Promotional products are the only marketing medium that engages five senses. Customers can see, hear, touch, taste and can even smell them. Promotional products are easily affordable and easy to prepare for shipping and receiving. Their impression is long-lasting and readily measurable.

It is wise to make these products an integral part of your marketing mix because they can help you in so many ways. Let's take a look at how you can benefit from using these products as part of your marketing strategy.

For example, you can use them to drive traffic to your tradeshow booth, or improve response rates on direct mail campaigns, increase referrals, improve return business, and improve employee morale.

Market research and statistics affirm the positive role that promotional products play in marketing campaigns. According to a recent study, 76.1% of respondents could recall the advertiser's name on a gift that they had received in the past 12 months. 75.4% of respondents said they kept their product because it was useful.

The research shows that promotional products can and do positively impact a company's sales. This research shows that recipients of these products have a significantly more positive opinion of a business and a more positive overall image of the company, and they have a higher likelihood of recommending the business or patronizing the business.

Thus, it is important for businesses to have promotional budgets integrated into their business plans, and if necessary to take the help of a promotional consultant. A promotional consultant develops solutions to marketing challenges through the innovative use of promotional products and is a resource to corporate buyers, marketing professionals and others wanting to increase brand awareness, tradeshow traffic, employee retention and more. There are more than 20,000 promotional consultant firms in the industry.

Suppliers manufacture, import, convert, imprint or otherwise produce or process products offered for sale through ad consultants. There are more than 3,500 supplier companies in the promotional products industry.

In case you are wondering how these products are used. Here are the top uses of promotional products today:

1. Promote goodwill/image

2. Reinforce marketing of existing products, services, facilities

3. Recognize employee performance

4. Generate sales leads

5. Promote trade show traffic

6. Introduce new products, services, facilities

7. Stimulate employee sales performance

8. Stimulate employee productivity.

To get these tasks done advertisers have been using the following types of products imprinted with their logos: wearables, writing Instruments, glassware/ceramics, recognition awards and trophies, emblematic jewelry, clocks and watches, buttons, badges , ribbons, sporting goods and leisure products, calendars, desk, office and business accessories, automotive accessories, games, toys, playing cards, inflatables,house ware items, tools and food gifts.

If you want to improve your marketing reach, then you should definitely consider marketing your business with promotional products.