4imprint customers tell you how they have used promotional products to grab attention, grow their business, say ‘thanks,’ raise awareness or otherwise spread the word!

promotional products work

Ashley, with 4imprint 4 years

Welcome to our 2nd edition of ‘Promotional Products Work’!

Last year, we published the first edition of ‘Promotional Products Work’. Just as in this edition, it was filled with so many ways customers who have ordered promotional items from us have put them to work driving growth, raising funds, saying ‘thanks’, building teams, creating buzz or otherwise building their brands. The idea for the book came as part of my usual ritual of reading what our customers have to say as part of the ‘Two-Second Survey’ we send after each order. The surveys burst with thoughtful comments and often background on how the products we sell are used. We thought, “wouldn’t it be great if there was a way to gather even more of these ‘how-to’ ideas and share them?”

So, we decided to take the surveys one small (and optional!) step further and ask our customers for ‘help’. We asked whether they’d be willing to share how they used the products they ordered as a way of helping others achieve the same success they’d achieve.

And as always, you came through.

We really weren’t sure what to expect when we put the first edition together, but given that you’re reading the introduction to the second edition, you can imagine that means we were thrilled with the results!

We hope you enjoy ‘Promotional Products Work – Second Edition.”

Best,

Kevin Lyons-TarrCEO4imprint, Inc.

[table of contents] raising money for your cause . . . . . . . . 3saying thank you . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8spreading the word . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19team unity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27booth buzz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34build your brand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42the carrot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Kevin Lyons-Tarr, CEO,

with 4imprint 25 years

#

Whether it’s a nonprofit, school store or fundraising,

if you need money for the mission, promotional products work.

raising money for your cause

for your cause

Page 4

Anonymous

“ Our elementary school students are selling the “Swag Tags” with our school

crest and mascot imprinted on the luggage tag. The fundraising is in support

of an orphanage in Kenya. Our school sponsors a few children at the

orphanage and also helps pay for a major project at the orphanage

each year.”

#1

# C104256-S, Traveler Round Luggage Tag - Opaque

for your cause

Page 5

Anonymous

“ We gave the sunglasses to participants in our annual run and everyone loved

them.”

#2

# C107694, Sunglasses

for your cause

Page 6

Marie from Arnprior

“ We organized a fundraising run. Each participant received a lanyard and

immediately put it around their necks. It was a great way to identify our

participants among others in the park.”

#3

# C118871, Lanyard with Metal Lobster Clip - 3⁄4"

for your cause

Page 7

Linda from Saskatoon

“ We used the drawstring bags as a way for people to visually spread the

name of our “Pets in the Park” fundraiser, as well as a way for sponsors to

connect with the participants.”

#4

# C7687, Polypropylene Drawstring Sportpack

Joe, with 4imprint 7 years

Whether it’s for saying thank you to volunteers, to applaud hard workers for a job well done or for recognizing an anniversary, here

are some creative ways to say “thanks.”

saying thank you

saying thank you

Page 9

Anonymous

“ We always provide promotional gifts to our membership at our annual

meetings. We try to incorporate our theme in selecting items to use. This

year we purchased a USB Hub to reflect ‘Innovation.’ It is going to be a hit

with our members.”

#1

# C123023, Accent 4 Port USB Hub

saying thank you

Page 10

Anonymous

“ We used glass water bottles as a gift for our tenants at our annual BBQ.

They appreciated the sustainability factor.”

#2

# C114547, Wide Mouth Glass Water Bottle

saying thank you

Page 11

Sylvie from St-Victor Beauce

“ We gave gifts to those attending our AGM. Everybody, when they saw them

on the banquet tabe were hoping that it was also a gift...so they were very

pleased when we told them they can keep theirs, some bought more from

our souvenir shop :)”

#3

# C9439, Stemless Wine Glass - 17 oz.

saying thank you

Page 12

Patsy from Chatham

“ We use items for thank you gifts to volunteers at fundraisers. We also use

for employee appreciation days.”

