded merchandise like custom Cup Noodles-themed tote bags, towels, mini cushions, cookers and even unique limited-edition flavours.
Distribution Channels: Online campaigns, in-store promotions, and special events such as road shows.
Customisation and Uniqueness: Nissin created promotional merchandise that was not only practical but also unique, encouraging customers to use these items in their everyday lives.
Nissin Cup Noodles 51st Birthday gift-with-purchase promotions: (left) free Cup Noodles Mini Cushion; (right) redeem Ching Zai Cable Tie or Ching Zai Electric Cooker with purchase of Nissin products.. Image: Nissin Foods
Limited Edition Offers: Introduced limited-edition flavors and themed merchandise, creating a sense of urgency and exclusivity.
Engagement Through Social Media: Leveraged social media platforms for wider reach, engaging customers with contests and giveaways.
Enhanced Brand Visibility: The promotional products served as everyday advertisements for Nissin, carried and used by customers in various settings.
Nissin Cup Noodles gift-with-purchase promotions: (right) free Ang Bao Se; (right) free Cup Noodles Canvas Tote Bag. image: Nissin Foods
Increased Sales: The excitement around limited edition flavors and merchandise drove up sales both directly and indirectly as customers sought out these special items.
Customer Loyalty: These creative promotional gifts fostered a deeper connection between the brand and its consumers, turning occasional buyers into brand advocates.
Social Media Buzz: Social media campaigns surrounding the merchandise releases generated significant buzz, further amplifying brand visibility and engagement.
image: Nissin Foods
Nissin’s approach exemplifies how promotional gifts, when thoughtfully crafted and strategically deployed, can significantly enhance a brand's growth by improving both its physical and mental availability, thus embodying the principles highlighted by Byron Sharp.
Innisfree Promotional gifts - Innisfree Mini Luggage, Kuromi Pouch. image: Innisfree
Innisfree has crafted a promotional strategy in Malaysia and Singapore that involves offering charming and stylish gifts that cater to its predominantly female audience. Here’s how their initiative aligns with Byron Sharp’s key principles for brand growth:
Target Audience: Women of all ages with a penchant for beauty and skincare, skincare and beauty enthusiasts.
Promotional Gifts: Fashionable items such as tote bags, puff bags, knitted bags, mini luggages, all designed in feminine colors that align with Innisfree's product colour schemes.
Distribution Channels: In-store incentives, online store promotions, member-exclusive offers.
Desirability and Relevance: Choosing gifts that are both beautiful and practical, strategically appealing to the aesthetic preferences of the female demographic.
Innisfree Promotional gifts - Innisfree Puff Bag, Innisfree Knitted Bag . image: Innisfree
Distinctive Assets: The promotional gifts feature colours and design elements that are quintessentially Innisfree, making the items instantly recognisable.
Tiered Rewards: Implemented a tiered system where the value of the gift corresponded with the purchase amount, encouraging larger purchases.
Innisfree Promotional gifts - Foldable Travel Bag, Line Friends Reusable Bag & Umbrella, Tote Bags. image: Innisfree
Brand Experience: Offering a brand experience that goes beyond the transactional nature of a purchase, adding a personal touch that resonates with their lifestyle.
Increased Perceived Value: The thoughtfully curated gifts amplified the perceived value of purchasing Innisfree products.
Broadened Appeal: The wide array of gifts catered to a diverse audience, extending its appeal across all ages.
Heightened Brand Affinity: The personal and fashionable nature of the gifts led to increased emotional attachment to the brand.
By marrying the aesthetic sensibilities of their target female audience with the strategic promotional gifts, Innisfree's campaigns in Malaysia and Singapore demonstrates an acute understanding of Byron Sharp’s principles. The brand has managed to focus on distinctiveness, relevance, and consistent positive reinforcement, creating a robust emotional tie with its customers while bolstering mental and physical availability. This approach not only boosts short-term sales but also builds a powerful narrative around the brand that cultivates long-term customer loyalty.
Edelweiss beer gift-with-purchase - Edelweiss Tulip Glass. image: Edelweiss Beer Malaysia
Edelweiss Beer has impeccably aligned its promotional strategy with Byron Sharp’s key principles for brand growth, focusing on captivating its audience through elegant and classy promotional gifts. Here's an insightful look at how their strategic initiative is making waves:
Target Audience: Consumers with a taste for premium beverages; typically adults seeking quality and sophistication in their choices.
