Promotional products — pens, mugs, tote bags, keychains, the stuff with your logo on it — get a bad rap in some marketing circles. People call them gimmicks, throwbacks, the marketing equivalent of a participation trophy. That reputation isn’t entirely fair, but it isn’t entirely wrong either. Promo products work brilliantly when they’re done right and waste money when they’re done wrong. Here’s how to tell the difference.
The two questions to ask first
Before you order anything: First, will the recipient actually use this? Second, will they see your logo on it regularly when they do? A pen that gets thrown in a desk drawer fails both tests. A high-quality water bottle that sits on their desk for two years passes both spectacularly.
Useful beats clever
Clever swag — the stress-ball shaped like your industry’s mascot, the branded fidget toy — feels fun to order. It almost never works. Useful swag — a good notebook, a quality tote, a phone stand, a really nice pen — works because it gets used. Boring is better. Boring gets pulled out of a bag every day.
Quality matters more than quantity
Two hundred excellent mugs that recipients put on their desk forever beats two thousand cheap ones that crack the first time they go through the dishwasher. The cost-per-impression on the good mug is dramatically lower over its lifetime. Spend less on quantity and more on quality.
Match the audience
A polished metal pen feels right for corporate clients; it feels weird at a kid’s soccer tournament where you’d want frisbees or branded waterbottles. A wine tumbler is right for a vineyard’s customer event and wrong for a kids’ summer camp signup. The product should match the moment.
Don’t put your logo too big
If the product looks like a billboard for you, people won’t carry it around. Subtle, well-placed branding lets the recipient use the item in public without feeling like a walking ad. Your logo can be smaller and still do its job.
We can help you source the right promo products and decorate them in-house so the quality matches what you’re trying to project.
Let’s bring your project to life.
Choice1Graphics can help with this — every job we mentioned here, we do in-house at our Webster shop. Have a project in mind? Reach out for a free quote or stop by 505 S Main St, Webster.