Promotional Items

Promotional items are retail merchandise products that are used in marketing. In most cases, these items are customized with a company’s logo, name, and contact information. Most companies choose to give away these products for free in order to encourage customers to take these items home. We are your one-stop-shop for all your promotional business products and business promotional items needs.

The first promotional products date back to 1789, when commemorative buttons were used during a George Washington election campaign. By the 1800s, calendars and other simple promotional products were often used to promote businesses. Today, promotion using retail products is big business, and there are many things that current promotional items can do for your business:

• Build brand recognition. When your customers and potential customers see your logo and business name on promotional business items like hats, shirts, pens and other products, they become familiar with your brand name. Even customers who don’t consciously remember the brand logo and name may feel more comfortable with your brand identity when they are ready to buy. Promotional items generate the kind of brand awareness that is vital for any business to thrive.
• Create new customers. Promotional products, because they are free to customers, are sometimes passed on. A customer may lend your promotional pen to someone who isn’t familiar with your company, in effect passing on your marketing message to others.
• Encourage repeat business. If your customer needs your help or your services and your name and contact information is right on the customer’s refrigerator (in the form of a magnet) or on the customer’s keychain, that customer is far more likely to call you rather than a competitor. Calling you is simply more convenient and your promotional item has likely reminded the customer that you are available. Promotional business products simply leave a strong impression on the psyche of your potential customers.
• Expanding your presence. Having effective promotional items can be like standing beside your customers a few times a day, offering your marketing message. You can’t always be present to remind a customer of your services, but promotional items that are used and seen each day are there when you aren’t.
• Get into customer’s homes. The exciting thing about promotional products is that they are used and kept. While fliers and advertisements are usually thrown away as “junk mail” customers are very likely to keep promotional items they like, and that means that your marketing message can get inside customers’ homes – and stay there. Repeated usage of promotional business items goes a long way to encourage brand loyalty as well.
• Develop brand identity. If you want to develop your image as an adventurous or sporty company, you can have buy promotional sports equipment. If you want your company to seem high-tech, you can have your company logo and contact information emblazoned on USB devices or other tech gadgets. There are many promotional products to choose from, and you can select the products that promote the image of your company you want to promote.
• Create guerilla marketing or viral marketing campaigns. Many businesses are relying on viral and guerilla marketing campaigns, which use unusual marketing tactics and promotions to make marketing messages travel further. Promotional products can be a big part of these campaigns.

Today, most businesses hire companies to design and create promotional items. With newer technology, the process of imprinting logos and designs on clothing, pens, and other items has really improved, and this means better-quality promotional products that better reflect the high quality of your company. The range of promotional items that can be used has also expanded. Now, you can use a very wide range of promotional business items for your give-aways and promotions, and all these products can be imprinted with your logo, contact information, business name and more:

• Office supplies. Above and beyond the traditional pens and pencils that have been used as promotional business items for years, companies now use USB sticks, calendars, rulers, clipboards, mouse pads, memo holders, coffee mugs, business card cases, and other items as promotional business products.
• Clocks. Clocks, wristwatches, clock radios, and even timers are some of the most useful promotional business items because these items are so functional that customers rarely throw them out. Customers also tend to check clocks several times a day, so it is possible that customers will be seeing your logo and company name a great deal.
• Small personal accessories. Small items such as key chains, magnets, manicure kits, grooming kits, and buttons are still attractive because they are easy to imprint with your logo and are usually quite inexpensive.
• Clothing and accessories. Tote bags, knapsacks, t-shirts, lapel pins, hats, shirts, shorts, aprons and other clothing items make great promotional products because they can turn your customers into walking billboards for your business. When ordering these products, however, it is a good idea to buy a selection of sizes, in many cases.
• Travel and exercise gear. Golf balls, stress balls, luggage tags, umbrellas, beer mugs, car emergency kits, CD cases, coolers, fanny packs, folding chairs, water bottles, wine bottle openers and other similar items are very popular in this category. Customers who travel or exercise are likely to see your promotional items each day, making your marketing message more effective.

