The 21st century can well be termed the “green century” since the “Think Green, Act Green” movement started gaining real momentum within the last decade or so. People have become more aware of environmental issues, such as global warming and pollution, and their consequences. The wasteful use of natural resources and the dumping of non-biodegradable refuse is coming to an end, and now the need for environmental preservation and conservation of resources is fast becoming recognized as a necessity.

This movement started with regular people protesting against the global indifference shown towards the environment, but it quickly grew to include businesses which changed their practices and introduced new products that were more eco-friendly. This cause now extends to the selection of promotional products that raise awareness of these initiatives. Giving out a product that promotes a company’s name and its commitment to the use of recycled materials has an additional benefit. Along with promoting your company, these products also send out the message that your company cares about the environment.

When the promotional products industry joined the eco-friendly bandwagon, it came up with quite a variety of products ranging from paper pens to metal/paper to-go cups to products made of corn plastic. But one particular product that I think is quite interesting and innovative is the seeded music download gift card. These cards are packed with handfuls of high-quality seeds. When the cards are planted and watered, the paper biodegrades away and the seeds are left to germinate.

What a novel idea! Similar products include seeded party favors, seeded stationery, seeded invitations, and more. Now all that is needed is for businesses to realize the enormous PR value of using these gift cards and replacing the plastic cards with these eco-friendly options.

In any business, there are certain qualities that every salesman must have. Being personable is first; if you’re not good at talking to people or making idle chatter to get to know someone, you may want to consider a profession that involves a desk and a cubicle. Being approachable and able to engage in conversation with all types of people is imperative in this business. Of course, there is also responsibility. We all know that. Then there’s memorability. Being forgettable won’t get you clients. To round yourself out, you should have a decent sense of humor. You don’t have to be humorous, but you should at least have a good idea of what’s funny and what’s not.

A good business card should be a little bit of all of these qualities. If you are a straightforward, all-business-all-the-time type of person, then you would probably be alright with the traditional one-sided business card that everyone in the world uses. But, if you want to be personable, memorable, responsible and show your good sense of humor, you should think about doing something different.

Let’s say that you are at a trade show and you’re trying to attract new clients. You know that everyone looks for free stuff. But what if your “free stuff” was also your business card? Check out these business cards that double as magnets for all of your contact information – and can even print a photograph. These freebies are different enough that they will be memorable to a lot of people and aren’t as easy to lose as traditional business cards since they can be stuck somewhere in plain sight.

Or maybe you’ve been in contact with a potential client whom you know will give you some really great business. You have a meeting with them and you want to leave a lasting impression. As the meeting comes to an end and you bust out this chocolate business card, it’s not likely that they will forget you. This chocolate card is a delicious treat that would also show off your sense of humor and personality.

Of course, there will be people who don’t like chocolate or don’t use magnets to clutter their refrigerators, but there are plenty of other options to spice up your business card. Just remember that your business card should be a slice of you. By using a different model than the traditional business card, it’s likely that you will gain an advantage. Your clients will be impressed by your creativity and want to know more about you. And isn’t that the main point of a business card anyway?

If you’ve been here before, well, you may not recognize much, as we’re redeveloping this site as a blog. But we hope you’ll still find us your one-stop resource for information about the promotional products industry.

The promotional products industry can overwhelm anyone with its sheer mass of products, suppliers, distributors and information. This is why we’ve created the Promotional Products Knowledge Base. We’ll update this site regularly with new content designed to help you get acquainted with the wide world of promotional products. Our intention remains to give you the information you need to make intelligent decisions – to help you get the most use out of your money AND your promotional products.

The value of promotional products

With the economy in its current unsettled state, it’s easy to overlook the power of promotional products because purchasing budgets have gotten smaller. But promotional products can pack a lot of advertising punch into a small budget. According to the Advertising Specialties Institute Impressions Study, released in 2008, the average cost-per-impression of a promotional product is just $0.004 – much less than just about any other advertising means. People tend to hang on to promotional products, too. The survey shows that more than 75 percent of respondents kept the item for more than six months. Just think about tote bags, for instance: They’re useful, reusable, and will keep your logo visible for as long as the bag lasts.

And promotional products can be fun! Sure, there will always be pens and notepads and coffee mugs, but with thousands of items that can be customized with your logo, any campaign can be made a lot more memorable with the right kind of product. As a bonus, people who get free promotional products from you will remember your business in a more positive light, simply because you gave them something. The ASI study showed that 42 percent of respondents had a more favorable impression after receiving an item, and 24 percent of respondents said they were more likely to do business with the advertiser who gave them the product.

A little history

Promotional products have been around for nearly 200 years, in one form or another. The Promotional Products Association International (PPAI), a trade association for promotional item distributors, says that the promotional market dates back to when George Washington created buttons for his campaign! Although the promotions market has changed and expanded a great deal since then, the original concept behind the message remains the same: Make your message visible.

Promotional items are increasingly becoming a regular part of companies’ budgets. People are realizing that potential business growth can be directly related to the use of promotional products and creative advertising. Sometimes this means having to spend a little bit more on promotional products while creatively thinking outside the box for new ways to express your message. The promotional products industry is currently one of the fasting growing industries in the nation with total sales exceeding $18 billion in 2008.