The gift that keeps giving: promotional products

(Posted on 11/10/17)

As the season to be jolly and generous approaches, it’s a good time to look at how you can improve your business’s profile with a promotional item. Promotional products, free gifts, branded merchandise, however you want to refer it, can be a vital tool in spreading or reinforcing your company presence. A well-thought-out product, with a snappy tagline or a clever hook, can transform a good idea into a great one. 

A Christmas gift to your customers – or a connection to new business if someone at your clients sees the item – can be a useful way of thanking your clientele. Be imaginative with what you choose as your gift. Mugs are useful and will ensure that your logo will stick around for a while, as everyone likes a cuppa. But have they been done to death as a promo item? Liveried pens and key fobs have been very popular as free gifts too, and again, you’re gifting something useful. How many pub quizzes have you been to where someone’s got a liveried pen in their bag or jacket that isn’t for the company they work for?     

Think of the practicality of the gift, but also how it can be best used as an advert for you. Tailor your gift to your audience or your business, to make it a true reflection of your company and trade. You could perhaps have a foldaway comb if you run a hair salon, or a branded water bottle if you’re a water recycling company, which includes a strategically-placed company logo. Stationery such as sticky notes and notebooks are always useful and practical for an office environment. Bags – especially in the current climate of sustainability and environmental awareness – are welcome free gifts too. 

Technology such as branded USB sticks, also called flash drives or memory sticks, are a very useful freebie. These are particularly apt for tech or IT businesses, but can work for any type of company, from publishers and printers, to construction and engineers. Drinkware can be another useful gift. A branded water bottle is something that can be used every day and it’s also improving health and hydration. Don’t give them something they can eat, unless the packaging doubles up as something else. And toys and novelties can be amusing for 20 seconds, but may not hang around long before they are filed in the bin. 

Well-branded products and memorable gifts that are well presented are always there to remind your audience where they came from. Start thinking about how your free gift can make an impact and get your orders in for Christmas. 

For further advice, contact the Zebra team at info@zebra-comms.co.uk, or give us a call on 01978 437070.