| Promotional items are goods given away without | | | | utility knives and inexpensive pens. |
| charge to the community in an attempt to | | | | Incentive products were higher-quality, higher cost |
| advertise a business or boost sales or awareness | | | | items purchased in smaller quantities and imprinted |
| of some particular merchandise or service. They | | | | with only the manufacturer's logo. |
| are now an essential part of advertising and | | | | Retail companies have entered the incentive |
| marketing and they deserve a closer look. | | | | promotional product industry, realizing that orders |
| Promotional items are often distributed at trade | | | | of 1,000 watches, 5,000 key fobs, or 10,000 golf |
| shows, used in direct mail and as part of guerrilla | | | | balls are good business and all the company has |
| advertising campaigns. According to marketing | | | | to do is add someone else's logo on its product. |
| experts promotional items are effective in | | | | Branding and setting the tone of how a company |
| boosting sales by increasing brand and company | | | | is perceived by its employees and the consumer |
| awareness. | | | | in the marketplace is a priority of any incentive |
| For example, imagine a small notepad with 25 | | | | plan. When a company sponsors a golf |
| pages. Each page has your logo imprinted on it. If | | | | tournament, it wants something more than |
| that notepad costs 50 cents, then there are 25 | | | | visibility for its investment. Awarding a golf bag as |
| impressions at a cost of two cents an impression. | | | | a prize reflects well on the sponsoring company |
| Now, if that page gets passed on to someone | | | | and reinforces the emotional connection with its |
| else, the number of "views" increases and the | | | | vendors, clients and even competitors. |
| cost per impression therefore decreases. This can | | | | Some manufacturers have recently changed |
| be a very cost effective means of advertising | | | | policies on adding logos to their products. Brand |
| and promoting your business, provided it is done | | | | name companies now allows sponsors' logos to be |
| correctly. | | | | embroidered alongside their swoosh logo. For |
| It is absolutely essential for all corporate bodies to | | | | example at an award ceremony, both the |
| realize the importance of having custom-designed | | | | sponsoring company's logo and Nike's were shown |
| logos on notepads. A professional notepad logo | | | | together in a strongly positive emotional context. |
| design goes a long way towards establishing the | | | | Advertisers are well aware of the formula: strong |
| identity and the image of the company. | | | | emotion = memory. Thus, organizations are now |
| Notepads are frequently used in offices, so it | | | | discovering the benefits of associating their brand |
| makes good sense to provide your clients with | | | | with other images, icons and especially other |
| promotional notepads with your logo on it. Your | | | | brands. |
| message and logo is sure to get noticed in any | | | | When a company co-logos with a respected |
| environment and will give your business a lasting | | | | manufacturer, the motivational value of the |
| and impressive brand identity. | | | | incentive rises over generic products. Both |
| The line between promotions and incentives used | | | | companies benefit. |
| to be defined by price point, volume and retail | | | | Today manufacturers are especially keen on |
| name brands. Promotional products tended to be | | | | getting into the promotional products market as it |
| generic, purchased in large quantities at low cost | | | | offers more volume than the traditionally smaller |
| and imprinted with only a company's logo and/or | | | | incentive products market. |
| message. Typical examples were coffee mugs, | | | | |