Promotional item
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A promotional item is merchandise given away free of charge to the public in an effort to promote a business or increase interest in, or sales of, a product or service. Often distributed at trade shows, used in direct mail and as part of guerilla marketing campaigns, these items are also referred to by the slang terms "swag" and "tchotchke". (The latter is derived from a Yiddish word meaning "trinket".)
Promotional items are also used in politics to promote candidates and causes. Promotional items are also used by schools and other organizations, often as a part of fund raising and awareness-raising campaigns. A prominent example was the livestrong wristband, used to promote cancer awareness and raise funds to support cancer survivorship programs and research.
Examples of promotional items include logo-branded t-shirts, caps, keychains, bumper stickers, pens, badges and other novelty items.
Collection of certain types of promotional items is a popular hobby.
