10 Ideas for High-End and Luxury Company Promotional Items

Sometimes, it seems like high-end and luxury companies are in a different world than the rest of us. Other times, we all realize that we're in the same boat together, and while the lists of clients and the budgets thrown around can be different, the concepts that drive human behavior are the same.

That is to say, promotional items are still valuable for motivation, engagement, and reward, no matter what kind of business you run. Luxury and high-end businesses can take advantage of promotional items just as well as anyone else. The only difference is what kinds of promotional items work best with your clients, and truthfully, that's almost as personal as any individual decision. Finding what appeals to your clients and customers – or even to your employees – and rewarding them with customized merchandise doesn't have to be difficult.

While every audience and every client is different, there are some commonalities you might want to explore. Here are ten items we've found tend to be some of the best and most engaging promotional items you can choose.

1: A Nice Bag

One of the best kinds of promotional items is a useful item, and what can be more useful than a bag? There are all sorts of different kinds of bags you can go for, though, so what do you choose?

You have a few options. For example, a nice tote can be a simple, compact, and highly brandable way to showcase a bit of elegance without breaking the bank. Canvas totes can be fairly durable, and the right combination of color, image, and aesthetic can be very powerful. But some people don't find these kinds of totes to be very luxurious, and you really need to make sure the kind of tote you deliver is, at minimum, extremely durable. After all, you don't want a "luxury" product to wear out in a matter of months, right?

On the other end of the spectrum, you can pick something like a nice backpack or computer bag. Leather bags can be durable, long-lasting, and useful for high-end clients on the go. They can come in many different shapes and sizes and can be useful and memorable pieces of equipment and apparel for years to come. Making sure they're made out of ethically sourced leather is the icing on top.

2: A Sleek Umbrella

While you might not think of an umbrella as a particularly luxurious item, if you've shopped for umbrellas recently, you might know that there is a ton of variance between low-end and high-end umbrellas. Whether it's a cane-style handle, durable construction meant to withstand high winds, or even luxuries like built-in LEDs or umbrellas with powered fans for use on a hot summer day as a parasol; there are a ton of options available.

A good umbrella can incorporate branding in a subtle and understated way or in a vibrant and visible way, depending on how you want your brand to be perceived. They can also come in many colors, out of many different materials, and with all sorts of different construction. They are immensely customizable at all different price points, so you can get something for your clients or employees that will see use for years.

Sooner or later, after all, we all need an umbrella. The rain doesn't discriminate against the luxurious.

One of the biggest choices you'll want to make is between a smaller and more compact umbrella that can be stashed in a purse or bag or a larger umbrella that can double as a walking stick or cane when not otherwise in use. Size can be an important factor!

3: Luxurious Food Items

There are frequently times when you might be interested in trying some kind of high-end food product, but you don't necessarily want to justify it to yourself. Even luxury and high-end clients and customers might have that hesitation. Even more so is the reluctance to go all-in on a full-size product or kit when you haven't had the opportunity to try it.

There are all sorts of different food and beverage items that you can offer to your clients, customers, and employees that might be above the usual price point they'd consider.

• Small bottles of high-end spirits.
• Kits for preparing luxury beverages.
• High-quality, ethically sourced chocolate.

For cases where what you might want to hand out is fresher and not something you can really keep on hand or mail, you can also opt for specific gift cards or redeemable certificates for high-end restaurants or food stores. When the promotional item is essentially branded money, the sky's the limit with what you can do with it.

4: Power Banks and Charging Pads

One of the hallmarks of luxury and high-end existence is technology. Everything, it seems, has a battery, a screen, and an internet connection. It can be the height of luxury to have everything connected and at your fingertips, but when things start to go wrong, it all falls apart.

One of the most common modes of failure is simply a battery running dry. That's why one of the best accessories to help out with this lifestyle is an accessory to help with charging. Large-capacity battery packs with multiple USB chargers, or even a wireless charging pad, can go a long way towards helping maintain the air of luxury built on that technology.

Charging pads are also a very interesting technology. We're used to viewing electronics as devices that need to be plugged in and electricity as something conveyed by wires, but modern technology has enabled wireless charging (over an extremely short distance), so a branded wireless charging pad can keep something like a phone topped off simply through setting it down. What could be more luxurious than that?

5: Luxury Apparel

Luxury clothing items can be pretty much anything. There are luxury sweatpants with a digit longer price tags than you might expect, luxury jackets and shirts that put the casual shelf-ware to shame, and luxury shoes that feel like walking on a dream.

