--- title: Are Promotional Products a Waste of Time & Money? - Inck Merchandise description: Are you concerned that promotional products are just a waste of time and money? It can be if you don't do it right. Let us show you how. image: https://hubspot.inck.com.au/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/pexels-alesia-kozik-6766091-1024x683.jpg --- [Skip to content](https://hubspot.inck.com.au/blog/are-promotional-products-a-waste-of-time-money#main-content) ![Inck Branded Merchandise Specialists](https://hubspot.inck.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/Inck-Square-Black-Clear-RGB0-1024x510.png?width=1024&height=510&name=Inck-Square-Black-Clear-RGB0-1024x510.png) - [About Us](https://www.inck.com.au/about/) - [Our Work](https://www.inck.com.au/our-work/) - [Our Approach](https://www.inck.com.au/our-approach/) - [Explore Products](https://www.inck.com.au/shop/) - [Ethical Sourcing](https://www.inck.com.au/ethical-sourcing/) - [Blog](https://www.inck.com.au/blog/) - [Contact Us](https://www.inck.com.au/contact-us/) Open main navigation Close main navigation - [About Us](https://www.inck.com.au/about/) - [Our Work](https://www.inck.com.au/our-work/) - [Our Approach](https://www.inck.com.au/our-approach/) - [Explore Products](https://www.inck.com.au/shop/) - [Ethical Sourcing](https://www.inck.com.au/ethical-sourcing/) - [Blog](https://www.inck.com.au/blog/) - [Contact Us](https://www.inck.com.au/contact-us/) 5 June 2024, 12:09:31 am AEST # Are Promotional Products a Waste of Time & Money? [Adrian Davidson](https://hubspot.inck.com.au/blog/author/adrian-davidson) Share: [facebook-f icon](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://hubspot.inck.com.au/blog/are-promotional-products-a-waste-of-time-money) [linkedin-in icon](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://hubspot.inck.com.au/blog/are-promotional-products-a-waste-of-time-money) [Twitter icon](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://hubspot.inck.com.au/blog/are-promotional-products-a-waste-of-time-money) [pinterest-p icon](http://pinterest.com/pin/create/link/?url=https://hubspot.inck.com.au/blog/are-promotional-products-a-waste-of-time-money) [envelope icon](mailto:?body=https://hubspot.inck.com.au/blog/are-promotional-products-a-waste-of-time-money) Are promotional products a waste of time and money? Yes, they can be. Let me explain…. The biggest misconception we encounter around promotional products is that they are simply a commodity item. Something to bundle in with their print orders or purchase online from a stranger.   The problem with this approach? By treating your merchandise as a discounted afterthought, you’re likely to get both a poor return on investment and potentially disengage the very audience you are setting out to attract. Want to know how to calculate the ROI on your promotional products? [Here’s something we prepared earlier.](https://www.inck.com.au/how-can-i-measure-the-roi-on-promotional-products/) So, yes – RANDOM acts of merchandising that have not been thought out and planned accordingly can be a giant waste of your time and money. In fact, audience resonance now depends on your brand standing for an awesome *idea* as much as an awesome *product* – perhaps even more so. Which is why taking a strategic approach to your merchandise marketing opens up the opportunity for  genuine engagement, greater reach and increased ROI. You are not just buying a product, as much as you are an opportunity. An opportunity to leverage your brand’s identity in a meaningful way. Whilst you might view your branded merchandise as a tangible and seemingly easily measurable marketing commodity, it is ironically the intangible aspect of this kind of marketing that might be the most valuable metric of all. **Want to create a merchandise marketing strategy that will boost engagement, make your brand stand out amongst the pack and give you excellent ROI on your promotional products? [Call  the friendly team at Inck today!](https://www.inck.com.au/contact)** [Blog](https://hubspot.inck.com.au/blog/tag/blog) ## Related posts [![](https://hubspot.inck.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/pexels-lukas-590011-1024x678.jpg?height=200&name=pexels-lukas-590011-1024x678.jpg)](https://hubspot.inck.com.au/blog/how-can-i-measure-the-roi-on-promotional-products) [branded merchandise](https://hubspot.inck.com.au/blog/tag/branded-merchandise) ## [How Can I Measure the ROI on Promotional Products?](https://hubspot.inck.com.au/blog/how-can-i-measure-the-roi-on-promotional-products) [Adrian Davidson](https://hubspot.inck.com.au/blog/author/adrian-davidson) 4 June 2024, 11:52:44 pm AEST We get this question a lot. [Read more](https://hubspot.inck.com.au/blog/how-can-i-measure-the-roi-on-promotional-products) [![](https://hubspot.inck.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/pexels-deon-black-5915351.jpg?height=200&name=pexels-deon-black-5915351.jpg)](https://hubspot.inck.com.au/blog/four-ways-promotional-products-can-trip-you-up) [button batteries](https://hubspot.inck.com.au/blog/tag/button-batteries), [branded merchandise](https://hubspot.inck.com.au/blog/tag/branded-merchandise), [electrical goods](https://hubspot.inck.com.au/blog/tag/electrical-goods) ## [Four Ways Promotional Products Can Trip You Up](https://hubspot.inck.com.au/blog/four-ways-promotional-products-can-trip-you-up) [Adrian Davidson](https://hubspot.inck.com.au/blog/author/adrian-davidson) 4 June 2024, 11:43:08 pm AEST Promotional products have been proven to be the No 1 most effective form of advertising and they... [Read more](https://hubspot.inck.com.au/blog/four-ways-promotional-products-can-trip-you-up) [![](https://hubspot.inck.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/pexels-andrea-piacquadio-840996.jpg?height=200&name=pexels-andrea-piacquadio-840996.jpg)](https://hubspot.inck.com.au/blog/source-your-promotional-products-direct-and-cut-out-the-middleman-in-5-easy-steps) [corporate social responsibility](https://hubspot.inck.com.au/blog/tag/corporate-social-responsibility), [Compliance](https://hubspot.inck.com.au/blog/tag/compliance) ## [Source your promotional products direct and cut out the middleman in 5 ‘Easy’ steps!](https://hubspot.inck.com.au/blog/source-your-promotional-products-direct-and-cut-out-the-middleman-in-5-easy-steps) [Adrian Davidson](https://hubspot.inck.com.au/blog/author/adrian-davidson) 5 June 2024, 12:06:59 am AEST Looking to save money on your branded merchandise? Check out our quick guide on how to source... 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