Why Use Promotional Products?

Q: What Are Promotional Products?

A: Promotional products—usually imprinted with a company’s name, logo or message—include useful or decorative articles of merchandise that are used in marketing and communication programs. Imprinted products that are distributed free are called promotional products. Imprinted items given as an incentive for a specific action are known as premiums. Business gifts, awards and commemoratives are also considered promotional products.

Q: Who Buys Promotional Products?

A: The following ranks the top 10 purchasers of promotional products according to the findings of a study by Louisiana State University and Glenrich Business Studies. Industries were ranked by distributors according to the volume spent on promotional products by each industry.

  1. Education: Schools, Seminars
  2. Financial: Banks, Savings & Loan Companies, Credit Unions, Stock Brokers
  3. Health Care: Hospitals, Nursing Homes, Clinics
  4. Not-for-Profit Organizations
  5. Construction: Building Trades, Building Supplies
  6. Government: Public Offices, Agencies, Political Candidates
  7. Trade, Professional Associations and Civic Clubs
  8. Real Estate: Agents, Title Companies, Appraisers
  9. Automotive: Manufacturers, Dealers, Parts Suppliers
  10. Professional: Doctors, Lawyers, CPAs, Architects, etc.

Q: How Are Promotional Products Used In Marketing?

A: Since promotional products can be used alone or integrated with other media, there are virtually limitless ways to use them. Popular programs cited most often by promotional consultants are business gifts, employee relations, orientation programs, corporate communications and at tradeshows to generate booth traffic. They’re also effective for dealer/distribution programs such as co-op programs, company stores, generating new customers or new accounts, nonprofit fundraising, public awareness campaigns and for promotion of brand awareness and brand loyalty. Other uses include employee incentive programs, new product or service introduction and marketing research for survey and focus group participants.

Q: What Kinds Of Promotional Products Are Available?

A: There are tens of thousands of different types and styles of promotional products. In many cases, it’s even possible to obtain custom items that aren’t found in any catalog. Examples of common items include: apparel, pens, coffee mugs, calculators, key chains, desk accessories and memory sticks. BE BOLD! THINK BIG!

Q: How Large Is The Promotional Products Industry?

A: Advertisers spent more than $18 billion in 2011 on products purchased through promotional consultants.

Q: What Products Are The Most Popular?

A: Of the more than $18 billion that was spent in 2011 on promotional products, the most popular category was apparel. The top 10 categories for 2011 were:

  1. Apparel: Aprons, uniforms, blazers, headwear, jackets, neckwear, footwear, etc.
  2. Writing Instruments: Pens, pencils, markers, highlighters, etc.
  3. Calendars: Wall and wallet calendars, desk diaries, pocket secretaries, etc.
  4. Drinkware: Glass, china, ceramic, crystal, plastic and stainless steel.
  5. Bags, tote bags, shopping bags, gift bags, drawstring bags, cosmetic bags, etc.
  6. Desk/Office/Business Accessories: Cases, pen sets, calculators, paper products, etc.
  7. Recognition Awards/Trophies/Jewelry/Clocks & Watches: Plaques, certificates, etc.
  8. Other items not included elsewhere
  9. Games/Toys/Playing Cards/Inflatables: Kites, balls, puzzles, stuffed animals, etc.
  10. Textiles: Flags, towels, umbrellas, pennants, throws, blankets, etc.

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What Is Art?

Beyond the philosophical or judgmental ponderings in the world of promotional products the question is answered in a very defined way. Art is simply the image, logo and words that is applied to an item.  Here are a few terms and guidelines but as always, we're happy to help, give us a call or shoot us an email.

Camera Ready Art
While the days of physical, on paper, camera-ready art are numbered, we can still use this form. This art must be high resolution, black and white line art, and to size. No, we cannot use something that has already been printed. No, you cannot fax it.

Electronic Art
For best results we recommend art created using latest software versions of Adobe Illustrator (.ai) and Adobe Photoshop (.eps). All electronic artwork should be submitted in one of these formats. Other popular formats (.pdf) CAN work but it should be a high-resolution version, not lower resolutions used for proofing. For best results, we recommend for all files to be saved at 300 dpi. Artwork submitted in Word files, Power Point files, .gif, or .jpg are not acceptable file formats. We can recreate or alter most formats to meet printing requirements, but additional art charges may apply and a delay in the production schedule may result.

Electronic Art Requirements:

  • Submitted in native vector files of .eps, .ai or .pdf
  • All fonts must be converted to outlines to avoid font substitutions.
  • For multi-color orders, please indicate where the color breaks occur.

Talk Like the Boyz

We are word nerds and we ARE correcting your grammar, hopefully silently to ourselves. Still, there may be terms and phrases that will help us all to be "on the same page" and we share those here:

Deboss
Also referred to as blind deboss, this method is the development of a custom die casting of your logo that is recessed into the materials surface under heat and pressure. Deboss is without color and will give a tone-on-tone look.

Embroidery
Embroidery is a process of machine stitched threads of single or multiple colors, into a design on the surface of the product.

Pad Printing
Pad printing is a wet decorating process that uses a silicone pad to transfer the advertising image on the product. Pad Printing can be done in a wide range of colors including two color imprints.

Screen Printing
Screen printing is the direct imprinting of an advertising image, design or copy onto the surface of a product. The image is pressed through tensioned nylon mesh leaving a paint like appearance. Screen printing can be done in a wide range of colors and can be imprinted on the product.

Got a Question?

If you have any questions, comments, or need help finding promotional products, fill out the form below to contact us and we'll be in touch within 1 business day.


Contact Info

Gum Boyz, Inc.
Randy Kron
8180 Allison Ave.
Indianapolis, IN 46268
(317) 412-9970
randy@gumboyz.com