Dec 10
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The Evolution of Promotional Products
Promotional products have become an integral component of most major promotions and campaigns. Companies are getting increasingly creative about ways to get their company name and brand out there in the public eye. The general thinking behind using promotional products is that most people can’t resist a free gift. Once they have it, the chances are that they will use it or wear it, thus giving exposure to the company that gave them the promotional product. Today, the promotional product business is a competitive industry but how did it all begin?
Everyone Needs and Loves Getting a Calendar
Some studies reveal that calendars were used as one of the earliest forms of promotional products. The story is told that a New York salesman was trying to place advertisements in local business premises. The proprietors of the businesses weren’t too happy about this idea. The salesman then got creative and bought several hundred calendars attaching them to his business signs and advertisements. He then went to each business and gave them the calendar as a gift. The business owners were more than happy to hang the calendars up on their premises as they were useful. At the same time, the salesman received free advertising and business exposure in each of the stores. Today, calendars are still widely used as promotional items. Businesses often choose themes and select beautiful nature or wildlife photographs to use in the calendar. The more visually appealing the calendar, the more likely people are to display it. On each page, the company name is displayed which gives them great advertising exposure.
Office Stationary as Promotional Items
As the idea of promotional products developed, businesses saw office stationary as one of the ideal tools to use as promotional items. After all, everyone who worked in an office used a pen, pencil or a ruler. Business names could be painted or engraved onto office stationary and then given to customers as gifts. This was seen as a practical and inexpensive way to give a business advertising exposure. Few people will refuse a free pen or pencil. Other items that were used as promotional items included paper weights, letter openers, paper clips and message pads. Today, the concept of using office stationary as promotional products has expanded to include items such as mouse pads, laptop computer cases, business card holders, cell phone holders and much more. Office stationary remains, however, a very effective type of promotional product that is widely used in different industries.
Buttons, Badges and Gimmicks
In most political campaigns, even on a local level, campaigns are characterized by badges and buttons sporting the political party’s campaign slogan, logo or a photograph of the candidate. They have become an integral part of modern election campaigns and are often also used for corporate promotions and marketing campaigns. Badges and buttons are often thought of as gimmicky, yet their origins have been traced back to the late 1700s when they were used as part of George Washington’s presidential election campaign. Badges and buttons are very effective for public promotional campaigns when you want to draw attention to a specific product. They are often used as part of promotional campaigns when introducing new products to the market. Stickers have become an inexpensive alternative to metal badges and buttons. They can be easily attached and detached and will not damage clothing.
Clothing as Promotional Products
In many industries, it is traditional that employees wear uniforms. Often the uniforms were branded to provide a more professional image of the business. Innovative markers saw this as a way of promoting their business name to the public. Most people have use for a cap or t-shirt and won’t mind wearing something that is branded if it is useful. The most common types of promotional clothing were initially caps. This then grew to incorporate t-shirts and golf shirts. Today, there are almost limitless options when it comes to types of promotional clothing available. You can get custom-made shorts, pure cotton shirts and blouses, and different styles of caps and hats to suit almost any occasion. Because outdoor sports and recreation is increasing in popularity, promotional companies now include all-weather jackets, rain jackets and fleece jackets among their product ranges. Additional items such as scarves and beanies can be easily branded and are very effective when used as promotional products. Branding on clothing can be small and subtle or loud and creative, depending on the nature of the promotional campaign that is being run.
Able Promotional Products delivers quality promotional products, trade show giveaways, corporate gifts, logo products, and promotional stress balls on a daily basis and have all the marketing know how to guarantee the best return on your investment. To view our full catalog, visit us online today!
