Promotional products are items that have been imprinted by a company name or logo, usually with some other message that would commemorate the event or occasion in which the products were given. These products are mainstays of trade shows, specialty advertising promotions, fundraising campaigns and any other event where a company stands to benefit from the exposure of its name.

As a means of advertising, promotional products have been quite successful in placing brands into the consciousness of the public. They have the ability to create an image in a way that is intentional and deliberate on the part of businesses. Thus, one brand can become synonymous to quality and another to fun, largely depending on the choice of items that bear their names. The Marketing and Promotional Departments of companies usually take charge of decision making since the distribution of promotional products is almost always tied up with a specific promotional activity.

The cost of the items is not exactly the primary consideration in making a choice. Distributing it for free creates a lot of goodwill, more so if the products are quite useful. Bags, ball pens, notebooks and like items that are used everyday are forms of advertising many times over. It helps that promotional items are related to the products or company which they are promoting. This facilitates instant recall which is what every marketing effort is geared at. A product or company that has managed to be retained in a consumer's memory can be assured of support more than the others. This is of course presuming that the message that came across to the public is a positive one. Negative perceptions may also result to memory retention but would not exactly equate to buying consumers.

Clients of promotional products suppliers should be able to provide a clear artwork of the text or graphics to be printed on time. Color specifications should also be clear so as not to cause misunderstanding that could result to costly rejects. Suppliers typically provide samples before the final run but this is not always the case especially for orders that are placed with companies that are geographically far from the client.

Providing promotional products is a great and inexpensive way to bring attention to one's business or social function. High quality items will ensure that recipients will use them for a long time, creating continuous advertising even to people around the recipient. At a fraction of the cost of the usual print and television advertisements, promotional products are able to bring the intended message across even when working on a tight budget.