Renee Holmes
Sales Coordinator
Brand Fuel
PPAI 277900, Gold
Raleigh, North Carolina

A small budget can be a hurdle when selecting the perfect promo product for a client’s giveaway, gift or campaign, but low cost doesn’t need to equal cheap or low impact.

“The best way to make every dollar count is to find products that hit at least one of the following criteria: a trendy or retail-inspired product, a cool gadget, a convenience item or a full custom product,” Holmes says. “Choosing products that meet these criteria elevates a brand by showing they’re tuned into current trends and genuinely invested in bringing value to their audience’s everyday lives.”

One of the best budget-friendly gifts Holmes worked on was for a client in fresh chicken manufacturing. The client’s human resources department regularly attends job fairs to recruit new employees and wanted a giveaway under $2 that would stand out from the crowd.

“They also wanted this product to lead applicants to their careers site to apply for open positions after the event,” Holmes says. “Bypassing the obvious choices like notepads, pens and candy sure to be at everyone’s table and quickly forgotten afterward, we thought outside the box and chose an air freshener in the shape of a chicken drumstick.”

A Custom Paper Air Freshener is a highly visible, inexpensive giveaway. With over 50 scents to convey a unique marketing message, this custom freshener has a full-color imprint on both sides of high-quality, scented card stock packaged in clear cellophane bag packaging. Holmes chose a stylized drumstick design scented with clary sage with the hiring website address on it. 

“We delivered exactly what our client wanted – inexpensive, memorable, fun and functional,” Holmes says. “Now, this promo product is a staple in their swag closet, guaranteeing reorders for us. Air fresheners are one of my favorite products to add to presentations as a stand-alone, low-cost promo item or a fun add-on when there is some leftover budget to spare without feeling like an afterthought.”


EMT / PPAI 110810, Standard Plus / emteasy.com

Holmes has a few other go-to budget-friendly promo gifts that are custom accessories to products most people already own. “Tumblers and Crocs are super popular with almost all demographics, so I love showing clients that they can hitch a ride on them with custom straw toppers and shoe charms,” she says.

Holmes likes attaching Straw Toppers, which come in any custom shape and are made of nontoxic PVC, to biodegradable flexible or straight Custom Straws, also compatible with Stanley drinkware, for an impressive visual display.

Even on a budget, you can create fully custom 1-inch to 2-inch Shoe Charms for healthcare professionals and others who wear Crocs in the workplace. “I like to add full-color backer cards and polybags to the shoe charms for a more retail experience,” Holmes says.

BibBoards / PPAI 732422, Standard Base / bibboards.com

A budget-friendly gift Holmes has been eyeing is the Aqua Pearls Spa Mask Hot/Cold Pack. Less than $2 each, these self-care masks are available in various colors. “They deliver stress relief in this crazy world, which I consider the most important feature of all,” she says. “An eye mask is a luxury product most people don’t think to buy for themselves but will wonder what they ever did without it – and they’ll thank your client’s brand for it.”

David Grossman
Co-president
Grossman Marketing Group
PPAI 277900, Standard Base
Woburn, Massachusetts


Budget-friendly promotional items can be among the most impactful gifts you can give, says Grossman, pointing out that cost per impression is as low as one-tenth of a cent.

“As a short-term marketing strategy, a low-cost item can raise brand awareness and keep that message at the top of clients’ minds,” he says. “Being budget-friendly doesn’t need to mean being cheap regarding brand perception. Budget-friendly items like seed paper bookmarks or bamboo key chains carry the message of sustainability paired with usefulness and lasting impressions.”

KinderCare’s North Star Summit in Orlando was an extravaganza to unite and motivate all company executives, district leaders and center directors. Looking to harness the unprecedented enthusiasm around the Taylor Swift Eras Tour, especially among KinderCare’s key employee demographic of women aged 25 to 45, Grossman’s team created 22 versions of friendship bracelets in a style popular around the tour.

“The excitement among the attendees was amazing, as they tried to collect as many versions as possible,” he says. “This was such a success that we produced 45,000 pieces of another version later in the year, distributed to all KinderCare teachers for Teacher Appreciation Week.”

Souvenir Matters / PPAI 769755, Standard Base / souvenirmatters.com

Custom Letter-Beaded Soft Clay Bracelets are a budget-friendly option for all types of occasions and can be customized with your client’s message. The bracelets are made from soft polymer beads in a vibrant bohemian style strung on a flexible elastic band for comfortable wear.

Embroidered patches are a go-to promo product for Grossman. “A quality adhesive patch delivers high perceived value while the branding travels with the client,” he says. “Patches are popular on tech items, water bottles, backpacks and jackets, keeping your brand on the move and capturing impressions. We’ve used them in employee welcome kits, resulting in additional orders for new product launches.”

Small Embroidered Hand-Cut Emblems offer a blend of affordability and craftsmanship for budget-conscious promotional campaigns. These emblems add a distinctive, custom look to items without the high costs typically associated with premium decorations.

Hit Promotional Products / PPAI 266346, Platinum / hitpromo.net

Like Holmes, Grossman wants to use Shoe Charms for upcoming promos. “They come in different sizes, making it easy to capture a client’s branding on a trendy, fashion-forward look,” he says. “The impressive capabilities include the option to create a full-color header card that holds up to four charms, resulting in a true retail-inspired, low-cost, eye-catching promo piece.”

These decorative, full-color PVC accessories snap into the holes of molded foam clogs. You can create a custom design that adds flair and personality for adults and children.

Tekweld / PPAI 266346, Standard Plus / tekweld.com