Among advertising specialties, Apparel leads the way in providing the advertiser with the most exposure. Take time, however, to select a product, style & color that most of your customers would appreciate. Clothing is a very personal matter. Notwithstanding the fact that recipients of custom t shirts would sooner pass their gift on to a friend who will enjoy it, than an unwanted pen that will be stuffed in a drawer, not to be seen again, you still want your customers to be the ones wearing your custom t-shirts. While the advertising effect of having your logo worn in large crowds is primarily why you're investing in custom t-shirts, it is your gift to them & should be appreciated as such. Moreover, you want them to be the ones answering the question: "GTR inc.? What do they do?" instead of someone you don't know answering, "No idea - got the shirt from my uncle." Your customers are your best reps!

Now it's true that most new cars are outfitted with a compartment to house sun glasses, still many people are driving cars 10 - 15 years old that can do with a great automotive product like the Beetle Clip, or generically: the sun visor clip. They come in a large variety of shapes & colors. Consider, for instance, the Fish Clip. This shape is great for so many business categories: zoos, fish stores, pet shops, aquariums, seafood restaurants, fisheries, nature museums, diving schools, chartered fishing expeditions - the list goes on. As metropolitan cities' growth rates outpace the construction of new highways & expansion of existing ones, to accommodate increasingly greater traffic, people are spending more time on the road then ever before! Whatever the corporate gift, you can't go wrong if it's automotive.

The employee motivation category includes trophies & plaques & other awards. The nice thing about this category is the high retention rate of business gifts by the intended recipients - you'll rarely see someone throw away an award they worked hard to obtain. This is true even if the recipient would have selected a very different style herself. An engraved wooden plaque with beveled corners makes for a presentable award without breaking the bank. The nice thing about engraving in general is the durability of the artwork.

Bags & luggage is a great corporate gifts category to consider investing in. Like apparel, they blast your message to the largest audiences. Few complain of having too many personalized tote bags - another key consideration. Luggage is particularly effective in getting your message across to those who have the financial ware-with-all to spend lavishly on your goods or services. It's a fair assumption to say that the average person standing in line at the ticket counter at the airport, or train station (for long distance travel), is somewhat wealthier than those in line for an inter-city bus ride. Consider bags with wheels & telescopic handles. These features are not a passing fad but the way of the future. The added convenience this feature imparts to your trek is invaluable.

I'm a workaholic. It's a bother for me to get up & go to the communal cooler. The thoughts don't always flow like today. I'm composing a letter that must be on my boss' desk by 5:00. The last thing I need is to get up & waste time at the communal cooler. So how cool it was to discover the mini-cooler. Fundamentally, it's a miniature variety of the larger type, without the hot & cold spouts. What's more, you can fill it with juice, soda or any beverage you like, because it's yours.

Consider a golf accessory next time you invest in promotional giveaways. Golf is one of the top leisure activities in the United States. Customers and employees alike enjoy the great outdoors and the camaraderie of the links. Many a business deal has been sealed at the "19th hole;" consider cementing your more important business relationships with a little gift that reminds them how much fun it is to do business with you.

I love first aid. Not everyone owns a first aid kit - and everyone should. Most people know deep down that they should keep one handy & will appreciate your thoughtfulness. Not everyone owns a first aid kit - and everyone should. People will appreciate your thoughtfulness and concern. It's an ideal gift for traveling sales staff, weekend warriors who rough it in the bush, or even families who could use a handy band-aid in the car every so often. Consider the many packages available; there's one to suit every target market!

Be the first to market your-self with something that will really grab attention. If your company is competing in a charity event such as foot race, get everyone a "Bottle Buddie" - then give them away after the race to the other competitors. Or maybe your on-the-go executives could use personal manicure kits. There's always something new at PromoCenter - be the first to have it!

Ceramic promotional mugs make for excellent promotional items. They are more fragile than insulated mugs. An insulated mug can easily cost upwards of $8.00, but they last for a very long time & are great for home & car. Maybe I'm just a big beer fan but I personally love big beer mugs, especially those that are equipped with liquid filled walls for cooling in your freezer. It's great to have your name out there where people are having a good time!

