The promotional moral of this story is that if you're going to a pizza-making convention, you don't have to choose the pizza stress ball. The product you choose should be relevant and useful, but if you're creative, that doesn't have to limit you to a specific theme or type of product.

Scarves, headwarmers and mittens are perfect for the Midwest winter, especially at a trade show where attendees may be coming from warmer climates. They don't relate to search engine marketing, but a tagline about forecasting, being prepared, or looking out for you turns it into a marketing piece that conveys the company's value proposition.

Start with an open mind and be creative and you'll find lots of ways to use promos to get your message across. A great promotion doesn't have to be related to your specific industry or an office item because you're a B2B company. Promotional products are part of a greater experience, whether you're at an event, or it's part of a direct mail piece. How you leverage the unique aspects of the item within the greater context is what makes the item, and the promotion really stand out.