After last week's groundbreaking expose of interesting promotional facts the call has come from all quarters to provide more of this important information. Here, for the edification of all promo product fans is more inspiring information on this most versatile and highly regarded category of marketing material.

Last week we covered the important information on which classes of promotional products were the most appreciated, which had the longest effective life and which had the most impressions on potential customers and new clients. This week we will be looking further into the life-span of promotional products an how they are handled by both recipients and those who the recipients have relationships with. One of the great advantages of handing out a physical item which has a genuine utility (which is the case with most promotional products) is that they items are rarely simply disposed of or forgotten as is the case with other forms of invasive advertising messaging. It is the natural inclination of people to make sure that an item which may have some future use is not wasted so rather than being thrown into the rubbish or recycling bin promotional products often find a life beyond the first stage of distribution.

Research from the USA has proven that when a recipient of a promo item has no need for the gift or already has a similar product which performs the same function, 68 percent of the time they pass their latest gift on to another person. What is happening here is more than the simple re-gifting of the product, by supplying the piece of branded merchandise in the first place you have put yourself at the centre of a gifting circle which allows the recipient of your original largess to also enjoy the happiness and approval of the person to whom you hand on your offering. This means that not only is your product reaching its primary market, but there is also a secondary recipient who may find value in your products and services. And also out of this promotional milieu comes a whole new force which is the enhanced relationship which emerges from the second and third parties in the transaction. However slight the enhanced emotional attachment and involvement may be it is all fuel for the growth of your reputation and awareness of your brand.

One of the most startling facts which comes form the process of promotional products gifting is that over 88 percent of people who receive a promotional gift remember the person who gave it to them and have an enhanced impression of the organisation they work for and its offerings. If your product passes through a couple of hands the multiplier effect ensures that the investment in promo items you have made has the potential to pay off at a higher rate than almost any other form or advertising. There are few forms of advertising or promotion which have recall rates more than perhaps 20% despite the fact that media companies and some advertisers claim they are able to achieve much greater levels. Again, the fact that promotional products are about both your branding and message and enhancing the existing personal relationships you have with clients and staff confirms that your promotional investment has a longer life and a higher impact than almost every other form or marketing activity.