Let's just start this discussion with a look at the word "cheap". There are people who define this as "low-cost" and then there are those who define it as "poor quality", and for the purposes of this discussion we are going to look only at cheap promotional clocks that are affordable and well-made.
Why do people use cheap promotional clocks as marketing giveaways? If you look at almost any long-term place of business it is quite likely that you will see a clock clearly made anywhere from twenty to fifty years earlier. Business owners love receiving time pieces that are useful and attractive, and they don't ever mind if the face of the clock also happens to display a logo too.
The thing to remember, however, is that any cheap promotional clocks selected for marketing purposes must stick with the same sort of overall dcor or style that the business might already have. For instance, it might be tempting to select an Art Deco style desk clock, but if the company is extremely high-tech it might somehow clash with the general tone of such things as mailings or even the website. There are plenty of innovative pieces that could be put to use instead.
There is also a huge array of wall clocks and combination pieces too. Just consider how many people use travel clocks as promotional items. This is a great idea because very few business owners will make this choice, and almost anyone in any business can use a clock of this type. The main issue here, however, is being sure that such a giveaway actually does tie into the major business focus in some way or another.
There are all kinds of excellent time pieces that can be imprinted with a logo and given away as a means of establishing new clientele. The most important thing is to remember that cheap should never translate to poor-quality.