One of the biggest questions for a business is, how can I grow my company and not break the bank doing so. Promotional Items are a great way to grow your brand awareness while not spending a fortune. When it comes to cost per impressions (CPI) Promotional items are one of the cheapest forms of marketing. If you spend $1 on a pen and that pen gets at least 1,000 impressions, it will cost 1/10th of a cent per impression. That is a steal! Now we will dive into the 10 Best Promotional Items for 2020.
10. Calendars
People love a free calendar. Unless you are giving them the current years calendar at the end of the year. This is an item you want to get early and move quickly. The benefits of people having a calendar with your logo on it is they will most likely see it every day for a whole year. The downside to a calendar though is the short life. Most people only keep them around for about 8 months. If you can pass them out before the new year though you could lengthen its life. In Idaho calendars are one of the most preferred products to receive.
9. Desk Accessories
These are those little items on your desk that you might not think about every day, but you see daily. People tend to keep these accessories around for over a year, and in that time the generate nearly 1,500 impressions. Popular products to consider are staplers, picture frames, pencil cups, and little knick knacks. These are ideal for Business to Business marketing, this way they will already have you in mind when a need arises that your company can fulfill.
8. Mobile Power Bank
In the U.S. only 33% of people own a mobile power bank. There is a lot of room for growth. This is an item that not many people have. The average lifespan of a mobile power bank is 1 year. Over that time they produce almost 1,000 impressions. If people are actively using a mobile power bank with your logo on it that is something that will be noticed by others.
7. Phone Accessories
This one should be obvious. Just image if someone has a phone case or pop socket with your logo on it. The average person checks their phone every 12 minutes. Also, the average total number of times they check their phone in a day is 80. Almost every time they check their phone or show their phone to someone there is your logo. Your company will literally be in their pocket or hand most of the day.
6. USBs
Is it fitting that a memory stick will help a potential customer to remember your company? Hopefully it will be a remember stick. USBs are a good item to give away because once someone saves something to it, they will never want to lose it. They might even refer to it by your company name when searching for it. “Have you seen the {Your company} USB anywhere?” the biggest downside is that it only averages 700 impressions. The customer that owns it will remember you, but it won’t have as much reach as other products would.
5. Bags
Bags are one of the products that will get you a high number of impressions. On average a bag will generate 3,300 impressions. People also tend to keep bags for almost a year. Bags are one of the most regifted items. 61% of people regift a bag that was given to them. This regifting chain is great for your company! New eyes will see your logo and generate even more impressions. A popular trend now is eco-friendly Washable Kraft Paper Bags.
4. Drinkware
After Pens, Drinkware is the second most popular promotional item that people already own. Personalized cups or mugs are a classic. Who doesn’t love to receive a free cup? People tend to hold on to that cup for a year. It will generate almost 1,500 impressions. The perfect item is something that will use daily. A travel mug they take with them to work everyday will do the trick. There are several different types of drinkware to choose from. It all depends on who your target audience is.
3. Outerwear
Outerwear generates more impressions than any other type of promotional item. It will generate more than 6,000 impressions. It is also the item that people tend to keep the longest. The average outerwear piece will stay with someone for 16 months. This is the item that keeps giving for a long time. It does come with a price. These items tend to cost a little more. The Return on Investment seems to be worth it though.
2. Shirts
Shirts generate the second the greatest number of impressions coming in at 3,400 average impressions. People also keep them around for 14 months. This is a good item because they can be cheap to produce and they generate a lot of impressions. Recall is also highest with apparel items. 85% of customers remember the company that gave them a clothing item.
1. Pens
Pens are the most popular promotional item to give away. They generate 3,000 impressions per pen, and cost hardly anything. The customer won’t use it every day, but they will keep it around for a while. Everyone loves free pens and they usually have a stash of them somewhere.
One last thing
One more thing to consider if you are still torn between digital advertising and promotional items. Customers are 2.5 times more likely to have a positive opinion of promotional items compared to online advertising. Also, customer under 55 prefer promotional items over all other forms of advertising. We are all bombarded by constant advertising on our phone, tv, radio and other devices. The thing about those though, are that they only last a few seconds and then its on to the next. They are easily forgetful. However, it isn’t everyday someone gets a free shirt or other promotional item. That is something that will stick with a customer for a long time.
The stats for this article come from ASI 2019 Ad Impression Study.
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