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Monday, June 17th
2024 Promotional Product Reviews
Custom Ink
- "A+" rated and accredited by the BBB
- In business for over 20 years
- Free ground shipping on all orders within continental US and Canada
- Guaranteed delivery dates within two weeks or less on standard, one week with Rush Delivery, and 3 days with Super Rush Delivery
- Customer service available 7 days a week
- Free design review
- Over 68,000 pieces of art in The Design Lab
- 100% satisfaction guarantee, with returns within 15 days of delivery
Custom Ink can get your promotional products delivered fast and on time, guaranteed. Although their specialty is t-shirts and other apparel, this vendor can still help you design the perfect pen, planner or pin to hand out at your tradeshow or corporate event. Use their Design Lab or get personalized input from their Custom Creations team: it's all at no cost to you. You won't find custom online stores or an abundance of free samples here, but in all other ways Custom Ink is a terrific option for promotional products.
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4imprint
- "A+" rated and accredited by the BBB
- In business for nearly 40 years
- 360° Guarantee: on-time delivery, 30-day price matching, customer satisfaction
- Free samples
- Free art design and prep
4imprint has a wide variety of promotional products to choose from, and they fulfill over 1 million orders every year. The company offers free art design and prep on every order, plenty of free samples (even on more expensive items), and a guarantee that includes on-time delivery, 30-day price matching, and 100% customer satisfaction. Despite an "A+" from the BBB, 4imprint's more recent feedback from clients isn't so impressive. This retailer has its heart in the right place, but until there's an improvement in their delivery, we think you'll have a better experience with a higher-ranked promo product vendor.
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Where Can You Buy the Best Selection of Promotional Products?
Name a brand, company, organization or school that doesn't have promo products. Hard to do, right? There's no shortage of ways these groups use to put themselves out there with swag. Run a 10k race and what do you get? A t-shirt, medal, and some kind of fitness gear at a minimum. Go to a college fair and come away with a pile of cups, koozies and calendars - all in the hope that you'll keep them in mind when you (or your child) are choosing a school for the fall.
Is your group making the most of your promotional products? It can be overwhelming trying to decide which tchotchkes are right for you. What's the best combination of value and results? What if you don't have a design ready to go? How much time will it take to get your items produced and delivered?
Continue reading below
Promotional Product FAQ
There are lots of reasons why companies and organizations invest in promo products to give out. They're a great way to build visibility for your brand: when you hand out things that can be reused, like a tumbler or towel, your prospective and current clients are reminded of your business on a regular basis.
Some branded items are offered in an online store where team members can buy their own merch as they wish; maybe one person prefers a polo while another wants to rep the brand in a baseball t-shirt. Finally, promotional products are frequently used for recognition and awards ceremonies. You're only limited by your own creativity.
Every year sets a new trend. Remember fidget spinners? And yet, there are some promo items that are always popular, like drink cups, t-shirts and pens. It's up to you if you want to try and capture people's attention by having the newest, most novel swag to give away or if you prefer something more traditional.
Yes, most of the time you can request a sample right on the product page. It will probably be unbranded (or may even come with another company's logo) and you may have to pay for it. Many promo item retailers will send you up to $10 in samples at no cost; on more spendy swag, you may have to pay for it, put down a deposit, or return it at your cost.
That depends on the vendor and the product. If you have a logo and a product preference ready to go, and it happens to be an item offered as a quick production product by a supplier, you could theoretically have your order in hand within three business days. Obviously, though, the more lead time you have, the more likely you are to get a high-quality promo product that meets your expectations and that arrives in time for your event.
Yes! Most promotional product vendors have in-house design teams that will take whatever you have and improve it until it's picture- (or pixel-) perfect. These experts can often work with you to create a graphic or logo just from your idea too. Sometimes these services are included as a complimentary perk, while other vendors charge a fee.
Yes, most of the time. On items that cost less than $1 each, expect minimum quantities of at least 100. On more expensive promo products (think fleece jackets or high-end laptop bags), those minimums may be just a dozen or even less.
A custom online store is a personalized website offering the branded merchandise you choose to make available to your team, organization, or even to the public. It's an easy way to let people select what they need, like uniforms or other apparel, in the correct sizes. Some companies use these stores as a rewards portal: employees can choose gifts within a certain price range as a holiday gift or incentive for reaching a milestone. Not every vendor of promotional products offers custom online stores, so keep that in mind if it's an option you'd like to have.
Usually, but there are some stipulations. You'll almost always get a digital proof when ordering promo products, and if your items arrive and don't match that proof, you should get a refund or re-run: your choice. However, if you get them delivered and just don't like the color or style, not every vendor will offer a refund if it matches the proof you approved.
Continued from above...
If you're the point person for promo products at your institution, take a deep breath and relax. There are many vendors who will assist you at every step of the way and even make it fun to get answers to all of your questions - from sample kits to help you brainstorm to in-house design teams who can take your hastily-sketched-on-a-napkin drawing to a professional-looking logo.
Looking at the different suppliers out there, can you tell which ones are experts and which ones you should avoid? We've got some ideas you can use to decide for yourself:
- Variety and quantity of products. The more promo items a company carries, the easier it is to come up with just the right ones for your event or group. Within any category you're considering, click to see how many options there are: it's great if they offer pens, for example, but not if there's only one style of pen to purchase.
- Design services. Let's face it: some of us are just not talented in the design arena. The best vendors of promo items will give you all the help you need, whether that's from-the-ground-up artwork or simple tweaks on what you already have. Even better if those services are free.
- Delivery timeframes. When you have an event coming up, your promo items probably won't do you much good if they arrive a day late. Choose a supplier that not only offers a shipping timeframe that matches your needs but also makes it right if the order doesn't get there on time.
- Guarantees. Your promotional products should match your submitted design, be the quality you expected for what you paid, and arrive when promised. What will the vendor you're considering do if any of those expectations aren't met?
- Reputation. Promises are easy to make, but not so easy to deliver. What do other clients say about how well the vendor fulfills orders? Do they make good on everything they offer?
TopConsumerReviews.com has reviewed and ranked the best providers of promotional products available today. We hope this information helps you find all the right swag for your business, organization, or even your next big family reunion!
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