The vast majority of promotional products are purchased in much larger quantities, making them more suitable for big businesses, but small to medium enterprises (SME’s) do have a need for them as well, so finding a middle ground on price and quantity is important.

If you are an SME and are looking for a promotional product solution, then there are a selection of choices that might be suitable for your businesses budget and requirements. Just a few of the products that can be purchased in smaller quantities include:

Promotional Pens

Many manufacturing and printing companies offer pens in quantities of around 250 pieces. Of course, the price per unit is highly likely to be higher the less items you purchase, but for some small businesses 250 pens could be more than enough.

Printed Clothing

Printed Bag

Items such as baseball caps, fleeces and t shirts are popular as uniforms for small businesses. But if you only have a handful of employees there is no reason to feel you can’t obtain a uniform by using a local printer. Smaller quantities of printed clothing often mean the price is higher for the printing and you may even find the style of personalisation is limited to embroidery or laser printing.

Personalised Mugs

Mugs are a great choice as a promotional gift, espacially when giving things away to office workers and buyers as they can be kept in the tea room and seen by the whole staff. Mugs are normally laser printed, with a variety of styles available besides the standard white porcelain mug.

In some cases these products can even be personalised on the high street, so if you just wanted 5 t-shirts for a specific event such as an exhibition then it might be worth approaching a local printer and it might even take less time.

Shared Promotional Products

There are a few ideas for promotional products that could be used in this way and the right solution will probably depend on the type of business you are promoting to. Here are a few generic examples:

Promotional Desk Pens

Like other printed pens, desk pens are branded on the barrel, but have the advantage of being used by multiple people. These pens are often secured to a particular spot such as a reception desk and are used in many different businesses from hotels to garages.

Promotional clocks

Promotional Wall Clock

Probably one of the most used items in an office or workspace, a clock can be hung on the wall and left for years with a logo or message.

Branded Mugs

Traditionally mugs are given to individuals, but by giving away a set of several branded earthenware mugs they could effectively be used in a staff room or waiting area so more people will both use and see them.

Like the clocks, these could also be seen by consumers if used in a waiting area and are likely to be kept far longer.

Unlike some other branded products, the clock only needs replacement batteries and provided the design is good quality I believe it is far more likely to be kept.

If the client receiving the promotional product is also customer facing then your brand and logo is likely to be noticed in a B2C environment as well – a far higher footfall than giving one product to one person!

‘Two in Five women would rather receive a personalised gift than the typical box of chocolates or flowers for valentines day says new research.”

So it seems promotional gifts have a place both in the business world and the personal world.

Researchers found that the most popular products available for personalisation include engraved jewellery and personalised art prints.

Fast becoming more popular are the promotional gifts for the B2C industry.

Admittedly this blog specifically focuses on the B2B community, but there is no reason why a promotion like this could not be adapted to suit a B2B environment.

Many of the high street products are available in smaller quantities and (as a result) make them a more viable solution for a small town based business. If you are looking to test the water with a promotional product then this is probably a handy way to do it.

More and more high street stores are beginning to provide personalisation services for various items such as pens, t-shirts, mousemats, pictures and lots of other products – even some supermarkets are offering the service. I recently purchased a mug that was personalised with an image I provided electronically and it old cost a few pounds for full colour printing.

Of course, if you are in the business of buying these products in bulk then the high street is probably not for you, but it can often be useful to be able to rustle up some additional promotional gifts for an unplanned meeting with just a copy of your own logo and contact details.

Personalised Mobile Internet

Websites, Mobile Sites and Applications are becoming a more popular investment for many sizes and styles of business, and many marketers are considering them as part of their budget for branded and personalised products for the year ahead.

As time has passed in the last 10 years, the need to have a quality, optimised website has grown and this rule seems to apply whether you are in a B2B or B2C environment. In the early stages, mobile sites were generally limited to news feeds and large scale online businesses and many companies saw the need to be ‘mobile friendly‘as a vanity project.

However, with the popularity of mobile, laptop and tablet pc’s ever growing, it seems that more companies are starting to consider the possibilities that mobile e-commerce and accessibility could bring and as a result, more and more businesses are making their websites mobile!

