Archive for the ‘News’ Category
bpma Survey:Merchandise Delivers ROI
Tuesday, September 27th, 2011
Merchandise can deliver higher or equal ROI than any other form of advertising
New statistics show conclusive link
Key findings:
- Promotional merchandise can deliver a higher or equal ROI than TV, radio, outdoor and print advertising
- 66% of respondents said they could remember the brand on the promotional product they received during the last year
- 79% said they were likely to do business with the company in the future
- 8 out of 10 (84 per cent) respondents said that a branded promotional gift increases brand awareness
- Over three quarters (87 per cent) of recipients said they kept a promotional gift for longer than 12 months
- Over half (56 per cent) of respondents said their opinion of the brand/company was more favourable after receiving the promotional product
The first ever in-depth independent national survey into the power of promotional merchandise in the UK questioned businessmen and women about their behavioural trends and preferences for different promotional gifts.
One of the most significant findings of the survey is that promotional merchandise can deliver a higher ROI than radio and outdoor advertising and a ROI that is equal to TV and print advertising. The cost per impression for a mug is £0.001, a mid-range pen £0.001, a calendar £0.004, a USB stick £0.005 and an umbrella £0.003. With an average cost per impression of £0.003, these figures compare extremely favourably with the cost per impression of other media with TV coming in at £0.008, radio at £0.003 and advertising hoardings at £0.003.
Stephen Barker, BPMA board director, said: “These figures show that promotional merchandise is a highly cost-effective form of promotion which gives a ROI that is higher or equal to all other forms of media. While radio and advertising hoardings have a relatively comparable cost per impression, they have a higher cost of entry than promotional items, requiring far larger sums to be spent to achieve this cost per impression. With an average cost per impression of £0.003 promotional items achieve a comparable ROI to media requiring a much larger outlay and it enables companies with a modest marketing budget to punch above their weight in terms of the level of exposure achieved.
The survey also examined how much the respondents opinion changed after receiving a promotional item, giving a measure of how such products can affect feelings, perceptions and buying activity. Over half (56 per cent) of respondents said they felt more favourable towards the brand/company. When asked how much more or less likely they were to do business with the company in the future after receiving the promotional item over three-quarters (79 per cent) said they were more likely.
Stephen Barker commented: “This is further evidence of the link between promotional merchandise, branding and sales. Promotional merchandise influences purchases and repeat exposure to a brand has a positive effect on how business people react to that brand.”
While over four-fifths (84 per cent) of respondents stated that a branded promotional gift increases awareness of the brand, 63 per cent of respondents said they preferred to receive a promotional gift with logo branding on and 37 per cent indicated that they prefer to receive an unbranded gift.
Nearly half (45 per cent) of people surveyed would most like to receive a USB stick, while 39 per cent would like a pen, 39 per cent an electrical item and 36 per cent a mug.
The reasons for these choices are clear, as when asked what types of promotional gift they found most useful over half (64 per cent) stated a USB stick, 61 per cent a writing instrument and 54 per cent a mug.
Stephen Barker continues: “Usefulness is one of the core reasons for people retaining promotional merchandise and is a key factor in it being used time and time again, providing an ongoing reminder of the brand that gave it.”
18 per cent of respondents stated that they had kept a mug for the longest period of time, 15 per cent a USB stick and 12 per cent a pen, with around one-third (33 per cent) indicating they had kept an item for between one and two years and 30 per cent between three and four years, highlighting that around 87 per cent of recipients had kept a promotional item for longer than 12 months.
The impact of promotional merchandise on the recipient is shown by the items that respondents remember receiving in the last 12 months, with 44 per cent recalling receiving a pen, 34 per cent a mug and 31 per cent a calendar, with USB sticks and stationery coming in at 22 per cent and 18 per cent respectively.
Stephen Barker concludes: “The results of the survey unequivocally demonstrate the value that should be placed on promotional products as a key part of the marketing mix. Not only do promotional products make positive impressions on all those who see them, but the message is reinforced every time the product is used and contributes to the user’s needs and wellbeing. No other form of media can give the advertiser such a close tie between the benefits to the user and the brand and message. The findings also provide information that can help marketers tailor their promotional products even more specifically in order to make their promotional spend still more effective.”
- The online survey was commissioned by the BPMA and was carried out in Summer 2011 by ActionPoint Marketing Solutions Ltd.
- A UK wide study was conducted of a randomly selected set of 14,728 adults, who were screened on receiving promotional items at either work or home. Students and people under 21 were excluded.
- Of the 517 responses received there were 254 female respondents and 263 male respondents from across a range of sectors including manufacturing, retail, IT/ Communications, media, finance and education. Job titles included Chairman/MD, manager, director, executive , pa, administrator.
