| Promotional products have been around for nearly 200 | | | | * Games 2.5% |
| years. The Promotional Products Association | | | | * Other 2.4% |
| International (PPAI), a trade association for promotional | | | | * Electronic 2.1% |
| item distributors, points out that the promotional market | | | | * Food 2.0% |
| came about when George Washington created | | | | * Personal 1.7% |
| buttons for his campaign. Although the promotions | | | | BENEFITS OF BUSINESS PROMOTION |
| market has changed and expanded greatly since then, | | | | Connie O'Lane, a senior writer for Imprint, gives the |
| the original concept behind the message remains the | | | | following as beneficial reasons for using promotional |
| same, get your message seen. | | | | items: |
| Promotional items are increasingly becoming a regular | | | | - They're affordable and don't have to be supported |
| part of companies' budgets. People are realizing that | | | | by more advertising |
| potential business growth can be directly related to the | | | | - Promotional items generate repeated impressions |
| use of promotional products and creative advertising. | | | | without repeated costs |
| Sometimes this means having to spend a little bit more | | | | - Logos can now be affordably rendered with |
| on promotional products while creatively thinking | | | | four-color processing |
| outside the box for new ways to express your | | | | - Promotional items constantly reinvent themselves; |
| message. | | | | there are more than 250,000 promotional products |
| The promotional products industry is currently one of | | | | currently available. |
| the fasting growing industries in the nation with total | | | | - Promotional items help to drive traffic to a website or |
| sales exceeding $16 billion in 2003. | | | | somewhere with more information |
| PPAI provided the following breakdown of promotional | | | | - Promotional items are durable and they aren't |
| product sales by category and item: | | | | discarded like print advertising |
| 2003 Category Sales | | | | - Business promotions appeal to customers as a way |
| * Corporate Gifts 17.9% | | | | to get something for nothing, eventually generating |
| * Employee Relations & Events 10.1% | | | | business back to the company |
| * Tradeshows 9.1% | | | | - Promotional products are the only form of advertising |
| * Brand Awareness 9.0% | | | | that people don't mind being subjected to |
| * Employee Service Awards 7.5% | | | | - Records show that 40 percent of people can |
| * Dealer/Distributor Programs 7.5% | | | | remember the names of the advertiser as long as six |
| * Public Relations 7.5% | | | | months after receiving a promotional item and 31 |
| * New Customer/Account Generation 6.6% | | | | percent still use the promotional item one year later. |
| * Internal Promotions 6.0% | | | | The most obvious reasons for using promotional |
| * New Product/Service Introduction 5.3% | | | | products include reinforcing your brand identity and |
| * Safety Education/Incentives 3.8% | | | | establishing your name and logo in the eye of the |
| * Not-for-Profit Programs 3.8% | | | | consumer. Advertising professionals give the following |
| * Customer Referral 3.7% | | | | as other potential reasons one might decide to use |
| * Marketing Research 1.3% | | | | promotional products as an advertising medium: |
| * Other 0.9% | | | | Promote goodwill |
| 2003 Promotional Items Sales | | | | Advertise goods and services |
| * Wearables 29.5% | | | | Build customer loyalty |
| * Writing Instruments 10.5% | | | | Build/Increase store and trade show traffic |
| * Desk 7.7% | | | | Celebrate an anniversary or grand opening |
| * Calendars 6.9% | | | | As a thank you to your employees and customers |
| * Glassware 5.5% | | | | Provide incentives for quality work or safety programs |
| * Bags 5.4% | | | | Get your company's name, phone number, or URL out |
| * Recognition 5.0% | | | | and in front of current and potential customers |
| * Sporting Goods 4.2% | | | | Promotional products are a unique alternative to your |
| * Buttons 3.5% | | | | regular advertising. Whether it be your logo or url |
| * Automotive 2.9% | | | | address, these marketing products can help brand |
| * Computer 2.8% | | | | your company and keep it top-of-mind. |
| * Textiles 2.6% | | | | |