Posts Tagged ‘promotions’

1789 marks the first date that Promotional Products were used in the United States. Commemorative buttons were used as a Promotional tool for the Election campaign of George Washington. It was only untill the late 19th century that an official industry was formed. Until that time, calendars, buttons, and other promo items were used to promote candidates and companies.

A shoe store owner in Ohio was amongst the first businesses to use Promotional Products after a printer convinced the store owner to supply bags with the stores logo imprinted on them. In 1904 the PPAI (The Promotional Products Association International) was formed. This allowed manufactures to get together and form a formal trade association. There are more than 22,000 Distributors who represent over 4000 Manufacturers across the planet. The PPAI has grown to more than 7000 members globally.

Corporate gifts became more relevant in the 1970′s sparking a new form of Corporate Advertising. Corporations saw the value of adopting Promo Items as a necessity for Branding, Promoting, and spreading the word about the services and products they offered. Before the 1970′s Promotional Items were only used for campaigning and the occasional gifts. In the 80′s an explosion in the market occurred, thus enhancing the need for Promotional Merchandise as a part all Advertising and Marketing for all companies. Whether it is a book of matches from a local restaurant to Coke using Promotional Products the industry was here to stay.

In order for the suppliers to focus on production, Distributors were formed as selling agents. It was agreed that the Suppliers would never sell directly to the end users. In order to make this work Distributors were assigned discount codes, and catalogs were produced for them with retail prices that included their commissions. If an end user was able to contact the suppliers, they would have to identify themselves by producing an agent number in order to receive the discounted price. This effective system was efficient and helped the suppliers focus on the highest methods of production, while the Distributors could focus on the creativeness needed to sell the items.

In the 1990s it seemed that seasonal gift giving was the most popular use for these products as a marketing tool. Companies jumped at the chance to extend a thank you by incorporating Promo Products into every major holiday including Christmas, Valentine’s Day, and others. This was a golden opportunity to say thank you, as well as an opportunity to keep their brand at the forefront of their customers mind. There is not a day that goes by now where these items are not exchanged between company and client. The value of a leave behind has become a gesture that as a thank you also now has endless possibilities. The technological breakthroughs have expanded the market from what used to be simple items such as a pen, we are now seeing more complex products like integrated screen savers displaying corporate logos that create a lasting effect of brands for your company or product. The more creative an idea or product the more enticing the tool becomes. Corporations are becoming more and more competitive showing off their creative methods of using promo items, and who ever receives these great gifts are anticipating more and more great items as their next freebie.

Want to find out more about promotional products, then visit Graeme Malekont’s site on how to choose the best promo items for your needs.