Corporate Gifts: The Top 5 Desktop Items

In the past several months the BPMA (British Promotional Merchandise Association) have been busy getting to the bottom of the where, why and how of corporate gifts giving. After gathering heaps of data, they have released new statistics, which we have recently published in our Promotional Blog, on how effective promotional gifts are at getting people to remember a brand and at creating loyal customers.

But this is not all - from June to August 2014 the BPMA have also been carrying out a study called "What's on your desk?". The purpose of this research was to discover, of all the many thousands of promotional products out there, which are the most popular for keeping on a desktop. They asked 1244 people across the UK - representatives of over 20 job sectors.

Here are the top 5 desktop items according to the survey:

5. Promotional Notebooks

Promotional notebooks are highly versatile, so it's no surprise they ranked highly on the list of people's favourite promotional gifts

51% percent of respondents had a promotional notebook on their desk, and 13% said they would want to keep one over all other items, showing that these are very popular promotional items!

This is probably because they are highly personal and highly versatile gifts. The recipient of a notebook can choose to use it for any purpose they like, whether that be writing notes at work meetings, keeping a to-do list for each day, or sketching and doodling during their breaks.

There are lots of different cover styles, page layouts and choices of materials for promotional notebooks, meaning that each business can tailor a notebook to the needs of their customers. A pen and notebook combo set could be a great way to doubly impress clients.

Browse Notebooks >>

4. Promotional Desk Calendars

Desk calendars are still one of the most popular branded gifts to have on a desktop

54% of the study's participants said they had a promotional calendar on their desk. This goes to show that despite most people owning smart phones, desk calendars are still useful for planning and keeping track of schedules - possibly because just a quick glance reminds you of meetings and appointments.

Promotional desk calendars are an excellent choice of a corporate gift - they are used for an entire year, getting your branding seen every day in the office.

Many desk calendars offer the option of a series of monthly pages customised with pictures relating to your business or products. For example, a pet grooming business could include images of cute groomed pets, or an aircraft parts manufacturer could have images of planes featured.

Browse Desk Calendars >>

3. Promotional Sticky Notes

Promotional sticky notes get your branding seen in lots of places, as each individual note is used for a different purpose

54% of participants had a sticky note block on their desktop. These humble items have a couple of benefits your might not have thought of.

For example, promotional sticky notes can be printed on the front of every sheet, but the block can also be printed on the sides too, for interesting and unusual artwork. We did a blog a while ago showing a clever design by a hair rejuvenation business.

Sticky notes are also great in their ability to be placed anywhere and everywhere, from office doors and windows to computer screens. This means that your business’s branding will be spread all over the place, to be seen often by the user and probably by other people too.

Browse Sticky Notes >>

2. Promotional Mugs

Promotional mugs can mean anything from big ceramic mugs to travel flasks - there's something to suit everyone

65% of people asked had a promotional mug on their desk! That's a large number of people sipping their morning coffee and seeing a business's branding at the same time.

As promotional products, mugs have many advantages, one of which being that they are often used during a break or a period of taking it easy, meaning that the user has more time to notice and appreciate the branding, and that other people in a staff room or office might notice it too.

Mugs also have the potential for unique and novelty branding, such as colour change artwork or a "create your own" blackboard design. Some types of mugs are ideal for businesses whose customers travel a lot, such as travel mugs and flasks.

Browse Mugs >>

1. Promotional Pens

The no.1 promotional desktop item was, unsurprisingly, the mighty pen!

89% of those surveyed had a promotional pen on their desk! That is an overwhelming majority and it suggests that there are a lot of people out there who, rather than buy their own pens, rely mainly on pens they have been given as freebies.

These hundreds of people will be using branded promotional pens given to them by businesses every day - if you want your brand to reach large numbers of people every day too, take a look at the extensive range of pen choices on our website. There are straightforward stick pens, highly customisable banner pens and novelty shaped ones too.

Businesses with high-end, executive customers can benefit from metal rollerball pens, but there are also budget-friendly colourful chunky pens that kids and teenagers will love.

Browse Pens >>

This is how we imagine a promotional gift enthusiast's desktop might look...

So, there you have the definitive top 5 promotional desktop items, as revealed by the BPMA. Were you surprised by any of the products on the list? Do you have a favourite promotional product that didn’t feature? Please let us know, we’d love to hear from you!

Or, if you'd like to use any of these popular items to promote your business, give us a ring on 01204 577 995.