Selecting and Purchasing Promotional Products

Whether it’s a giveaway at a tradeshow, a thank-you freebie, or a fun gift for your employees, giving out something for nothing is a proven way for your business to get attention.

Thousands of items such as clothing, clocks, mugs, pens, etc., fall into a broad category called promotional products or advertising specialties. Promotional products are emblazoned with your company’s logo and/or message for maximum effect. They can be great tools to generate name recognition and create customer or employee goodwill, often at very little cost.

How to Choose the Right Product

Any business can benefit from the right promotional product and choosing the right item is critical. Below are some of the key promotional product categories and the pros and cons of each:

Clothing

The most popular category for promotional items, clothing options include t-shirts, hats, wind shirts, blankets, sweatshirts, and more.

Pro: free advertising, popularity, great for employee items

Con: styles change, ordering multiple sizes can be hard, items are seasonal

Food

Everybody loves edible treats such as candy, gums, coffee, mints, gift baskets and more.

Pro: wide range of costs, appreciated by most people, bulk distribution

Con: limited shelf life

Office gifts

There is a wide variety of office gifts including stress balls, photo holders, sticky notes, USB flash drives, pens, anything designed to be used at the office.

Pro: large selection, inexpensive, used in the office environment where you want your message viewed

Con: popularity makes it hard to stand out; high-end items expensive