Children and adults love toy giveaways, which provide colorful and eye-catching promotional items. Manufacturers can create promotional toys at a low cost, which means you can buy them inexpensively. All of these qualities make toys a great choice to use in marketing your business.

Making the most of promotional toys depends on choosing the right toy and ordering the correct quantity. Unlike buying other types of products, there are additional things to consider when ordering imprinted objects:

1. Prices of promotional toys will often vary per item depending on the quantity you order.

2. Companies may require a minimum quantity and a setup charge as well as the item price.

3. You need to allow time for the company to imprint your items, though some vendors offer rush processing.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Get ideas on ways to use promotional toys in your marketing plan

Sometimes the best way to learn is from the experts. Read information on websites that sell promotional products to find new ideas on how you can promote your business using promo toys.

I recommend: Visit the rushImprint Education Center to read helpful articles about using promotional giveaway items in your marketing program. Get marketing ideas from the promotional products people at Absorbent, Ink. Find great ideas on how to use new items or trends and how to use art on your product from the idea center at Leaderpromos.com, where you can also chat online with an expert for help with specific questions.

Sell corporate toys by catalog or website to promote your company brand

If your company brand is strong enough, your customers or employees may want to purchase items with your company logo or slogan on them. Sell balls and Frisbees with your logo if your company is in a sports-related industry. Offer beach and pool items for sale if your company is in a summer or swimming industry.

I recommend: Set up your own catalog business or website, using the services of Clayton Kendall to help you sell promotional products to your customers. Sell products with your company logo on it at your own web store customized for you by Pinnacle Promotions.

Find unusual and low-cost promotional toys for many occasions and uses

Search for custom logo toys and you'll find lots of websites ready to serve you. Consider plush custom toys that come in minimum quantities of 1000. When possible, look for a wholesale promotional products website that offers inexpensive toy promos.

I recommend: Choose from many designs of stuffed bears from Logo Bears, which has several options for promoting your company logo. Put your company logo or message on specialized tins containing custom colors of toy putty available from Crazy Aaron Enterprises. Get wholesale, personalized toys from Fun Express.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  When choosing which toy promotionals to use in your business, put on your thinking cap to see whether there's a pun, play on words or other association with your company name or product name that ties in with a certain kind of toy. This helps your customers associate your promo with your company.

Everyone loves fun and unique toys, particularly when they are promotional toys that businesses give away. While almost any business could use wholesale personalized toys, they are particularly suited for businesses trying to attract families like child care centers, pediatricians’ offices and private schools.

Custom logo toys can be given away at many different events to advertise for your business.

1. Donate custom logo toys to charity auctions and events, particularly those that benefit children.
2. Give your clients or customers free promo toys for using your business.
3. Attract business by sponsoring prize drawings and contests with toy giveaways.

With so many promotional toy options, you’re sure to find one that suits your business needs. Companies sell promotional toys including yo-yos, stuffed animals, wind-up toys and more. You can use toys for kids of all ages and even adults will love getting some of the unique toy items available.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Choose safe, quality items when you buy wholesale personalized toys

If your business serves a particular age group, make sure that the toys are age appropriate and safe. Look for items that are constructed well and won't potentially injure anyone by falling apart under normal use.

I recommend: Coloring books or kits can be a great promotional toy if your business focuses on younger children. Beach bucket kits are also kid friendly and make a unique promotional item, particularly if your business is near the beach.

Look for unique logo toys that will set your business apart

Many businesses use promotional items, so you need to think about how to set yours apart. Opt for unique, fun promotional toys whenever you can. Individuals will like playing with the toys and the more they do so, the more they'll be reminded of your business.

I recommend: Music downloads have become increasingly popular. Get a quote on promotional music cards that offer free music downloads to your customers. Try one of the fun promotional ideas from Branders. Put a new twist on the Rubik’s cube by having your logo on one color.

Put your business logo or contact information on the wholesale personalized toys

This may seem like an obvious step for some, but many businesses give away prizes or toys and fail to include their business information anywhere on the toy. If you're giving something away, make sure your logo or business information is included on the item if at all possible so you get the most exposure possible.

I recommend: Playing cards offer 52 opportunities for your potential clients to be reminded of your business each time they play. Stress relief balls are a common promotional item that’s easy to add your information to.

Give promotional games and puzzles away for active fun

Many games are suitable for both kids and adults. These can make great promotional items because they have greater appeal and will have a greater likelihood of getting used. Some of these items are also different and unique as well, which can help set your business apart.

I recommend: Use an electronic Sudoku game with your company logo as a raffle prize or other promotion. You can find promotional games that are inexpensive and fun for the whole family.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Think about putting together promotional kits with your company logo and promotional toys. Tailor the kits to your particular business. For example, if your business is a hotel on the beach, put together a kit with a sand bucket, beach ball and beach tote.

