Though it may seem like a small gesture, rewarding employees with a token of appreciation goes a long way to boost morale and increase loyalty to the company.

But what to get? Gift cards have no staying power—they’re gone once they’re spent. And who’s to say they’ll ever be used in the first place? Navigating allergies, diets and preferences is next to impossible with edible gifts, and flower arrangements are brown and wilted in a week or less. Transitory and forgettable, all of them. Not exactly the statement you want to make.

Whether it’s a bamboo plant for your office’s green thumb, or logo golf balls for the salesperson who closes deals on the golf course, useful, high-quality custom branded gifts are personal, meaningful and will continue to delight in the long-term. Not only will such thoughtful branded gifts create goodwill among the recipients, they’ll also serve as a reminder of the giver. Imagine putting the logo in the hands and in the eye of the people who work hardest for you—your associates. Every time they use their gift or glance at it in pride of place on their desk, they’ll be reminded that their management team notices their efforts, and put forth effort in return to choose a gift that truly suits their personality. Such positive feelings can’t be bought. They have to be created with the kind of upbeat work environment that such positive reinforcement fosters.

Show your associates how much you care, and give them a gift they’ll love. You’ll be rewarded in turn with loyal employees who truly love coming to work each day and putting forth their best effort. If they feel appreciated, they’ll want to return the favor by giving you the gift of 110 percent.

Recent trends simply reinforce T-Shirts usefulness for advertising. There is a large group of people who like to wear “Affliction” and “TapOut” shirts. This trend came out of UFC fighters wearing the shirts after fights, and has exploded across the country in the last few years. While your company or event is very unlikely to see an explosion of popularity like this trend, you will almost certainly see some exposure. If you think back to even just the last week, you’ve probably stood in lines behind people with promotional shirts, seen them anywhere you shop, and maybe even worn one yourself.

T-Shirts are also tremendously popular as swag at conferences. The nicer the logo and conference, the better for you. Depending on the conference, people will wear them during the event, and will almost always find occasion to wear them after.

Request a consultation. Your promotional items company should be more than an online store. You should expect them to offer a strategy session and advice on which items with which messages are right for your particular audience. Schedule a call to discuss your special event, your target audience and campaign or theme, then brainstorm about the right item to complete it.

Select items that encourage leads. Does your imagery inspire the customer to call you after your event? Instead of just printing a logo, consider adding a call to action directly on the giveaway. For example, if you choose to mail items before the event, add a note to visit the booth and mention the item to receive a nice gift at the actual event. Hotels and restaurants can include a 10% off your next stay or a free appetizer if you present the item upon arrival. 

Remember the impact of shipping costs when you plan the budget.  The cost of shipping 500 coffee mugs is astronomical in comparison to shipping 500 ink pens. Consider the weight of the item you are selecting and how it will affect your overall budget. Evaluate how many items you need to cover your target audience and ensure that shipping costs won’t leave you with a short order on what’s really important – the quantity of your promotional items.

Try before you buy: Order samples. Before you order dozens or hundreds or thousands of any item, from a pen to a computer bag - you should know exactly what you are getting. Colors, imprint areas, functionalities and quality differ widely between pens, koozies, coffee mugs and other promotional items. Order a sample of your preferred item(s) before you place a larger order to avoid a potential headache later.

Ask for peer recommendations. Who has used your promotional provider in the past? Was the experience a solid one? Would they use the vendor again? It is equally as important to shop for the right vendor—who can become a trusted strategist and a key extension of your branding team— as it is to shop for the right promotional item. Ask your vendor for current testimonials, customer references and case studies.

You can expect more tips like these in future blog posts at www.ProformanceLogo.com/blog. And remember to follow us as www.Twitter.com/proformancelogo.