What Are Promotional Products?

Promotional products are useful and/or symbolic products which are used in advertising and communication as communication vehicles, goodwill reminders, signs, gifts and incentives.

Why Use Promotional Products?

Top Eight Uses of Promotional Products

1. Promote goodwill/image
2. Reinforce marketing of existing products, services, facilities
3. Recognize employee performance
4. Generate sales leads
5. Promote trade show traffic
6. Introduce new products, services, facilities
7. Stimulate employee sales performance
8. Stimulate employee productivity

Where Are Promotional Products Used?

• Business Gifts
• Public Relations
• Employee Relations & Events
• Employee Service Awards
• Employee Safety & Education
• Brand Awareness
• Trade Shows
• New Customer/Account Generations
• Not-For-Profit Programs
• Employee Incentive Programs
• New Product/Service Introductions
• Dealer/Distributor Programs

Promotional Product Categories

• Advertising Specialties
  Ad specialties have these key elements:
  • An advertising or promotional message
  • Placed on (or with) a useful item
  • Given with no strings attached
    
    
• Premiums and Incentives
  Give a useful item with some strings attached (e.g. buy this book and get a free bookmark) and the item becomes a premium. A promotional product is a premium when it is offered as an incentive to produce a specific action.
  
  
• Recognition Awards
  Plaques, service pins, trophies, award jewellery and other gifts that signify performance or honours can be categorized as recognition awards.
  
  
• Business Gifts
  Typically given by businesses to customers and employees, and occasionally, to influentials and suppliers. In the context used here, business gifts are not extravagant gifts and trips.
  
  Gift-giving reasons cited by companies are: to thank customers, to develop business, to recognize employee performance and longevity, because customers expect them, and others.