#4

# C125957, Sorbet Pocket Notebook with Curvy Stylus Pen

saying thank you

Page 13

Anonymous

“ We used this product to thank all of our sporting groups who travelled with

us over this last quarter. A great gift idea!”

#5

# C9810, Two-Tone Duffel Bag

saying thank you

Page 14

Anonymous

“ The gift we purchased was a combination Staff Appreciation/Christmas gift

from the management team. All feedback has been very positive. The ID

card holder is useful, and the zippered compartment is an added bonus,

great for keeping some change

handy for a cup of coffee.”

#6

# C122348, Cool Wave Neck Wallet

saying thank you

Page 15

Lise from Ottawa

“ Every year the company hosts a family picnic for staff, agents and their

families. We like to give everyone a little something at registration and

change up the theme every year.”

#7

# C115078, Compact First Aid Kit

saying thank you

Page 16

Anonymous

“ 47-year Manager Retirement Party; purchased 100 small flashlights and

wrapped them inside a ‘Thank You’ letter provided by the retiring manager.

Great gift for him and his family as well as all employees who have worked

for him for years.”

#8

# C123453, Destin LED Flashlight

saying thank you

Page 17

Anonymous

“ Padfolios were given as gifts to our sales agents with our company logo.

Very organized and professional looking.”

#9

# C111483, Pedova Zippered Padfolio

saying thank you

Page 18

Anonymous

“ The first week in September is “National Trucking Week” in Canada. Over

the years we have handed out magnets with our “Thank you” message

to many Professional Drivers from across Canada. It is a small token of

appreciation to the 285,000 Professional drivers who keep the commerce of

Canada rolling every day.”

#10

# C17706, Business Card Magnet - 30 mil

Whether it’s public safety or a simple community reminder, here are a few ideas to help spread the word about

your special campaign.

spreading the word

spreadingthe word

Page 20

Anonymous

“ Our Environment Group is promoting the use of refillable water bottles to

discourage the buying of single-use plastic water bottles - it reduces the use

of plastic generally.”

#1

# C107589, Wide Mouth Matte Stainless Sport Bottle

spreadingthe word

Page 21

David from Brampton

“ We have 100 elementary students coming to our high school to learn some

of the technologies our students work with. They are taking away their

digital creations with the USB we ordered.”

#2

# C111667, Swinging USB Drive

spreadingthe word

Page 22

Neil from Vancouver

“ Fathers Day gift to church congregation. Men love gadgets and this was a

perfect complement to smartphones.”

#3

# C9461-ST-SC-SIL, Element Stylus Screen Cleaner Pen-Silver

spreadingthe word

Page 23

Lynda from Tisdale

“ We held an ECIP (Early Childhood Intervention Program) week promotion

including a come and go event and products went out to our partnering

agencies to raise the profile of our program and the referral process.”

#4

# C9198, Bic Sticky Note 3" x 4"

Anne, with 4imprint 15 years

spreadingthe word

Page 24

Anonymous

“ Go Girl Conference - provided resource information on programs and

services in town on the USB part.”

#5

# C125533, Lanyard USB Drive

spreadingthe word

Page 25

Tyson from Edmonton

“ The water bottles will be provided to current and prospective students of our

university in hopes of generating more interest and knowledge about

our faculty.”

#6

# C106108, Stainless Steel Water Bottle - 25 oz.

spreadingthe word

Page 26

Pat from Vermillion

“ We used the pink maze pens as gifts to community members wearing pink

on Pink Shirt Day. We have been doing this a number of years and people

love the pens. In fact they, look for us on Pink Shirt Day so they can get a

new pen!”

