Good Business
By: Audrey Sellers, Associate Editor
Issue: 2011dec

Pick an office, any office, and look around. You’ll probably spot dozens of promotional products. Why? Because, simply put, they work. The desktop has long been considered one of the most coveted spots for promotional items, and this likely won’t change anytime soon.

Last year, desk and office accessories made up a reputable share—5.28 percent—of the $16.6 billion in promotional products sales, according to the 2010 PPAI Sales Volume Study.

It’s a category that Joe Buhler, sales/operations director for Irving, Texas-based distributor Joe Knows Promos, LLC (UPIC: JoeKnows), says is immensely popular—and far-reaching.

“I like to think all promotional products can be office products,” he says. “I walk into my clients’ offices and find all sorts of things.”

Coffee mugs and tumblers are oft-picked choices among his clients, but he says the trend lately has been novelty items. “People want objects they can play with,” he says. “They also like to mix it up. They do one thing this year, and the next year, they want to do something new and different.”

That’s not to say there’s not an opportunity for repeat business. Replenishment of items such as pens or notepads can add up to big business, Buhler notes.

The key is in the customization—it’s what makes recipients feel valued. “When someone receives a desk item with a company logo, or better yet, their own name, it shows gratitude from the company,” says Buhler, “and it’s very much appreciated.”

Whether your goal is to show appreciation or simply to provide useful items for the workday, here are a few picks that get the job done.

PPB presents a collection of desk and office items that work. Read more Business