Promotional items are a great way for companies to increase their brand awareness, meaning that more people will be familiar with your company. Here’s a look at a few categories of items for you to consider placing your company name and logo to help more people become aware of your business.

Office Supplies/Desk Accessories

With many people working from home, your company can take advantage of advertising your logo on office supplies. Even those who have gone back to work in their usual office setting may want to spruce up their workspace by decorating it with items from their favorite brand.

Desk/Wall Calendar

In a world where everything is digital, you’d think that there would be no need for a desk or wall calendar in one’s office— but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Digital calendars provided by iPhone, Android, and other phone brands are convenient when you’re on the go, but in an office setting it’s much more convenient to be able to glance at the calendar on your wall or desk.

Drinkware

Mugs are pretty commonplace in office settings, but so are metal water bottles. Consider these promotional items for your company because these are also considered “lifestyle” items, meaning that they can be used in a variety of settings and by a variety of people.

Stress Ball

Stress balls are also items that can be found both inside and outside the workplace, as stress can occur anywhere.

USB Drive

Believe it or not, USB drives are still very much in use even though more and more people are moving to cloud storage.

Writing Instruments

Again, even though we’re living in a digital world, many people still use pen/pencil and paper to jot down notes. Because of this, business owners should consider pencils, pens, and even stationery when choosing promotional items.

Clothing

Clothing of any type is one of the most common and most effective types of promotional items because it’s not something that people have to remember to carry with them. Here’s a look at some of the most effective promotional apparel.

Face Masks

The COVID-19 pandemic is slowly dying down and some people still feel comfortable wearing face masks when going out into large crowds— especially during cold and flu season. Faces masks stand out (even when everybody was wearing one), so it’s a great promotional item that can help get your company noticed.

Hats

Hats, particularly the baseball cap style, will probably never go away, so take advantage of this apparel item for promoting your company.

Jackets

Like hats, jackets (particularly lightweight windbreakers), make great promotional items. Whether it’s raining or there’s a light breeze in the air, those wearing jackets bearing your company name and logo will create free advertising for your business.

T-Shirts

Hands-down, T-shirts are the most popular promotional item, with almost every company offering (either currently or in the past) some type of shirt bearing the company name and/or logo. Promotional T-shirts are also considered lifestyle items, particularly when they’re offered in different styles for your customers. You can also use them as uniforms for your employees, who are walking advertisements for your business both inside and outside of work.

Bags and Accessories

Most people tend to love accessories, whether they’re functional or just for decoration. Different promotional accessories work better for certain types of businesses, but here are a few examples of the most effective accessories for brand awareness.

Keychains

With over 200 million U.S. citizens driving, keychains are still pretty popular these days. Just keep in mind that most people don’t care for bulky items weighing down their keys, so make sure to keep your promotional keychain sleek and/or small.

Lighters

Although it’s a bad habit, there are over one billion smokers in the world, so putting your company logo on a lighter will create more awareness for your brand. However, lighters can be used for things other than lighting cigarettes, such as lighting candles. People use lighters for many reasons, not necessarily for smoking only.

Totes

Tote bags are not only cute, but they’re also functional and are used by a variety of different types of people. Whether your target audience is made up of office workers, fashionistas, or athletic types, all of these audiences have a use for a tote bag.

Umbrellas

Umbrellas are another type of item that’s used by virtually everyone, except maybe those who live in areas that don’t get much rain. However, it’s also a handy travel item for those who are weather-conscious and like to be prepared.

Promotional items can be given away for free, as a gift with a purchase, or simply as a part of your regular inventory. They can even be strictly for the use of you and your employees. The main goal of promotional items is to make your brand known to the world, so use them however you see fit for your company.