Promotional Products for Summer

Summertime and the living’s easy….

July has arrived, and it's hard to believe we are halfway through 2013 already. July is a month where most people’s calendars are jam-packed with events, activities, vacations and other obligations. No one wants to be working when we could be outside, on the water, or doing otherwise more-fun things than worrying about sales quotes, business plans or marketing strategies.

I don’t know about you, but I am all about working smarter not harder. I like to take advantage of all and any opportunities to make my job, and therefore my life, a little bit easier. Enter: promotional products. These are items that by design are MEANT to do half your job for you. Items that people will use regularly, to keep YOUR company name and brand at the forefront of their mind.

Luckily, summer events and activities lend themselves to using all kinds of promotional products. Things that are handy and practical are good choices because they are used all the time. Examples of these are: sun screen, hand sanitizers, water bottles, koozies/can coolers (these are VERY popular), and bug spray. Other items can be customized for a specific event as a prize/giveaway (think golf tournaments and other charity events). Examples of these include: golf items, picnic baskets/items, blankets, coolers, bar/stemware, etc. There’s also the option of making custom apparel for group events (like health and fitness walks/runs/races, little leagues, block parties and family reunions). Custom apparel can include: tshirts, sweatshirts, jerseys, hats/caps, sunglasses, shorts, etc.

The thing about all of these items is that they are FREE ADVERTISING for your company or organization. As people use or wear these items with YOUR company logo/brand and contact info on them, you will continue to be relevant to that customer or potential customer.  The promotional product you choose to distribute does not have to reflect the kinds of products or services your business offers on an everyday basis. It certainly can, if you choose, but it does not have to. You just want to ensure that you are choosing something that the people you plan to distribute these items to will find either extremely useful, or so unique and different that they want to use the item as often as possible.

Slap-Koozies
Fit cans/bottles of different widths
Waterproof Material

The free advertising with these items continues when OTHER PEOPLE see your items being used. It is advantageous for your business/organization to have your own team using/wearing the products you create. For example, here at JC Graphics, we had slap-koozies made (shown on the left). I regularly use one of these koozies when I’m at the pool or at an outside activity. Many people see it and, because it’s a unique item, inquire about it. Then I have the opportunity to not only talk about the item, but to talk about our business. Does it guarantee any kind of sale or incoming revenue? No, of course not. But the hope is that the person now knows we exist, where maybe they didn’t before, so if a need arises in the realm of what our company specializes in, that they will remember us and come to us in the future. 

Free advertising and marketing. Promotions. Increased brand recognition. All doing the work for you while you are lounging by the pool or practicing your golf swing. Doesn't sound so bad does it?