Handing out promotional products is a marketing strategy that’s become increasingly popular in this day and age. But why? What makes it so special that digital marketing or even social media can’t achieve?

Why Promotional Products Are Important

Promotional products are important because they help generate greater exposure for a brand. People love freebies and when they receive them they’ll notice the brand name and logo on the products, generating greater exposure. They’re also likely to give them to friends or family. According to the Advertising Specialty Institute (ASI), 55% of all promotional products are given away to someone else, so you never know where your products will end up or how much exposure one item is really generating.

Not only do they generate greater exposure, but promotional products give you an opportunity to form a deeper connection with consumers that social media can’t achieve. When you give consumers items that they like and use heavily, they will form a deeper relationship with your brand. This can increase brand loyalty and make them want to purchase more products from you. 

What Makes a Promotional Product Effective?

To make consumers like your products and actually want to keep them, you need to consider two factors - utility and quality. You want to make sure you’re giving out products that consumers can use regularly, that they’ll have an actual use for. You also want to make sure your products are of high quality and will last recipients a long time. 

The most effective promotional products are also memorable, creative, and innovative. You want to create trendy promotional items by keeping up with emerging trends and advancements, to fit in with what everyone’s talking about and where people’s interests lie. Promotional products are an opportunity to showcase your brand’s personality in a fun and interactive way.

When making these products, you have to take a few considerations into account - such as who your target demographic is, and when and where they are going to use the product.

Want to find the most effective promotional products for your brand? Keep reading to discover examples of promotional products that are unique, creative, or innovative, that will generate exposure and really showcase your brand.

Multipurpose Pens

Pens are some of the most effective promotional products because they’re small, compact, easy to carry around, and everyone needs them. According to the Advertising Specialty Institute, 9 out of 10 people in the United States report owning promotional pens and keep them for an average of 9 months. People love promotional writing instruments and they are in high demand. But according to the ASI, drinkware is also one of the most widely owned product categories across the U.S. While tools such as bottle openers and aren’t exactly drinkware, they’re very related.

Creative promotional products ideas could be a multipurpose pen that has various features. For instance, this 4-in-1 pen has several features. The top has a bottle opener tool, an area to lift soda can tabs, and a magnet for accessibility, so the utility factor is high. This is one of those unique promotional items that you won’t see out there very often.

Reusable Straws

Speaking of drinkware, reusable cups are becoming increasingly popular at coffee shops like Starbucks. Given that in mind, reusable straws can be useful to have for the aesthetic or for the eco-friendly alternative to disposable plastic straws. These mood straws are examples of promotional products that are both trendy and unique. They change color when used for cold liquids, they’re reusable and dishwasher safe, and the imprint is laser engraved so it won’t come off. They’re also very low-cost, affordable promotional items that consumers will love.  

PopSockets

Phones are among our most prized possessions, considering how often we use them. Custom PopSockets have become trendy promotional items due to their applicable use. While a lot of people won’t buy a PopSocket for themselves, receiving one can be a small promotional items that consumers will actually want to use. They make holding your phone easier and give you a stand to place your phone down on while watching videos. Not to mention they’re small, compact, and easy to carry around without carrying an extra item in your hands. And for marketers, they can showcase your brand really well.

Eco-Friendly Notebooks

Desk accessories such as notebooks are one of the most widely-kept promotional items among American consumers. Eco-friendly notebooks in particular have become very trendy promotional items as people are becoming more environmentally conscious. According to the Advertising Specialty Institute, 42% of American consumers reported having a more favorable opinion towards promotional products that are more environmentally conscious. This eco notebook has a cardboard hardcover and sheets of recycled paper, flags, and a holder for business cards. It comes in different colors such as black-blue, black-red, and full black.

Stress Balls

Stress reliever balls are examples of promotional products that hit the mark. They’re small, compact and easy to carry around, and they’re low cost for marketers. These balls can be designed in a variety of interesting designs that will make your product stand out from the rest. For instance, a few creative promotional product ideas for stress balls could be sports balls, certain animals, or even puzzles. For instance, this stress reliever is designed exactly like a tennis ball.

USB Flash Drives

Custom USB flash drives continue to be popular and trusty promotional items that brands hand out to consumers. In this day and age, we store so much of our information using technology. Files always need to be transferred and presentations need to be made, and when using different devices, it can be difficult and time-consuming to transfer information through the internet. That’s where USBs come into play.

When thinking of examples of promotional products that hit the mark, this custom shaped USB flash drive comes to mind. It’s a trendy promotional item that enables you to express your creativity and create the design you’re looking for. You can mold your USB into whatever shape and design you want, incorporating a color scheme that suits your brand well. For technological products USBs are also very cost-effective items to give out to consumers.

Tote Bags

Examples of promotional items that are also becoming more and more trendy are tote bags. Bags are one of the most popular product categories for promotional items, as 73% of American consumers reported owning at least one promo bag. 50% of consumers have also reported being more likely to do business with a company that gave them a promotional bag.

Bags also generate a lot of exposure, generating as many as 3,300 impressions over their lifetimes. They’re out in the open for others to see when walking in public and are typically large and visible. Tote bags in particular are becoming more trendy and popular, so they would be trendy promotional items to give out to consumers. You can find tote bags for a variety of prices, from low-cost budget bags to stylish organic tote bags. It all depends on your target audience, your brand objectives, and your budget.

Custom Lip Balm

Lip balm is a product that’s used by many. If you’re giving them out as examples of promotional products, consumers are likely to take them due to their convenience and high utility. They are also very cost-effective promotional items considering their size and relatively low cost. There are different lip balms out there with varying designs that you can choose from. You can find a small lip balm with a custom sleeve and a hook to avoid losing it, or a more simple product and cost effective lip balm that contains SPF and protects the lips from the sun.

Custom Drinkware

As previously mentioned, drinkware is popular among consumers. 9 out of 10 Americans report owning at least one promotional drinkware item, or 78% of consumers. They’re one of the most popular categories for trendy promotional items. Whether you’re handing out mugs, water bottles, mason jars, coolers or other types of bottles, statistics show that consumers will be highly likely to hold onto your products.

Creative examples of promotional products could be stainless wine glasses, which make it possible to sip your favorite wine at a picnic, while hiking, or any time you’re outside. The material is free of BPA and meets FDA requirements, so it’s safe to use. The glass will help keep your wine cold and easy to drink in any weather.

Costs

All of these items are examples of promotional products that are unique, trendy, or demonstrate creativity - or all of the above. These products range widely in costs, as the price you pay will depend on your style, design, quality, and other preferences (such as choosing eco-friendly material over regular fabrics). To find out more about the different types of promotional products out there, explore a range and become familiar with prices, check out our website. We offer all types of products for different settings, events, demographics, and preferences.