Businesses can also use these as a handy tool for promotional giveaways when it comes to back-to-school shopping, but other industries as well have seen how popular these items are. Backpacks aren't just limited to office supply retailers and the like – other companies can see the same sort of consumer appreciation by giving away a custom logo bag.

Take me out to the promo

Baseball teams are notorious for giving away promotional items and holding special event nights. They have to fill as many seats as possible each night in order to make a profit, so handing out inexpensive promotional items encourages more people to come out to the ballgame than they would otherwise. Minor and major league teams alike employ this tactic, pulling in much higher attendance to their benefit, with bags and backpacks being a hugely popular item.

The Los Angeles Dodgers are currently holding a second round of promotional bag giveaways after the huge success of their first free backpack night. Partnered with Hello Kitty, these bags feature both Dodgers and Hello Kitty logos, adding collectibility to functionality. They also raise awareness of the team in a unique way each time the item is worn, and since a backpack gets daily use, the likelihood of increasing popularity for the team is that much more impressive.

By creating a promo giveaway that targets an unlikely audience, the club could also stand to fill a lot more seats than it usually does. Hello Kitty will appeal to more young girls, bringing higher attendance from an audience that may not share the enthusiasm for baseball that boys their age might. That means a proportionally higher number of seats filled, better sales, and free advertising visibility in a sector that baseball promos usually can't reach.

Fun and funky

Promotional bags and custom totes are popular because they're so highly functional. People can fill them up, carry them around and reuse them over and over again. There's always a time when a person will a fashionable bag to carry around their belongings, and the more often they turn to a certain business' promotional bag, the more likely they are to think positively about that organization.

Time Out Chicago Kids is using that impetus as part of its current promotional backpack giveaway. The organization is handing out Bubble backpacks, a uniquely designed bag that is as impressive as it is functional. The company is creating buzz by handing out only a limited number as part of a free-to-enter contest at its website. This targets both the trend toward online shopping and connectivity, as well as the craze for cool promotional items.

Finding unique, useful and creative ways to advertise is helping companies stay in business while the economic climate remains in turmoil. Free promotional backpacks and other bags provide the kind of brand visibility a company needs to stay in the game, and a well-executed strategy can mean much greater success if an organization knows when to act.

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To see all the possibility August Beach Month can offer, just consider all the things a person regularly brings to the ocean and what they will want to use again and again. Finding a balance between fun and practical use can ensure that you're making the best investment with your promotional product strategy.

Just for fun

Swimming isn't the only thing people do when they go to the beach, so thinking of all the other ways to play can help companies capitalize on revenue raising options. Aerial toys are popular sandy sports items, gaining lots of attention from passersby and gain visibility for a brand whenever someone sees the logo flying by. This makes it ideal for items like custom promotional flier that can be made in a variety of eye-catching colors. Multi-color beach balls can also have company information printed on them, making them a fun, versatile toy for all ages that will also help spread brand awareness.

Finding ways to combine items will also serve to make them practical while being fun at the same time. For instance, giving away a promotional beach ball inside of a water bottle, both bearing logos for the business, will give the customer two separate items to use and show off that doesn't cost the company much extra to obtain and will make sure brand awareness is spread in multiple capacities.

Practical use

Even at the beach there are needs consumers have to meet – staying comfortable being chief among them. For that reason, promotional beach towels are a great way of helping people stay off the hot sand and dry off at the end of the day. The sheer size of this item also means a large amount of advertising space for businesses. A brand icon can be ten times bigger on a towel than it could be on a custom notepad or similar giveaway, meaning the ability of casual viewers to notice a logo is also multiplied.

Giving away bags is another strategy that will help consumers not only bring things to the beach and back but will also encourage them to use the tote over again. As a promotional giveaway, bags are always popular with consumers, regardless of the time of year, meaning they're more likely to keep using a beach bag after a summer trip due to its functionality. The longer a person continues to carry a promotional item, the higher the level of visibility a business gains from that one item, proving a sound return on investment.

Combining fun and function can mean more sales for businesses when it comes to targeted promotional giveaways. Since August is beach month, driving more themed giveaways in that vein will help companies get their image out in the sun and bring in interested consumers either to online stores or retail locations.

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That's where promotional frisbees and backyard grilling sets can really make a business stand out. From one end of the meal to the next, your logo can go on the tools that build a fun evening every night for consumers across the country, or just in your business' backyard.

Get your grill on

The food itself is always the main attraction at a cookout, though not the only thing that helps make it complete. Any good grill master will need certain tools to get the job done, and savvy businesses can step in and offer these items in connection with a sale.

The next time a customer is looking to buy a grill, a promotional giveaway like a custom barbecue tool set could tip his decision toward one product or another. These items can also encourage upsales, wherein a consumer comes in to a store to make a specific purchase and winds up buying a more expensive model and additional items to complement the intended use.

