Aboriginal Buying Group

The US Advertising Specialty Institute® (ASI) reported that, in 2006, their advertising specialty industry sales topped $18.6 billion, which is up 4.5 percent from the previous year. Spending on advertising specialties in 2006 was double the spending of online ads, five times the size of outdoor ads and more than cable TV advertising. “They have very reasonable costs-per-impression and provide a positive return on investment for marketeers,” explained ASI president Tim Andrews. While spending on specialty advertising is high, the returns from imprinted items are even higher, experts say.

Another successful category of imprinted items are the popular imprinted pens, which come in all shapes, sizes and varieties. Imprinted pens are tangible and semi-permanent, offering a long-lasting reminder that the company is generous and available to serve new customers. This imprinted merchandise can remain on the desks of potential clients for weeks, months or even years, offering long-term exposure. Promotional pens cost just pennies but offer a high return on one’s investment. Additionally, many employers hand out personally engraved pens to special employees as a gesture of appreciation. Some well-known websites offering imprinted pens are: Business.com (which offers a good selection of corporate gift pens), PromotionalLogoPens.com (offering pens for well under $1), Inkspress.com (with over 100 styles), SaveOnPromotionalProducts.com (which has a great selection of novelty pens shaped like syringes or bones, etc), Branders.com (which has robot pens and massage pens) or ThePenLine.com (which has an all-around great selection of inexpensive promo pens).

The good news regarding the influx of direct marketing promotions is that there are always exciting new imprinted promo items coming out! Many marketeers like to play it safe and stick with the imprinted pens, the t-shirts and the tote bags. However, for the internet savvy individual who’s willing to go the extra mile to impress the public, there is a whole world of unusual items that are sure to make an impact! HorizonSources.com offers “logo toasters,” which is every bit as intriguing as it sounds. A custom imprinted message can be cooked right onto a slice of toast in a custom logo toaster!

Another innovative idea is to take the successful corporate apparel formula but go beyond the traditional hats and t-shirts to offer imprinted promotional items like socks, tote bags or bottle cap opener/hats. At 4Imprint.com, custom socks go as low as $3.50/pair and there is a wide selection of trendy tote bags, coolers and duffel bags. Glow-in-the-dark tattoos go over well for a club promotion, whereas a poncho or umbrella might go over especially well during the rainy season in the Northwest. In the age of technology, imprinted promo items like USB devices and mousepads have become industry favorites. In New York City, Lifebrands condoms offered branding opportunity for 4 cents/package, which definitely caught a lot of attention among that 20-something demographic!

Eco-friendly imprinted items are one of the newest innovations to hit the market. With public attention focused on saving the planet, putting an end to global warming and purchasing progressive products that encourage environment-friendly practices, “green” promotional marketing products are a great way to make a positive impression. MyLogoImprinted.com’s green customized products are made with recycled, biodegradable plastics, all materials are recycled or natural, the manufacturing process consumes less energy and natural resources, the ink is natural or recycled and the imprinted items are packed with minimal, recycled shipping materials. Companies can order eco-friendly reusable grocery bags, duffel bags, backpacks, computer bags, green imprinted clothing, embroidered hats, desk accessories, stationary items, MP3 players, thermos flasks and more.