In my opinon (humble of course), the difference between success and failure can often be the ‘design’.

I wonder how many of you reading this could tell me the name of a company that designs and builds luxury yachts and which is based in Poole, in the UK? Would you be able to describe their logo? I’m pretty sure most of you will have guessed correctly at Sunseeker, and that their logo is an oval of laurel leaves with their name running through the middle. Now that’s a fairly complicated logo, but still impressive if you were able to accurately describe it.

Think about how many businesses are trying to get our attention, and then think about how many are successful at doing so.

As a business owner – RT Promotions – I work with other businesses throughout the UK, some small and some not-so small, and when it comes to printing their message onto an item of promotional merchandise or work-wear (notebooks, keyrings, Coffee Coasters, etc), they all have one thing in common – they want to ensure their message is clearly seen, and if possible, positively remembered.

Many of our clients simply choose an item from the 5,000 plus on our website, then send us their artwork file. We use this file to then print onto the item – sometimes a simple print, onto a pen for example, but quite often it can be a more complex print – perhaps onto a pull-up banner, or even onto a coffee mug. We can always tell when the artwork has been created by a professional – ALWAYS. “So what” I hear you ask? Well let me tell you, if I laid out on my desk the last 50 or so coffee coasters I’ve produced and asked you to select your favourite five, I bet I could predict which ones you’d choose.

They’re all just coffee coasters, they all do the same job – but, given a choice, only five will make the grade and be chosen to be kept on the recipients desks. That’s the power of a well-designed promotional gift. It will reach your target prospect, and be retained.

My top tip. Use a Professional Graphic Designer whenever you can