6 Things to Keep in Mind When Buying Promotional Products

6 Things to Keep in Mind When Buying Promotional Products

If you are weighing your options for a promotional product for your next marketing campaign, there are a few things to remember to make sure you get the right type of product for your Brand or Industry. Like peanut butter and jelly or fish and chips, some industries pair perfectly with some types of promotional products. Here a few things you should keep in mind for your promotional products.

1) Your Promotional Product Budget

Your budget is a major factor when it comes to what type of products you can buy and how many you can purchase. If you have $1,000 to spend, you’ll get a lot more for your money if you buy T-shirts instead of sweatshirts or outerwear. If you’re on a tight budget, here are a few products that will give you the most bang for your buck:

• T-shirts, which can be as low as $2.23 per shirt.
• Visors, which can be as low as $1.27 per.
• Flip Flops, which can be as low as $3.75 per pair.
• Pens, which can be as low as 20 cents each.
• Water bottles, which can be as low as 64 cents each.

2) Where You’ll Be Giving out Promotional Products

Think about where you’ll be distributing the promotional products when choosing the best products for your business. If you’ll be giving out items at a golf event, it makes sense to choose products that have something to do with golf, such as a golf shirt or umbrella. If you’re giving out items at a fair or festival on a hot day, handing out water bottles with your company’s logo on them makes a lot of sense. USB drives are a great pick for tech fairs while T-shirts shot out of a T-shirt cannon are always a fun pick for sporting events. Some promotional products are more fragile than others. When deciding on a promotional item, think about how a person will get the product. If you’re mailing a free item to new customers, picking something that won’t break in transit is a good idea. The same goes if you’re giving out items at an outdoor fair or festival or any time when people will be walking around carrying the thing. Soft, lightweight products such as a T-shirt or cap make sense in those cases.

3) The Person Who Will Receive the Items

Think about your intended audience when choosing promotional products. If you’re buying apparel for your team to wear as uniforms, consider what type of appearance you’d like your staff to have. In a more formal business environment, button-front shirts with your company’s logo embroidered on one side are ideal. If you have a business casual workplace, logo polo shirts will work. T-shirts with your company’s logo on them are perfect if you have a casual dress code.

If you’re giving products out to current or potential customers, think of your demographic. Some products appeal to certain groups or demographics than others. For example, the Impressions Study found more women than men own T-shirts or bags. Young women, between the ages of 18 and 24, were the group most likely to own or want a logo bag. Men were more likely to keep office or desk supplies and to own promotional outerwear than women. Some qualities appeal to certain age groups over others. For example, 18 to 24-year-olds were more likely to think positively of a company that distributed eco-friendly promotional products.

People over the age of 65 and 18 to 24-year-olds also held better opinions of companies that distributed promotional products that were made in the USA.

4) What Your Goals Are

Think about what you want the promotional products to accomplish. Are you trying to boost employee morale by giving your staff members freebies? Are you trying to create a sense of unity in the workplace by having people wear uniform shirts?

If you’re giving products to customers, are you trying to build loyalty or advertise? Many people are likely to see and use pens and other smaller, inexpensive promotional products. A T-shirt with your company’s logo on it will be seen by however many people a person walks by while wearing it. Some items won’t be seen by the masses, though, such as USB drives or drinkware, but these products can improve your standing with the people who use them.

5) When You’ll Distribute the Products

Timing is everything. If you’re giving out promotional products in the middle of summer, baseball hats and sunglasses are a logical choice because people will be able to use them right away. In the winter, handing out knit beanies or jackets makes more sense. Keep the amount of immediate use an item will get in mind when deciding what to order.

6) Promotional Products that Work for Your Industry

If you’re still stumped about what type of product is a great fit for your brand, look at this list of perfect pairs:

Technology companies: USB drives. If your business is in any way connected to technology, such as a web design firm or digital marketing company, giving potential customers USB drives is a good fit.
Dentists:  One of the joys of going to the dentist is getting a free toothbrush and toothpaste! Remind Patients to visit you again in six months by handing out items with your practice’s name and contact information on them.
Airlines: Sleeping mask and earplugs. A sleeping mask and earplugs will make a long, overnight flight in coach a bit more comfortable.
Nail or Beauty salons: Logo emery boards. Encourage clients to keep their nails in good shape between manicures by handing out emery boards or nail files.
Skincare company or dermatologist: If you’re a dermatologist who’s developing a line of products or a skincare company, it helps to have a lotion tube that has your logo printed on it.
Beer or other beverage companies: Coolers or coolie can coolers. Giving people some way to keep their favorite beverages cold, even on hot summer days, will boost the public’s opinion of your brand.
Coffee company: Travel mugs. Travel mugs don’t only advertise your brand to the world. They also build loyalty. A person with a Starbucks mug isn’t likely to bring it into Dunkin’ Donuts, for example.

Keep in mind that some promotional products are industry neutral, meaning you can consider giving them out no matter what type of company you run.

• Health and Safety Products. Health and safety products, like a first aid kit or hand sanitizer, are extremely useful promotional products. People not only tend to keep and use these products, but they are also more likely to take them on the go with them and remember the name of the company who gave them the product.
• Home Goods. Home goods like magnetic chip clips, aprons or bottle openers serve a purpose and help people remember your brand.
• Automotive Tools. Products designed for use in a car tend to be very useful for customers. These products include ice scrapers, USB chargers, and air fresheners.
• Apparel. Apparel, from T-shirts to hoodies are always welcomed. If you’re not sure what type of product will best represent your company, apparel is usually a safe bet.
• Pens. It’s a rare person who doesn’t own at least one promotional pen. You can find logo pens when you stay in a hotel, in the lobby of many banks or when you visit a gym. Pens are so popular because they are one of the most valuable types of promotional products. Each impression a pen makes costs just one-tenth of a cent.

Need some more advice or personal assistance choosing the best promotional products for your business? The sales team at SHOWYOURLOGO.COM is here to help. Contact us today and we’ll get to work for you.