It is very clear to see trends developing in the promotional gifts industry. Traditionally in recessional times, this would be a spend that would immediately be halted across every type of customer base and across all industries that use this as one method to promote their brand. Marketing spend and departments would also be cut and there would be a bleak outlook for anyone involved in this type of business. This has not been the case and indications from the end users is not one of cutting out this activity, but more concentrating on using cheap promotional items as alternatives to the normal merchandise.

If the client has started to focus on a lower price range of products, so too does the promotional gift distributor need to focus on ensuring that the choice available reflects this and that more items in the lower price brackets are visible on websites and in hard copy brochures. The Steel City Marketing website has an ever evolving range of business gift ideas and we have been making a concerted effort to ensure that the choice of lower budget items is being updated weekly. This not only ensures we have the best selling products available to view but also that anything new and different to come into the marketing is also seen, thus giving the client an opportunity to reduce spend as well as having something the recipient hasn’t seen before.

The desktop range of promotional gifts can suit every budget, no matter how low. From coasters, to erasers and pencils sharpeners, the cheap promotional item idea is well catered for. The production and sheer choice of mousemats, has also led to a reduction in costs, making this a large print area product that is now at the low budget end of things.

There is also a really good choice of ideas away from the office, such as car air fresheners, stress items, message bugs and fridge magnets, all possessing perfect promotional qualities but at minimal spend.

The final product area that should never be forgotten for a cheap promotional item idea is that of pens. If you have a pen and are contemplating reducing your marketing spend and not going for the next order, consider a cheaper alternative instead.

Please contact a member of the Steel City Marketing sales team on 0114 2754150 who will be happy to suggest item based on any budget you have available.

With the fact that many budgets are being stretched at present, it is almost certain that the purchase of promotional gifts will be left as late as possible, due to the fact that this will be a spend possibly deemed surplus to requirements during a recession. However, for the most part, this decision is regretted late on and clients are now making contact with last minute rush enquiries for events, promotions or campaigns where they have to sort out some promotional merchandise with little lead time in which to do it in.

All is not lost in these situations, lead times are becoming shorter as production speeds up and newer machines allow quicker turnaround in orders.  This is sometimes relied upon by clients who regularly leave it late, a buying philosophy not overly recommended should you have already decided what you are looking to purchase in case of any hitches.  Nevertheless this is a result of how technology streamlines an industry and improves production speeds. There are now so many products that are possible for that last minute order and a client should never assume that they have left it too late. Always call your promotional gift company (Steel City Marketing’s sales team can be contacted on 0114 2754150) and you may be pleasantly surprised.

Promotional pens is one product ranges where you can easily achieve a 5 working day turnaround with a proof, printed in more than one colour. Sometimes this can be even shorter – down to 24 or 48 hours on some product lines, but is then normally a one colour print and no proof. The Calico ballpen is a popular choice achieving the tight lead-time, good colour choice and more than one print colour.

Many other business gift ideas are now also achievable on a delivery time of around 5 working days from proof approval. Ice scrapers (popular during these long winter months) and a good range of recycled & Eco promotional gifts can hit a tight lead time. Mousemats, along with a whole host of desktop business gifts are now easily achievable in under 10 working days.

It is easy to think that something just cannot be done and that surely it is impossible. Today, however, this is just not the case, and the sales team at Steel City Marketing pride themselves on achieving whatever last minute order you are looking to place. Put us to the test today.

It is very interesting to take a look at how an industry is perceived and with information being so readily available, this task has become easier in recent years than it would have been. With forums, blog and hard copy publications all accessible, a company can quickly gather a snippet of market intelligence and try to react accordingly. The promotional merchandise industry is no different.

There is a common misconception around that selling business gifts is symbiotic with a number of others, including stationery suppliers, print managers and the like. It is true that often the client uses all these forms, orders regularly and this would theoretically show that one company could supply all services. However, this is clearly not the case from the feedback received and unfortunately the companies that believe this are the ones that are muddying the water, doing a bad job and giving a bad reputation to a very good industry.

The occasional search around some business forums and you can quickly get the impression that there is a good percentage of the end client base that get tired of the daily calls from companies asking about promotional items and asking to be considered as a supplier. Therefore if a stationery supplier offers the service, and if a print manager does the same, what chance have the genuine promotional gift suppliers got in persuading a client to think more positively about us.

Competition is great, it is necessary and it makes a good company tune in to what is going on, allowing us to assess and react accordingly. Any business that claimed otherwise is not going to achieve more than they already have done. However, the companies who are trying to tag this type of activity onto their core are genuinely making a bad job of it – this is a common thought amongst the promotional gift suppliers and producers. They do not understand the complexities, they have not gained competitive supply pricing and the errors made are countless. They have entered into something without analyzing the market, without testing their procedures. There is even an organization that is holding workshops on how to sell promotional items. If they can’t work it out for themselves, they shouldn’t be doing it.

The promotional gift distributor, a company that is purely in that business area, is the only type of company to deal with if you want the best ideas, the lowest pricing, the most effective delivery. Try Steel City Marketing on 0114 2754150 and the whole team will ensure you have not made a mistake in making that call.