The Lasting Impression of Promotional Products

Using Swag to Secure Customer Loyalty

Sep 15

By Tom Gudekunst the MARCO Ideas Unlimited Swag Review Team Choosing the right swag items to give away as appreciation gifts is crucial to making the best impression on new leads, first time cus...

Packaged Promo Pens for More Punch

Jul 20

By Tom Gudekunst the MARCO Ideas Unlimited Swag Review Team Custom printed or engraved pens are a perennial best-seller in the promotional products industry, given their universal usefulness and...

Promotional Towels They'll Want!

Jun 24

By the MARCO Ideas Unlimited Swag Review Team When it comes time to decide on custom printed promotional products for your corporate events, most marketers default to common swag items like can c...

Creating Custom Band Merch That Sells Out

Apr 28

By the MARCO Ideas Unlimited Team No concert experience is complete without perusing the selection of band merchandise offered for sale! The quintessential table of small band merch and physical ...

How To Use Swag To Engage Your Community

Feb 25

By Tom Gudekunst the MARCO Ideas Unlimited Team Custom branded promotional products are one of the most effective marketing tools available for driving customer loyalty and community engagement ...

USA-Made Swag Options by Region

Jan 20

by Samantha Sage Updated with new products for 2026! Promotional product distributors in the USA are able to offer a massive array of products for customization thanks to domestic and internation...

This, Or That, or That - Comparing Sweatsuits By Brand

Dec 4, 2025

By Tom Gudekunst the MARCO Ideas Unlimited Swag Review Team One of the most valuable services our swag specialists offer is their inside knowledge of which blank apparel types offer the best per...

Construction Industry Swag

Oct 15, 2025

By Nancy Gudekunst Why do contractors use imprinted products for construction projects? Is it worth the investment? Our construction clients in Portland around the country say yes! Using sma...

Top-Performing Health & Wellness Swag Ideas

Jul 9, 2025

by Samantha Sage Looking for fresh ways to promote your business and genuinely connect with your community? Choosing useful, functional swag that supports mental health and physical fitness is a...

The 3 Pillars of Swag Sustainability

May 15, 2025

by Samantha Sage Promotional products are one of the most impactful, highest ROI marketing material categories available to promote your business. Custom swag markets your brand effectively both t...

Swag Ideas for Finance & Insurance Companies

Mar 19, 2025

by Samantha Sage What do banking financial institutions, insurance companies, and real estate brokerages have in common? They all help their clients manage huge financial responsibilities and pro...

Case Study - How Portland Baseball Team Knocks Merch Promo Out of the Park

Jan 8, 2025

by Samantha Sage Our hometown of Portland, Oregon is notorious for keeping things weird as often as possible. So it shouldn't be a surprise that our most iconic local sports team mascot is not onl...

Leveraging Trending Colors for Your Swag Ideas

Nov 20, 2024

by Samantha Sage When assisting new promotional product shoppers, "what color does your swag or apparel need to be?" is always one of our first questions to guide our item recommendations. Old sta...

Planning A Successful Golf Tournament - Everything You Need

Sep 18, 2024

by Samantha Sage Corporate golf tournaments and combined activity golf events are among the most popular types of fundraising and brand engagement events, offering a wealth of fun brand awareness ...

How to Create the Best Custom Awards

Jun 12, 2024

by Samantha Sage Customized awards and plaques are a perfect branded item for businesses to recognize their employees, teams, and corporate branches for exceptional accomplishments. What better ...

The 5 Biggest Problems with Promotional Products

May 3, 2024

by Samantha Sage Custom branded promotional products are essentials in any marketer's toolkit - they are instrumental in getting your brand into new hands, and keeping your logo front of mind as a...

Women's History Month Bio - Margaret Custer Ford

Feb 20, 2024

Women's History Month Short Biography Margaret Custer Ford, a pioneer in women's business achievement by Nancy Gudekunst, MAS Here is my perspective on the story of how my mother built a ...

Upcycle Your Swag with Greener Promo Picks!

Jan 25, 2024

by Samantha Sage Businesses use popular promotional items like pens, mugs, and stickers to get their name out there and grow their sales. While these items are effective marketing tools, many a...

Featured: MARCO Ideas Unlimited, Portland Metro Chamber Member

Dec 5, 2023

by Samantha Sage We're dedicated to growing Oregon local businesses with quality promotional products, custom decorated apparel, and customized awards. It's been our primary focus ever since ou...

Last-Minute Promotional Gifts That Still Wow

Nov 16, 2023

by Samantha Sage The holidays are quickly approaching - do you still need to get promotional gifts for your clients or employees? Have no fear - even with little time left, you can still find...

Product Review - Custom-Branded Massage Gun Kits

Nov 1, 2023

by MARCO Ideas Unlimited Product Review Team Our modern world is full of demands on our time and energy - finding ways to relax and unwind is essential for maintaining productivity and overall ...

How to Order Promotional Products YOUR Way - MARCO Ideas Unlimited!

Oct 19, 2023

by Samantha Sage In a world saturated with advertising and marketing messages, it's essential for businesses to find unique and effective ways to stand out. Promotional products have long been a s...