Can I have a personalised mobile internet site?

Most website designers will be able to assist in creating a mobile friendly internet site, but 9 times out of 10 it is a process that will need to be started from scratch.

Like all your other promotional products, there are lots of things to consider in getting the design balanced with the brand message and call to action. Unlike your standard web design, it is highly likely you will have less ‘space’ to do so and as a result the number of images, amount of content and navigation will all need to be changed.

However, the beauty of a personalised mobile site is it can work in conjunction with your existing site, meaning that mobile users will see a slightly scaled down version of the site compared with desktop or laptop users.

In my opinion, with free wifi and mobile internet access becoming readily available in most town centres, it is likely that traffic from mobile devices will continue to increase and as a result, having a mobile friendly site might just help you stay in front of more customers on more occasions!

Promotional products for 2012

If you are taking part in an exhibition or event in 2012, then these products may be of interest to you.

Lots of new ideas are starting to appear in time for the new year, with a focus on eco-friendly and multipurpose products.

Personalised USB Hub

For a digital, internet or IT based company; this USB Hub would make an excellent corporate giveaway. As a multipurpose product, it not only splits one USB port into 3, it also reads SD cards – handy for downloading photos or other data from phones or cameras.

Conference folders are also becoming more versatile as I have mentioned in a previous post. I’m confident that lower prices, large print areas and availability of a “pocket” A5 size will all help to make them a more popular product next year. Not forgetting, the folder itself acts as a useful holder for your own brochures and leaflets to pass on to prospective customers!

Printed stationary for 2012

Again, thanks to price changes many businesses are opting for a more luxurious paper when considering their next print of letter head and compliments slips. Some businesses are also personalising other stationary items such as envelopes and folders in a bid to improve their brand identity.

Business cards will be another key item that changes with many gadget style cards now available, I think there are lots of good ways to get customers to keep your card after you hand it out. One of the best ideas for card sizes personalised gadgets is this USB key that is credit card sized – a memory stick with your calling card included!

Marketing and promotion online in 2012

Finally, I think digital marketing and brand awareness will continue to see the majority of the boom in 2012. With the introduction and popularity of more platforms for internet access (tablet PC’s and mobile phones) it is likely more and more businesses will start the process of “upgrading” their sites to make them mobile friendly and incorporate e-commerce within them.

Many businesses also use promotional products for their staff by providing them with printed or embroidered items such as stationary or uniform.

But one product idea that can be used in both cases to great effect is branded conference folders and in my opinion this is mainly because of their versatility and professional look and feel.

There are a variety of shapes and sizes to choose from and various optional extras to consider, including:

Conference folder size

A4 Leather Look Conference Folder

A4 is the most common size purchased and prices start at just a few pounds for one of this size. However with more people looking for something that is highly transportable, the A5 size is also becoming more popular as it can be easily tucked into a laptop bag or briefcase whilst commuting.

Finish of the conference folder

The material used on the exterior of the folder can give a very different feel. Real leather, leather look, canvas and plastic are amongst the most popular and although black is commonly purchased other colours are available. Bear in mind you can also have clasps in a popper or zip and if you are giving the folder to employees you might want to consider the width of the folder for their paperwork.

Type of branding used

Depending on the exterior finish chosen there are a variety of finishes available for your company personalisation. Some folders are created specifically for heat embossed branding, a nice choice if you have a clear logo. Embroidery is sometimes available on the canvas styles, although costs vary depending on the amount of work required to create your logo and other information. Printing is probably the most cost effective option, but not all materials can be laser printed, so be sure to check with your supplier before deciding.

Whichever conference folder you decide to use and whoever you decide to hand them out to, be sure to use the space inside to include some of your own company information and brochures as well as a promotional pen (if you have one).

However, one of the other ways they are also commonly used is for staff.
Employees, Contractors and sub-contractors are one of the least used marketing commodities and can be an excellent and easy way of promoting your business with minimum effort.

Many items can be used by staff, not just the traditional uniforms we are all used to seeing. Some of my ideas have included:

Promotional Bags for Employees

Promotional Bag for Paperwork

If you have workers that are on the road, maybe they are delivering products or attending meetings and handing out information.

