Getting promotional items for our brand is crucial if we want to get more eyes and pounds sterling aimed at us. More often than not, the items will be something practical, useful, and low-cost. In other words, it will be an item that the client or customer might use non-stop, but that will also serve as a tool for viral marketing.
Of course, getting inexpensive items is fine enough. After all, we want to save money and try to earn the most profit out of the least possible expense. But there are times when we need to step our game up. A premium item that will cost more than what we would normally pay for promo merch will have to come into play.
But why should we offer premium promotional items, and which ones work best for us? Well, this article is here to help our readers figure that out. In the paragraphs that follow, we will cover five of the best types of promotional items that every marketer ought to take into consideration. Furthermore, we will provide some individual examples of what works for each of the five categories.
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Why Even Consider Premium Items?
Most of the time, companies will settle for some middle-of-the-road products. Some of the popular choices include, but are not limited to:
- Pencils, pens, and other stationery
- T-shirts, caps, and other clothing items
- USB flash drives
- Reusable dishes
- Reusable cutlery
- Lighters
- Tote bags
- Mugs
- Handkerchief packs
- Confectionery
- Sunglasses
- Umbrellas
- Wallets
- Stickers
- Keyrings
- Bottle openers
- Tech accessories
- Luggage tags
- Hand sanitisers
- Cosmetics and skincare products
- Mouse pads
- House plants.
Obviously, people can get creative with any product, even something as simple as a pencil. But that’s going to get old pretty fast. Customers like innovation. More importantly, they want the kind of innovation they can reuse repeatedly.
According to GoPromotional Products UK, most people who pick up promotional items choose the ones with reusability value. For instance, they will almost always choose a T-Shirt or a tote bag over a paperweight or a Christmas card. So, as brand owners, we need to look into the customer needs on a daily basis and how we can deliver the best possible product that fits those needs. That means going with the highest quality product out there, and premium items are just that.
Another key reason behind choosing premium items is a distinction. Even if we spend a little extra on an item that’s ten cuts above the norm, we will gain a massive reputation with the consumers. Simply put, we will become ‘the brand that offers the best’, and more people will flock to us.
So, what are some of the premium items we can look into? Well, here’s our handy list, complete with examples.
Consumer Tech
Let’s think about our typical day. We wake up to the sound of the alarm that comes from our smartphones or digital alarm clocks. Next, we have breakfast while looking at our schedule on our laptop or our smart tablet. Then, as we go to work, we use a headset or some earbuds to listen to music or the daily news. At the office, we may plug our phones into a wireless charger or use a power bank. And depending on what we’re doing, we might even use a stylus to jot something down on our drawing tablets.
Technology is everywhere, so using consumer electronics as promo items isn’t exactly new. Nowadays, people across the globe use earbuds and power banks as corporate gifts, especially with millennial customers. It’s a great way to entice the young crowd since it’s an item they will most definitely use throughout the day.
Naturally, there is a wide selection of products to choose from, so we’ve opted for two types of tech products that we think will work the best. Both of them employ similar technology and are likely to be a hit with crowds of any age or social standing.
Wireless Speakers
Our clients love listening to music or watching videos on YouTube. And since the built-in speakers of most smartphones are not that powerful, they might have trouble hearing the sounds in a noisy office environment. Therefore, packing a pair of awesome wireless speakers will definitely do the trick.
Most of these types of speakers in today’s market are lightweight and easy to carry. Furthermore, they come with everything that a speaker might need, including woofers. Living up to their names, these speakers use a Bluetooth connection, so it’s really a matter of clicking a few options, and we’re good to go.
Wireless speakers come in a wide variety of colours, shapes, sizes, and performances. As promo gifts, they will definitely catch a few eyeballs. Clients who receive them will use them for years before they break down. And the best part is that our clients can literally take the speakers anywhere they go. It’s a versatile, durable, and stylish gift that seems to keep on giving.
Wireless Earbuds
Once again, wireless is the way to go. In 2022, most tech consumers like their devices to be interconnected, simple, sleek, and easy to use. And what can be simpler than a pair of earbuds that don’t require any cables or adapters?
Wireless earbuds are lightweight and usually come in a decorative, hard case. Most of them have only one or two buttons, and controlling them is easy. From that simple design, we can change the track, increase or decrease the volume, receive and end phone calls, and even do other individual features. Furthermore, most of the biggest names in the music industry promote one form of wireless buds or another. To put it simply, it’s a huge market, and using these items as promo materials will be the best business decision we ever make.
Self-Care Products
Today’s world is full of turmoil and stress. With a fast-paced lifestyle and lots of outside danger, modern individuals can buckle under the pressure and slowly lose their minds. It’s at times like this that we need something to help us calm those nerves. In other words, we need a product or a service that can make us forget about the daily grind, if even for a bit, and just take it easy. Luckily, there are lots of products that can help just a little bit, and more than a few of them can become awesome promotional products.
This category is called ‘self-care products’, but we didn’t necessarily include just the cosmetic and skincare items. In fact, we tried to broaden the spectrum just a bit. The items on this list will help soothe us in different ways, even if they don’t necessarily fall under the typical self-care umbrella.
Comfort Sets
As their name suggests, these sets are here to bring us comfort. Usually, they contain a couple of items that we can use dermally or orally. And if it’s a premium luxury package, it will contain all of that and much more.
