Promotional cups are a great marketing item that can be given away to customers at special events, or as a show of appreciation to regular customers or supporters. When you are choosing promotional cups, it is important to consider the amount of cups you will need to purchase, the nature of the event, and the type of cups, such as plastic, aluminum, or glass. Plastic cups are inexpensive, available in many different colors and sizes, and are relatively cheap to customize, but they may not be used for as long of a period of time as sturdier cups.
Whenever a customer takes one of your promotional cups home and uses it out in public, he or she is providing free advertising to your company. For this reason, many people choose to invest a bit more, and get higher quality promotional cups so people are more likely to reuse them and advertise the business. It is certainly possible to get plastic cups of a higher quality; these may often be personalized with the business name and contact info as well. For events of a more outdoorsy or sporty nature, promotional water bottles are an excellent choice that customers will be very likely to use again and again. Eco-friendly, BPA-free cups are especially popular.
Generally, promotional cups of a higher quality, such as glass or aluminum, are not given out in bulk at special events the way plastic cups are. Instead, these may be given away as a gift with a specific purchase, or as a show of appreciation to loyal customers. These can also be engraved with the company name and information. Aluminum cups are very lightweight as well, and are popular items given out at fairs and carnivals. Glass and aluminum cups are often much more expensive than the other common types of plastic promotional cups, which are the most popular option.
Of course, paper cups are very inexpensive and may be used at a special event; however, there is no possibility for reuse, and they are less eco-friendly than cups that may be recycled. Styrofoam cups are even worse for the environment and are also not reused. For that reason, many companies choose to spend extra money on purchasing more durable cups in the first place, so that customers will be happy to reuse them; because of the advertising value this might be seen as a long term investment.