Promotional products are a traditional form of marketing: Find a useful product, print your logo on it and distribute it to the people you want to remember your brand. If your prospects see your brand name on a pen, a t-shirt or a Cap, they may be more inclined to purchase from you in the future.
Promotional products can be used in a variety of contexts and applications. One of the most common uses is is to raise brand awareness for your B2C company by mass-distributing a promotional item to ensure your brand name is seen and remembered by a larger-than-expected percentage of your target demographic.
You can also use promotional products in a B2B context, utilizing corporate gifts, for example, as a way to encourage brand memorability. They can be used as free giveaways, complimentary swag to accompany a purchase, thank-you items or rewards for brand engagements.