After payroll, marketing fees and all other operational costs when it comes to running a business, the last thing that may cross our minds is giving something away… for free.

But we see it happening. Brand representatives passing out T-shirts, caps, umbrellas, USB sticks, and so forth in the name of brand awareness. These products surprisingly do have a sticky effect as people will then associate the brand with the freebie they’ve just received.

Just as much as we need the Facebook adverts, Instagram likes and Snapchat fan base, promotional products are just as, if not more important. As much as this millennial generation is hyperconnected to their smartphone screens, they still (surprisingly enough) desire physical connection. This platform can only be provided through promotional products as there’s no better way of physically connecting. Not only does this say that you’re serious about your brand, it also emulates a message that you care about customer loyalty and if the customer knows you care, they’ll care too.

If you’re reading this and you have more of an utilitarian mindset, the temptation is to think why spend money on things people may not use? Why not just resort to flyers because it’s all about brand awareness anyways? But here are a few things to weigh before dismissing this all together:

• 8 out of 10 consumers own 1-10 promotional products, and more than half of these consumers use their product at least once a week
• 79% of consumers are likely to do business with the company again
• 91% of consumers have at least one promotional product in their kitchen, 77% have at least one at their workplace, and 55% have at least one in their bedroom

It’s safe to say that the promotional products you’ll be distributing won’t be going into a black hole of a consumer’s closet. No one wants to budget for a black hole so be assured that you won’t be.