The UK is in a crisis, we are witnessing one of the longest recessions in the history where Economic output is down by 6%. The banks are still not lending to small businesses and an estimated 30,000 businesses have closed down in 2009. And this, experts say is only the beginning. As a business, if you have made it this far, that’s great. You have probably seen some competitors fail and shrinking of the market. While the market might have shrunk, you own a bigger slice of the pie. In the end, only the fittest, the agile and the adaptive will survive.

Despite the continued economic conditions it is still essential to market your company effectively. A company without effective marketing will not continue to thrive. You may need to lessen the budget and keep the areas that are the most effective. Cutting the budget altogether may be a big mistake. A company that is not actively getting new business will not grow. As existing customers drop off, your client base will diminish, meaning that to stop marketing all together could be a fatal mistake.

This means your marketing must have greater punch. Marketing that results in success has to be targeted marketing; ensuring that you spend your entire budget in the correct market. It’s necessary for it to last a long time; so that the whole thing isn’t spend on a thirty second radio promotion. It must engage your target customers so that they notice your company and understand how to contact the business. Finally, it must have an impact on your target customers; you must tell them the reasons they need to go to you instead of a competing business.

This could seem like a lot from any strategy of marketing, yet I’m about to show you one way that includes every one of these components. This way is used by nearly every business that has achieved success on this earth and currently the web has become so broadly utilized that this way is even simpler to use for your business. The solution rests in promotional merchandise.

Promotional merchandise is when a product branded with your logo and possibly company details is given to your target audience. There are thousands of different products to choose from and you should choose the ones that reflect your brand or the target audience. Every one loves a freebie and this method of advertising can be surprisingly effective. You get to choose exactly who you want to give the merchandise to and these people take your products home or to their offices – right where other customers probably are! Promotional merchandise does not have to be expensive. There are products on the market from 8p. Do you know of any advertising method that starts out so cheap and is still this effective?

This is not only a good strategy for customer acquisition but is a great method of retaining and rewarding your existing client base. Corporate gifts not only reinforce your brand, but keep them within your clients view all the time. This boosts customer loyalty and greatly increases the life time value of your customer for your business.

Liz Logan is the managing director of Phoenix Corporate Gifts. You can read more about her writing at promotional merchandise and don’t forget to check out the Corporate clothing.