So you’re planning your next big giveaway, or you’re looking for prizes that do the dual-job of rewarding your winners and bringing attention to your brand?

Explore the best giveaway ideas as we deep dive into Promotional Giveaways.

Keep reading to discover the 25 best promotions and giveaway marketing strategies you can incorporate for your campaign.

Let’s dive right in!

Key Takeaways:

  • Promotional giveaways are a proven way to enhance brand visibility, drive customer engagement, and boost sales.
  • Successful giveaways combine thoughtful product selection with well-crafted marketing strategies.
  • Personalization and practical items, such as branded tote bags, mugs, or hoodies, are among the most popular giveaway choices.
  • Mobile-friendly giveaways and social media-driven campaigns tend to generate higher participation and engagement.
  • Hosting a giveaway with multiple winners increases participation by creating a higher perceived chance of winning.

What Are Promotional Giveaways?

Promotional giveaways are one of the oldest marketing tricks in the book, after all everybody loves free stuff, and they’re still as effective as ever.

But it’s important to remember that best giveaways aren’t just about the prize – if done right, they can:

  • Increase your website traffic
  • Boost brand awareness
  • Help to garner free customer reviews and referrals
  • Supply your brand with new social media followers
  • And more!

To start, the first thing you must develop is a giveaway goal and entry method for your businesses’ marketing campaign.

However, often the hardest aspect of composing a fantastic giveaway marketing strategy is choosing a suitably priced product that balances cost with impact.

Best 25 Giveaway Ideas and Giveaway Marketing Strategies

If you’ve been struggling with identifying an appropriate and alluring product for marketing your giveaway, look no further.

In the following list you will find a summary of some of the best promotional giveaway products that generate frenzied success with customers.

The list includes some that enable you to incorporate elements of brand personalization (e.g. a custom personal logo that can fit your budget).

1.Teddy Bears

teddy bear

To kick off our list of the best giveaway ideas, if you have a mascot for your brand, you can turn it into a full size or cute plush teddy bear to gift your loyal customers.

For example, Hootsuite has a plush Owly for their brand, along with the life-size mascot!

2. Coffee Cup & Mugs

It’s a classic for a reason.

Who doesn’t want a new mug or coffee cup to fill up on a cup of joe? You can either use your logo or print funny, quirky quotes on your mug to give a touch of your brand personality.

That’s what Death Wish Coffee did for their random mug giveaway

3.Gift Cards

Gift cards are a thrifty shopper’s dream come true.

This type of promotion giveaway prize is excellent if you own an eCommerce store and you’re looking for ways to boost sales.

It’s also a well-known that when shoppers get a gift card or discount, they’re 42% more likely to add more items and pay more than the initial gift card value.

Wishpond can help you to easily host your next Gift Card Giveaway to help you build your email list, get social shares and grow your followers on social media.

Fashion Nova decided that they wanted to host a giveaway for one lucky winner to win a free $200 gift card.

4.Portable Charger or Power Bank

power bank

If you don’t have any products for customers to buy with a gift card, then try offering a branded portable charger.

Some power banks come with added features like fast charging, wireless charging, built-in cables, AC adapters, or LED flashlights.

Now, this gift is a bit on the pricey side, but everyone uses a charger, and portable chargers are lifesavers, so you know they’ll become essential to your winner.

And every time they pop out their power bank, they’ll see your brand’s name charging up their trusty device.

Check out Tech Radar’s guide on The best power banks of 2019: portable chargers to keep your gadgets going

5. Food or Chocolates

sweets jar

Sweets and treats can be a good substitute when it comes to prizes for your next promotional giveaway.

Collaborate with a food brand in your area or an online brand that bakes or arranges fruit baskets, chocolate, pastries or even cakes.

You can add a thoughtful card with your logo as well.

6.Stickers and Bumper Stickers

From dad jokes, memes and company logos plastered on laptops and car bumpers, stickers work well for promotional branding for your company.

They’re affordable to print and purchase in bulk, which means you can have over 100 winners for your giveaway.

The more winners associated with a giveaway, the more likely people are to enter because they feel they have a higher chance of winning.

It is also a win-win, if you’re a sticker company like Stick Top.
25 Best Promotional Giveaway Ideas People Will Love

 

7. Hoodies & T-Shirts

Give away branded hoodies or T-shirts to your biggest fans as a prize for your giveaway. I think that this type of prize works best if you have a strong following.

If your brand is not well-known, people won’t gravitate as much to this kind of giveaway.

Take ProPepper; they decided to give away ten free hoodies after reaching 2 million subscribers on YouTube.

