Desktop Delights - The Top 10 products

by Stuart Derrick, promotionsandincentives.co.uk 29-Oct-09, 14:02

LONDON - There are plenty of reasons to choose desktop promotional merchandise. For example it is always in front of your audience, generally gets kept for a long time and their is a phenomenal choice. Sometimes the choice can be itself overwhelming to brands looking to use this type of product.

USB sticks

How did we manage without them? USB sticks are now almost as ubiquitous as pens on the corporate desktop, so much so that few people would think to buy one. They also come in a range of shapes, sizes and colours. KeepMe Promotions' range includes USB sticks made from recycled plastic, wood, polypropylene, metal, leather and even bamboo. They can also be produced in the form of a key ring, a calculator, a card to fit in your wallet, a pen or even a rubberised bracelet. USBs are relatively cheap, can be loaded with corporate information and can even be programmed to open a website when used. However a more subtle reminder of your brand can be achieved through simple screen printing.

Price guide - from £2.15.

Supplier – KeepMe

USB hubs

The growth in computer peripherals mean there are often insufficient ports to plug in all of your new-found gadgets. Step forward the promotional hub. Like USB sticks, hubs come in an array of sizes, shapes, colours, and with added functionality. Firebrand Promotions supplies a USB cup warmer that will keep your tea toasty as well as providing four additional ports on your desktop. Branded options include four-port hubs with a 3-D rubberised branded finish on top and metallic sides, and a Photohub that allows a brand to printed on to the hub, or for a picture or logo to be inserted under a transparent plastic cover.

Price guide - £5.00
Supplier – Firebrand Promotions

Speakers

Now that we've all gone multimedia, a PC or laptop without sound is like gin without tonic. Supplier Calverley has a range of novelty vegetable-shaped stereo speakers that are available in lettuce, tomato and pepper, which can be mix and matched to promote a healthy message, or just get you talked about in the office. Folding travel speakers are another option that are popular as they can be used with a laptop as well as being suitable for CD players and iPods. Screen printing on the outside of these items brings the brand message home loud and clear.

Price guide – from £15 a pair
Supplier – Calverley

Personal organisers

Despite the advent of electrical organisers, the paper version continues to be popular, not least due to its stylish image. Filofax communications manager Matt Watson says the eponymous organiser has found a new lease of life as a lifestyle accessory. We have around 20 different designs, ranging from small wallet sizes through to A4 desk organisers, and where once you could have them in any colour as long as it was black or brown, the range of available colours is now huge.

It's little wonder then that Filofax has been successfully used by cosmetic brands such as Clinique and MAC, as well as finding favour with pharma companies and local authorities. A bespoke digital print service allows a brand to insert its own company information into the organiser, or to brand each page of the diary. External branding can be embossed, printed, engraved or foil blocked.

Prices from £5 upwards
Supplier – Filofax

Portable power packs

The batteries in internet enabled, always-on products, such as 3G mobiles and PDAs, take a hammering, so it makes sense to have a back up power boost available. Pocketsocket launched three years ago supplying products that provided such emergency power.

As well as supplying disposable and reusable instant chargers, with interfaces that fit 95 per cent of phones, the company has launched Power Pouches for the Blackberry and iPhone. These leather holders have built in back up power ensuring you don't miss that essential email.

The booster can be personalised in low run quantities of 100 units plus, using either silk screening or adhesive graphics or a fully customised product for just 5,000 units.

Price guide – from £2.35 upwards
Supplier – Pocketsocket

Mousemats

A branded mousemat is like having a billboard on a client's desk. It is constantly being looked at and dominates the space. However, given the cheapness of mats as a promotional item and the ease and cost effectiveness of mailing them compared to other items, the average marketer can have a drawerful of them. The secret to making sure yours stands out is therefore to build in some added value. Given that corporate logos are often not cutting edge design, something as simple as including a calendar on the mat can make it more indispensable. Other options include a mousemat with a built in wrist rest, or mousemats with additional USB ports.

Price guide – from 50p
Supplier – Everything Environmental, Mikki's Mouse Mats

Notepads

Desktop must-haves combine utility with a twist, and traditional items can be made more stylish and appealing via this route. Writing instruments and notepads are always gratefully received, especially by those clients who are experiencing periodic clamp downs on stationery ordering. By using new materials, fabrics and colours the notepad becomes a desirable item once again.

Green options, include Polypropylene notepads from KeepMe. Made from 100 per cent recyclable and non-toxic material, the pads are made using clean and energy-efficient manufacturing processes too, which makes them surprisingly affordable and ethically appealing. The impervious nature of the polypropylene surface means they can be printed using water-based inks to produce vibrant, long lasting logos.

Price - from £2.60 (polypropylene notepads)
Supplier - KeepMe

Clean gel

Stressed workers skipping a lunch break by eating over their keyboards is a recipe for dirt, grime and all sorts of nastiness. Surveys have shown that, as a result, the average computer is home to millions of disease-inducing bacteria. Luckily there is a product that can help. Cyberclean is a pot of yellow putty that can be rolled over your machine, absorbing dust and dirt, killing bacteria, and leaving a pleasant odour in their place. It comes in a plastic pot that can be branded with a logo or campaign to leave your business smelling of roses.

Price guide - £4.50p
Supplier - Firebrand

Mugs

Everyone has their favourite mug and quite often it's one that they've been given for free. Whether they are ceramic, high quality china, or worthy recycled plastic, mugs are a colourful, daily reminder of customers and suppliers.

For especially valued customers, a desktop coffee maker really leaves an impression. Rather than having to juggle a red hot cuppa from the local coffee shop or stand in line at the communal kitchen, recipients can make their own delicious filter coffee from the comfort of their desks.

Price guide – 70p (mugs), £19.95 (coffee maker)
Supplier – Everything Environmental, Firebox

Calculator

When the stubbornly budgets refuse to add up, a calculator designed to avoid fat finger syndrome is an absolute must. Sure, every computer has an electronic version, but how much more satisfying it is to bash away at a stylish hunk of metal. Many also double up as clocks and provide world time zones to help you plan when to make international calls. More advanced models include schedule functions, telephone books and conversion facilities. Suddenly it all adds up.