The most important decision to make when considering a Gift with Purchase (GWP) promotional gift is to use either a recognised retail brand product or to use something totally unique and custom made and designed for the specific campaign.
Either option can be beneficial depending on the goals for the specific campaign.
The benefits associated with using a well-known retail brand product as part of the incentive is obvious because the association with a brand can assist in establishing a positive image and also have a potentially higher perceived value.
Popular brand names can assist in cutting through to the end user when the appropriate retail brand is selected for a specific niche market. As an example brands such Nike, Sporte Leisure, Slazenger, Tiger Woods and Greg Norman can spend considerable amounts of money in advertising their brands so by using their products as part of a GWP campaign makes lots of sense and can increase the popularity of the product being promoted.
Benefits of Using a Retail Brand Gift:
– Perceived High Value by Niche Market
– Possible New Trend/ Fashion Appeal
– Large Retail Marketing Budgets Promoting the Product
– Alignment of a Product with Recognised, Respected Brands

At JEM Promotional Products we have many GWP item options available to our clients that can range from retail brand items through to fully custom made promotional items sourced off-shore.
Locally warehoused merchandise gift items can also be successfuly used as part of GWP campaigns. JEM Promotional Products are able to provide well known brand retail names that can be used as GWP items or Loyalty and Incentives Programs.
Gift With Purchase items can range greatly in cost from inexpensive items such as is the case with toys usually included with MacDonald’s Happy Meals, through to high dollar value such as a Gift Pack which may include a Bottle of Wine and Gourmet Chocolates, when a new car such as a BMW is purchased. It really depends on the specific goals of the marketer and the desired outcomes for the campaign.
Some important questions to be asked are:
Is the gift item simply a client retention/loyalty program or is the aim to generate additional new sales based on the GWP item?
If the latter is the aim then the promotional gift must be effective in connecting with its niche market.
Some of the Benefits of Using A Custom Made GWP Promotional Item:
– Fully Customised to a Company’s Brand
– Maufactured to Specific Requirements Inluding Limited Budgets
– Bulk Buying OProviding Benefits of Economies of Scale
In opting for a GWP campaign one can look at history for some ideas and inspiration which assists in narrowing down the options.
Part of the popularity associated with GWP campaigns is possibly due to most people having memories of, as a child, reaching into a box of breakfast cereal to find their gift and the joy it brought them. It made many want to eat that cereal as soon as possible so a new box could be bought.
Another strong memory for many is the MacDonald’s Happy Meal Toy, which has for many years been collected and played with and talked about with friends at school. The receiving of a free gift is incredibly satisfying for anyone of any age so any GWP campaign is instantly at an advantage over other types of marketing.
Nowadays, the concept is still the same but the gift can range significantly, depending on the GWP campaign.
The niche market really determines the GWP item and its cost so substantial research and planning is essential well before the launch of the campaign.
Measuring the initial set up costs such as product sourcing, costs associated with the promoting of the GWP campaign as well as charges for distribution of the gifts is essential. Accurate analysis of the campaign’s effectiveness is essential from concept through to execution to determine overall success.
The promotional item must not just pay for itself with extra sales reported but must generate additional extra interest in the brand that make the marketing exercise a worthwhile venture.

The Team at JEM Promotional Products