It has become fairly common place to see Id badges dangling from a persons neck on a short cord, and on the cord or small rope itself, is printed the name of a company, or a school or an event on it. When you spot one of these, you can be sure you're looking at a lanyard.

Why is that? Well - a promotional lanyard belongs to that bag of tricks a marketing person uses to promote their business. Technically known as promotional marketing products, they can be rather serious gadgets or as silly as one can think of. It's common to find watches, hats and t-shirts, key chains, note pads, etc, etc, and now the promotional lanyard, recruited to deliver a message to the customer. A lanyard that has been custom printed to ensure your company's logo and message are visible to current or potential customers. They'll give your company an marketing edge, because they are free, they generate lots of good will while adding awareness about your product or company, all for minimal costs.

Just walk around any trade exhibit and you'll soon find yourself gravitating towards the booths that offer free promotional items. You'd better hurry too, as they are often crowded and you could miss out on these items.

Why then has the promotional lanyard emerged as one of the marketing world's most popular promotional gadgets? Here are four good reasons why you should consider using promotional lanyards:

Cheap - even if you need to consider the material the lanyard will be made of, you can buy 500 pcs. Lanyard, with your company's name or event printed on it, for as little as $110.00. It can also be as fancy as you'd like it to be.

Useful - who doesn't need an Id holder? And if your client base uses lanyards, you've got a foot in the door.

Eye-catching - you can't help but notice a lanyard dangling from someone's neck.

Versatile - these are some of the features a promotional lanyard can have:

* retractable badge holders attached * reflective lanyards for safety * multicolored * many materials * height adjustable balls locks * many different attachments available * individual names printed on the promotional lanyard itself

What are some of the events or activities where you can use promotional lanyards?

At trade shows-, your promotional lanyard will have a visible message, and be an identification holder. Also, while show organizers use imprinted lanyard badge holders to promote their show, the sponsors can have theirs with slogans that motivate customers to stop by their booth. The organizers can use the lanyards as identification to enter the show floor.

When you launch a new product, and usually these pharmaceutical companies use imprinted lanyards with a new drug promotion and give these away free.

Use lanyards in corporate events and activities, such as seminars, conferences and conventions. The organizers can imprint the slogan for the event or activity, so that the entire members group knows what the activity is.

For security identification, these can be for all or any of the following: visitors' i.d.s, employee i.d.s and student i.d.s. Or your company can use lanyards to for id badges for security entrance and employee identification. So even while the lanyard is securing your company it is also promoting it.

Use lanyards in hospitals, where hospital employees can wear imprinted lanyards with badges to allow access to certain floors.

For school activities and events - have teachers and students wear imprinted lanyards for entry into schools. Each grade level can adopt a slogan for the year, and it's a way of identifying them. Slogans such as "play it safe" or "Fun in learning all year round".

For community activities and events - such as a church youth rallies or charitable events where volunteers can feel that they are part of the community effort.

Promotional lanyards are also cheap enough that you can send them in direct mail promotions. Some markets would be receptive to this offer.

One popular website estimates that: "Promotional-marketing products can help drive sales. In 1999 alone, businesses spent $13 billion on them; that's up from $5 billion in 1990." So think about promotional lanyards next time you plan an event!

John Thomson is webmaster at badge holders and lanyards where lanyard and ID holder information is a click away. Specializing in beaded lanyards.