Giving them a promotional bag to put everything in can give a nice finishing touch to your paperwork.

Promotional Stationary for Staff

Whether they are workers on a site, in an office or on the road having items such as pens, stationary, mugs and travel accessories can be another useful promotional tool. Don’t forget they can use the items themselves as well as handing them out to prospective clients they might meet along the way.

Promotional Printing on Company Property

Personalisation for business is not just limited to the items you can find through a business gift supplier. Items such as uniforms, vehicles, badges, mobile phones and briefcases can all be personalised with a bit of imagination. Try asking your printer for some quality transparent stickers for car windows and gadgets such as laptops.

It is so easy sometimes to forget what is right under your nose and some of the biggest businesses around have been highly successful in advertising special offers and raising brand awareness through the items their staff use and wear on a daily basis.

Speaking to your printer is often a good place to start when considering branding some of your existing company assets and a business gift supplier is often the best way to go for promotional products themselves.

In recent years there seems to be a trend both on the high street and with online suppliers for USB products. I have had a look at some of the ideas available and many are now creeping into the world of promotional products for business.
If you are looking for a useful and lifelong promotional product to supply to clients, colleagues and potential customers then maybe some of these items might be for you:

Printed USB Keys

Personalised USB Key

The USB Key has become a staple for every business person. Whoever would have thought that carrying so much information could be done on something as small as a keyring. The style and shape of a USB key can be changed depending on your requirements and even custom built plastic USB holder can be created. However from a marketing perspective I quite like this Credit Card style USB key, which can hold up to 8 GB of files and has a large print area for my message.

Personalised Computer Accessories

These digital accessories are all connected to a computer using the USB port and could be a useful accessory for someone who travels a lot. The mouse and port splitter both have retractable cables to the equipment packs away tidily and into its own presentation case.

Printed USB Light

This light attached to a USB cable can be personalised at the top and (to be honest) would be a real lifesaver for me when working late at night. No separate power supply is needed and it will illuminate your keyboard, making it easier to work in the dark!

Promotional USB Mouse

This promotional Mouse can be personalised on the top and like the computer accessories pack mentioned above, it also has a retractable cable so it tidies up without tangling in your laptop case.

Many other USB products are available, but these are just a few of the ones that I felt were well suited as business gifts for most occasions.

• Website Design
• Graphic Design
• Stationary Design
• Promotional Materials
• Uniform Design

The group was a real mix of people all involved in Design and Print of some description – anything from a Basingstoke Web Design firm to Kent based Personalised Stationary provider.

These groups can be a good way of pooling resources and coming up with new ideas as well as potentially a useful resource of further leads.

Of course, you don’t have to employ a company like this to create your own designs, but having a professionally created logo along with your stationary and website can go a long way towards creating a professional impression for potential (and existing) clients.

I have always believed that your website is one of the most important places you can create – these days it is a companys’ handshake with most potential customers going there long before they make direct contact through a phone or email.

Of course, creating all of these different aspects of design is not always easily completed by one person, which is why so many designers work closely with others in order to pool their resources when needed.

Ideally if you are looking to create your first website or printed stationary, then look at some of your competitors and consider what works and doesn’t work for them. Alternatively, speak with a professional designer who will be able to assist you in creating something unique for your business.

In truth, I have never looked at pencils before but I wanted to create a gift set for special customers and suppliers, and individually creating a selection of products that worked well together seemed the best option.

In the end I went for a Conference Folder that contained a rollerball pen, pencil and pad, all of which were similarly branded in the company colours – Red and Blue.

But it was the pencils that surprised me the most. I don’t think I have owned a pencil myself since my school days. Nowadays I rely on tippex for the mistakes I make. However, the personalised pencil I created for this purpose had a rubber on the end and a holder in the conference folder for it, so there is no reason for it not to be used time and time again.

Promotional Pencil - Rainbow

I was specifically interested in the variety of shapes and colours available – even a rainbow pencil that would have worked well as a souvenir at a gift shop or visitor attraction.

Of course I don’t think promotional pencils will ever replace pens, their popularity and versatility is just always growing, but why not consider making a stationary set like me? Especially when you consider how cost effective pencils are.