Every day we bump into plenty of promotional products when we are shopping. With the Christmas season on, shopping seems to be more fun than ever, and the number of promotional products seems to have tripled in the market. But the interesting thing is that many of us don’t know some very fun facts about promotional products. One thing though, nobody can dispute the fact that promotional products so far have proven to be one of the most effective marketing strategies used by companies. Not only does it enhances brand awareness but also improves brand loyalty.

A little hunting into the books of history presented the following fun facts about promotional products that we all need to know as we enjoy the wide variety of promotional products this season.

1. History

George Washington happens to share a close relationship with promotional products. During his campaigns for the presidency, George Washington used to wear commemorative buttons. The commemorative buttons happened to be one of the earliest promotional products that were imprinted. They date back as far as 1789. Well if George Washington had his buttons on during his campaigns and managed to win the top seat in America, it means you also have a winning chance with the many promotional products available this Christmas season. There are additional resources available at Brandability if you are interested in learning more.

2. The First Promotional Products Business

In 1886 the first official promotional products were launched. The idea was brought up by a shoe store owner and a newspaperman. They decided to make use of the printing press instead of letting it sit idle. The two decided to print a marketing message on the bags. The promotional products were bags, and with every shoe purchase, one will be given a bag.

3. Statistics

According to market statistics close to 89% of the consumers in the market, always remember the name of the brand of the promotional products they purchase. The case is very different compared to the audiovisual advertisements and commercial advertisements, out of the people who watch the television commercial advertisements only 7% of the people remember the adverts. However when promotional products were added to the advertisements, the effectiveness of the advertisements improved up to 44%.

4. Consumers

Many people prefer promotional products. According to consumer reports, about 48% of consumers prefer receiving promotional products. While most of the people who received promotional products, about 82% reported having a more favorable impression of the brand. Among consumers, about 80% of consumers own promotional products. It was also noted that the frequency of use of promotional products was at 53%, and the promotional products were used at least once a week. It was also noted that promotional bags generated a more lasting impression among consumers. The men were inclined to have promotional products like caps and shirts, while the women opted for calendars, writing equipment, bags.

5. Top Buyers

Among the top buyers of promotional products among the consumers are those in the education sector. Clients in education were seen to love promotional products. The other top buyers include Healthcare, Finance, Construction and Not For Profit.