A promotional product is anything that is given away to potential customers in an effort to increase sales of that product or to increase brand identity. Many corporations use custom promotional products emblazoned with their logo or that of one of their brands. Custom promotional products include items like tote bags, water bottles, keychains, or any number of other items which can be screen-printed, embroidered or embossed with a particular logo.
Trade shows are probably the best example one could find of an assortment of custom promotional products. The owners of the booths want each potential customer to come away from their table with something by which to remember them. By the end of a trade show, a person may have various and sundry items with an assortment of logos to take home.
Business cards used to be the primary method of communicating with a potential customer, but even business cards have to stand out in today's market. Custom business cards can be made in a variety of ways. No longer are all business cards horizontally printed, nor are they all made of paper. Plastic business cards endure longer and can be eye-catching to a potential consumer.
Functionality and uniqueness should play a role in the selection of custom promotional products for one's company. If the item is not useful, it may likely be discarded later. Keychains were the most common custom promotional product for a long time, until everyone began giving away keychains and they became non-unique.
Just about any item can be printed with some kind of logo on it. The trick is to find a company that is mass producing the item and can offer a custom logo on an item inexpensively. Still, sometimes the item must be purchased in bulk in order to make it worthwhile for the printing company to spend the time and energy to custom-make a product.
One just needs to look around at other people to find examples of one of the most common promotional products — the t-shirt. Custom apparel is a multi-million dollar industry, with everything from socks to hats ready for printing or embroidery. Apparel is unique in that a person can become a walking billboard for a company or its brand.
Custom promotional products are usually free, but if a business is branded well, it can sell items with its logo. For example, a popular restaurant might sell t-shirts with its name on it to tourists or even locals who are loyal. Theme parks, hotels, and any attraction with a gift shop are usually full of custom promotional products for sale.