One comfort set we recommend contains soap infused with essential oils, a medium-sized pumice stone, and some green tea. Each of these items will help maintain an emotional equilibrium:
- The soap is there to keep us clean and give us a soothing aroma at the same time
- The pumice stone will help keep our feet callus-free and smooth
- Green tea will soothe our body on the inside, plus it will do wonders if we are aiming to lose some weight.
Comfort sets are excellent marketing tools. For instance, we can imprint our logo on literally all of the individual products we’ve listed above. Furthermore, we can pack them in a decorative jute bag or a sleek tin package. And once again, we can print our brand’s logo, message, and contact details anywhere on the package.
Stress-Relief Bathroom Packages
A stress-relief package is really just a comfort set but a bit more specialised. The packages we have in mind are perfect for people who enjoy having baths since they usually contain some of the following items:
- Scented soap
- Essential oils
- Scented bath salts
- Scented candles
- Loofahs and pumice stones
- Hairnets and other accessories
- A small microfibre hand towel
- (optional) biodegradable, eco-friendly soap and/or shampoo.
The purpose of these promo items is twofold. Firstly, it shows that we care about our client’s well-being. After all, these items are perfect for people who want to relieve some stress. In addition, it’s several products in one, so it will cost a bit more, and that expense is something that the client will appreciate.
Secondly, as we stated, more items mean more opportunities to market our brand. All we have to do is print, embroider, or weave our logo into each individual part of the stress-relief package, and we’re good to go.
Scented Tumbler Candles
Why would we buy a big, bulky candle as a gift for our clients or employees? Well, the answer is rather simple: it’s a product that serves multiple purposes. Firstly, it provides the user with some romantic, soothing light. Next, the scent will help relax the individual after a hard day’s work. Finally, the scent will stimulate the brain, helping the user increase their cognitive abilities and perform better at any task.
The cool thing about tumbler candles is that they come in all shapes and sizes. Furthermore, they are made out of mostly wax. Therefore, if we want to, we can imprint or emblazon our logo directly on the candle itself, which is a clever way of marketing still in use today.
Sherpa Blankets
Sherpa blankets usually contain materials such as faux sheepskin or faux mink. In other words, no animal died in making them, which is definitely an eco-friendly plus. But that’s not why these blankets are on the list of amazing premium promo items. In fact, the biggest two reasons we decided to include sherpa blankets are their versatility and our promotion.
A blanket may have lots of uses around the house. However, its primary use is to keep us warm and cosy. Comfort during sleep is vital, which is why we always recommend getting the best blankets money can buy.
In terms of promotion, few products can do it as well as a blanket. It has a huge surface area to fit any type of marketing we need for our brand. Furthermore, we can either embroider or weave the corporate message into the blanket. It’s a good, permanent way of reminding the user who they got the blanket from.
Writing Utensils
Yes, pens and pencils are not out of style yet. But if we want to make the premium choice, we will have to get innovative with these types of gifts.
Multipurpose Stylus Pens
Possibly the best kind of pen is the one we can use in multiple ways. For instance, we can combine a typical ball-point pen and a stylus. So, when we need to jot down something on a piece of paper, we will use the ball-point tip. Then we can simply flip the pen and use the stylus on our smart device.
Some pens have additional options, including a bubble level, a Phillips screwdriver tip, and even a ruler section. These multipurpose pens are incredible for people who love tiny gadgets, as they literally give the buyer more value for their pound.
Notepads and Journals
Even branded journals or notepads are something we can make into a premium product, and it’s fairly easy to do. For example, we can bind them in leather and use quality printing on the front cover to make them stand out. Durable paper and attachable pens are also a plus, especially if the colours and materials match.
3-in-1 Versatile Journal
Our personal choice of the best premium journal would combine the best of all worlds. 3-in-1 options usually feature sections with three different types of pages — lined, gridded, and blank. Such journals are perfect if we want to use them for various types of note-taking, drawing, calculating, etc. And yes, they can come bound in leather with all of the appropriate trimmings.
Reusable Drinkware
Everyone needs to hydrate, so getting a reusable bottle is a no-brainer. Not only does it keep the liquid cool (or hot, depending on what it is), but it helps save the environment in the process. With so many single-use plastic bottles ending up in landfills, it’s always a good idea to have a reusable bottle around.
Vacuum Bottles with Storage
Modern vacuum bottles have a wide range of shapes, sizes, and uses. Typically, they can keep a beverage hot or cool for an extended period of time, plus they’re made of hard metals, making them quite long-lasting.
Some of our favourite options contain an extra rubber cap that provides additional storage, as well as a plastic loop near the cap. Thanks to the loop, we can hook the bottle on a backpack and carry it around anywhere we please.
Reusable Water Bottles
Even without the vacuum feature, a reusable water bottle is a must-have. Such bottles can be made from durable yet biodegradable material. Furthermore, they get the job done and help us save the environment by refusing to buy single-use items. In addition, there’s plenty of room on the surface of each bottle. Therefore, we can easily print our company logo or details on it for increased marketing.
Premium Promo Items Summarised
Spending a few extra dollars on a pricy premium item might seem counterproductive to unskilled company owners. However, if marketed right, these products can double or even triple the original investment. The fact is customers like luxury and multipurposeness. So, why not combine the two and give premium promo items a try?
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