In the late 19th Century, Jasper Meek of Coshocton, Ohio had a brilliant idea. Mr. Meek owned a newspaper company and was seeking a way to keep his presses printing in-between editions. So Meek went to the owner of a local shoe company and pitched the idea of a promotional product to increase sales and name recognition. Meek would print “Buy Cantwell’s Shoes” on book bags and then distribute them for free to children at local schools. Before long, the bags were everywhere and a rival newspaper owner, Harry Beach of The Standard Advertising Co., took notice. The rivalry between these two would spark the growth of the Promotional Products industry and improvements therein.
In the early 20th century, Promotional Products Association International (PPAI) was created, and it still exists today, with over 10,000 global members. According to the PPAI, in 2014 the Promotional Products Industry made over $20 billion dollars in sales, a new high. A big reason for the record sales is the wide variety of promotional products available. Promotional products can be anything from pens and t-shirts to designer bags and electronics. However, when considering that promotional items are often given out for free, or in exchange for information, they are typically smaller and less expensive items. Common promotional products include pens, shirts, keychains, hats, balls, mugs, koozies, and catalogues. These products help to create brand awareness, putting the company’s name on people’s minds whenever they are used. Promotional products are also popular offerings in the political world, serving politicians and various political causes.
Promotional products can be decorated through several different processes. Shirts and other garments can be screen printed or printed direct-to-garment (digital printing). For larger runs of decorated garments screen printing makes more sense, but direct-to-garment printing is handier for smaller runs. For hard goods, like pens and keychains, screen printing is the choice for large runs. Sublimation printing (digital) is the choice for smaller runs.
Sublimation can be a good tool for low run promotional orders, but will never be able to compete with the low costs of screen printing. Due to the necessity for specialized screen printing equipment, many product decorators will outsource promotional product printing. Typically, companies would purchase promotion products from distributors who knew the printing process rather than the manufacturer. Today, however, many manufacturers will even drop-ship white label products directly to the customer, saving time and equipment costs for the product decorator.
With annual sales in the billions, the promotional products industry is thriving. However, there are less than a thousand companies that sell more than $2.5 million in promotional products in a given year. That means there is opportunity to take a larger share of the market by standing out among the 20,000+ companies that sell under $2.5 million. Offering promotional products is a great way for product decorators to increase their income, even if they choose not to print them in-house. If you can ensure quality, whether in-house or outsourced, then the opportunity to grow your business with promotional products is ripe.
