It has been well established over the years that promotional gifts are an important part of the marketing mix. Getting the most from your spending allocation for promotional merchandise will often be a creative balance between working towards your marketing goals, the demographic of your target audience and the method of distribution, all of which come within the constraints of the budget available.

For many companies, whether the available budgets large and small, promotional pens are a popular choice. They are affordable, small enough to be easily distributed and always well accepted. There are many other small and inexpensive products which work as well as promotional pens, such as mousemats, key rings and coasters. Larger promotional items which are well liked, such as mugs, umbrellas, bags, t-shirts, sweatshirts and caps, also offer great opportunities for marketing, but require larger storage space and perhaps a different method of distribution. Storage and distribution costs may be saved by carefully choosing your promotional items with these factors in mind.

One of the best ways of making sure you get the quality promotional products you require at the best price is to ensure you plan far enough ahead to allow for the lead times involved. Times quoted are usually from approval of artwork, so having your artwork complete and ready to go is fundamental in the ordering process. Most promotional gifts will be turned round within 10 days, but of course this can vary according to stock availability and the print method used.

The costs of your promotional products can escalate quickly if you don’t allow enough lead time. When time is short there may be a restricted selection of product available to you along with increased charges for express delivery. If you do find that you have to act on the last minute, the key to getting the best for your budget here is flexibility. If you get in touch with one of our knowledgeable customer service team, they will know if there are any particular offers you may benefit from and proffer alternative suggestions or close matches which can be delivered within your time frame.

Another point to bear in mind if you need to save on your print budget is to consider the method of printing used and whether you can restrict the number of colours used in your artwork. Often the most cost effective printing method is by screen, although this will not be suitable for all products. The fewer colours you require, the fewer individual screens will be needed, so the set-up costs will be reduced accordingly.

Importantly, in the drive to save money always beware of those ‘too good to be true’ offers. Cheapest rarely means best. Remember good service is vital to ensure you have the promotional products that you require, exactly as you want them and on time. The quality of your merchandise is also vitally important as it reflects the quality of your company. The last thing you want to do is to compromise your brand by using poor quality promotional gifts which send out the wrong messages to your customers and clients. Using a reputable and well established company, such as PG Branding, to fulfil your promotional requirements ensures you spend your budget well to get the best ROI.

To sum up, promotional gifts are an important part of current marketing strategies, which means that most companies, large and small, allocate a dedicated budget for such products. Everyone wants to make the most of their available budget, so appropriate time and effort has to be applied to use it wisely and to make the best investment to build the brand and/or drive sales and bring in new customers. Our experience here at PG Branding can help you choose the best promotional products for your brief and support your mission to make the most of your marketing opportunities.

PG Branding offer you a comprehensive range of promotional mousemats. Choose the perfect design for your needs from the dozens of mousemats available to you in our ‘computer accessories’ category on our website. Many of our mousemats feature additional functions, such as a calculator, USB ports, CD/DVD storage and wrist rests, or come together with imprinted coasters, phone holders or pens pots to create a complete desk set to promote your business and increase brand recognition for your products and services.

One such cost-effective promotional item is the mouse mat. These useful promotional products sit on every desk in every office, seen repeatedly by your target customer, and many people around into the bargain. The very essence of a mouse mat makes it a perfect promotional gift in many ways.

Here are some of the practical benefits of a promotional mouse mat:

1) Fantastic display area for your artwork. Many mouse mats can be printed in full colour, while the size and shape of a mouse mat provides a great surface area to print, so your branding and marketing messages can be displayed in their full glory.

2) Ideal for mailings. Again the size and shape, along with a low weight, makes promotional mouse mats a perfect promotional product to mail out to your customers and raise your company profile.

3) Useful and attractive. People love an attractive and colourful mouse mat to add to their desk furniture. A well designed and executed promotional mouse mat will be kept and used, making sure your company is seen often.

4) Value for money. Mouse mats are an incredibly cost-effective group of promotional items, suitable for even small businesses to invest in marketing their products and services.

5) Added value. PG Branding also offer a range of mouse mats with additional features such as a calculator, USB hub or gel wrist support. Any of these features gives a dual purpose to your chosen promotional mouse mat, which will further ensure that it is appreciated by the recipient and is retained and used for the long-term.

A well chosen promotional mouse mat, custom printed with your bespoke artwork, will prove to be a valuable, cost-effective and enduring promotional tool for your marketing campaign. You can be sure your messages and contact details are to hand when your customers need them when your give mouse mats as promotional gifts.