Giving these away as simple promotional items can be extremely high value, but they can also feel out of place. A lot depends on the reason the promotional items are being handed out. Giving everyone on your sales team a very nice jacket for exceeding annual sales goals is great; giving them all a luxury jacket for meeting monthly goals is not.

There's also a scale of luxury here. Your promotional items don't need to be the top of the top end, so long as they're above the standard your recipient would usually be buying. If it's at or below their normal standard, it doesn't feel like it represents your high-end brand.

For our part, we generally prefer apparel that has a history and track record of ethical production, from the treatment of the people farming raw materials to the laborers creating the apparel. Can it really be called luxury if it's made on the back of exploitation?

6: High-End Drinkware

Sometimes, luxury is understated. You don't need something flashy and vibrant; you just need something functional, durable, and well-produced. Drinkware is a perfect example.

There's not really a functional difference between a $1 plastic cup from Target and a $500 crystal glass, at least in terms of how well it carries a liquid from table to mouth. But there are many, many differences in subtle aspects of drinkware.

• The durability of that drinkware: how well does it hold up to use over time?
• The functionality with regards to temperature. How well does it hold heat or cold for a beverage?
• The appearance, of course. How good does it look, and how well does it match the aesthetic you're going for?

As such, there are all sorts of different brands and styles of drinkware you can get customized as promotional items. You can also seek out different styles and functions, from insulated tumblers to simple glasses.

7: Anything Coffee

This one is an interesting option, because it's very personal what a person's attitude is towards coffee. Some people are perfectly fine with the bargain-bin drip coffee, and don't really put more thought into it. Others have whole rituals centered around making a morning coffee with a French press or a pour-over. And, of course, there are hundreds of brands making exotic, luxurious, and high-end coffee products, from small-batch beans to grinders with micron precision to extremely well-designed equipment for the brew.

As such, you can get all manner of different coffee products customized as promotional items, but the value of those coffee products will depend entirely on the recipient. To that end, we recommend either having a catalog of different options that your recipient can choose from, or keeping a variety of options on hand. You can also interview them about their preferences, though the turnaround time may make this a less valuable option.

8: Leather Keychains

Leather goods are durable and lasting, and they're frequently considered one of the best kinds of items to hand out. Leather can be relatively cheap, even ethically produced leather, and yet it's still extremely durable and, if cared for, can last lifetimes.

A simple leather item like a keychain or badge holder can be a great option for a leather item that many people are unlikely to have, but can incorporate into their lives with ease. There are also people who collect keychains who may be even more interested. Either way, a good leather product can be an excellent promotional option.

9: A Customized Timepiece

One of the most time-honored promotional gifts is a nice watch. The trouble with watches is the scale. Sometimes, a nice watch isn't terribly expensive but still showcases some elements of luxury in its design. Other times, your recipient won't be satisfied unless it's a Rolex with a price tag in the five-digit range. Again, it all depends on the recipient and the context.

You can also pick another kind of timepiece, like a clock. Clocks might not seem like luxuries – we all have at least one in a pocket these days, after all – but that almost makes them wrap back around. People who don't need to check their phone for the time because they have the luxurious experience of having a nice clock can be surprisingly high-end in atmosphere.

Of course, this all depends on the design and the style of the timepiece. There's a lot of thought that goes into this one, so only consider it if you're planning to put that thought into it.

10: Health and Wellness Items

For surprisingly many people, the height of luxury is being able to care for their own bodies. To that end, there are millions of products you can consider, either individually or as a customized gift basket, to take advantage of that luxury.

Potential options include:

• Bath bombs with exotic scents and ingredients.
• Body lotions and creams to help augment healthy skin.
• Hair care products usually found at luxury salons.
• Massage guns for post-workout soreness and injury treatment.
• Facial masks and creams for face care.
• Personal grooming items.

The truth is, depending on the person, nearly anything can be a luxury item in the health and wellness category. There are countless options, and it all comes down to what you want to get for your recipient.

Making the Most of Luxury Promotions

Regardless of the items you pick, luxury is about more than just the product; it's about the presentation. That might mean using an understated and elegant graphic design. It might mean taking time to design customized packaging for a group of products you offer. It might mean finding the right time and place to hand over the promotional items. It might mean all of the above.

Promotional items can be surprisingly difficult to use well, and when you're conveying an atmosphere of high-end luxury with them, it can be even more difficult to get it right. Put some care and thought into it, and if you have questions or want advice, feel free to reach out to us to discuss it. We'd love to help!