Merchandise: the death of the wooden squirrel

Margot Parker, board director and European spokesperson for the British Promotional Merchandise Association, discusses the relevance of the promotional products that we find in our offices.

A completely useless and charmless 'wooden squirrel' was immortalised by comedienne Catherine Tate and passed around as an unwanted gift among her inimitable characters to be dismissed and cursed by all.

Although this made for brilliant comic material perhaps they all had a point.

Being useful, valuable and relevant are three concepts that take a more prominent role in our daily vocabulary when discussing products and consumer goods kept in our homes.

In an age of climate change, pressure to recycle and rising property prices, we have limited space and availability in our homes and lives for things we don't need or use.

What many people don't realise is that the promotional marketing industry, whether it be a promotional T-shirt, a pen or a DVD included with your Sunday newspaper, is worth £20 billion annually and is fuelled by clever ideas.

Look at your desk and count how many items on it fall under the promotional merchandise category.

The branded folder? The pen from the exhibition you visited or the branded note pad? Your own company branded merchandise? There is no doubt a lot more.

The promotional merchandise industry has moved with the times.

In an age where quality is becoming a prerequisite for acceptability, products falling under this category have a much more important role than ever before.

Consumer attention has never been more difficult to capture at a time of mass marketing crazes.

Promotional merchandise now has a role far beyond the experience to which it is attached.

Well-chosen, high-quality merchandise is retained and acts as a reminder of the product, service or event it promoted.

It is an incentive for future loyalty to the brand.

Consumers are also more discerning than ever before, so cheap pens or oversized poorly produced T-shirts simply won't cut it.

On this point the quality of promotional clothing has upped the stakes to compete with fashion trends.

Why? The answer is simple: consumers won't wear something if they're not going to feel good about wearing it.

A stylish peak cap, branded leather wristband or a quality winter fleece are great examples of what consumers will retain and enjoy.

The idea behind promotional merchandise is that is has to be useful and reflective of the brand it's promoting as well as to act as a positive reminder in future.

Otherwise it has failed.

Marketers are now asking themselves how consumers will feel when they pick up the product or garment six months down the line, long after their promotion or event.

Will the hand towel that came with expensive perfume still be in good condition? Is that branded corkscrew something that will be kept and used for years to come? This only has further implications for brands down the line so the obvious choice is quality and relevance for the end user.

Perhaps the ugly wooden squirrel can be used as firewood? But who will remember it then, and what it stood for?.

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