Choosing The Right Promotional Products for your Business

Posted on September 12th, 2019 by Show Your Logo

Compared to other forms of advertising, promotional products offer several benefits to businesses. As the 2016 edition of the Global Advertising Specialties Impression Study points out, the average person in the US owns 9.8 promotional products. Advertisements usually last just 30 seconds or a minute. A T-shirt or promotional pen will stick around for months, if not years. The Impression Study found the average person keeps a promo product for about seven months. Some products, like umbrellas, stick along for even longer — 14 months on average.

Every time a customer picks up a pen with your Logo – or pulls on a Company T-shirt, they will be reminded of your business.

Types of Promotional Products

T-shirts. More than half of consumers in the US, 58 percent, own at least one promotional T-shirt. T-shirts appeal to people young and old and men and women. Even better, T-shirts are an effective form of promotion. The Impressions Study found the vast majority of people who received a T-shirt were able to remember the brand that gave them the shirt.
Sweatshirts. Although sweatshirts cost more than T-shirts, they can be an excellent promotional product to invest in for a few reasons. For one thing, they have a higher perceived value than a basic T-shirt. For another, they can be slightly more useful. Whether it’s a zip-front hoodie or a pullover style, a sweatshirt is much warmer than a tee.
Hats. Whether it’s a beanie with an embroidered logo, a baseball cap or a visor, hats are appealing and pretty effective as a promotional product. The average cap or hat makes more than 3,000 impressions over the course of its life. If you’re going to choose hats as a promotional product to give out at a company event or to employees, make sure you pick a visually appealing design. The Impressions Study found 42 percent of people who kept their promo hats did so because the design was attractive.
Cups and Mugs. Next to T-shirts, drinkware like cups and mugs are among the most commonly owned types of promotional product. People not only own drinkware, but they also tend to use logo cups or mugs several times weekly. Plus, individuals who own promotional drinkware are more likely to do business with the companies who gave them the product.
Bags. Whether it’s a logoed tote bag, backpack or messenger bag, bags create more impressions than any other type of promotional product. They are also very popular with people, particularly with women, the majority of whom own at least one branded bag.
Umbrellas. Is there a promotional product that’s more useful than an umbrella? Maybe not. The Impressions Study found more than 80 percent of people surveyed kept an umbrella given to them by a company because when you need an umbrella, you really need an umbrella.
Office Supplies. Desk accessories and office supplies tend to have the longest shelf life of all promotional products, with many people hanging on to a freebie desk accessory for more than a year. Office supplies are most commonly used at other businesses, where they can make impressions on the staff and customers of that business.
Golf Gear. If your company regularly sponsors golf events or outings, promotional golf gear is an excellent way to make an impression on a large number of people.
Outdoor Equipment. Whether you’re looking for products to give away at a company picnic or need logoed products to stand out at a festival or fair, outdoor equipment is the way to go. Outdoor gear such as camping chairs, inflatable beach balls or can coolers is useful and fun.
Toys. If you want people to associate your brand or company with a fun time, consider promotional toys. Toys can appeal to people both young and old. For example, stress balls are perfect for adults while beach buckets and frisbees are attractive to kids.
Tech Gear. Tech gear, such as USB drives, are very effective promotional products. Nearly half of those living in the US have at least one promotional USB drive, with younger people being more likely to own one. The Impressions Study found that USB drives are the most influential promotional product out there.

How to Choose the Right Promotional Products for Your Business

When it comes to choosing the right promotional products, your options are nearly limitless. Here’s a list of the various promotional products available and details on how each type of product can benefit your company. While some promotional products tend to be more popular than others, not every type of popular product is going to be the right fit for every industry or business. When selecting promotional products, there are a few things to remember to make sure you get the right type of product for your company.

Relevance and Fit. If you’re a brand that specializes in formalwear or suits, it might not make much sense to give T-shirts to your employees or potential customers. If you’re a casual apparel brand, a T-shirt is a great promo product.
Usefulness. In an era when minimalism is trendy, few people will appreciate a product that doesn’t have at least some usefulness. The most popular promotional products also tend to be the most useful, such as USB drives, drinkware, T-shirts and umbrellas.
Functionality. People do tend to hang on to promotional products, at least for a few months. For that reason, pick out products that function well. A leaky travel mug or USB drive that crashes won’t win you many fans. Neither will T-shirts that shrink, become misshapen or develop tears or holes after just a few wears. Research the company you’re considering ordering from to make sure their products are good quality.
Look at Your Competitors. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but you probably don’t want to be flattering the people you’re competing against. Look at what other companies are using as promo products, and try to avoid giving out the same items, especially if you’re going to be at the same conferences or trade shows as your competitors. Attendees of trade shows will only need so many travel mugs or USB drives.
Attractiveness. How appealing a product looks will influence people’s opinions of your brand or company. You don’t have to be particularly creative or artistically gifted to make an attractive product. Show Your Logo, Inc. has an in-house art department that will help you flesh out your ideas for a logo or come up with an appealing design for you for free.