It looks like mugs have been around as a BizGift forever. While many other promotional products come and go, mugs, quite like the pens, seem to be always in. The shapes, the colors, the designs may change, but the mugs are always around. Why is that ?

• First of all they are relatively cheap to make. The cost depends on the material (porcelain, stoneware, ceramics), the material grade, the print design, the print technology, the packaging (if any) and the quantity of mugs ordered. But it is safe to say that mugs are one of the lower budget business gifts.

• They provide large area for branding. Whether it is just a simple logo or all around photo imprint, the branding on the mug is visible. Many people keep their mugs on their office desk where others see it.

• The mugs are useful and practical gift and people usually like getting them. Mug is a gift that makes many people happy.

• Although the mugs are relatively cheap, they do not (or should not) look cheap if well made. They are a decent gift by themselves, but also a nice part of a gift set, like for example the one pictured below.

• The mugs are also mass marketing medium. Look at all the coffee brands around the world and check out the coffee shops that serve their coffee. All the coffee is served in mugs or cups bearing the said coffee brand.

How are they branded ?

The big orders are usually branded right at source in the mug factory. The most common method are the decals applied on the mug and then fired in the oven.

For smaller orders suppliers usually pick the mugs from their stock and depending on the size of the order, design of the mug and type of logo choose either the decal method, pad printing or even silkscreen.

So what to watch out for when ordering mug as a promotional product ?

• First of all, unless you are prepared to pay big money for your mugs, you need to be ready to accept, that what you get at the end may be a bit different from the sample you approved. The tooling used for ceramic mugs production usually last only one production and have to be remade every time. This may cause some differences in shape or size from order to order. The body colour of the mug may vary too. And not only from production to production but also within the same production lot. The final colour is affected by the temperature in the oven. And the higher up on the rack the mug is, the higher the temperature. Simple physics.

• Some people like to have mugs that have more than one colour. Example is the mug with spoon on the picture in this post. Outside the mug is white, inside blue. There are also designs where let’s say bottom half of mug is one color, the upper half another. This is done by dipping the mug into the ink. Try to dip anything into some liquid and see if you can manage to keep the same line every time … If you can than you have every right to complain if the 2 colour mugs you receive from your supplier do not have the perfect border between the 2 colours . Otherwise give your supplier some break .

• When you are choosing your mug, think about what you plan to print on it. Those all around prints are done on decals that are applied on the mug and fired. Only some shapes of mugs are suitable for that … Take a piece of paper and try to wrap it around the ice cream cone to see what I mean.

• Try to avoid having the mugs shipped by air. First of all, they are heavy and the freight may cost you several times more than the mug itself. Second - mugs tend to break. And the chance of them breaking is much higher when they fly then when they go on the ground. Here I am talking about bulk shipments. If you have the mugs individually boxed, they are usually well protected and should survive mailing by post or courier without to many injuries.

Enjoy your cup of coffee or tea !

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Last week at BizGiftGuru was mostly about the real life examples of all sorts of BizGifts in use. It started off with an example of a “Collect Them All” promo that worked out pretty well for all parties involved - People like to collect stuff, let them do that - 1. This was later on in the week followed by an example of not so perfect promotion - People like to collect stuff, let them do that - 2.

Seriously cool gifts are out there for those who are ready to pay serious money for travel- the A380 Superjumbo First class gifts

Early bird incentives sometimes do work… And … when governments make more money than expected they may come out with their own giveaway idea.

Elsewhere in blogs:
The notorious BlackZedd compares the salesmen to stealth bombers
The ShopDogDiaries take a shot at Cafepress and wonder what lies ahead for the screenprinters
The Media Morgue talks about the new commercial (that) promotes domestic spying

And one final recommendation - I scanned several free photo sites last week looking for some photos that I could use for my different projects. I was most impressed with Free Range - great selection, excellent quality.

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