Desktop Accessories

You can tell a lot about people by what’s on their desk and we’ve asked some industry insiders to tell us what their favourite desktop item is, but more about that later.

First, let’s look at the ‘must haves’ on any desk: calendar, penholder, mug, diary, mouse, and a USB or two – then we’ll look at some other interesting and amusing innovations. Desktop accessories make excellent promotional gifts as the really good ones either fall into the ‘must have’ category and are used daily, or they are amusing and capture the attention that way.

Keeping a date
I know every computer buff and Blackberry boffin will say their calendar and diary are on their favourite techo gadget, but me … I like a printed calendar and a diary by my side at all times. And looking at the steady sales of calendars and diaries, I’m not alone.

These Colour Calendars will make sure your company or brand name are always on the horizon of your target market, or at least in sight when they need to order some new widgets.
Flare Calendars

For serious timetable planning a Filofax is the thing and this Filofax Pink Personal Organiser is just one of a range available from Procurement International at £19.65ex vat. Procurement International

Earlier, I did cite a penholder as an essential bit of desktop kit, but these penholders from Promotional Solutions double as a calendar, so they get two votes from me.
Promotional Solutions UK

USBs for data on the move
It seems you can’t have enough USB’s these days for storing data or moving it around with you.

Flashbay has launched two new USB drives that can be can be printed with your logo or brand message in full colour. The ‘Wafer Series’ USB card is an impressive 2.5mm thin, while the colourful Image Series has been designed to give maximum bang for buck – both available, custom printed, in 5 working days. Minimum order quantity from 25 units.
Flashbay

There are also some very cute USBs that we have featured previously in the news that I can’t resist reminding you of again.

Firstly, there’s the ‘People Range’ of USB flash drives from Calendar Lady Promotions that come in the image of a doctor, vet, policeman, secretary, jogger, construction worker, footballer, rugby player, business man and more. There’s also a ‘make-your-own’ facility, where you choose eyes, hairstyle and clothing to create your USB character.

They can be branded and are available in a range of memory sizes including 64MB, 128MB, 256MB, 512MB, 1GB, 2GB, 4GB and 8GB.
Calendar Lady Promotions

And for a bit of bling there is this Active Crystals USBs from EIC, a fusion of Philips’ technology and beautiful design from Swarovski. It features 1GB of storage, fast data transfer with USB 2.0, password protection and specialised software is included.

With the ability to share and store up to 250 songs and 1000 pictures, the Active Crystals USB key is ideal for personal, portable and powerful use and is beautiful enough to be worn as a personal charm.
EIC

Radio mouse USB
Everyone with a computer has a mouse on their desk, but not necessarily this stylish and sleek radio controlled mouse from Oldeani Ltd. It comes in three different colours (red, orange and blue) and the receiver can be loaded with memory so it can double up as a USB as well as a receiver for the mouse!!
Oldeani

Keeping it clean – organically
Pod Packaging’s newly launched Organic Screen Cleaning Kit is a practical and innovative promotional desktop accessory. Ideal for use on laptops, PC’s, PDA’s and much more!

This accessory pack contains an organic screen cleaning spray housed in a 25ml brushed aluminium container and is accompanied by a hard wearing yet delicate cotton cloth. It is presented in 12x6 cm zipped bags that provides a wealth of highly visible branding opportunities both inside and out and can be delivered in a stylish gift box with a branded lid if required.
Pod Packaging

From functional to fun
Now, we’ve covered a lot of must haves, so let’s look at some of the more fun items available, which can be just as effective at keeping your brand in the line of vision as the functional items are.

Solo, a leading supplier of quality silver and leather promotional and business gifts, specialises in the perceived value of the item. Many promotional products have no real or tangible retail value and if novelty desk items can be found on the high street at all, then their perceived value is low.

With silver-plated or leather promotional products, buyers have an idea of what the product should cost and they generally perceive it to be even higher than it really is. The Decision Maker Pen Stand combines classic styling with a modern electronic feel. Simply press the pen into the base to start the light spinning and see what it tells you to do! The Decision Maker Pen Stand can be engraved with a corporate logo or personalised message and is presented in a black gloss gift box, which can also be branded.
Solo Ltd

Sunbase has some amusing desktop items too. Take for instance the Quackler. MD John Wray says, “When you shake it makes a cackling noise that makes me smile. Used in moderation it’s amusing.”

Another way to get the attention of your fellow office-dwellers is the Bopple. Exclusive to Sunbase and patent pending the Bopple looks like a foam ball.
Inside is a dry-erase surface as well as a dry-erase marker. Scribble your message on the inside, launch it in the direction of a colleague and deliver your message in a unique way. My guess is ‘it’s your turn to make the tea’ is the most thrown message.
Sunbase

Who has what on their desk?
It’s all very well me telling you what the latest desktop gadget is, but what’s more important is what is in use out there and what’s popular. Ian Allchild, Fellow of the Institute of Sales Promotion and of the BPMA, says, “My favourite desktop accessory is a real boys toy. It's a metal racing car, which holds all my paperclips etc. It's something to play with while contemplating the next move. With stressed out execs vying for business, a novel stress relieving boy's toy would be top of my list every time.”

Paul Sung, our very own Sales Director, favours his show calendar mouse mat from the RSVP exhibition, which he says… “… is on my desk all year round and I use it every day. Great branding tool!”

He continued, “For a bit of style on your desk for 2009 - how about a silver plated memo pad holder?”
Business Gift Supplier

Paul Mason from Mitreprize, tells us, “Apart from my 500 million year old `anythingpromotional.com` natural slate coaster, my most useful desktop accessory is probably the USB cup warmer hub or the 7 in 1 card reader.”

Margot Parker, Board Director of the BPMA has a jewelled calculator gracing her desk, but she also confesses to “ … a small desk clock, numerous branded pens, post it pads, and a travel coaster which reminds me I would prefer to be somewhere warmer!!"

As for me, my favourite desktop accessory is a smart mug with my name on it … and of course the name of the donor … who shall remain nameless lest you should think I can be bought! I’ve got lots of other, probably more expensive promotional gadgets on my desk, but the one with my name on gets my vote!

Carole Bull
Editor

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