Choosing the best promotional product is much like shopping for the perfect outfit. You want to pick items that fit your budget, your body and your personality, but they also have to be appropriate for the occasion and available in the perfect color.
The process for picking promotional swag is remarkably similar.
If you’re new to selecting swag to help “outfit” your brand, we’ve put together a few tips. Our Promo 101 guide makes it easy to choose the perfect promotional products.
What’s your budget?
When thinking about buying promotional products, your spending limit is one of your first considerations. Do you have a marketing budget of $500? Or $10,000? Do you need to hand out 1,000 promotional items at a trade show or are you thanking your best clients with a high-end gift?
If you’re on a tight budget, writing instruments and bags can pull in a lot of impressions. Pens average 1/10th of a cent per impression (PDF), and a single bag can generate more than 5,700 impressions (PDF).
Both the Value Stick Pen and the Bottom Gusset Shopper can help you make the most of your promotional buck. Find hundreds of unique promotional products—all for under $1—on our budget-priced giveaways page.
Who’s your audience?
Once you’ve established a budget, it’s time to think about who will receive your unique promotional products. Are you a B2B company providing a giveaway to new customers as a thank-you for their business? Consider a high-end item, like a Chocolate Collection Tower – Antique Map or Moleskine® Hard Cover Notebook. Are you handing out wearable swag to promote team unity at a trade show? Think about a Traverse Leather Lanyard or a Silk Touch Performance Sport Polo for women or men.
When do you need it?
While it’s always better to give yourself enough time to find unique promotional products, sometimes opportunities arise that you just can’t pass up. Perhaps you planned an event for 100 guests and got 200 RSVPs. Or maybe you suddenly discovered the perfect trade show for launching your new product or service.
Regardless of the reason you need products fast, many of 4imprint’s best promotional products can be ordered today and shipped tomorrow, thanks to our 24-hour service.
Need a carry-on bag for a newly hired salesperson? A Wenger® 21″ Wheeled Carry-On can be on its way to you tomorrow. Want to share your latest construction innovations at next week’s trade show? The Red Lead Carpenter Pencil is a practical and useful way to keep your name (and your services) top of mind.
How can you help people remember your brand?
How important is hue? Turns out, color can boost brand recognition by 80 percent. If you’re trying to create a visual impression with your company’s color palette, find a product that matches or complements your brand. For example, the Gildan® 5.3 oz. Cotton T-Shirt for men or women is available in dozens of colors, while the Sport Bottle with Push Pull Lid is available in more than 140 color combinations. Reinforce your color scheme at your next trade show with a coordinating Table Skirt and Table Runner.
Ready, set, promote!
With so many options, choosing the best promotional product for your brand can seem daunting. But by starting with a budget and then determining your ideal audience, timeframe and color scheme, you’ll be well on your way to making a lasting impression.