In this busy world of people, information, companies, products, medias, Cable TV, IPhones, and the Internet, in business we have one main challenge--to be uniquely recognizable. In real estate, this is achieved by location, location, location. In advertising, this is achieved with branding, branding, branding.

One of the most cost effective ways to get your company recognizable is through branded promotional products. Now just what is that? You take your logo, brand, slogan, or mission, put it onto a product, and you have a branded product. Pens, pencils, mugs... RIGHT

Before we go any further what is the definition of branding? It is the ongoing process of creating and building an uniquely recognizable symbol or image that elicits a positive response of trust and which in turn, inspires people to action (a buying decision) in favor of your product!

When you realize that logo products include over half a million products and over 75 different processes to get the brand onto the product, you really won't want to just slap your logo onto a pen, pencil or mug. There are thousands of variations of each of those half a million products; therefore your choices for how to advertise your logo on a product are virtually endless.

What does this mean? This means you can build virtually any product existing in the world today with your logo branded on that product!

Branded products can be given away for free, sold, and/or used as an incentive to close the sale. They can be given as employee recognition gifts, to clients at Christmas, and used for office supplies (a logo branded pen costs about the same as a Bic pen, so why advertise for Bic?) Here are three reasons why logo products are the most cost effective form of advertising:

1. Logo branded products last longer than media advertising: In 20 years of working with logo branded products, I have seen how effective this advertising is. I created magnetic business cards for my company, and five years later, received a phone call for an order seven states away! The teddy bears I have given at Christmas with The AdStuff Company logo on the T-Shirt have people still talking. The point is, people do not throw away branded products, but they do throw away the daily newspaper, monthly magazine, the TV Guide, etc. Your brand has a longer life sitting on a product or apparel than it does on media.

2. Repetition is the Key to Advertising: Logo branded products are seen over and over again: Each time you put that thermos mug to your lips; you see that logo, over and over and over again. Each time you throw that flyer Frisbee back and forth you read, "Throw a few Ideas around with The AdStuff Company, that brand gets repeated over and over and over..."

3. Promotional products have multi-dimensional impact: The impact of a beautiful graphic design can be significant and memorable, or that of a super bowl commercial sometimes never forgotten. Yet only a few of the top of top businesses have extravagant advertising budgets. For less than large companies, advertisers want to stretch their advertising budget...Right? Create a branded product that marries your business concept with the product and it will have even more impact for your dollar! For example, you could create a branded blinking pen for advertising a lighted sign company; a Mag-light key chain for a home security alarm company, a compressed T-shirt in the shape of a $1000 bill for a casino (casino logo on the inside of shirt); Did you know about chrome logos? Try a chrome-plated logo on a ball cap for a chrome shop sponsored baseball team.

Going beyond pens and balloons to put together a promotional product with your business concept, will bring your brand across in a multi-dimensional and unforgettable way! Logo branded products can be an excellent way to advertise in this day of media blitz, cable TV, and Internet advertising--all competing for buyer's attentions. A well-chosen tangible branded product can provide long lasting positive brand recognition for your company, product, service or mission.

Ms. Nelson is a writer/creative entrepreneur and owner of several businesses including The AdStuff Company (http://www.theadstuffcompany.com [1]), Vacation Suites Global; and is a self-employment coach as well as nominee of the Entrepreneurial Excellence Award given by WORKING WOMENS MAGAZINE. She is a published author and Founder of the After School University. You may contact her at 1-888-ADSTUFF or dnelson@theadstuffcompany [2] for a branded products consultation just for mentioning this article.