Promotional Gifts: A selection of exquisitely designed premium items such as Tulip Glass, Edelweiss Tumbler, Bluetooth Speaker. (Read more)
Edelweiss beer promotional gifts - Edelweiss Bluetooth Speaker, Edelweiss Tumbler. image: Edelweiss Beer Malaysia
Distribution Channels: Special events, in-store promotions, and exclusive online deals.
Perceived Quality and Sophistication: Opting for promotional gifts that reflect the high standards and elegance of the Edelweiss brand, reinforcing its premium positioning.
Distinctive Brand Markers: Incorporating sophisticated design elements associated with Edelweiss into the gifts, thereby enhancing brand recognizability.
Engagement and Exclusivity: Crafting a promotional offer that feels exclusive and premium, encouraging customers to engage more deeply with the brand.
Edelweiss beer promotional gift - Edelweiss Lunch Box Set. image: Edelweiss Beer Vietnam
Elevated Brand Image: The premium nature of the gifts significantly contributed to reinforcing Edelweiss Beer’s image as a sophisticated brand.
Wider Audience Engagement: By appealing to a sense of sophistication and quality, the campaign attracted a broader yet targeted audience.
Increased Visibility: The unique and high-quality promotional items generated buzz, leading to increased brand visibility and word-of-mouth promotion.
By skilfully weaving elegance and sophistication into its promotional gifts, Edelweiss Beer’s campaigns are a testament to effectively employing Byron Sharp's principles to achieve brand growth. Through focusing on quality, exclusivity, and a distinct brand identity, Edelweiss has managed to not only appeal to its target audience's refined tastes but also to foster stronger emotional bonds, ensuring long-term brand loyalty and advocacy.
image: 7-Eleven
A savvy promotional campaign by 7-Eleven Singapore has seen a dynamic use of licensed character merchandise to lure consumers and drive sales. Employing the universal appeal of beloved characters like Kakao Friends and Crayon Shinchan, this licensing merchandise strategy adheres closely to several of Byron Sharp’s principles for brand growth, distinguishing itself as a creative and successful initiative.
Target Audience: Wide-ranging demographic with a special focus on fans of Kakao Friends and Crayon Shinchan, including families, children, and character enthusiasts.
7-Eleven KAKAO Friends licensed character merchandise. image: 7-Eleven
Promotional Items: Exclusive licensed merchandise from the popular Kakao Friends and Crayon Shinchan collections.
Mechanism: Encouraging store visits through sales of sought-after character merchandise, available only at 7-Eleven outlets.
Enriched Shopper Experience: Offering an exclusive range creates a sense of urgency and adds value to the standard convenience store visit.
Strategic Brand Partnerships: Aligning with high-profile licenses like Kakao Friends and Crayon Shinchan offers cross-promotional strength and taps into the established fan base of the characters.
7-Eleven Crayon Shinchan licensed character merchandise. image: 7-Eleven
Category Competition: Differentiating 7-Eleven from other convenience store brands by not just being a place to shop, but a destination to access exclusive products.
Drive Foot Traffic: Attraction of both regular and new customers driven by the desire for exclusive licensed goodies.
Increase Average Basket Size: Customers drawn by exclusive merchandise are more likely to make additional purchases.
Bolster Brand Affinity: Associating 7-Eleven with popular characters enhances customer affinity to the brand.
7-Eleven Singapore’s strategic use of licensed character merchandise stands out as an exemplary approach to promotional marketing that perfectly encapsulates several of Byron Sharp’s principles for building brand equity and customer loyalty. By understanding and harnessing the emotional appeal of popular characters, 7-Eleven has successfully positioned itself as more than a convenience store, but as a prime destination for exclusive merchandise. This campaign underscores the powerful impact of brand affiliation and strategic licensing on driving consumer behavior and engagement.
Conclusion
The Power of Merchandise: Building Brand Loyalty and Engagement
Why Brands Use Mascots for Their Swag—It’s Not Just Monkey Business!
Strengthen Customer Bonds, Unlock Sales Magic with Gift With Purchase (GWP) Campaigns
Stir the Branding Hot Pot: How to Stand Out With Unique Promotional Gifts This Lunar New Year
