Under what conditions are promotional products effective?

Promotional products are an effective tool if those products get seen by hundreds of other people. Thus, the first characteristic of a good-quality promotional product is that it gets seen. Look for products that serve that need, that are usable, and do not get shoved into a desk drawer or discarded.  

Effective promotional products also need to make a connection to a company, brand, or product. Most have nothing more than a logo on them, which may mean nothing to someone not familiar with the organization. For example, what does Hillside, Inc. do? They happen to be a real estate company, but their name and logo don’t convey that very well. If you were to integrate a photo onto the product along with the logo, then the product would tell a story, which would make it have a higher perceived value.

Another way to guarantee that a product gets used (and therefore seen) is to personalize it with a name. Something like a coffee mug with the company logo and the client’s name on it is a fantastic promotional product, as it will likely get used for many years.

Focusing your sales pitch around concepts like these helps you sell your products. And the only way to develop these angles is to understand the market and create unique solutions to fulfill its needs.

-Jimmy Lamb, Sawgrass