Survey finds 72% of businesses use promotional items

A majority of businesses use promotional items such as custom apparel, custom mugs and personalized pens during their marketing campaigns, and a majority of these businesses find promotional items to be effective at achieving their marketing aims, according to a recent study.

Seventy-two percent of businesses use promotional items always, often or sometimes in their promotional, advertising or motivational campaigns, researchers from LSU and Glenrich Business Studies found. Seventy-eight percent of those businesses think promotional items are somewhat or very effective at achieving their aims.

"As one looks to advertise, promote or motivate intended targets with a messaged medium, it is easy to see that promotional products are a key element to effectively succeed with a campaign," the Promotional Products Assocation International wrote.

Consumers also consider promotional items to be effective marketing tools, the study found. Eighty-four percent of 18- to 34-year-olds thought promotional products were somewhat or very effective, as did 82.4 percent of people ages 35 to 50.

Promotional items such as custom mugs, custom apparel and personalized pens have long been a staple of marketing campaigns at many firms. These items allow advertisers to stay visible all year in offices and in homes.