Adding to the fun

A common technique of businesses is to give away peripherals to the barbecuing experience, things that will make the day more comfortable or add a little bit more fun. These items provide exclusive advertising opportunities for those handling them and people passing by, especially with larger or flashy items that don't cost companies much to get custom-made.

Some outside concert venues and fairs are already getting the momentum going with promotional bags and shirts, but there are plenty offering free branded towels, picnic blankets and beach balls as well. These are especially useful at events taking place on or near the beach, though they're also great for general lawn and pool use, too. That's the kind of flexibility of use that keeps consumers using the product, which in turn will boost visibility for business long after the item's been given away.

Next time around

Getting a promotional product to be used repeatedly is key for increasing brand awareness, so offering items to consumers that will keep them going this summer is also a good strategy for National BBQ Month. One great way to achieve that is through custom water bottles that can be brought on any trip, be it in the car, on a bike or up a mountain. The more durable the bottle, the more likely it will wind up being used again in the future.

Especially in the high heat of the summer, it's important for people to stay hydrated. In response to that, some metro areas are already offering special water bottle refilling stations at area schools and municipal buildings to promote good health. Offering these items to consumers will get much more brand recognition therefore due to continued use in the public arena and tie the company in with health awareness and the wellbeing of its customers.

Investing in smart outdoor promotions for National BBQ Month can give businesses a head above other companies by showing they're in touch with current trends and interested in the health of their clients.

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There is only one thing that can make promotional products more effective as marketing items – attaching team or school spirit to them. Spirit items are essentially branded promotional products that have been re-purposed to also spread the word and increase enthusiasm for a particular group of athletes. Whether at the high school, college or semi-professional level, companies can help to sponsor sporting events, give free marketing materials to people and increase their own levels of brand awareness. Here are some of the best promotional products that can be easily transformed into spirit items.

T-shirts
A custom t-shirt or any other type of promotional apparel is probably the most common personalized marketing tool. These items should be created to support a sports team or university first and foremost, but can also include the name of the company that provided them in a less prominent location. After all – it's the sports name and logo that draws people in. The logo or brand image of the private business (or businesses) responsible for it are incidental, but can still spread the word about an organization.

Duffel bags
Promotional duffel bags are effective marketing tools simply because there are few people who couldn't use an extra one at some point in their lives. A free duffel bag can be used for the gym, to take to sporting events, as an in-flight carry-on or simply for long car rides. They provide plenty of space for logos, making it easy to include both a sports team's insignia and those of one or more private businesses.

Pocket calendars
Unlike national major leagues, most college and minor league sports don't play regularly enough for people to memorize their schedules. There also aren't vast media empires constantly reminding people about when the next match is going to be. Consequently, tools that help make this possible are fantastic for raising the spirits of a fan base and providing fodder for promotional images. Pocket calenders can be used often for personal information, but they are likely most valuable to customers when they've had a team's game schedule pre-printed on the appropriate days.

Stress relievers
There are few moments as intense in a person's life as when a beloved team isn't doing very well – especially against a bitter rival. A stress reliever is a great way to help take that edge off of fans as well as to remind them about the phenomenal products and services that a certain business makes available. After a few weeks of tense, white-knuckled stress, people will have no trouble remembering a company's name, image or logo.

Sports bottles
Sports should encourage people to lead more vigorous lives, but many people instead choose to use sports as a way to relax. Help to end the trend of unhealthy sports fans by giving them water bottles printed with their favorite local team's mascot. This will keep the name of a sponsor or organization in their minds as they consider starting a fitness regimen.  

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Companies that step in and provide such tools will be remembered fondly by people who are in this position. Here are some of the best promotional products to deploy just as winter is getting underway so that customers will be unable to put them aside and ignore their branded messages.

Promotional jackets and sweatshirts
By the end of winter, most people will have fleshed out their collections of coats and sweaters to the extent that they won't find promotional clothing as necessary. However, the late fall is another matter entirely. Folks have let their guard down all summer and are unpleasantly surprised to discover that it gets uncomfortably cold once the sun goes down.

Don't let people freeze – offer promotional sweatshirts and branded jackets. Now, more than ever, they'll be in heavy rotation on city streets and neighborhood sidewalks, sharing their promotional messages with other customers and reminding their wearers that they were there to help out.

Duffel bags
Warm clothing is essential during this time of year, but that doesn't mean that an occasional warm spell doesn't crop up. In fact, the late fall is the perfect time for an Indian Summer to appear and remind folks that the sun isn't done warming this hemisphere of the planet. This leads to the emblematic dress code of autumn – layers. However, many people aren't yet familiar with this practice, and even if they are, they need somewhere to put their excess garments.

Promotional duffel bags can not only carry extra garments – they're also perfect for holding the scarves, hats, gloves and other articles that aren't needed when the sun comes out. However, once it dives back behind a cloud or a building, these items will be ready for the taking.