Hot Swag Summer Trends

May 31, 2023

by Samantha Sage Summer is already nearly upon us! If you need seasonal swag ideas for Summer, it's always good to start with the current trends and hot new items that you're seeing on the street ...

Embroidered Promos: What You Need to Know

Apr 17, 2023

By Samantha Sage If you're interested in custom embroidered merchandise for your business, especially if you're a Pacific Northwest local business, you may have noticed especially long lead tim...

How to Get Noticed at Tradeshows

Feb 21, 2023

By Tom Gudekunst I have attended a lot of trade shows and recruiting events over the years and I've developed somewhat of a reputation as such. Colleagues and networking partners know I love to sh...

Meaningful Holiday Gifts That Give Back

Nov 21, 2022

By Nancy Gudekunst In preparing for the Holiday Season, it is important to consider your recipient when selecting gifts. When asked, many people state that they have everything they need, and ...

3 Ways to Advertise with Cell Phone Accessories

Feb 3, 2022

By Hannah Atkins If you are reading this via a mobile app, congratulations, you are part of the 85% of Americans who own a smartphone! The Pew Research Center reported in April of 2021 that 97% o...

How Much Does Swag Really Cost?

Jan 6, 2022

By Nancy Gudekunst If you've purchased promotional swag, you know there is a dizzying array of product options and imprint methods. How does one choose? Typically, price is a consideration, espe...

How to Design your Logo for Promotional Products

Sep 15, 2021

How to Design your Logo for Promotional Products By Tom Gudekunst Many times over the past 15 years I've had clients come to me with new, really great artwork. The art file has likely been desig...

How You Can Create a Promotional Kit for Your Business

May 13, 2021

By Tom Gudekunst Kits have been used in the promotional industry for decades. A cohesive grouping of goodies is sure to please clients and employees alike. This blog will help you understand and ...

Promotional Gifts for the Home

Apr 15, 2021

Promotional Gifts for the Home By Nancy Gudekunst Realtors, home builders, service providers, and contractors all have occasions to give gifts to their customers and referral partners. Gifts can...

Merchandise Yourself!

Mar 17, 2021

By Ian Miller YOU CAN MERCHANDISE YOURSELF! Does your brand have what it takes to bring retail-looking swag to the table? OF COURSE, IT DOES! With creative items, designs and ideas - tran...

Real Estate Mania

Jan 21, 2021

By Ian Miller Many real estate agents, mortgage professionals, and ancillary businesses especially in steaming hot markets like Portland, Seattle, and a vast majority of California, are seeing rec...

How Promotional Products Can Help In Times of Change

Oct 1, 2020

By Ian Miller Many companies are struggling to figure out how to help their communities during these times of change. Some are doing donation matching. Some are allowing time for employees to part...

The Founding of MARCO Ideas Unlimited

Sep 3, 2020

By Margaret Custer Ford, MAS Newly divorced, with little child support, I needed to earn money to take care of myself and two young kids, ages 1 and 3, but how? It was 1959. Women were making...

What Makes a Promotional Product “Keepable"

Jul 9, 2020

By Tom Gudekunst Growing up, I spent years going to tradeshows with my mom and Grammy and around the office. I have been working in the promotional products industry for the last fifteen years....

Direct Mail (That Gets Opened!)

Jun 11, 2020

By Nancy Gudekunst We all get it. Endless come-ons arriving in the mailbox, sometimes the only mail, usually unwanted waste. Direct mail. So why does it keep coming? Because. . . it works! ...

Afterlife of Promotional Products

May 14, 2020

By Alyson Hills-Martin Whether you received your promotional product from a company at their store or from a tradeshow, there will come a day the product will no longer be of use. The afterlife...

Gaining Band Notoriety

Apr 30, 2020

By Ian Miller How can you gain band notoriety in a profitable fashion? Due to COVID-19 the music industry has now turned completely away from point-of-purchase setups. A vast majority of band m...

Specialty Advertising

Apr 16, 2020

By Margaret Custer Ford Specialty advertising is a cost-effective way to advertise your brand. In the sixties, most people smoked which made matchbooks more widely used. Advertising on a simpl...

What is Plastic?

Apr 2, 2020

By Alyson Hills-Martin Eco-friendly products can replace plastic. Buzzwords regarding how the consumption and manufacturing of plastic are affecting the environment circulate, but what makes pl...

Gift with Purchase

Mar 19, 2020

By Tom Gudekunst For years top brands have used a promotional gift with purchase to woo new customers, and appreciate loyal clients. These can be small and inexpensive, or the kind of thing th...

Why Would I Need Good Artwork?

Mar 5, 2020

By Nancy Gudekunst Artwork used for promotional products can make the difference between a successful or disastrous result. Starting with the art is a good way to begin any swag campaign. Help...

Reduce Tradeshow Waste

Feb 20, 2020

By Alyson Hills-Martin Think about the last trade show you attended, what promotional product did you take home? What branded item do you still use? Asking these questions before deciding on a ...

CPI = Cost Per Impression Relating to Promotional Products

Feb 6, 2020

By Nancy Gudekunst Cost per impression ($) = Advertising cost ($) / Number of Impressions (#) Think about the different advertising methods you can spend budget on. Do you know where you get ...

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