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Should you examine the entire gamut of promotional items, you will find items which vary from mundane to spectacular. For example, no type of promotional giveaways could be complete without the obligatory coffee mug. But you may also offer something unusual, like a desktop microwave that's just big enough to re-warm a mug of coffee. So, what item do you choose when you need it to convey uniqueness but not seem outrageous? One idea is wholesale cotton drawstring backpacks.

What Makes Wholesale Cotton Drawstring Backpacks Good Promotional Items?

The worthiness of promotional items is typically assessed using one of two perspectives: the more popular a product, the better; and also the more unique a product, the better. The first view points to the worth of an item's ubiquity in terms of its usefulness; that is, the more useful an item is, the more people will encounter it and find out its information. The second view points to the worth of giving away something unique that, by extension, makes your organization seem unique. If you side with the latter view, you aren't alone. Whether you're at trade shows or following a conference with a potential client, a lot of companies opt for giveaways that get potential clients' attention in a way that traditional giveaways don't. Do statistics back this up? According to Promotional Products Association International (PPAI), they do.

Understanding the Numbers: What Giveaways Are the Most Popular?

As of 2007, the promotional products industry achieved annual sales of almost $20 billion, roughly $1 billion under Internet ad placement. According to a 2006 estimate by PPAI, top promotional revenue (those constituting 3 % or greater from the total market) break up to the following numbers in terms product distributor sales:
a. Recognition awards/trophies/jewelry accounted for 3.56 percent of sales;
b. Drink ware accounted for 5.64 percent of sales;
c. Bags accounted for 5.81 percent of sales;
d. Desk/office/business accessories accounted for 6.28 percent of sales;
e. Calendars taken into account 6.47 percent of sales;
f. Instruments for writing accounted for 9.95 % of sales; and
g. Wearables accounted for 30.78 percent of sales The big notable here is wearables, of which cotton drawstring backpacks are a part.

Why are wearables are so big? On one hand, you could point to their usefulness; just about everyone wears clothes and other accessories that simplify their life. However, you could also point out the relative uniqueness of wearables versus pens, coffee mugs, and mouse pads. In any case, promotional product distributors don't carry a high percentage of wearables on accident. Companies realize that wearables are more likely to be used by their intended targets than standard giveaways, and that access leads to a closer bond between the item and its user. If you already have a line of traditional giveaways, incorporating a nontraditional item such as a drawstring backpack might do more than make your giveaways more noticeable; it may also increase your sales.

About the Author:
While conducting research for this article, I learned about vendor compliance and vendor compliance rules at www.LabsInc.com.