Promotional Products

Successful marketing with promotional products – retail products such as hats or pens with a company logo imprinted on them – is not automatic. While many businesses selling promotional products insist that promotional items all but sell your business, the reality, most experts agree, is that you need a solid plan in order to make your marketing campaign with these products a success.

It is true that promotional items can help you build brand recognition and can even help you get repeat business, but if you want these perks you will have to do more than just order a few pens with your company name on them. In fact, you may even want to consider whether promotional products are really right for you and your company. In general, you will fare best with this method of marketing if:

• You are a business with repeat customers. If you tend to see little repeat business, getting your marketing message into the homes of established customers may not be as effective as generating fresh leads. If your business calls for little repeat business but you want to try marketing with promotional items anyway, at least focus on clothing items, which is visible to new customers. On the other hand, if your company has the potential to generate repeat business, promotional products might be a great option because they remind your existing customers to call you back.
• You have opportunity to give away your products. In general, you will want to give away your promotional items to existing customers. This will be easier if you mail items through the mail, visit trade shows or other events with customers, or see customers face to face.
• The cost of the promotional products will be more than covered in the business the products bring in. While promotional products can seem fun, they are ultimately about the bottom line. You will need to do some market research to determine how much business your promotional products are bringing in and then consider how much money you are spending on the items. You then need to make sure that you aren’t spending more on promotion than you are earning in new business.
• You are willing to invest in promotional products that are of high quality. Cheap products give a bad impression of your business. Also, if your give-aways break or fail to work properly, they are likely to end up in the garbage, and they can’t spread your marketing message from there. Try out promotional products before you invest in them and always buy from reputable companies. Look for products that reflect the quality of your company.
• You are willing to invest in promotional products that make sense. Ideally, your freebies will somehow tie in with your company. If you work in the IT industry, you might want to give away computer accessories. If you are a florist, you might want to give away gardening supplies. Staying within your field makes your marketing message congruent with the product and builds your brand.
• You are willing to start small and build. Try a small batch of products first and see whether they actually improve revenue and customer response. Every customer likes getting a free item, but will that actually translate into more business? Order small quantities and test your results before you invest. It’s possible to spend many thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars on promotional products for your customers. Just remember that your goal in this investment is to get a great return on your investment. If promotional items are not working for you, consider a different approach or different promotional products.
• You are willing to match promotional products with outstanding customer service. Promotional products only really work if a customer has great associations in doing business with your company. If a customer can look at a pen or hat with your name on it and remember a great customer experience, that customer is more likely to call you back for repeat business. If, however, a customer has had a bad customer experience, seeing your company name and logo on a promotional product will only remind the customer of that negative experience and reinforce the negative image the customer has of your product. This can lead to some challenging and even embarrassing situations. Some customers, for example, deface or alter promotional products in order to express a dislike of a company. Some even create their own parodies of well-known promotional products from large companies in order to protest the policies of a specific brand. This is definitely not the sort of promotion you want. You can avoid this problem by simply pairing your promotional product campaigns with a genuine and effective plan for great customer service. That way, your promotional products will simply reinforce the positive feelings your brand identity already elicits.

