subject: What Is The Origin Of Promotional Products? [print this page] 1789 marks the first date that Promotional Products were used in the United States. Commemorative buttons were used as a Promotional tool for the Election campaign of George Washington. It was only untill the late 19th century that an official industry was formed. Until that time, calendars, buttons, and other promo items were used to promote candidates and companies.
A shoe store owner in Ohio was amongst the first businesses to use Promotional Products after a printer convinced the store owner to supply bags with the stores logo imprinted on them. In 1904 the PPAI (The Promotional Products Association International) was formed. This allowed manufactures to get together and form a formal trade association. There are more than 22,000 Distributors who represent over 4000 Manufacturers across the planet. The PPAI has grown to more than 7000 members globally.
Corporations saw the effectiveness of Corporate gifts and used them more and more starting in the late 70's. With branding and promoting being on the forefront of the Corporate minds the value for this type of promoting became more and more popular. Corporations realized that adopting Promo Items was very necessary for gaining awareness and market share. The 80's marked an explosion in the market and the want for Promotional Merchandise soon became a need. From the smallest items like a book of matches at a local bar, to a million dollar campaign run by Coke the industry was here to stay.
Distributors were formed as selling agents for the suppliers. Suppliers never sold direct to the end user, instead they used agents to represent the products they manufactured. Distributors were given special discount codes, and catalogs were produced for them with prices that included their commissions. Even if an end user were to find the supplier directly, if you did not have a special Distributor license you were not able to get the same pricing as the Distributor. This method of selling proved very effective, as it allowed the manufacturers to do what they did best: Produce outstanding quality and unique items. And it allowed the Distributors to do what they did best: Provide outstanding service and creativity to the end user, or end promoter.
In the 1990s it seemed that seasonal gift giving was the most popular use for these products as a marketing tool. Companies jumped at the chance to extend a thank you by incorporating Promo Products into every major holiday including Christmas, Valentine's Day, and others. This was a golden opportunity to say thank you, as well as an opportunity to keep their brand at the forefront of their customers mind. There is not a day that goes by now where these items are not exchanged between company and client. The value of a leave behind has become a gesture that as a thank you also now has endless possibilities. The technological breakthroughs have expanded the market from what used to be simple items such as a pen, we are now seeing more complex products like integrated screen savers displaying corporate logos that create a lasting effect of brands for your company or product. The more creative an idea or product the more enticing the tool becomes. Corporations are becoming more and more competitive showing off their creative methods of using promo items, and who ever receives these great gifts are anticipating more and more great items as their next freebie.