#7

# C102233, Maze Pen

team unity

Whether you’re looking to outfit your team for a consistent look, trying to build morale, or you want to create ‘walking billboards,’ promotional

products get the job done.

team unity

Page 28

Shaun from Winnipeg

“ The bags are part of our volunteer uniform. They

work in the zoo and park and need to carry maps

and information brochures with them. They fit

perfectly in the bags. We do not have lockers

here in the zoo for the volunteers, so they

have to carry their car keys, cell phones

and other personal items with them

while on duty. They find these bags

hold all of their items safely. ”

#1

# C106131, Off Roader Travel Bag

Anna, with 4imprint 8 years

team unity

Page 29

MJ from Pefferlaw

“ These were company shirts for our customer service representatives for the

upcoming fall/winter - part of our company brand”

#2

# C116400, Preston EZ Care Shirt

team unity

Page 30

Linda from Toronto

“ We have begun a tradition at our school where our Grade 9’s receive

a locker mirror. We find this is a practical way to welcome our new

students.”

#3

# C120303, Locker Mirror

team unity

Page 31

Steve from Ottawa

“ We provide new employees with a water bottle on their first day of work. It

helps to make them feel welcome and part of the team!”

#4

# C9997, Comfort Grip Sport Bottle - 27 oz.

team unity

Page 32

Carol from Markham

“ We are using the lanyards for volunteers to wear as ID when they are on site.

The lanyards are readily visible, the volunteers feel more connected to the

agency, and the staff can identify a volunteer

as opposed to a stranger in the building.”

#5

# C111233, Hang in There Lanyard

team unity

Page 33

Tammy from Creston

“ Logo’d polo shirts to make our staff members more recognizable, both on-

site and when leading guided tours off-site. We also gave them to some of

our most dedicated volunteers, again for recognizability and to make sure

they feel as much a part of the team as we believe them to be.”

#6

# C103509, Jerzees Spotshield Jersey Knit Shirt

#

Promotional products might just be the best thing ever when it comes to making sure your booth is the one they visit. Here are some ways to make sure there is a well-worn

path right to your booth.

booth buzz

booth buzz

Page 35

Susan from Halifax

“ We used these to drape the basic black skirting of trade show tables. It made

our brand “pop” compared to theirs”

#1

# C9544, Table Runner

booth buzz

Page 36

Shelley from Edmonton

“ We host an annual conference in February each year, and 4imprint has

always been there to help us come up with participant gifts that fit the

program and the price point. This year we really wanted our guests to feel

“recharged” so our gift of course, is a charger!”

#2

# C133529, Portable Power Bank - 2200 mAh

booth buzz

Page 37

Anonymous

“ The bags we ordered were to be used at a forum for participants to use at

the event and, of course, after. The bags were absolutely perfect and being

able to showcase our branding is positive.”

#3

# C125496, Finale Foldaway Tote

booth buzz

Page 38

April from Red Bank

“ Recently went to an International Tradeshow in Niagara Falls, Ont., and

it was great to be able to give them a personal gift with images and

information about our facility.”

#4

# C104601, USB Swing Drive

booth buzz

Page 39

Anonymous

“ We used the bags to give everybody at the conference the schedule booklet

and information about the conference.”

#5

# C107368, Value Non-Woven Tote

booth buzz

Page 40

Tannis from Wawanesa

“ We held an insurance woman’s convention.

The tumblers were engraved with our name of

convention and year, members from across

Canada attended and this was the gift

at convention to all that attended.”

#6

# C121873, Soundwave Dome Top Tumbler - 16 oz.

booth buzz

Page 41

Helena from Vancouver

“ The padfolios were used by the students attending our conference so they

had a place to store their notes, paperwork and have a secure place to

keep everything.”

#7

# C111483, Pedova Zippered Padfolio

From small business to big business, university to nonprofit, the name

of the game is to make sure people know who you are and what you’re about. Promotional products work

when it comes to building your brand.

build your brand

build your brand

Page 43

Peter from Edmonton

“ All company branch safety representatives from across Canada attended a

health and safety seminar covering many topics and processes that they are

required to manage at their branch location. The journals were distributed to

each BSR to use for retention of information pertaining to issues that could

have legal implications involving employees in the future.”

