Promotional Item Selection - Useful Tips

The key to selecting the ideal advertising promotional product is to first consider your targeted demographic. For example, you won't want to brand mouse pads for elderly women. Likewise, golf shirts won't work for 14-year-old boys. Secondly, consider where you will be marketing. If you're going to the beach, why not select a beach ball, a water bottle, visors, sunglasses, beach towels or imprinted sunblock? Your target market will appreciate your thoughtfulness and will remember that experience forever! Thirdly, you will want to consider your quintessential brand message. How can you tie in the essence of your brand with a custom promotional product? For example, Skyy Vodka is partnering up with Sex and the City to offer "Samantha," "Charlotte," "Carrie" and "Miranda" cocktails at Houlihan's Bars across America. What better way to promote a sleek, "girls-night-out" brand image?

Marketing managers just love scoring a desirable location, such as a baseball game for their promotions! In 2008, it seemed every team had some sort of useful, innovative or weird promotional item floating around the stands. The Detroit Tigers gave away branded "Back to School" stationary sets at an August game. The Kansas City Royals gave away branded umbrellas. The LA Angels gave away chest protector backpacks, combining baseball fashion with old school utility! The Florida Marlins gave away car air fresheners and inflatable air guitars (to cover all demographics). The NY Mets gave away mini stadium replicas, while the Milwaukee Brewers went for quirky bobblehead figurines. You don't have to be a sports team to land a baseball deal. Take, for example, the promo General Motors did a few years with the Rochester Redwings: double-sided t-shirts with the Redwings logo on the front and GM's on the back! Corporate apparel cross-promoting never goes out of style!

We all like getting something for free -- be it imprinted pens, tote bags, stress relievers or key tags. Whether your marketing budget is big or small, you can create a personalized grassroots level campaign. There are limitless places to scour on the internet to find that perfect promotional item and you can sleep soundly at night knowing that your generosity is sure to pay off in the end!