Why the Office Desk is the Battleground for your Brand

With 80% of the U.K’s workforce being in the service sector, there are now more people working in office-based roles than ever before. This means that the majority of the working age population will most likely spend a significant amount of their working week, if not their lives, deskbound – making the desk a prime location for your branded promotional products!

With this in mind, the British Promotional Merchandise Association commissioned a survey to find out which promotional products people kept on their desk. Over 1000 people responded to their survey from an array of industries to provide their feedback on what promotional products have earned their desk appeal.

It’s no surprise that promotional product versions of everyday staple items made up the top three products most frequently found on desks. The top three promotional items on participants desks were Pens, Mugs and Calendars. This highlights another finding from a previous survey by the BPMA, that usefulness is the number one thing people value in promotional products.

Put simply, yes! With 83% of participants able to recall the name of a brand or company of promotional items on their desk, the everyday brand exposure such items generate really does seem to have sticking power. A staggering 93% believed it increased their awareness of the brand as a direct result. It’s little wonder therefore that 83% of participants had also purchased from companies they had received promotional merchandise from.

It is also worth noting that the majority of those who provided feedback in this survey were of a managerial level and having your brand on their desk, as the above statistics highlight, will likely prove fruitful for your company.

With almost half of respondents having a staggering 4 or more items of promotional merchandise on their desk, it really is important that yours stands out. Interestingly the top three promotional products companies were choosing to brand last year are all items you would find on your desk with pens, notebooks and mugs coming out as the most popular purchases.

So, whilst pens, mugs etc are effective and often economical, they are extremely popular so if this is your promotional merchandise of choice for this year, make sure the quality of the branding shine through so you stand out for the right reasons and you get the brand awareness you are striving for.

One observation we have made within our own office is that desk calendars are non-existent. With many offices now using online shared calendars and work collaboration software, the traditional tiny desk calendar full of scribbles will probably become increasingly redundant.

We are always looking for the most innovative and up and coming promotional items for those companies wanting to show themselves as being different, modern and forward-thinking. Our wireless QI charging mats are ideal for the office desk, particularly for those in sales roles that may only be part office based and need their mobile charged at all times. Incredibly convenient, all you need to do is place your phone on the mat to charge the device, no more fiddly cables and worn out USB ports. The mats have a large and prominent brand area, ideal for printing or engraving your logo on. Whilst we are confident we can source any item our clients desire, we have two standard versions of Wireless Chargers and of these, our favourite would be the Woco Wooden Wireless Charge Mat. Available in both circular or square shapes with the option to engrave or screen print your logo, they have a high perceived value and will be kept and used for longer than any desktop calendar or notepad.