#1

# C115133, Neoskin Hard Cover Journal

build your brand

Page 44

Mary from St Thomas

“ We used this as a thank you to people for attending our event, and to help

them remember us each time they use their cutlery! Most people said that

they use their new cutlery kit with lunches they bring from home, and now

they and their coworkers see our name every day! We’ve already had calls

for corporate events thanks to the brand recognition!”

#2

# C121847, Clip & Take Cutlery Set

build your brand

Page 45

Sherry-Anne from Bethany

“ We have used our fridge magnets as business cards with our pizza takeout

menu and everyone loves them. We have even seen them put on cars and

lockers in the kids school!”

#3

# C17706, Business Card Magnet - 30 mil

build your brand

Page 46

Janice from Calgary

“ We handed these out to people who registered for classes at our Activity

Centre this semester. People were pleased to have something practical and

easy to carry in a pocket or purse.”

#4

# C9687, Tape-A-Matic Tape Measure

build your brand

Page 47

Stephanie from Mississauga

“ We are a candy & chocolate distributor. We use these USB’s to give to our

clients/potential clients, loaded with our brochures, presentations

& price lists.”

#5

# C109300, Springfield USB Drive

build your brand

Page 48

Anonymous

“ We are a dance school and do birthday parties.. we use these mugs as take

home gifts for the attendees. We put a pack of hot chocolate inside and

wrap them in clear bags... really nice looking and the kids love them!”

#6

# C104890, Aztec Spooner Mug

build your brand

Page 49

Anonymous

“ We are a university dance club that provides inexpensive dance lessons and

dance socials. At our dance socials, anyone with a water bottle gets a dollar

off the cover fee. So we thought it made perfect sense to have our own

club water bottles to handout during promo events as well as as raffle prizes

during our dance socials.”

#7

# C110608, Value Sport Bottle with Push Pull Cap

build your brand

Page 50

Daniel from Winnipeg

“ As a representational student body, we look to find items that are of interest

to students and come at a competitive price. The shaker bottles were a

great item for the gym-rats and we have reordered due to popularity - “Do

you even lift, bro?””

#8

# C116012, Shake & Drink Bottle

build your brand

Page 51

Anonymous

“ I ordered company umbrella’s for an outdoor event with our logo on them.

They were used in case it rained and our guests would stay dry.”

#9

# C100872, Executive Umbrella

Increase participation, improve registration rates and maybe even

generate additional revenue. If you’re looking for that ‘carrot,’ look for promotional products.

the carrot

the carrot

Page 53

Anonymous

“ We had event participant’s travel to two of our three event locations and as

an incentive they would receive a scarf!”

#1

#C126230 , Tassel Scarf

the carrot

Page 54

Nicole from Toronto

“ We are selling the water bottles to students for a few reasons. With our logo

on the bottles it will hopefully promote and increase our sales. Also, we have

water coolers in our studio and we are doing away with providing paper

cups and encouraging students to use

water bottles so it is better for

the environment.”

#2

# C114427, Jogger Sport Bottle - 25 oz.

Dan, with 4imprint 16 years

the carrot

Page 55

Valery from Plantagenet

“ After a training, people fill in their training evaluation and receive a

chocolate star when they hand in their evals. The drama when we ran out

of chocolates! We realized just how attached to that ritual/treat they were!

goes to show, you can never give you clients less.. you always have to give

the same quality/experience.. or more. Good thing Valor’s way of doing

business is.. you want more? ‘’Challenge accepted.’’”

#3

# C120278, Chocolate Star

the carrot

Page 56

Stacey from Red Deer

“ We had pencils printed with a motivational saying on them to pass out to

the students at our school before they start finals!”

#4

# C982, Bic Pencil

© 2016 4imprint, Inc. All rights reserved

Have you found success with your promotional products? You can help others by sharing your expertise! Simply email

a photo of your product to social@4imprint.com with a brief description of your success story. We’d love to share it with

others via social media and maybe even in our next edition of ‘Promotional Products Work’!

See more ideas and past editions of 4imprint’s ‘Promotional Products Work!’ at

4imprint.ca/EBook

Share your success story!