Corporate Gifts

Corporate gifts are often confused with promotional products. While both these items are customized products that are given away, and while both products can help you in marketing your company, the actual design and use of these items are quite different. Promotional items are mass produced items, embossed with your company logo, name, and corporate information. These products are given out to your customers and potential customers. The aim is to get the products out to as many customers as possible to spread your marketing message. Corporate gifts, on the other hand, are given out to only top customers and companies your business works with. These gifts are usually emblazoned with the company or customer’s name, not your name. While promotional products can vary in quality and tend to be smaller items, corporate gifts tend to be luxury items of nicer quality. Good quality plaques, clocks, luxury custom pen sets, and other gifts are usually chosen. The aim of promotional items is to promote your company, but the point of corporate gifts is to thank a business you work with or to show your appreciation for a top customer. One thing that many companies struggle with in terms of corporate gifts is the idea that these items do not have the company name and logo on them. If these items are to be used to market your company, many companies argue, shouldn’t they have your logo on them? The truth is, corporate gifts are often sent out or given out at special events or to mark milestones. They are accompanied by a note expressing your appreciation for the recipient. This alone will generally ensure that the recipient will remember you when looking at the gift. After all, your loved ones don’t place their names on the gifts they give you but you generally remember which gifts you have received from whom. The idea with corporate gifts is that you do not want your marketing message to be too overt or pushy. At the very most, you may include a very small, tasteful logo of your company somewhere on the gift. But you should consider this carefully – is it really necessary? When in doubt, just make certain that the recipient’s name is on the gift. Corporate gifts can make great marketing tools and can be a good way to retain business – even if these items do not include your logo and company name. If you want to use gifts to their best advantage, follow these action steps to success: * Research before you buy. Some companies have strict policies about the types of gifts that can be accepted by employees and the value of gifts that can be accepted. If you are giving corporate gifts to a business, make sure that the company’s policies allow for the gift. You might want to research what types of gifts are popular as well. If everyone if getting pen sets this year, your own will not stand out. * Make it thoughtful. Unlike promotional items, corporate gifts are not mass giveaways, usually. Take the initiative and give a thoughtful gift – it will make a much better expression. Consider the client or customer’s tastes, interests, work, and hobbies and select a gift that is appropriate. * Make it appropriate. Be careful about giving gifts that might make things awkward with a client or customer. Never give an extravagant gift in circumstances that might make the gift seem to be bribery. Always give gifts to clients you have a good relationship with. Giving gifts to someone with whom you have strained relationships is often awkward. Avoid sending gifts that seem to suggest anything other than professional regard. Avoid sending items that seem to be too intimate. Your goal is to nurture your professional relationship with a customer or client. You don’t want to send a gift that will make someone feel uncomfortable in any way. * Choose the right time. Avoid sending gifts during a bidding process, right before a client has to make a decision on a deal, or just before any key business decision. It is important that your gift never seem like a bribe. * Create the impression that the gift is coming direct from you and is being sent personally. You may have your gift professionally customized, wrapped and delivered, but you do want to give the impression that you are actually thinking about the client when you send the gift. Sign your name on the card yourself, at the very least, and add a few lines outlining what exactly you appreciate about the client or business. * Be aware of cultural differences. If you are sending corporate gifts to companies or clients overseas, research possible cultural differences before sending something that might be inappropriate. * Think quality. Always purchase the highest quality promotional items you can afford for corporate gifts. Inexpensive gifts reflect badly on your company. It is better to send fewer quality gifts than send lots of low-quality gifts that leave a bad impression. Spend time on wrapping the gift. Corporate gifts should be beautifully wrapped, in most cases, emphasizing the quality and the importance of the gift. Spend a little extra on a professional service if you need to get the job done right. Some gifts, such as plaques, are presented without wrapping.

Business Gifts

Business gifts are usually promotional items that are imprinted with a company’s name, logo, and contact information. These items are given for free to customers or potential customers. The idea is that once these gifts are in customer homes, they will remind customers to call you when they need your services or products again. Studies have shown that business gifts can be very effective in drumming up new business and encouraging repeat business. However, to get maximum impact from these marketing tools, you need to:

1. Make it easy to find you. Nike is famous for its swoosh, but their product is easily found in just about every sports store. Your product or service is probably not as prevalent and that means that you need to make it easy for clients and customers to find you. When you buy your business gifts, don’t just get your gifts imprinted with your logo. Make sure that your business name, contact information, and maybe an informative tagline are also included. Anyone looking at your gifts should clearly understand what your company does and where to find you.
2. Think visibility. When choosing business gifts, consider those things that people tend to see each day. These items will make your business name and marketing message most visible. Golf balls are nice give-aways, but how often will someone see them?
3. Consider quality. Low-quality business gifts are much, much worse than no gifts at all. If you can’t afford high quality gifts, find another marketing method. Low-quality promotional products give the impression that your company cuts corners and that’s not the image you want your customers to have.
4. Make it memorable. Everyone gets the same business gifts over and over. This can mean that some gifts get thrown in a drawer or even tossed out. That’s your marketing dollars being thrown out with the trash. Avoid this pitfall by choosing interesting gifts people will actually want to use.
5. Take a look at the numbers. The cost of business gifts can really add up, so it is imperative to set a budget, consider where you can most effectively give away your product, and set up market research to ensure that your efforts are paying off. If your business gifts are not bringing in more money, it’s time to change your strategy.
6. Combine your business gift efforts with other promotions. Consider offering a free gift with a new product or a service that’s on sale. Consider matching give-aways with a customer appreciation week or with better customer service. Combining your efforts can make your gifts more memorable.

