The Best Promotional Gifts

When it comes to promotional product advertising, forget the mugs and pens. Here's the best gift that actually gets used and seen by thousands of people.

Promotional gifts are not ads like you hear on the radio or tv. They are not follow up tools like postcards, or sale announcements like flyers. The are however "advertising" and depending on the nature of the gift, can be very effective at keeping your business name out there, along with a logo for brand recognition.

Unlike many forms of traditional advertising, where you pay every time the ad is run or clicked, with promotional gifts you pay once, and every time the gift gets used, the advertising message gets repeated.

So what are the most "given" business promotional items? Well, according to Counselor Magazine, "Wearables rank first, followed by writing instruments, business accessories for the desk and office, ceramics, glassware and calendars."

Ok, so those are the most given items... but what are the most "used" and best promotional items for brand exposure?

Most promotional gifts like pens, calendars, mugs, golf balls and key fobs are seen by only one person, and usually end up in the back of a drawer somewhere. Hats, while popular give people... well, hat hair. And only certain types of people like to wear hats.

Plastic bags - while good - have a very short exposure time. Things like water bottles and gym bags are a little better as they last longer. They might get actually get used and seen by a few people.

Fun things like balls and puzzles are very popular. But because of wear and tear, the advertising - the printed message - usually wears off quite quickly.

But no matter which promotional product advertising you choose, quality is more important than quantity over the long run. Usually the higher quality item will last longer, providing more return on your advertising dollars.

So what is the number one "head and shoulders" above the rest promotional idea... the most useful gift in terms of advertising? The one offering the most visibility and exposure? It's the humble t-shirt.

Yes... according to Blue Sky Inc, "One t-shirt worn by one person in one average-sized city can be seen by over 100,000 people in its lifetime." Yes, that's not a typo, I checked the numbers twice, over 100,000 people! Although that number seems very high to me, if even one tenth of the number holds true, it's still a lot of exposure.

A word of caution though, when it comes to buying the t-shirts, don't rely on one size fits all or unisex sizing. If you want your t-shirts to be worn and get seen, be sure to get appropriate sizing.

Find t-shirts that are available in both men's and women's sizes, and never give mens clothing to women. Doing so will ensure that for every t-shirt you give out as a gift, a good portion of those 100,000 people will see your advertising message.

So if you get 10 high quality t-shirts made for $25 each and give them as gifts for people to wear, that's a potential one million people that will see your ad over the next couple of years. I don't know about you, but it seems like promotional gifts - especially high quality t-shirts - can be advertising dollars well spent.

by Michael Campbell

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