Remember when we were younger and how excited we’d get to see our favorite radio station while we were out and about?  I grew up in the 80s and I’d see so many cars tagged with station bumper stickers. Even now…my all-time favorite show is The Office. On one of the filing cabinets in the show, they have a Froggy 101 bumper sticker. I found a DJ in a radio group who’s on that station and he sent me a bumper sticker. I still have it! As an adult, I still get happy to get station swag. So why did we stop doing giveaways like this?

Understandably, a lot of these little handouts fell to wayside due to budget issues. Every year it seems to get smaller and smaller. However, we need to remember the importance of those little tchotchke things. There’s still value in these. Maybe not the frisbees or pens…but there are items you can invest in that will go a long way in station promoting.

Looking ahead into 2025, there are some promotional items you can pass out at various stops. According to Forbes, most people will hang onto and take the things they’ll actually use. The trinkets will get tossed in the trash asap. Here’s a list of what seems to be the most wanted:

  1. NEVER sleep on koozies. I have an entire bag full of koozies, many from stations I’ve been on.
  2. Stickers… the ones people put on their water bottles and laptops! More and more I notice businesses passing these out. So why aren’t stations?
  3. Stadium cups. These are the small plastic ones you can take everywhere. When I worked on the beach in Florida, we passed these out at all the remotes. They were a HUGE hit.
  4. Keychain bottle opener. I still use one from a radio station I got maybe 15 years ago.
  5. Mini flashlights
  6. Peel and stick calendars…these are so handy in a car
  7. Car air fresheners! It hangs from their mirror and free advertising for you!
  8. Stress Balls in the shape of your logo or mascot
  9. Grocery tote bags are always a hit, and you can usually get a good price on them when you buy in bulk
  10. This one is going to sound so random but…mini pearl ice packs. You know the ones you keep in the freezer that has those beads in them? They’re usually circular and you use them for kids. I got one from a doctor’s office and my entire family uses it. Even my husband! Those go a long way! Great to hand out in the summer!

When choosing your “swag” keep your listeners in mind. Mini tape measurers would work great for a country station, but maybe not so much on a Top 40 station.