Marketing Gifts

Many companies are reluctant to promote their business with marketing gifts because these gifts, on the surface, are more expensive than advertisements or other forms of promotion. Marketing gifts, however, have plenty of advantages over other forms of advertising:

• They get past customer wariness. Businesses are often upset when customers refer to carefully planned advertisements as “junk mail” but customers are inundated with ads and marketing messages every day. To avoid overwhelm, many customers have set up strong internal filters to filter out ads and many customers regularly toss circulars and advertising without reading it. Marketing gifts get pass this resistance to marketing messages because everyone loves a gift and even the most adamant circular disposer will keep an item that is useful. Getting customers to listen to marketing messages using traditional advertising can be harder, but marketing gifts make it possible to make your marketing message stand out.
• The last longer. Even if a customer decides to keep a circular or other ad, chances are that it will eventually be tossed. The shelf life of marketing gifts, however, is much longer. Customers are simply unlikely to toss something that is useful and generally will keep using the product while it is useful. To put it simply, as long as that pen with your company information keeps working, chances are good someone will keep seeing your marketing message. Compare this to ads, which only run for as long as you pay for advertising space.
• They encourage viral marketing. Marketing items are free and so are more likely to be passed on. Customers may drop off a marketing gift they don’t want at a local thrifty shop, pass it on to a child or otherwise put it in the hands of someone else who may see your company information.
• They are great for brand building. Every time a customer uses your marketing gift, he or she is reminded of your company, even on a subconscious level. This helps build familiarity. Every time that someone sees a customer using your marketing product, that can be an opportunity to create a new customer and generate new business.

Of course, succeeding with marketing gifts is more than just ordering some freebies. You need to carefully consider which gifts will make the best impression on your customers and which gifts fit your budget without compromising quality. Marketing gifts are an investment, and you need to compare many options and do your research to get the best return on your investment.

Executive Gifts

Executive gifts serve many functions and can even mean different things in different contexts. These gifts can be:

• Gifts given to the boss for special occasions such as birthdays or holidays
• Gifts give to employees for special events or occasions
• Gifts given to special clients and customers as tokens of appreciation

Whatever the occasion and whoever the recipient, however, executive gifts tend to have a few things in common. They tend to consider the person being offered the gift. The employee who loves to golf, for example, may be given a set of golf clubs or some special golf accessory. In some cases, executive gifts are even customized with the recipient’s name. These gifts also tend to be of good quality and tend to be items that are appropriate to an office setting. Nice pen sets and stationary accessories are popular executive gift choices, for example. If you need to select executive gifts, there are many options for you to choose from:

• Letter openers. Letter openers are quite practical gifts and can be quite elegant if made well from quality materials. These gifts are popular because they are not too personal and they are appropriate to an office setting.
• Specialty pens and pen sets. Very elegant pen sets and pens are promotional items that are popular executive gifts because just about everyone uses pens. These gifts are almost always appreciated and actually get used regularly, rather than being cast aside and forgotten. However, since pens and pen sets tend to be very popular choices, sometimes recipients get too many of them. If you are considering this as a gift you may wish to investigate whether your recipient already has received too many pen gifts.
• Paperweights. Paperweights are another popular promotional products to gift because they are appropriate to the office setting and can be quite beautiful and elegant. One possible problem to consider is that some people do not find paperweights especially functional.
• Self-help books and motivational books. Books that are inspiring or are meant to offer strategies for success are often popular choices for office gifts. You may wish to make certain that your recipient does not already have a title.
• Plaques and trophies. These gifts are popular, especially for people who have offices where such items can be displayed.
• Gift baskets or boxes. Gift baskets or boxes filled with gourmet foods or sweets are a very popular choice of gift. However, you may need to know something about a recipient’s food allergies and food choices before buying promotional products like gift basket.