Be honest, how many promotional products do you have laying around your home or office space right now? Each one is a small reminder and representation of the brand that invested in it and gave it to you. 85% of people remember the brand behind the promo gifts they’ve received, and that statistic is huge for small businesses that are still building brand awareness. But, only the best promotional items for small businesses tend to be remembered.
Our expertise is in creating memorable brand experiences, so we’re sharing a handful of product ideas that can tastefully display your small business and keep you at the top of consumers’ minds. We’re already partnered with every promo vendor listed below, so if you see something you like, just say so!
Need to Skim? Key Takeaways:
- Some of our favorite promotional items for small businesses include office supplies, umbrellas, cozy blankets and throws, calendars, and more.
- We recommend selecting promotional items that are not only practical and high-quality but also resonate with your brand’s values and target audience.
- We’re advocates for partnering with a single, “one stop shop” vendor to simplify project management, enhance quality control, and inspire creativity in your promotional campaigns.
Table of Contents
- Office Supplies
- Umbrellas
- Blankets & Throws
- Calendars
- Travel Mugs
- Tech Accessories
- Apparel
- Eco-Friendly Products
- Health & Wellness Items
- Food & Drink Items
- How to Pick Promotional Items That Don’t End Up in the Trash
1. Office Supplies
Investing in office supplies as promotional items is a great place to start because you know they’re things people genuinely need and will use! Practical products such as notepads, pens, sticky notes, and organization tools with your brand embossed, printed, or engraved will help recipients complete tasks, stay organized, and most importantly, remember your business.
Related Reading: How to Create and Manage a Promotional Budget
2. Umbrellas
We’ve had no shortage of rain at our headquarters in Minnesota this summer, so umbrellas are great products to have on hand for ‘rain or shine’ outdoor activities. Compact umbrellas, golf umbrellas, or fancy reflective umbrellas give people on-the-go protection and safety. And while they’re out staying dry beneath your branded umbrella, they’re also serving as a free, walking advertisement!
3. Blankets & Throws
Blankets and throws work well as giveaways or components of a “swag bag” because they’re practical and trendy. Cozy fleece blankets, picnic blankets, or weighted throws are all desirable promo gifts regardless of gender, age, occupation, or lifestyle.
4. Calendars
Calendars often take up prime real estate in office spaces. Wall calendars or magnetic schedules are usually displayed in areas people frequently gather to look at upcoming events while desk calendars are ideal for daily planning. Branded promotional calendars provide consistent opportunities to expose people to your brand throughout every day of the week.
Related Reading: How to Set Your Swag Budget
5. Travel Mugs
Most people start each day with a mug in their hands. Branded mugs keep drinks at the right temperature, reduce single-use waste, and promote your business all at once. There are so many creative avenues you can take, from premium insulated mugs, creative ceramic mugs, or collapsible travel mugs. No matter what you choose, it’ll hold their favorite morning brew while holding your small business in a good light.
6. Tech Accessories
Here’s a harsh reality: People are growing more reliant on their devices every year. Tech accessories such as branded USB drives, portable phone chargers, custom laptop sleeves, or wireless headphones are high-value promo items for tech-savvy customers. People are going to use these products regardless of where they get them, so why not provide them with a useful gadget that advertises your brand?
7. Apparel
Apparel is a classic promotional item for boosting brand awareness. Give someone a stylish and high-quality shirt, cap, socks, or hoodie and they’ll want to wear it out and about in their daily lives! Gifting branded apparel that looks cool and feels comfortable is an easy and effective way to get the word out about your business while fostering community amongst your employees and customers.
8. Eco-Friendly Products
Eco-friendly products like reusable shopping bags, bamboo cutlery sets, or recycled notebooks do a great job of communicating your environmental values while inspiring recipients to be more eco-friendly, too. Plus, consumers who are already living a green lifestyle will inevitably feel more connected to your brand through these kinds of promotional products.
9. Health & Wellness Items
One lingering element from the pandemic is an increased awareness about hygiene and wellness. Branded hand sanitizers, masks, or water bottles promote a healthy lifestyle and are easy products to hand out or include in a promotional kit.
10. Food & Drink Items
Food and drink items are low-waste, low-risk, and typically low-cost promotional gifts that are as easy to distribute as they are to consume! Snacks with custom labels, branded coffee packs, and water bottles are a few examples of easy yet desirable giveaways. Here are a few of our favs:
- 12 Piece Chocolate Assortment Box
- Custom Cookie Box
- Farewell Coffee Roasters’ Happy Camper Blend
- SUPLMNT Coffee Tumblers
How to Pick Promotional Items That Don’t End Up in the Trash
The promotional industry has a bit of a bad rap for producing waste. That’s because people often cut corners and sacrifice quality in order to save time and money. The best way to make sure your promotional gifts are a worthy and sustainable investment is by picking products that don’t end up in the trash.
Know Your Customer and Channels
Knowing the right channels to reach your customers will help you select products they’ll actually value and use regularly. Before you dump money into cheap tchotchkes, consider your target audience’s preferences, habits, and lifestyles. You also want to align the products you choose with the values and personality of your brand, because after all, these promotional items literally promote and represent your business. Read more about how to build brand equity with custom promotional products.
Work With a One Stop Shop Vendor That Gets It
Selecting, sourcing, designing, producing, packing, shipping, and providing customer support for each product can quickly grow cumbersome. And project managing every step of the way can be overwhelming if you have to turn to multiple vendors for support. Partnering with one vendor who offers a comprehensive range of products and services not only consolidates the project management process, it improves quality control, creates more space for creativity, and eliminates logistical headaches.
At Imprint Engine, we simplify the process, provide you with expert advice, and ensure consistency in branding and quality. Read more about how we work.
Build Your Brand With Imprint Engine
Promotional products are powerful marketing tools that, when executed well, will boost brand awareness and attract new customers. Hopefully this list got your creative juices flowing! We’re here to help you narrow down your search and begin planning your next promotional project. Get in touch with our brand experts to get started.
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