Plan your Promo!

2026 is just around the corner and now is the time to plan for the year ahead.  It’s time to set goals and define how you’re going to achieve them.   An integral part of achieving company goals is your marketing plan and your marketing mix should include promo! 

So how do you go about planning your promo? 

-  Compile a comprehensive list of significant events, milestones and holidays.  Are you participating in any trade shows or golf tournaments?  What about a milestone number of years in business or years of service for employees?  Are you hosting any events?

 -  Understand who your target audiences are.  There could be more than one, depending on the event.  Your target audience will be employees for holiday gifts, service awards and onboarding items and your customer base will be your target audience for a gift with purchase promo. 

 -  Define your budget.  Once you have your list of events, determine a percentage of your promo budget for each and apply the percentage to your total budget.  If this is a milestone year in business and you want to use 20% of your promo budget on swag bags to be given out at an anniversary party, apply 20% to your total budget to determine the dollar value for this event’s promo.

 -  Choose promo your audience will LOVE.  If, for example, your business is a pet supply store, pet accessories such as bowls & leashes will be appropriate choices.

 -  Collaborate with the Imprint Promo Pros.  They will help you determine what promo items will fit into your budget, the minimum order quantity per item and the lead time needed to get the items in your hands in time for your event.

 Plan in advance and you won’t be stressed at the last minute or be disappointed that the perfect promo item takes more time that you have…And don’t forget, we’re always here to help!