Ever since the first time that a merchant slipped a favored customer a few extra grains of wheat or included embroidery on a garment at no extra charge, merchants and vendors have been using free gifts as a way to promote their businesses. These days, it's common for merchandisers, vendors and service suppliers to hand out little gifts like promotional mugs and key rings at events and trade shows, as well as including them as thank you gifts to their customers. It's become so common, in fact, that just handing out promotional mugs with your company name on them isn't enough to make you stand out in a crowd. There's an art to promotional gift giving, and the secret is in knowing how to add value to your promotional items so that it's seen as more than an attempt at advertising.

You can add value to promotional products in a number of ways. Added value can take the form of packaging, inclusions, presentation or recognition. Using the example of promotional mugs, here are a few examples of how companies can make a promotional gifts seem more gift than promotion.

Make the gift one of recognition.

Recognize a special accomplishment or status with printed mugs. You might give promotional mugs to customers when they place their fifth order with your company, or hand them out to new training classes for your sales corps when they finish their course. Travel mugs are especially valued, which works out very nicely for you since they're also more likely to be seen by the most people.

Inclusions personalize promotional mugs.

Promotional mugs ? a mug with your company logo on it ? can be seen as tacky in some circles, but you can change that by turning the mug into a container rather than the gift itself. When you fill your mug with flowers, sweets or specialty coffees, you add value that the mug alone doesn't have. The mug will last beyond the inclusions, and be a reminder of your business every time it's used.

Special packaging changes the perceived value of promotional mugs.

One way to increase the perceived value of a promotional gift is by packaging it with care. Packaging promotional mugs in presentation boxes makes them seem more of a gift ? and increases their perceived value in the eyes of the recipient. The attention to small details like packaging will make an enormous difference in the way that your company is seen as well. Packaging will work to your benefit for other promotional efforts as well. Even inexpensive trinkets like key rings and refrigerator magnets bring a higher response when they are packaged in unusual and eye-catching ways.

Presentation makes all the difference in the world.

The way that you give your thank you gifts can make a very big impact on the recipient. If you're handing out promotional printed mugs as a giveaway at a trade show or other event, your gift item will be seen far differently if it's handed personally to each recipient in a box than if they're just picked up off a table. Likewise, if you've chosen printed travel mugs as your marketing vehicle, you'll get a different response to handing over a cup of coffee in your mug than you would if you toss them in a bin for your audience to pick up on their own.

When choosing promotional items as giveaways, always take the time to consider the perceived value of that item, and the various ways that you can add value to your gift. Your attention to detail will pay off in your bottom line. Check out the leading promotional gift suppliers online today for more information.