Promotional toys and corporate toys with custom logos are a great way to advertise and promote your business. Promo toys make great giveaways or keepsakes at trade shows, conferences and expos -- anywhere where your business is trying to stand head and shoulders above the crowd. In many instances the expectation of these sorts of toy promos is what draws crowds to your booth or exhibit.

Promotional toys or logos on toys keep your company's name in the mind of potential customers long after you have made their acquaintance or after they have left the show. The cost of buying thousands of toys with your business logo on them can add up, so budget-conscious companies must look wherever they can to cut expenses. Consider the following suggestions for saving money on promotional toys:

1. Look for closeout or clearance items offered on promotional toys vendor websites.

2. Buy from vendors that offer discounts off of promotional toys order totals.

3. Buy in bulk and save on custom logo toys.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Look for closeout or clearance items on promotional toys websites

Many promotional item and custom logo vendor websites offer discounts on clearance or closeout toys. Generally this is done to make room for new inventory or to get rid of inventory that hasn't sold as well.

I recommend: ePromos Promotional Products Promotional Items has more than 200 closeout items listed on its website at discounted prices. Rush King Promotions features closeout items in smaller numbers, but with equal cost savings.

Take discounts offered off of promotional toys order totals

Surf the web and you will find that many vendors offer percentage discounts off of total orders. Be sure to read the fine print, however, since many times you must spend a minimum amount to be eligible for the discount.

I recommend: Fun Express, a wholesale toys and promotional items company, offers 10% off of orders greater than $250. Branders is offering a $50 store credit for first-time purchases of more than $500.

Buy in bulk and save on custom logo toys

Buying in high volume can generate significant savings when it comes to wholesale personalized toys. Generally speaking, the per-unit price of each item is reduced based on the amount that you purchase. In some instances the price can go down as much as 20 cents when you purchase the highest volume amounts available for sale.

I recommend: Promopeddler's prices on its wholesale personalized toys goes down as you buy more. The per-unit price of custom logo toys at Clayton Kendall gets reduced when your purchase larger amounts.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Many promotional toy websites have newsletters that to which you can subscribe to get advanced notice of sales, promotions and discounts. Consider signing up for some of these to take advantage of the potential savings.

Promotional toys are a very good way to advertise if you have a business that targets children, the parents of children or fun-loving adults. If you're just getting started, it's a good idea to give them away at events and trade shows. You can try selling them once you become more established.

While there are hundreds of custom toys you can buy, you want to stay away from the bottom of the barrel. The toys that cost literally pennies are the ones that are most likely to break, which your customers will surely not appreciate. Instead, look at toys that appear to be of high quality. Here are three ways to do so:

1. Shop around for the best price on your promotional toys. Talk to several vendors.

2. Get your logo custom printed on the toys instead of simply on a sticker.

3. Spend extra cash on completely customized promo toys.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Shop around for the best price on your promotional toys

Being budget conscious with your promotional toys doesn't mean you should give out items that look 'cheap.' You can save a good deal of money by shopping around. Buying in bulk also helps, as does seeking out wholesale personalized toys. Remember, toys don't go bad. You can store them indefinitely if you order a lot at once.

I recommend: Look at several different companies that sell logo toys. Start putting together a chart listing (a) your favorite toy choices and (b) the cost per item. Make sure you write that down an order minimum. Two reasonably priced companies to get your started are ePromos and PromoPeddler. Both have large selections of toys that can be imprinted with your logo.

Personalize your custom logo toys in a way that makes them look valuable

Some companies will try to save you money by sending you sheets of stickers you can use to put your logos on toys that are otherwise generic. This logo method can pose two problems. First, it makes it look like you didn't spend very much, which can reflect badly on your company. Second, the stickers are likely to fall off. If they do, there goes your advertising.

I recommend: Look for logo toys that have the logo printed on them. This is the case with all of the toys that Branders and Collegiate Concepts sell. Make sure you provide a logo that's within the specs required on the order form so that it doesn't look pixilated or sloppy.

Spend extra cash on custom promo toys

If you have a large budget for promotional toys, basics may not be the way you want to go. Instead, you may wish to offer a promotional toy that no other company has, such as a completely custom stuffed animal.

I recommend: Even if your budget is high, you should still shop around. Two places to call about completely custom toy promos are Kool Dawg Tees and Binkley Custom Products. Both let you submit a design of a company mascot or logo and cater the shape and color of the animal to your specifications. These fall into the category of collectible promotional toys. It's nice to have people asking for your ads.