promotional products

The freebie tote bag is becoming as much of an accessory in American life as perhaps the belt and maybe even shoe laces. This summer, we wrote about its appeal with consumers increasingly concerned about the environment.

Recently we're noticed that sometimes the best ways to market using promotional products is with a packaged set of something useful. Two ideas are gaining attention right now with both SMBs and major companies.

Tool Sets and Safety Kits

For years people have talked about the sweeping changes of the digital age. Information technology is seen as a force that would transform everything . . . and it has! Thanks to advances in software, the microchip, social media and cloud technology, we can be "plugged in" and communicate with anyone, anywhere in the world within seconds.

Fall is certainly filled with themes on which businesses can capitalize. For example, there is back-to-school, turning leaves and pumpkin-spiced everything. There is also the second-most lucrative holiday for most retailers, Halloween. Other important events include Thanksgiving and Veterans' Day, as well as marketing-driven occasions such as Sweetest Day.

Reminder advertising — that's what people outside the industry used to call promotional products.

They are an excellent way to put businesses' names and contact information in front of future customers, helping to make contact at the right time. They are also effective for small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) to brand at public events, such as trade shows, 5K races and fun runs, music fests and even in swag bags.

It's arguably one of the most useful kinds of promotional products out there. The drinkware category continues to be a tried-and-true choice for promoting small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in every sector.

One great way to tap into the enthusiasm for the upcoming fall and winter is to highlight football promotions. As we have mentioned before, football is currently America's favorite sport -- both the professional and college varieties. The sport provides many opportunities for distributors of promotional products.

Last week on the Idea Custom Solutions blog we pointed out three must-haves for any business that participates in trade shows. Granted, we mentioned the obvious: trade show attendees love to get promotional products.

Trade shows are an important cornerstone of both the American and world economy. They're one place where B2B companies can build relationships and sell to each other. For other firms that sell goods and services to consumers, trade shows foster an environment where they can build their brands and reputations.

Of course, a perk for guests and attendees at trade shows is the free stuff. Promotional products weren't necessarily invented with trade shows in mind, but certainly fit the environment perfectly.