How To | August 14, 2024

Custom vs stock: which promotional products are right for you?

There’s a simple reason why brands invest in promotional products: they work. As this blog from the American Marketing Association outlines, customers are more receptive to promo products than any other form of marketing. Plus, given that people hold onto promotional items for an average of five years, they can be considered a long-term investment as well as a short-term marketing strategy.

So it’s worthwhile stocking up on promotional products, especially if you have an upcoming event or you’re looking to include some free swag with a customer’s order.

However, it’s important to keep in mind that there’s more than one type of promotional product available. For instance, brands can choose from custom promotional products and stock promotional products.

We’ll outline what each of these types are below, as well as run through some of the benefits and how to select which one is right for your brand.

What Are Custom Promotional Products?

Custom promotional products, as the name suggests, are products that have been custom-made with a set design. For example, think of our X-Stream Shot Bottle; you can buy this promo product as is, or you can send us your logo or design, and we’ll print it on the front.

Custom promotional products make for an excellent marketing tool since you’re not just giving a potential customer a free gift; you’re giving them a gift that has your company name on the front.

There’s an endless array of custom promotional products available. Some of the thousands of options we offer here at Promo Superstore include:

That’s a pretty broad selection of items that you can slap your brand’s logo on. From customer freebies to large events, there’s a custom promotional product for everything.

What Are Stock Promotional Products?

Stock promotional products are promotional items that haven’t been branded with your logo or design. These still work great as promotional items, but they promote your brand in a slightly different way.

When you buy a custom promotional product, you’ll have your company’s name adorned on the side. When you buy a stock promotional product, you’ll have a great product, but not one that functions as a walking advertisement for your brand.

They’re more of a way to impress your existing customers, rather than tools that might expose your brand to strangers (though there’s every chance your existing customers are asked where they got the product!).

Let’s take a look at a few examples of stock promotional products.

5mm Economy Stock Lanyards — a great option for giving your one-time event a professional feel.
Aboriginal & TSI Flag Lapel Pins
Indigenous Flag Dot Design Lanyards

As you can see from the above examples, stock promotional products can be a great way to send a positive message out into the world. And that will likely also have a positive impact on your business, just in a less direct way than with a custom promotional product.

The Benefits of Custom Promotional Products

Now that we’ve outlined the distinction between custom and stock promotional products, let’s take a closer look at the benefits of each. As we said above, all types of promotional products can be an effective marketing strategy, helping to create a positive impression in the eyes of your customers and all-around helping your brand, but they do so in different ways. Let’s start with the benefits of custom promotional products.

Enhancing Brand Visibility

Custom promotional products are an excellent way to increase brand exposure. There are many effective forms of marketing, but most strategies offer short-term results; a PPC marketing campaign, for instance, will increase exposure only for the amount of time you’re running — and paying for — the campaign.

Custom swag works on an ongoing basis. In fact, the effects are probably more pronounced over a longer timeframe. A customer receiving the product might make a small note of your brand’s name when they first receive the item, but if they continue to use it, then your brand will be front and centre of their mind. Plus, your brand will be seen by anyone else who sees the product, too.

Cost-Effective

As we just mentioned, there are plenty of effective marketing strategies — but many of them are pretty expensive, especially at scale. While there’s a cost attached to custom promotional products, it can be much cheaper than other marketing strategies, especially when you divide the cost by the number of years that the person will own the product.

There Is a Wide Range of Options

Not all promotional products are suitable for all businesses. Happily, there’s a wide range of options available, ensuring you can find the custom product that makes the most sense for your brand. At Promo Superstore, we have more than 5,000 promotional products available, so whether it’s a tote bag, t-shirt, flash drive, pens and pencils, or anything else that you require, then you’ll find it at our store.

Versatile Uses

You’ll most commonly find promotional products that are given out to customers, but that’s not the only reason a brand would invest in such items. Promotional products can be used for a wide range of uses. For example, we offer printed custom marquees that are perfect for attracting people to your exhibit at a trade show. You can also use branded swag for internal use, too, to be given out to staff as a way to enhance company culture.

The Benefits of Stock Promotional Products

OK, so that’s all the benefits of custom promotional products out of the way, what about stock promotional products? While custom options tend to perform better as a marketing strategy, there’s still much to be said for giving out stock promotional items.

Some of the benefits of stock promotional products include:

You Can Get Them Faster

Do you have a last-minute need for swag giveaways? Then stock promotional products might be the way to go. Since there’s no printing involved, you can typically receive non-branded items much faster.

However, if time is the only reason that you’re opting for stock products, then it’s best to get in touch. At Promo Superstore we offer rapid turnaround times, with some custom products dispatched in as little as 24 hours. Other products have a 2-3 turnaround, while some bespoke items can be on their way to you in 7 - 10 days.

They Can Be Cheaper

On a budget? Then stock promotional products might just be what you’re looking for. Stock items offer a cost-effective way to promote your brand since they naturally require less work. If you’re a small business looking to include a free item in the packages you send to your customers, then a stock option might be the way to go.

They Look Great

Custom promotional products look fantastic, but that doesn’t mean that stock promo items don’t also look great. We offer a host of colourful, well-made products that your customers will love.

How to Choose Between Custom vs Stock Promotional Products

We’ve provided a pretty clear overview of the difference between custom and stock promotional products, as well as the benefits of each. The question now becomes, how do you choose between the two? If you’re not sure which of the options will be best for your brand, then keep in mind the following factors.

Intended Use

You custom and stock promotional products for different purposes, so it’s important to think about what you’re trying to say with the products and who they’re intended for. For example, if you’re trying to make as many people aware of your brand, then it’ll be best to go with a custom option. If you’re looking to include a free gift, and not necessarily promote your brand, then a stock product might be the way to go.

Budget

You can get cost-effective custom promotional products, but if you’re really on a budget (for example: you’re a new at-home business), then stock promotional products might be better. We offer a price beat guarantee here at Promo Superstore, so you can be sure you’re getting the best-value products regardless of which option you choose.

Timeline

Need your products as soon as possible? Then stock promotional items, which tend to have a faster turnaround time, may be best, since custom products tend to need a little more time. However, we do offer a rush service for many of our custom items.

Final Thoughts

And there we have it! As we’ve seen, there’s much to love about promotional products, but it’s important that you take the time to choose between the two options available to you. If you have any questions about the products we offer or need some help deciding which is right for your brand, then don’t hesitate to contact us at 1300 673 420 or by sending an email to [email protected].