...About Promotional Products
What is a Premium?, Page 2 of 2

The line of demarcation between advertising specialties and premiums at times is quite indistinct. Generally, however, an advertising specialty is distributed free or at least without any overt obligation. By contrast, premiums usually require the completion of an obligation prior to receipt. Thus, at least conceptually, a premium is a form of sales promotion while an advertising specialty is a form of advertising. The difficulty in distinguishing between premiums and ad specialties may be responsible for the recent tendency to refer to both types of items as promotional products.

The promotional products industry is now approaching $7 billion in annual revenues. While estimates vary, the number of manufacturers in the United States and Canada offering imprinted products for this industry is approximately 2,500. The number of US and Canadian vendors is about 15,000. Worldwide estimated numbers are approximately double these figures.
While some promotional products have now reached the status of commodity items, most are not. In fact, the vendors of promotional products almost always add value to the products which they sell in the form of advice regarding both sources of supply and suitability of usage. In many cases, whether or not you are an experienced buyer of promotional products, you will find that the value of the advice you receive from an experienced vendor will exceed the cost of the product. For your convenience, you may select a promotional products consultant by location , industry specialization , or program specialization.

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