What Are the Best Promotional Items to Give Away?
What are the best promotional items to give away?
The answer: the best company swag options depend on your marketing intent and budget.
Let's break it down!
The best branded giveaways:
- support your company or university brand
- put a smile on the recipient's face
- get used
- respect your budget
How Do You Find the Best Company Swag?
How do you find the best promotional products to give away? Here's where you may need help narrowing down the swag category. (There are around ONE MILLION promotional products! Who has the time to go through all those? We don't! And we'll bet you don't either!) But first:
- know your marketing budget
- make a list of swag you've used in the past, what worked and what you don't want to repeat ever
- determine if there's a category of swag you have your heart set on
- know how the giveaways will be distributed (shipped to the 'work from home' attendees or handed out at an in person event)
- partner with a swag company that keeps it real (like PROMOrx) or be prepared to waste a lot of time surfing the web
What Sets One Promotional Product Apart
Look for the differences in a promotional product category. For instance, custom insulated drinkware cups or bottles can look very similar. The scoop is in the details. It's what's on the inside that makes the difference between a cup or bottle that will keep your water cold for 18 holes on the golf course and one that doesn't make it through the front 9.
The same differences set promotional pens at either the top or bottom of the pack. How much ink is in the pen? Does it skip and drag? What about imprint area? Do the colors available work for your brand identity?
Branded power banks? It's all about speed. The tech crew loves faster charging (and all the non-techy crew, too!) so look for output, not just the size of the battery. The latest trend we're seeing in branded power banks? Built in cables.
Partner with a promotional company that will point out best in category or best in your price target. Small differences may not be as expensive as you think!
Current Swag Trends
Current category swag trends for the best promotional items to give away:
- Practical desk top giveaways: mousepads, phone chargers/phone rests
- Fun giveaways: games, coloring book journals, playing cards
- Beach options like towels, totes and flip flops
- Journals and notebooks
- Office basics: working from home or not: pens, post-its
- Bottles, tumblers, cups, drink up!
If you're stuck in second gear and aren't sure what promotional products will give your logo maximum exposure, we've gathered a list of promotional products that your company can give away.
These products will boost your brand's visibility and could create a buzz about your company with every person who gets your carefully considered promotional giveaways.
Budgets Are Unique
We've gathered some economical choices great for adding to a swag bag or using as a donation for a local event. Other promo products in this list would be great for recognizing employees, especially to add to a new hire package. There are branded options that would be perfect to thank customers (or your team!)
1. Promotional Mobile Phone Holder + Screen Cleaner
These clever promotional phone holders are perfect for team work from home as well as the 'we're back in the office' crew. The bottom of this phone holder is a screen cleaner. Everyone wants promotional products that will be used. This definitely will be.
2. Custom Adult Coloring Book + Journal
What a great combination! A custom adult coloring book and blank journal notes for scribbling, taking notes, or just letting your creativity blossom! There are lots of articles stating creativity leads to better problem solving in business environments. Need we say more?
3. Custom Beach Towels
There are places in a marketing budget to look for more economical choices. This category, custom beach towels, is not one of them in our opinion. Go for quality and then know that a beach towel will be used on average for 10+ years. Go ahead and figure that ROI!
4. Custom Journal and Pen Set
There are lots of custom journal sets and we love and use lots of them. If you're looking for unique swag, don't miss this promotional journal! There's a "pen" printed on the front cover that is magnetic and will hold the 'real' pen. It's not like a duct tape hold, but makes keeping your pen handy much easier.
5. Promotional Pocket Journals
One of the current trends we're seeing in promotional products is color. Tie-dye, rainbows, etc. This promotional pocket journal set has the rainbow colors printed on the edges. And it comes with a coordinating pen that's metal, not plastic!
6. Promotional Lip Balm
This is one of those promotional products that gets used. There are lots of choices. The really cheap options are typically made overseas. We choose to partner with a US supplier who is also a certified B Corp.
7. Promotional Hand Sanitizer
Custom printed hand sanitizer has always been a popular giveaway. And then there was COVID19 and demand sky rocketed. As businesses open back up, our clients are continuing to order. Again, we choose to partner with a US supplier who is also a certified B Corp.
8. Business Logo Pen
Sometimes you just need a good giveaway pen. Yes, you could go cheaper, however this metal pen that can be engraved or printed in full color with a high capacity cartridge making it a category winner. You'll definitely get your money's worth!
9. Custom Post-it Notes
What's the most popular size for post-it notes? 4x3" So why are we suggesting the larger 4x6" size? Your brand will stand out + more writing space means they'll hang around longer. 25 or 50 sheets are like highway billboards.
10. Custom Insulated Tumblers
These insulated tumblers will be popular year round. We call them wine tumblers, but your beverage of choice will stay hot or cold longer in these. Check out the cool colors!
11. Custom Data Blocker Keychain
Data blockers have been a top cybersecurity giveaway for obvious reasons. This new keychain is even more convenient. Get your logo on these today!
12. Branded UV Sanitizer + Charger
UV sanitizing products were a thing before the pandemic. Why? The technology works. Add a charging component allowing you to sanitize and charge your phone in one device? Yes, please!
13. Promotional Inverted Umbrella
Inside out isn't a good thing. Unless you're talking umbrellas. If you haven't tried these in a rain storm, you don't know how dry you can stay! (Not to mention your car won't get as wet either!) These fold so they're easy to keep in a tote, backpack or purse.
Conclusion
PROMOrx offers a curated collection of customizable promotional giveaways for every industry - to make sure that the products you choose support your company or university brand!
