We have all seen the little things that some companies give out to their customers and prospective customers – pens, and other small items – but what is a promotional item and what can it do?

To answer the question, what is a promotional item, you first have to think about the word “promote”. Most companies promote themselves in a variety of ways: advertising on TV, the Internet, radio and the papers; word of mouth and promotional items are all important to getting information out about your company. The promotional items portion of this usually consists of small, inexpensive items that can be handed out to people – items with your company's name and contact printed on them.


Perhaps the most popular promotional item of all time is the pen. Almost every company can afford to give out pens with their name and information printed on them, but these pens can also range up to much more ornate and interesting writing utensils. Some companies opt for thin, basic ballpoint pens – these cannot hold much information, and they are often thrown away due to the fact that they stop working quite quickly. Other pens, some with elaborate silk screening and comfort grips, are more likely to be kept.

Of course, promotional items are not just limited to pens. Depending only on your imagination and budget, promotional items can range from such things as coffee mugs and Frisbees, to t-shirts and tote bags – all with your company's name and logo, of course. In general, the larger the company, the more expensive and complex their promotional items can be. You will often see these larger companies putting out promo items that are directly related to their company – such as computer related items for a computer company.

Some people call all of these free promotional items “swag”, and they take pride in collecting as much of it as they can. In instances like trade shows and other business to business promotional opportunities, the amount of swag can be pretty large – and the items given away can be much more expensive. When thinking of items to give to the average public, however, most companies stick with less costly promotions to save money and get their name out to as many people as possible.

What is a promotional item? It's anything you want to give out with your name and information on it – a way of promoting your company with a more long-term advertisement and a way to build a brand name for yourself. Get quality corporate promotional products at NomadJournals.com