Auto safety kits
When a car breaks down during any other time of year, the worst thing that can happen is that one's evening will be ruined while waiting for a tow truck to arrive. In the winter, one's safety is at stake. That's why promotional auto safety kits are crucial to have on hand. They can help to jump-start a car whose battery had died, replace flat tires, signal passing automobiles, perform first aid and even break windows that have trapped a person inside. Winter auto safety is something too few people consider, which is why small businesses should provide them to customers.

Mugs
Thankfully, people don't throw out their coffee mugs at the end of every summer. However, some mugs that are in storage are broken every year. What's more, consumers often forget to bring mugs to work until well after the time of year when they're first needed. Consequently, promotional mugs will be much appreciated by people just looking for their caffeine fix from a warm and comforting source.

Pocket calendars
With the holidays coming, it's important to keep track of important events, holidays, birthdays, vacations, days off and a host of other dates that might easily be thrown by the wayside. Fortunately, when companies provide promotional pocket calendars, no one has any excuse for forgetting a Secret Santa party or the pageant that a niece or nephew is performing in.  

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A great way to increase brand awareness and promote products or services is by holding seasonal events and timely marketing campaigns. Small businesses that rely on promotional products for advertising purposes can flavor their giveaways with seasonal themes. Consider the following tools, many of which are perfect for taking advantage of the incoming temperature dip around the country.

Shopping totes
Traditionally, fall signals that the growing season is over. The harvest begins around this time of year, and despite the fact that most people aren't obligated to subsist on local produce, the feeling still remains. Consequently, many people enjoy going to harvest festivals and other agricultural events. Apple picking, hay rides, pumpkin fairs and farmers markets all rise in popularity just before winter strikes.

Purchasing produce and other fruits of the land requires the right tools to carry them. Give customers promotional shopping totes so that they can be environmentally friendly while they haul their delicious loot home.

Laptop bags
Fall also represents a return to education for most people. This can be a college freshman beginning her life as an undergraduate or a middle-aged professional resuming his education, but either way, the right tools are necessary to learn. Most curricula nowadays require digital tools to streamline the learning process, making portable computers essential. A laptop bag will help to facilitate success in the classroom and is a great promotional product to offer to loyal customers and repeat consumers.

Glasses and bar sets
People tend to drink more alcohol when the weather is cold. It may be because they end up going stir-crazy after being inside all day or it can simply be chalked up to the fact that they like a cocktail every now and again to stay warm. Either way, providing the right tools for making parties and dinners a bit classier will go a long way toward reminding customers and fans about a brand or organization. Promotional glasses or personalized bar sets make great giveaways as the temperature drops.

Planners
Beginning with Labor Day and continuing through Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years, the holiday season is jam-packed with social obligations and important dates. It can be difficult to keep track of all of these celebrations, so a promotional planner is a great giveaway that can keep customers informed of all the events they need to attend and the people that they have to see before the year is over.

Luggage tags
Another great thing about the holiday season is that it presents multiple opportunities to travel. Days off from work are excellent times to visit different parts of the country, and many customers may have to do that as a matter of course given all of the feasts and gatherings that traditionally happen at the end of the year. Rushing through airports and onto planes is very stressful, making it necessary to keep track of one's luggage. A promotional luggage tag is an important tool that consumers will be grateful to have.

Flashlight keyrings
As the temperature drops, outdoor safety becomes even more important. Being locked out of the house or one's car has much graver repercussions in the winter, so resolving such a situation is crucial. A flashlight keyring can spell the difference between finding one's cell phone or hidden house key and being stuck in the freezing cold. Offer customers a promotional keyring to keep a company name in their minds.  

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With that in mind, it is also important for small businesses to consider the time of year. School has recently begun anew, and college students are an excellent demographic to zero in on for a number of companies. Consider using the following items as branding tools this fall.

USB logo drives
Gone are the days of keeping physical notes and visiting libraries – today's students are much more likely to need to share software and files than they are to pass papers amongst themselves. A USB logo drive that is sponsored by a university or company will naturally be popular and useful on campus. Their low cost, in comparison with the high level of functionality they provide, should be enticement enough for any company to make an investment.

Personalized notebooks
Despite the prevalence of technology in modern educational methods, there will always be a use for at least some pen and paper products. However, because fewer pages are necessary, those notebooks and other clerical tools that college students use need to be even more specialized in order to appeal to them. That's why a personalized notebook (emblazoned with a school logo or company image, of course) is more valuable as a marketing tool than ever before.

Promotional duffel bags
Few groups are on the go as frequently as college students are, traveling from city to city and state to state to visit family and travel with friends. Their belongings need to come with them, so tools that help them to do so are invaluable. A promotional duffel bag is a cost-effective piece of luggage for cash-strapped kids who will be grateful for the useful tool and pleased to have one less hassle on the train or in the airport.

Highlighters
Though offices and their staff members may be runners up, the prize for champion highlighter users may have to go to students. Pupils have the most to gain by emphasizing certain passages or lines and are certain to be grateful for these tools. Promotional highlighters are, in addition to personalized pens, easily passed around and can be shared by many students who will see their messages and remember the organizations that branded them.  

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