1,000 marketers have voted the promotional products channel as one of the best ways to reach targeted audiences with a single campaign spend while contributing towards building a positive relationship.

The survey, conducted in November for the Promotional Products Association International, asked buyers to compare the medium against other sales and marketing channels such as TV ads, direct mail, newspapers, consumer magazines, trade publications, the Internet and social media on a number of key attributes.

Attributes measured included;

• Long term memorability
• Flexibility of spend
• Encouraging loyalty
• Reaching sudiences without annoying them
• Driving traffic - in stores, shows, events
• The best cost per thousand (CPM) for reaching specialty or niche audiences
• Best CPM for mass audiences
• Best possibilities for message customisation

The survey (conducted by Glenrich Business Studies and Louisiana State University), found respondents voting promotional products as the leading medium in five of those eight categories, losing out only on the two CPM attributes and the ability to customise messages.

Buyers gave the highest marks to promotional products as a way to make the most memorable impact on an audience with a single promotional spend, giving the channel a mean 3.8 points out of 5 on that score. They also gave promotional products a 3.9 rating for reaching an audience without risking offense or becoming a nuisance.

This micro advent calendar (SWC123) contains 24 assorted coloured chocolate lentils.

The outer foil can be printed with up to 4 colours.

Product Size: 113 x 77 x 7mm

Print Area: 113 x 77mm

So there should be no excuses for not being able to find something seasonal and novel for your next communications campaign.

More promotional chocolate ideas can be found in the promotional confectionery section.

Dog House turn an ordinary promotional bag into a fashion statement carried away by customers and walked up and down the catwalks of the london fashion week at the launch of the Dog House limited edition print range.

Looking for a particular shape and finish within a specific budget Qtable was tasked with finding, branding and delivering a bag ready for the london fashion show.

Customers were amazed that the bag was given away free with each purchase as the quality and branding were good enough for them to be fashion items in their own right, but when combined with the powerful design from Dog House they showed to be a winning combination.

Score a GOAL when you invest in some football merchandise from the winners collection for supporters, team players and football fanatics. Packed with ideas to get the fans involved and players motivated, so make sure you don't pass this opportunity by and get your team prepared for a spine tingling theatre of sporting display.

Itching to get your creative fingers all over your next piece of merchandise clothing ?

Then why not design it yourself using this online design tool. Here you can select a range of modern european designs and customise them to your hearts content.

A powerful marketing technique used by many companies is to gain more recognition through association. Positioning your business alongside a stronger or more well known brand can you give an extra boost effectively enabling you to legally steal some of the other brands strength.

This one is in the bag, a promotional idea that’s useful and effective.

Most businesses or individuals will find themselves at a show or exhibition at some point in their lives and having gone around with either the sole purpose of collecting as many freebies as possible or visiting companies that are important to them, to then suddenly find yourself weighed down with a whole bunch of stuff and nowhere to stick it when shaking hands or drinking that much needed refreshment.

You've seen them, those people walking along glued to their mobile phones or dancing and miming to their iPod’s, well the gadget bug is well and truly a modern trend that is hear to stay.

Gadgets of all kinds continue to emerge with many of us becoming very attached to our trusty thingy-a-me-jigs which makes them ideal promotional items. There is nothing like watching two grown ups get their toys out and starting comparing them. Yes, mine's better than yours