by AIT Promotions
Branding is an important part of building a business and making a mark in your chosen industry. Creating a killer logo and website is just one small part of the overall branding effort, as it’s more about making people understand what your business is all about when they see your company name. For example, when you see the “swoosh” logo, you automatically know that it belongs to Nike, but you also know that you are looking at a quality product in the sportswear industry. There was a lot of hard work that took place to build that image, proving that the company is bigger than the logo they are known for.
The vast majority of business are not going to be able to scale the heights that Nike have reached, but they can still make a mark in their industry via smart branding. Some of the most effective ways to get the word out about what you do is via expos, networking and community events, and if you are going to do any of those things, you will need to have some promotional products to give out to potential clients and partners who you meet. The fact of the matter is that this is still one of the best ways to promote your business. There are a couple of different options when choosing promo items, but both are not created equally. Should you go with a renowned promotional products distributor, or should you save a couple of bucks by going the self-serve route?
The benefits of self-serve promotional products
When you land on a website that offers self-serve promotional products, you will see that there are a large number of items on offer, all of which come as a blank slate. By that, we mean you will see things like common coffee mugs, pens, and can koozies, all of which are just waiting for your company name and logo to be slapped on. These items can all be bought in bulk for an alarmingly low rate, which is where you should probably start to take pause. If these items are available for such a great price, how good can they really be? We will get into why that is so important later in this piece.
With self-serve promotional products, you can quickly choose the items that you want and have them personalized quite quickly, and all without spending a fortune. It’s easy to see why so many companies go this route, and you need only scan the promo items you get from others to see just how little thought is put into these giveaways. Is that the message you want to send to your clients and prospects?
The benefits of working with a promotional products distributor
A big part of standing out in your industry, particularly one that has a lot of competition, is offering something that others do not. While most businesses believe that they can do this with the products and services that they offer, the reality is that they can start the separation process by simply getting creative with the promo items that they give away.
We have already ascertained that many businesses hand out the same old tired promo giveaway items that we are used to seeing. Just think how memorable your business will be if you have something to offer that goes well beyond the cheap pen and koozie offerings. This is where promotional products distributors can help, as 
they can listen to what your business is all about, and then provide you with promotional items that fit your bill to a tee.
These types of distributors do not adopt a one size fits all approach to promotional products, choosing instead to deliver items that are relevant to your business, valuable and memorable to those who receive them. A good distributor can also assist you in creating a promotional giveaway strategy to build relationships both outside and inside your company. Yes, employees enjoy receiving promotional gifts too!
Why working with a promotional products distributor is better than self-serve
Imagine for a moment that Nike made athletic equipment that fell apart within the first few weeks of use. Do you think that the “swoosh” would hold the same power as it does now, or do you even think that Nike would still be in business? The answer to those questions would almost certainly be no, as consumers would have automatically gone to someone else in the industry that offered quality products for about the same price as Nike.
This is something that you need to consider when you are deciding which promotional products to use, and where to go to get them. If you go the self-serve route, you will probably find yourself drawn to the products that you commonly see. The thinking here is that these promo items are still popular because it’s what people want. What you should really be considering is that businesses choose these items because they are cheap and easy, which shows a distinct lack of imagination. Now let’s imagine for a moment that you are in a creative industry of some kind. Is a lack of imagination what you really want customers to think of when they pick up a branded pen that no longer works after a couple of uses?
The promotional products that are memorable are those that are relevant, but which are also not the standard gifts that people are used to receiving. You want the promo item to be something that is cool, but also something that is of value to the recipient. Every time they use said item, they will automatically think of your business, which does nothing but paint you in a positive light. Promotional products distributors know what will work for your business, and if they don’t, they will put in the time and effort to find out. Why be a part of the crowd when you have the option to really stand out from it!
When you work with a FULL-SERVICE promotional products company, like All In The Present, you’ll save hours searching on the internet for what may or not be a good product or waiting on hold for some arbitrary call center representative that knows nothing about your company. So go pro with your promotional product marketing and stand out from the crowd!
