I have a favorite bottle opener. I’ve had it for years. There’s nothing in particular about the look of it—it simply works well and has not gotten lost yet. When there is another option in the drawer, I always go for my favorite. It sits out on the table at dinner parties and comes on picnics and barbecues with me.

For this reason, and perhaps this reason only, I will never forget the name of the local business whose logo stretches down the side of the opener.

There is marketing power in minutiae. Little gimmicks, promotional items, and other branded personal items and accessories can go a long way in creating brand awareness. Not only can items like tee-shirts, tote bags and mugs have the luck of becoming your target customer’s favorite—these items also communicate brand strength, sophistication, and success to anyone who sees them. Little by little, hats, business cards, uniforms, and other personal marketing items can build a big picture that your customers will remember and trust.

Of course, you can go wrong with promotional items. Since products like pens and envelope openers often stick around a long time and pass from person to person, you want to be sure that the item presents your company in the best light possible. One typo on a hat or sticker will go on to haunt you. And though it may seem simple enough to create a pint glass or a golf shirt with your company name on it, that does not mean you should skimp on the graphic design or handle the ordering yourself.

Think of promo items as small but important brand ambassadors. They should be outfitted in the company’s finest: a well-designed, four-color logo that leaves a lasting impression, as well as additional contact information and website, as appropriate. Other written materials, such as tag lines and company selling points, should be crafted and scrutinized by a reliable copy writer to avoid errors, off-messages, and missed opportunities. Furthermore, a marketing professional should consider options like size and placement of logo, print quality, and paper or material selection, as these will impact the overall effectiveness of the item in the long run.

But don’t take it too seriously. Promotional items, merchandise and company marketing materials are the fun and light-hearted part of marketing. With a solid marketing strategy to back it up, a promotional item like my bottle opener can be the quickest, easiest, least expensive way to get your brand into your customers’ hands. And, when done right, you can bet it will stay in their hands–and minds–for a long time to come.

Get started on dispatching your brand messengers—in the form of business cards, complimentary tasting cards, stationary, envelopes, letterhead, rack card, and more—by searching the easy-to-use library of over 850,000 promotional items at http://www.arandcompany.com/promo_items/, orcontact a marketing maven to learn more about how easy it is to give your branding a boost.

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Reprinted from “Paso Robles Marketing,” a blog featuring tips, tricks and tools for generating free publicity written by AR & Co PR & Marketing. Subscribe at http://www.pasoroblesmarketing.com/ and receive Blog updates by email.

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