Promotional items or promotional products are useful or decorative articles of goods which are used in marketing and communication programs. The items are usually imprinted or decorated with a company name, logo or message. Promotional items have a long history in the U.S. and elsewhere, and if you want to know more about the background of promotional items and how they are used today, then read the mini-guide that follows.
The first known promotional products in theUnited States commemorative buttons were made, the election of George Washington in 1789.
During early 1800 there were some areas not organize advertising calendars, rulers and wooden specialties, but the industry really only later that century. A printer in Coshochton, Ohio, Jasper, Meeks is considered by many as the founder of the industry when he convinced a local shoe store to book bags with the store name to provide local schools printed.
A competitor in thesame town, Henry Beach, took the idea and soon the two men were selling and printing bags for marbles, buggy whips, card cases, fans, calendars, cloth caps, aprons and even hats for horses. In 1904, twelve producers of promotional items got together, found the first professional association for the budding industry.
Today's promotional
Bonuses, incentives, advertising specialties, business gifts, awards and commemorative coins are also considered as promotional items.They are used often distributed at trade shows, direct mail, and as part of guerrilla marketing campaigns and trade these items, the slang terms "prey" and "tchotchkes are known.
Today, many promotional items from businesses and organizations are divided on certain target markets in order to achieve specific and measurable results.
As in earlier days, are promotional items used in politics to promote candidates and causes. Promotional items are also used by schools andother organizations, often as part of fundraising and awareness campaigns.
Examples of promotional logo are trademarks T-shirts, caps, key chains, stickers, pens, badges, box cutters, knives and many other useful things.
Promotional products are widely appreciated and often requested, as they are for all age groups and for all five senses. The use of these products is gaining in popularity because they can be targeted to specific markets. The collection ofcertain types of promotional items has become a popular hobby.
Promotional Products: a large industry
Sales of promotional products in 2006 were $ 18.8 billion U.S. dollars according to the Promotional Products Association International, a 4.25% more than in the previous year. A large part of the continuous growth lies in the ability of this technique and to encourage participation attributed to the recipient about the benefits and relevance. The industry is growing faster than Newspaper or radio advertising and is larger than Internet advertising ($ 16.8 billion), cable television ($ 16.9 billion), Yellow Pages advertising ($ 14.4 billion) and outdoor advertising ($ 6.8 billion).
The largest product category for promotional items are wearables, which include T-shirts, golf shirts, jackets, caps, hats, shoes and the like, which account for more than 30% of the total cost.
Other popular categories are pens, calendars, desk and office> Accessories, Bags, Drinkware, utility knives or box cutters, recognition awards, leisure products, accessories, tools, stickers and decals, games and playing cards, car accessories, computer products, buttons, magnets, textiles, food gifts, and time pieces.
Promotional products are the activation of different types of motivation, recognition and commemorative programs. Customers use giveaways to business goodwill and loyalty are to promote the sharing ofPromotional and making 18.5% of the total market.
Promotional Marketers also be constructed for fair traffic, build brand awareness, public relations and improve employee relations and to the dealers and distributors to facilitate programs. In addition, promotional products play a role in campaigns for new customer generation, not-for-profit programs, employee service awards, new product introductions, internal incentive programs, safety education, customer referrals and marketingResearch.
Have until now, Promotional an important role in both the profit and non profit sector plays, and use the evaluation of its past and present, we can only expect that they still play an important role in the economy, advertising and games Public relations in the coming years.
