Creative promotional products to get employees’ and customers’ creative juices flowing

By Mae Strehlow

Creative pursuits are a great way to relax and unwind at the end of a long day. Creativity can also provide big benefits in the workplace by helping build confidence, improve innovative thinking, relieve stress and grow emotional intelligence. opens in new window

If you’re looking for opportunities to help your customers and staff use their imaginations, consider these creative promotional products and outside-the-box ideas.

Design something new with an art contest

Get customers and employees involved in your organization’s design process with a fun art contest. Ask team members to brainstorm a new anniversary or event logo using T-shirts and fabric-safe puff paints. Have each designer wear their creation to a staff meeting and ask everyone to vote for their favourite. Or ask customers for poster ideas. Provide jars filled with pencil crayons, fabric glue, sequins and other supplies. Award participants with creative giveaways, such as a doodle book, colouring bookmark or chalk set, and feature the winner’s artwork on your website or social media pages.

Relax with a creative outlet

Employees and customers can embrace their artistic abilities and release stress in new ways. Host staff brainstorming sessions and provide teams with goodie bags filled with markers or gel wax highlighters. Then let them work collaboratively to find solutions to problems, work out the details of new projects or create innovative processes.

Have a VIP client that is dealing with a tight deadline on a big project? Send them a gift box with an adult colouring book set or writing journal to help them refocus. Throw in tickets to a local arts performance or gallery for after their deadline is met.

Celebrate with a dance party

Dancing is not only fun, but it is also a great form of creative expression. Celebrate your next employee anniversary or successful fundraising drive with a delightful dance party that employees and donors will remember. Send an unexpected and festive item, like a unique coaster, as an invitation to the event. Include a spot on the RSVP card where attendees can request specific songs to add to the playlist. Decorate with light-up centrepieces and present attendees with light-up hats they can wear during the party (and take home with them). Put all attendees into a raffle for a light-up speaker to keep the party going.

Get thinking with puzzles

Get your team thinking strategically—and having fun—by solving puzzles. Stoke a little friendly competition by posting daily sudoku or word challenge puzzles. Present the first person to correctly complete the challenge with a maze pen or game. Want to get customers in on the fun? Rubik’s Cubes^® or cube puzzles make creative giveaways to include in customer orders or to hand out at trade shows.

Stir inspiration with creative promotional products

With unique and creative promotional products, your customers and employees will find plenty of ways to express themselves and keep their minds nimble and alert.

Mae Strehlow

Mae Strehlow has 23 years of importing and merchandising experience at 4imprint—and 15 years in international and domestic retail before that—bringing nearly four decades of expertise to the promotional products industry. Over the years, she’s worked across a wide range of product categories, but drinkware is where her true passion lies. Mae thrives on product development, whether it’s creating exclusive private label lines or collaborating with suppliers to turn market trends into practical, successful solutions. She loves the challenge of refining shapes and styles to meet the unique demands of the promotional products industry. She believes that transparency, collaboration and a shared commitment to success—both internally and with 4imprint’s vendor partners—are what truly sets 4imprint apart.

All marks are the property of 4imprint or their respective owners.

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