Just like a sommelier pairs the perfect wine with food, there's an art to selecting the best promotional products for your target audiences.
While pens, t-shirts, drinkware, and tote bags are the most common forms of swag, there’s no universal “best promotional product” that works for every business.
Ultimately, the best promotional products for your business are relevant to the products or services you offer, provide real value to target audiences, and align with business goals and marketing initiatives.
However, with thousands of promotional products to choose from, deciding on the most effective promotional products can be a challenge.
To help you find the perfect promotional products for your business, keep reading or jump directly to the solution you’re looking for.
- Promotional Products for Brand Awareness
- Promotional Products for Corporate Gifts
- Promotional Products for Trade Show Giveaways
Promotional Products for Brand Awareness
Promotional products can boost brand awareness by 96% and brand recall up to 80%. However, not all swag is created equal.
Let's break down the top contenders that pack the biggest punch.
Apparel: Wearable Advertising
Think t-shirts, hats, and other apparel. These everyday items get worn repeatedly, giving your brand continuous exposure. More than 91% of consumers would wear a branded piece of clothing, and promotional apparel generates an average of 6,100 impressions over its lifetime.
Drinkware: Sip and See Your Brand
On average, promotional drinkware lasts one year and generates 1,400 impressions. However, fragile drinkware, such as mugs or glasses, may not be ideal for giving away at events or in situations where recipients cannot carry them.
Bags & Travel Accessories: On-the-Go Exposure
These practical items are often used in public, amplifying brand visibility and it’s no surprise they're a favorite promotional product across all industries. Tote bags, for instance, deliver an average of 3,300 impressions over their lifetime. For added visibility, consider brightly colored or uniquely designed bags that attract attention.
Tech Accessories: The Modern Essential
Tech accessories like phone chargers, PopSockets, foldable laptop stands, and branded earbuds are small, easy to transport, and practical promotional products. Consider premium tech accessories, like branded clip-on camera lenses for smartphones or portable mini projectors for giveaways at events or social media contests.
Pro Tip: As part of your integrated marketing strategy, be sure to encourage people to share their swag online. This type of user-generated content (UGC) builds social proof and amplifies brand awareness efforts.
For example, Worldnet International, a logistics company specializing in luxury fashion, turned its branded hoodies into an exclusive, limited-edition item. People shared photos of themselves wearing the coveted hoodies, tagged the company, and organically amplified Worldnet's brand awareness.
While this strategy might not work as well with branded pens or hand sanitizer, it’s an effective use case for high-value promotional products, like branded Yeti coolers or Beats headphones.
Promotional Products for Corporate Gifts
When evaluating promotional products for corporate gifting, it’s best to find products that align with your company's core values, mission statement, and overall brand ethos.
For this reason, opt for high-quality gifts that reinforce the message that your company offers premium products or services. Low-quality gifts that break or don’t function well can have the opposite effect and diminish your brand image.
Patagonia jackets, noise-canceling headphones, and high-end glassware make great corporate gifts. But you don't need to spend a fortune to show your appreciation.
Corporate Gifts with a Local Touch
Consider sending branded items, like drinkware or notebooks, paired with a local or culturally relevant product. For instance, a branded mug with locally-made coffee beans and a personalized note is a thoughtful and memorable gift (bonus points for supporting a local business, too).
Don’t worry, there’s no need to assemble these gifts yourself. A marketing fulfillment company can handle everything from producing branded promotional products to custom kitting and distribution.
Custom Packaging for Polished Presentation
Custom packaging reinforces your company’s attention to detail and quality. Consider investing in custom packaging to enhance the presentation of your gifts. As an added benefit, custom packaging ensures your gift remains safe during transit (and may help reduce shipping costs).
Include Personalized Print Materials
Adding a personalized touch to your gifting strategy has never been easier thanks to a modern digital printing technology known as variable data printing. With variable data printing, notes, cards, letters, and packaging can be personalized with recipient names, company logos, and messages.
Promotional Products for Trade Show Giveaways
Trade show staples like tote bags, pens, and lanyards are popular for their practicality and ease of distribution. However, truly impactful trade show giveaways are more than just functional. They spark conversations that keep going long after the show has ended.
While traditional swag, such as pens and tote bags, are effective, consider upping the ante with a limited selection of premium promotional items to prospects that are most likely to convert.
Here are just a few of the ways to use premium promotional items as trade show or event giveaways:
- Incentives for prospects to schedule a demo or booth tour before the show starts (they can pick up their premium item after the demo or tour).
- Raffle prizes.
- VIP gifts for top prospects or customers.
- Social media contests.
About Artisan Colour
Our team of experts is here to help your business select the perfect swag, merch, and branded promo products for your needs.
As a full-service marketing fulfillment provider, we also specialize in customized solutions for promotional product fulfillment. This includes managing inventory, providing storage, handling order processing, and overseeing kitting, assembly, and distribution.
Our comprehensive services include:
- In-House Professional Promo Buyers: Our dedicated promo experts will help you source the best items within the dizzying landscape of promotional products and apparel buying.
- Inventory Management: We meticulously track your promotional inventory, ensuring optimal stock levels, preventing shortages or overages, and optimizing your investment.
- Warehousing and Storage: Our secure, climate-controlled facilities store your promotional items safely, protecting them from damage and ensuring their availability when needed.
- Order Processing: We handle order fulfillment with timeliness, precision, and efficiency to ensure your promotional products reach their intended recipients on time and in pristine condition.
- Kitting and Assembly: Our team can create custom promotional kits, combining various items into cohesive packages tailored to your campaign goals. Additionally, we can print and insert brochures, flyers, and other marketing materials.
- Distribution and Shipping: Trust Artisan to manage the logistics of sourcing and delivering your promotional products, whether for trade shows, corporate events, or individual recipients.
- Custom Packaging Solutions: We can design and produce custom packaging that not only protects your products during shipping but also elevates their presentation and reinforces your brand's unique identity.
- Digital Printing Services: We offer a wide array of small- and large-format printing services, including brochures, flyers, posters, business cards, banners, graphics, signage, and more.
- Digital Marketing: Need an effortlessly streamlined solution for swag? Let our digital marketing division help by creating an online storefront for easy ordering and distribution.
Contact us today to learn how Artisan Colour can create a custom promotional product strategy for your business.