There's something about the scent of leather; it speaks of luxury and class. Leather is more durable than most synthetic materials, and will add elegance to your presentation. If you're looking for quantity goods, vinyl is a great alternative for getting your name out. It's "go anywhere" feel ensures that your name will travel with the item's owner, on everything from key chains to report covers.

Key chains are great giveaways. They're relatively inexpensive and handled several times daily, ensuring constant brand exposure. As most people only use one key chain at a time, you want your customers to replace their current key chains with yours. Two features increase the likelihood of them doing that: a key chain/flashlight combo, or something more elegant than what the dealer gives away free with the car!

Spending a fortune on pens isn't necessary to be memorable. You can get pens that light up, pens that come with styluses for PDAs, or even pens that just write! People always need pens; it's one item you can never have too many of! Choose something funky with a comfortable grip and good ink flow, that pen could be the one in purse or suit pocket, ready at a moment's notice to take care of your client's business- and promote your own!

In spite of TV, Internet, and portable books on PDAs, plenty of people still spend their free time relaxing with a good book. Custom bookmarks usually offer a substantial imprint area. They weigh very little and take up very little room- two advantages in selecting products from this category. You'll save on freight, and can even send them out with your statements or correspondence in an ordinary #10 envelope.

These low cost, high-exposure products will always be very popular. A greater variety of buttons now exists. Buttons are now available in glow-in-the-dark & lighted formats. Ribbons, like bookmarks, (which, incidentally, are often made of the same material, dimensions & overall appearance) are inexpensive & can be worn in so many ways. Whether a neck ribbon with a medallion attached or woven hair ribbons we have what you're looking for. The ever-progressing technological strides being made in the promotional pin industry provide the consumer with a plethora of pin varieties. Understandably, the production method utilized to create a batch of pins will determine the appearance & quality of those pins. Many people still prefer the more traditional Cloisonné pin. Soft enamel & to a lesser extant sandblasted varieties are becoming more popular as are full color offset lapel pins.

Promotional "Calendars & Planners" deserve to be considered on their own, notwithstanding their inclusion under the general heading of "office & Desktop". This basic truth results from the undying popularity calendars & planners continuously enjoy. A word of caution though - do some research first with a few of your current customers to see which variety they would prefer as there are so many. Your pole will provide you with some direction, but of course there's no way to satisfy all your customers with one product. If the product is elegant enough, however, there is a greater chance it will be preserved if not in your customers' hands than at least on the walls or desktops of others they associate with, thereby perpetuating your advertisement.

Get your customers to associate you with sweetness; food is a great business gift, especially during the holiday season. During festive occasions otherwise health-conscious individuals let down their guard for a while to indulge in "Cream Supremes - Chocolate Mints," among other delicacies. And you can emboss the gift box as well as the food wrapper with your logo.

You'll find many items in the "Outdoors & Camping" category that are generally better suited for warmer geographic regions or from spring through fall in more northern parts. Still, products like the "K3 3AAA L.E.D. Headlamp" are great in winter as well, especially if you need to see what's going on under the hood of your guzzler (or rather what's not going on) while leaving both hands free to tinker. Outdoor & camping products often provide much appreciated safety & security and/or high exposure such as foldable, retractable compact tools or logo-imprinted kites.

There isn't much need to praise "Special Occasions" related products - the category speaks for itself. If it's Christmas time, your thinking Christmas gifts! But remember, "special occasion" promotional product need not be custom-shaped to appropriately fit the occasion. While a heart-shaped item does the job on Valentines Day, don't dismiss a product that is well-priced, suits your customers' needs, and matches your logo, services or products. Add a simple "season's greeting," and it's a do-it-yourself special occasion gift!

Fridge magnets don't break down. Once you stick it to your fridge it can stay there for years. Make =sure you make them flashy enough or pick a custom shape since many fridges & filing cabinets are often flooded with all sorts of magnets & memos. Including a calendar on part of the magnet increases the likelihood of more people keeping your magnets & viewing them more often.

Although, buyers in need of lanyards are unlikely to consider any other product category there are still many options to consider with the lanyard category. Options like digitally sublimated, silk-screened or woven lanyards are but a few among the many varieties now available.