Savoy Location For Key Suppliers
Monday, June 17th, 2013
Trade Only Ltd played host at the Savoy Hotel, London recently for their annual key supplier lunch.
Guests met and networked over pre-dinner drinks and canapés which were served in the Savoy Museum.
This was followed by lunch in the D’Oyly Carte Room of the Savoy Grill, overlooking the famous Savoy courtyard entrance.
After a great meal, coffee and petits-fours, many guests moved on to the world famous American Bar, one of London’s favourite meeting spots and one of the most iconic cocktail bars in the world.
Andrew Hill, Senator -“Superb venue, great food, and a convivial atmosphere appreciated by everyone.”
Stephen Taylor, Sweet Concepts -“A really lovely lunch, great venue and fantastic company.”
Anna Gill, Michael Virden -“An amazing lunch – the food and wine were both excellent and the glorious setting was such a treat. I welcomed the opportunity to chat to other suppliers without other distractions and also to hear news and views.”
Tony Lock, Pencarrie – “A very enjoyable occasion at an excellent location. It was nice to have the opportunity to meet, which made a very pleasant event”
Tracey Bowen, PF Concept –“A very enjoyable day yesterday. What can I say, great venue, great food and great company! It was really good to catch up with everyone.”
Featured extensively in the recent semi-finals of BBC 1’s MasterChef, The Savoy Grill is without doubt one of London’s legendary restaurants, 
frequented by celebrated diners such as Sir Winston Churchill, Oscar Wilde, Frank Sinatra, Charlie Chaplin, Elizabeth Taylor, Rex Harrison, Doris Day, Ivor Novello and Marilyn Monroe. The restaurant is now overseen by Chef Patron Stuart Gillies, of Gordon Ramsay Holdings, and Head Chef Andy Cook,
One of the world’s iconic hotels, The Savoy has just completed the most ambitious hotel restoration in British history. Originally opened in 1889, The Savoy has played host to royalty, world leaders and legends of the stage and screen.
The impresario Richard D’Oyly Carte chose the location for a new theatre to stage the famous operettas written by his friends Gilbert and Sullivan. He decided to call his new building the Savoy Theatre, and the productions were known henceforth as the Savoy Operas. D’Oyly Carte spent a lot of time producing their shows in America. He was so impressed with the new hotels he stayed in there, that he decided to build his own hotel back in London. The new Savoy on the river took five years to build and opened on August 6, 1889. It caused a sensation. The first true luxury hotel in London, The Savoy was the first to be lit by electricity and had the first electric lifts, known as ‘ascending rooms’.
D’Oyly Carte tempted the well-known hotel manager César Ritz to join his new wonder hotel. He brought in Auguste Escoffier, leading ‘celebrity chef’ of his day, to run the kitchens. In the early years, Savoy guests included
Sarah Bernhardt and Dame Nellie Melba, for whom Escoffier famously created Melba Toast when she was on a diet and Pêches Melba when she was not. Artists Whistler and Monet both used views from Savoy windows in their work. Oscar Wilde stayed with his friend Lord Alfred Douglas. The Prince of Wales and his coterie were frequent visitors.
The stars of stage and screen loved The Savoy. England’s own Vivien Leigh was first introduced to her future husband Laurence Olivier in the hotel. From America came Hollywood greats such as Al Jolson, Errol Flynn and Katharine Hepburn and from France, Josephine Baker and Coco Chanel. Winston Churchill frequently lunched with his cabinet at the hotel during World War II and attended his Savoy dining club, The Other Club, until his death in 1965. Princess Elizabeth was first seen with Lt. Philip Mountbatten in public at a Savoy reception. When the Princess became the Queen a few years later, The Savoy threw quite the largest and most lavish Coronation Ball in London.
The new Elizabethan age saw a fresh generation of actors, film stars and politicians at The Savoy. Among the most glamorous: Elizabeth Taylor, 
Sophia Loren and Marilyn Monroe. The Savoy swung into the 1960s with guests ranging from Louis Armstrong, Marlon Brando and Jane Fonda to The Beatles and Bob Dylan. On 15th December 2007, The Savoy closed its doors for the first time in history to undergo a complete restoration and reopened on 10th October 2010.
The hotel’s rich history has been preserved in one of the largest hotel archives in the world. For the first time, these archives are now on show in the new Savoy Museum. The showcases and photography are designed to give guests a taste of The Savoy’s past with original guest cards, menus, photographs and objets on display. Highlights include a first edition of Harry Craddock’s Savoy Cocktail Book, Noel Coward’s lighter and cigarette case and Marlene Dietrich’s guest card showing her request that 12 pink roses and a bottle of Dom Perignon be in her room when she arrived.
