Proudly voted Promotional Merchandise Distributor of the Year, December 2024 (Sourcing City Awards).

Promotional giveaway ideas for UK Freshers' Fairs

Preparing to exhibit at a Freshers' Fair this autumn but haven't managed to nail the perfect promotional products to giveaway to students yet? Don't panic: Total Merchandise is here to help.

Close to two million undergraduates entered the UK university system between 2017 and 2018. The meaning of this for your business in 2019? A Freshers' Fair can offer significant potential to amplify your brand, whether you're a one-man-band working in a university town or are part of a nationwide (or even global) chain that could benefit from getting new eyeballs on your logo. And what better way to do this than with carefully chosen promotional merchandise that will ensure your business is top-of-the-class for brand awareness...?

A Freshers' Fair can also offer educational establishments a fantastic opportunity to generate awareness for their institution and its academic offerings. Something as simple as a logo-branded hoodie worn out-and-about by a student will be seen countless times and help generate a little free publicity for the university with each wear.

(Want to find out more about the various benefits of promotional giveaways at a Freshers' Fair? Read our blog post on the subject, if you haven't already!)

Not sure which product(s) to choose for your freshers' promotional plans? We've rounded up some of the most popular items for students to receive, that combine brilliant branding potential for your business along with something that students will actually want to use. Read on to find out more...

 

Promotional merchandise for freshers' fairs

Promotional BiC Booklet with Digital Ballpen

A booklet complete with sticky notes, a scratch pad, 125 page flags and a digital pen will obviously make note-taking a breeze. Whether they're a fresh-faced first-year or a post-grad preparing to begin a Masters course, students will always need stationery. Arming them with these handy items they can actually use in classes will not only help them but will also offer your business a little extra awareness every time it's used. The result? Neat note-taking and a consistent day-to-day position for your brand in the user's daily life. 

Want some inspiration? Something like these BiC Booklet with Digital Ballpens makes for a fantastic giveaway: cost-efficient for tight marketing budgets, it offers a generous amount of print space for your artwork on the front cover and pen.

Branded Trolley Coin Keyring

An essential for students who are in charge of tackling the weekly food shop, a trolley coin printed with your branding makes a highly practical giveaway that you can ensure will be used. After all: as the old mantra goes, every little helps...

Whilst we have a huge selection of trolley coins available (from plastic to metal), our best-seller is the Printed Trolley Coin Keyring (shown above), which offers a generous amount of print space for your up-to full-colour artwork.

Printed Travel Mug

One way to make those early mornings a bit more tolerable? Caffeine, naturally - so giving students branded travel mugs with your artwork printed or engraved on them is a no-brainer. 

Something like our ever-popular Talca Bamboo Travel Mugs are ideal for adding a touch of eco-friendly consideration to your campaign, whilst ensuring your branding gets a little more awareness with every sip. Alternatively, take a look at our full range of promotional travel mugs to find the perfect fit for your brand!

Embroidered Teddy Bear

Promotional teddy bears wearing brand-adorned T-shirts or banners make great hand-outs for all sorts of businesses, including universities. Those teeny tees look oh-so-cute printed with a striking crest, after all...

Offering everything from a touch of comfort for a home-sick student to a splash of alma mater pride for a graduate, personalised teddy bears are always popular products for universities to sell or giveaway to their students. Total Merchandise has a wide assortment of branded bears in all shapes and sizes; take a look at our full range to find the paw-fect fit for your student-facing marketing plans! 

Promotional Clothing

Items such as printed sunglasses, T-shirts and embroidered hoodies can make excellent giveaways, generating a little extra attention for your business with every wear. 

Popular items for you to consider include our best-selling Fruit of the Loom Value-Weight T-Shirt, this classic Brushed Heavy Cotton Cap (which looks super-smart when embroidered with a logo) and our perennially popular Classic Sunglasses, which can be printed in up-to full colour with your branding. 

We have many more freshers-friendly promotional giveaway ideas for you to explore - browse the full range and contact us today for your bespoke quote. 

Top image via Pexels.com. 

Written by

Katie Clark | Head of Digital Marketing

With over a decade in print and digital journalism, Katie possesses a wide skill-set that incorporates everything from SEO to PR. Joining the team in early 2019, her expertise lies in writing sparkling copy about promotional merchandise and related topics, as well as managing social media activity and developing creative solutions to keep the Total Merchandise brand at the forefront of people’s minds. With a background that includes event-planning and volunteering for charitable organisations, she has a first-hand appreciation for the needs and questions a customer might have when acquiring promotional products for their organisation. In her spare time, she loves reading, going to the cinema and learning to cook.

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