subject: Importance Of Business Promotional Products [print this page] Business promotional products (also known as business promotional items) refer to objects of merchandise which are used by companies, in their marketing and communication programs. Such products are usually given away as free gifts, at various business events, like trade shows, press releases, corporate events, conferences, etc. Thus, they are also known as business promotional gifts.
Almost anything can be distributed as advertising products, from ordinary items like pens, key-chains, t-shirts, posters, mugs, etc. to exclusive ones, like pen-drives, briefcases, money clips, showpieces, etc.
The first initiative towards promotional products in the United States, can be traced back to the election period of George Washington in 1789, where commemorative buttons were distributed. Within a few years, approximately early 1800s, calendars, rulers and other wooden products had joined the category, but an appropriate organization to create and distribute such promotional products came into existence later in the 19th century.
Once upon a time in US these advertising items were limited only to be given away randomly without any incorporated marketing effort but in 2008, sales of promotional products worth $18.1 billion dollars were recorded in US, which actually fell from $19.4 billion worth sales in 2007. These figures prove the increasing importance and utility of promotional products for every organization.
Creating and spreading brand awareness is usually the key factor behind business promo products. They are also distributed amongst the staff to strengthen employee loyalty and relations. Other factors would include building traffic for trade shows, maintaining public relations, generating new customers or leads, etc. The largest category of such customized products, around 30%, covers wearable items. For example, products like caps, wristbands, sweatshirts, jackets and bracelets, with embedded logos or name of a particular company.
Before implementing a program that includes logo products, make sure you define your target audience, set your marketing goals correctly and find the apt promotional item accordingly. Choosing the best one over many, to suit your purpose will define your objective further. If you need help with that, seek for some assistance from a promotional consultant to yield maximum results. There are many options to promote your business but the efficacy of promotional products could prove extremely essential. In short, promotional products are indeed an ideal way for you to construct brand awareness.