8. Reusable Water Bottles

reusable water bottles

Everyone has a water bottle, or two tucked away or heavily used at work or the gym, so a branded water bottle is always a hit.

You can spice things up by giving water bottles with built-in diffusers and straws, or insulated or stainless steel bottles or accessories.

For illustration, here’s a branded water bottle giveaway from Wawabots.

9. Tickets to Your Seminar/Webinar

If you’re planning to host a seminar or webinar, whether it’s a co-promotion or fully sponsored by your brand, you can give away tickets to your event to one or two lucky winners.

10. Portable LED Lights

portable led flashlight

You can hand out branded LED lights as prizes to your winners. They can be as small as keychains, embedded on the or full-fledged flashlights.

11. Beauty Products

beauty products

For beauty brands or eCommerce stores, why not give the winner sample or travel-size versions of your best products.

This will allow you to save on products while giving your winner a chance to experience their favorite products for free.

12. Stress Balls

stress balls

Mental wellness is now considered as important as physical health. Taking care of it includes having a few stress balls around here and there. Why not give away a few, or include some as part of a wellness pack for your giveaway winner? The versatility here makes stress balls one of the easiest and best promotions.

13. Umbrella

umbrella giveaway

Use branded umbrellas to help your winner weather through rain or sunshine. It’s also one of the most commonly used items around. When considering any promotional item that will be in consistent contact with water, be sure to spend a little extra on the ink you plan to use for branding, so it doesn’t fade out after only a few weeks of use.

14. Custom Cell Phone Stand & Grip

We’ve all dropped our phones, or come dangerously close to it. So consider giving away phone grips and stands as prizes. If you run an eCommerce store or a brand that sells tech or cell phones, it will complement your products well – complimenting as one of the best promotions.

15. Blankets & Pillows

Sounds a bit weird, but don’t knock it before you try it. Give your giveaway winner the chance to win a blanket and pillow with your logo. If you want to sweeten the deal, you can add a sleep mask as well and make it a nap package!

16. Drinkware Set

drinkware text

This can include, but is not limited to, metal straws and brushes, water bottles, bottle cleaners, bottle holders, and more. This type of gift works best for wellness, travel, and fitness brands.

17. Fanny Packs

Fanny packs are making a comeback, and they offer a lot of promotional branding flexibility.

They can be embroidered, screen printed or heat pressed with your logo.

They are also fun and practical for winners of all ages – offering perfect space for logos this is one of the best promotions.

18. Duffle Bag

duffle bag

A gym bag or duffle bag is an excellent prize for the winners who are into fitness or travel.

It’s hard to find a good duffle bag, so consider investing in a proper manufacturer or branding company to make your prize more appealing.

19. Yoga Products

yoga accessories

Yoga products are in the top 5 categories of best selling products when it comes to health and wellness, which makes them a suitable prize option for your giveaway.

Yoga products can range from clothing, blocks, straps, mats, shoes, and other accessories – offering a plethora of ideas for best promotions.

20. Tote or Shopping Bag

Since being eco-friendly has become widely popular, you can give away a set of branded totes or shopping bags for your promotional giveaways.

Choose a material that works best for you; this can be plastic, hemp, canvas, and more.

21. Bracelets and wristbands

Maybe you’d like to pick a smaller prize for your promotional giveaways. Bracelets and wristbands are affordable promotional prizes.

However, the idea or brand behind it is what will make it appealing.

If it’s a bracelet representing something like a charity or worthy cause, people will be more inclined to enter to win your giveaway.

22. Stationery Set

stationery set

Don’t just brand a pen set and give it away.

Offer your winners a full stationery set: pens, note pads, sticky notes, organizers. This makes your prize seem more significant and more appealing.

23. Travel Collection

Travelers use a variety of accessories to make journeys easier.

If your customers are niche travelers, you can offer them a travel collection to help make their next trip fun.

This includes bag tags, travel notepads, passport holders, organizers, and more – providing a variety of options for you to pick the best promotions.

24. Calendars & Planners

calendar and planners

Even with digital calendars aplenty, planners haven’t gotten out of style.

You can offer your customers a chance to win a full calendar set and planner so they can organize and plan to meet their goals for this and next year.

25. VIP Product Sampler

Finishing off our list of the best giveaway ideas, if your budget is too tight to buy products to brand, think outside the box and give one winner the chance to be a VIP product sampler.

This person would be the first to test, use, and experience your products before they hit the shelves or website.

This can allow your winner to also be a brand ambassador for you, posting positive reviews and updates on social media to help drive sales.

