Just now, consider your own workstation. Most likely, you have a strong tote bag saved you at the grocery shop, a coffee mug with a logo, maybe a pen with a snappy phrase. Originally printed promotional items, these commonplace objects began their existence as small champions for someone’s company. To be honest, though, most branded freebies fall short of passing through the rubbish drawer. How then can you cut through the cacophony and produce items your customers grab and refuse to throw?

First start by zooming out from the usual. For a minute, forget about merely plastering your logo on everything that is stationary. The aim is to create a bond—make the recipient nod, grin, or perhaps laugh. For example, information from the Advertising Specialty Institute shows that 85% of consumers recall the advertiser on a promotional item. That’s a strong prod toward innovation.

Learn Your Audience Like Old Friends

One cannot satisfy everyone with the same plastic stress ball. Are your customers seasoned professionals hooked to their computers or environmentally conscious millennials? Those who are environmentally sensitive may like bamboo cutlery or seed paper bookmarks. Tech executives might yearn for portable chargers or decent styluses. A retired instructor could flutter at an eccentric notepad. The half of the battle is knowing who you are talking to; avoid only guessing; ask. Just pick up the phone, send a brief survey, or monitor what they publish online.

Playful Practical Meetings

You have missed a trick if your object ends up in a landfill. Consider things that cross people’s daily lives. The greatest appeal of a promotional product, according to seventy-seven percent of buyers, is its utility. At the gym, a robust water bottle grabs more attention than a flimsy business card. Super heroes in grocery stores are reusable tote bags. Indeed, people still enjoy good pens—especially the ones with gliding action. Spend a second in their shoes.

But remember the fun as well. Imagine handing over not only the regular sticky notes but ones fashioned into their preferred emoji. Alternatively toss in some deft wordplay. These simple touches show you concern for the everyday events.

Allow the shine of your brand personality.

Although it’s not always the best one, slapping your logo everywhere communicates something. A modest approach—a smart phrase, a brilliant graphic, or a subdued color palette—might grab more attention. HubSpot claims that 72% of respondents think the caliber of promotional items captures the image of a company. That means every time a lousy pen skips, it is whispering negative things about you.