Human resources departments make use of promotional products in a variety of creative ways, from recruiting new hires to celebrating milestones to encouraging healthy habits. And when your company is the nation’s largest promotional products distributor, expectations are high.
So we asked Lia, human resources manager at 4imprint, for a few top uses for logoed water bottles, backpacks, totes, sport flyers and other fun, useful promo products. Here’s what she said:
Recruiting efforts and welcome packages
In-house job fairs are a common event at 4imprint, thanks to the company’s continued growth. At each job fair, potential candidates receive small giveaways, like pens and notebooks. Lia and other HR staff also set up at large, multi-business job fairs, where the competition for top talent can be fierce. “We try to outdo the booth next to us,” Lia said. That’s easy when you have thousands of fun, practical items at your disposal. After the interview, candidates receive a survey that includes a spot for their name and address. As thanks for filling out the survey, we send each respondent a small gift.
New hires receive a backpack with several imprinted goodies, including a pen, coffee cup, a tech item (like a PopSockets® Phone Stand), and a nice notebook with our 4imprint Compass printed on the front.
Milestone gifts and wellness incentives
4imprint staffers love their jobs, and many stick around for a long time! Over the years, the company has given logoed jackets, car organizers, drinkware, leather padfolios and other items for employment anniversaries. By choosing practical gifts that will get used, associates feel even more appreciated.
Each time the team reaches a new order record, everyone gets a printed travel mug. It’s become a tradition associates look forward to. There’s even speculation about which mug it will be. And the order record and date are printed right on the mug to serve as a lasting reminder of the milestone.
4imprint has also used a variety of promotional items over the years to encourage staff wellness. The current program—called the +1 Fill-Your-Jar Program—focuses on physical, mental, emotional and financial wellness. Every time an associate does something that contributes to their overall wellness (doctor visits, exercise classes, financial planning or even reading a book), they collect a printed wooden nickel. The company provides plastic Mason jar mugs to collect these +1 “coins.” Staffers can turn in a full jar to HR in exchange for a certificate. Every quarter, HR sets up tables in the break room so that employees can redeem their certificates for logoed prizes, from apparel and drinkware to upscale backpacks. The program’s been a big hit so far, Lia said.
Fun committee and customer-service week giveaways
When you sell this much fun stuff, it’s only natural to have a committee in charge of keeping things fun at work. This group plans a variety of fun activities, like holiday cube decorating, penny wars, pie-eating contests and more, with winners receiving all kinds of fun prizes. The fun committee has even helped raise money for employee perks, like a popcorn machine! (Every Wednesday at 4imprint is Popcorn Day.)
During Customer Service Week, HR picks a theme (in the past we’ve done camping, 80s throwback, super heroes, sports and others) and each employee receives promotional gifts related to the theme. For the camping theme, gifts included promotional water bottles and backpacks and an unimprinted s’mores kit. The office was decorated with camping-related items, and employees could dress up as campers to earn raffle tickets for larger prizes, such as coolers, tents, and even a weekend getaway.
Community and customer outreach
Being in the promotional products business, we use promo items in many ways. For example, when you walk into 4imprint’s main office, you will see a basket of imprinted freebies on the counter by the receptionists. Anyone can poke through the basket and help themselves to hand sanitizer, small tool kits, pens, notepads and several other handy promos.
In summer, local businesses sponsor a Live at Lunch concert series at a downtown park, featuring a local band and lunch from a sponsoring restaurant. 4imprint is a co-sponsor on certain days and sets up a table featuring outdoor-related promos, like sunglasses, sunscreen and sport flyers.
Our customers regularly receive the infamous 4imprint Blue Box®—each (literally blue!) box contains a variety of free samples and information for promotional product success. Create your own program and tuck an imprinted pen, notebook or keyring flashlight in with your customers’ orders as a “little extra” that will keep your contact information nearby whenever they need your services.