How to Choose the Right Giveaway Item

  1. Understand Your Audience: Successful giveaways begin with a deep understanding of your audience. Demographics, interests, and habits all play a role in selecting the ideal prize. For instance, fitness enthusiasts are more likely to value a branded gym bag or reusable water bottle, while tech-savvy consumers may gravitate toward portable chargers.
  2. Reflect Your Brand’s Identity: A giveaway should communicate your brand’s essence. A luxury company might opt for high-end leather organizers, while an eco-conscious brand could distribute sustainable totes. The item is not just a prize but a statement about your business.
  3. Prioritize Practicality: Choose items that your audience can use daily. A mug, umbrella, or planner offers repeated brand exposure while providing value. Practicality boosts both the item’s appeal and its long-term marketing impact.
  4. Balance Cost and Impact: Budget constraints don’t have to limit creativity. High-value items work for smaller contests, but lower-cost options like stickers or wristbands can scale for larger campaigns. The goal is to achieve the perfect balance between quality and reach.
  5. Tap Into Emotion: Prizes with emotional resonance – such as a custom shirt tied to a unique event – build stronger connections with participants. The right item can turn a giveaway into a memorable brand experience.

Optimizing Social Media for Giveaways

  1. Choose the Right Platform: Each social media platform attracts a distinct audience. Instagram and TikTok dominate younger demographics, while LinkedIn is ideal for professional audiences. Tailor your giveaways to the platform where your audience is most active.
  2. Craft Engaging Content: Visual appeal is key. Highlight the prize with high-quality images or videos, provide clear instructions for entry, and create a sense of urgency with a deadline.
  3. Harness the Power of Hashtags: A unique hashtag can amplify your campaign’s reach. Encourage participants to use the hashtag in their entries, making it easy to track engagement and expand visibility.
  4. Collaborate With Influencers: Influencers lend credibility and amplify reach. A strategic partnership can introduce your giveaway to an engaged audience likely to participate.
  5. Encourage User-Generated Content (UGC): UGC campaigns invite participants to share their creativity through photos, videos, or testimonials. This not only boosts engagement but provides authentic content for your brand to share.
  6. Invest in Paid Promotion: Paid social media ads can expand your campaign’s audience beyond organic reach, ensuring your giveaway attracts a broader and more diverse pool of participants.

Examples of Successful Giveaway Campaigns To Inspire You

  • Airbnb’s Great Wall Stay: Airbnb’s campaign offered winners a chance to spend a night at the Great Wall of China. Participants had to share why they deserved the experience, resulting in global media coverage and reinforcing Airbnb’s reputation for unique travel experiences.
  • Starbucks’ #RedCupContest: Starbucks engaged customers by encouraging them to post photos of their holiday-themed red cups on Instagram. The #RedCupContest generated thousands of entries and heightened brand engagement during the festive season.
  • Gymshark’s 66-Day Challenge: Gymshark challenged its audience to document their fitness transformation over 66 days. The campaign drew massive participation, bolstered community spirit, and solidified its brand within the fitness industry.
  • Nike’s Sneaker Stash Hunt: Nike turned its giveaway into a game, using its SNKRS app to help participants find hidden sneakers in real-world locations. This innovative campaign drove app downloads and engaged sneaker enthusiasts in a unique way.
  • Taco Bell’s Wedding Giveaway: Taco Bell offered fans the opportunity to get married at its Las Vegas Cantina. This quirky and on-brand giveaway resonated with fans and garnered significant media attention, proving the power of creativity in marketing.

Summary of the Best 25 Giveaway Ideas:

There you have it. That was the Business2Community deep dive into the 25 best giveaway ideas you can use for best promotional giveaways for your next marketing strategy.

To recap here is a quick summary of the 25 best giveaway ideas:

  1. Teddy Bears
  2. Coffee Cup & Mugs
  3. Gift Cards
  4. Portable Charger or Power Bank
  5. Stickers and Bum Stickers
  6. Hoodies & T-Shirts
  7. Water Bottles
  8. Tickets to Your Seminar/Webinar
  9. Portable LED Lights
  10. Beauty Products
  11. Stress balls
  12. Umbrella
  13. Custom Cell Phone Stand & Grip
  14. Blankets & Pillows
  15. Drinkware Set
  16. Fanny Packs
  17. Duffle Bag
  18. Yoga Products
  19. Tote or Shopping Bag
  20. Bracelets & Wristbands
  21. Stationery Set
  22. Travel Collection
  23. Calendars & Planners

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