Promo items that cover the spectrum

Picking the right promotional giveaway can be challenging. We are caught between our opinions of what makes a great gift and what our coworkers like. In prior posts, we have talked about the process for determining a great promo gift. The process does require that you carefully consider the audience and the context of the gift. Taking the time to plan this out, this can work well. To aid in this process the ASI study on promo items effectiveness can be very valuable.

Before we get into particular categories of items, let’s address quality vs quantity. The simple fact is that quality has a cost. But, it also impacts the usage of any given item. So, as you read the below stats, please understand that you want to provide something that people want to hold on to.

Quality can be subjective. But common sense can go a long way when it comes to actual product construction. Flimsy water bottles are not as good as well constructed water bottles. USB Flash drives that just have a glued in USB chip rather than a post and glued chip are not as good. Thin cotton tees won’t last as long as thicker weight tees. You get the idea. There are some objective measures to quality.

Where the notion of quality can get tricky is when it comes to aesthetics. Consider where and when people will use the item. While you want the item to be noticed, you need to strike the balance between people noticing the item and the recipient being willing to wear it. There are some audiences for which outrageous print patterns on a hoodie would be welcomed and worn with pride. This same approach for another audience will ensure your item is tucked in a closet or tossed in the closest trash bin. From logo treatment to the overall pattern, be sure your approach is in line with your target audience’s taste.

A few Promo Product Categories go a long way

Let’s start with the easiest item, logoed pens. From a pure efficiency metric, pens are the least expensive per impression 1/10th of a penny ($0.0001). Not only are these the most popular in the US, logoed pens are on the top in London, Paris, Sydney, Berlin, and Canada. If you are not really sure of your audience or are looking for something that you can giveaway in many different areas over time, pens are a good bet.

Next, try promotional t-shirts. 58% Of the US population owns a t-shirt with a logo or promotional message. What is also good is that the distribution is pretty well even across age groups. What is also good about the promo t-shirt is that people can recall advertisers they saw on someone’s t-shirt. The number ranges from a low of 81% in the Southeast to 95% in the Midwest. The promo t-shirt is a great general giveaway.

Calendars are great simply because there is a build in incentive to keep it for at least 12 months and look at it every day. These promo items do tend to skew a bit older. So if you know your target is 35+. This is a great item. One way to use calendars for the younger targets is to use more imagery and personalize them. There are providers who can imprint custom messages on specific days, such as birthdays, anniversaries or other special occasions.

Surprisingly, desk accessories are great for the younger target. 41% Of US consumers have promotional desk accessories, but that jumps to 52% for people 18-34. When one of these lands on a desk, it tends to stick around for 14 months… great repeated impressions.

The ASI study has a long list of promo item statistics, too much to cover here. The more you can define the audience, the better selection you can make. When you are looking at high quantities, you may want to consider splitting your selection among a couple of few items to more narrowly target subgroups among your audience.