Choosing an Imprinted Promotional Calendar to Advertise your Business: Three Types of Calendars

The months of September, October and December are the top months for ordering customized promotional calendars, including holiday calendars. This is because November, December and January are the prime months for distributing imprinted business calendars to customers and clients.

Calendars are one of the most effective promotional products that any business can invest in.  They get used more than any other promo.  Not only do they get used, they are almost always placed in a position of high visibility and prominence.  Since they are consciously looked at regularly, your business information will register on the user's mind every time he or she glances at it.

Customized promotional calendars should be a part of every business' annual holiday advertising campaign.  Even if you use other types of promos or other means of advertising throughout the year, calendars are an important supplement to your advertising efforts.

If you haven't already, you'll quickly discover that there are three major types of customized promotional calendars.  Understanding what they are, and also identifying your advertising objectives, will help you decide which type to invest in.

1) Wall calendars: They are the most common type, and you'll probably find at least one of these in every household in North America.  Wall calendars are so-named because they are meant to be displayed on a wall. 

For this reason, they are usually larger in size. Most are typically between 9 inches high and 12 inches wide when folded closed, though this may vary.  (Mini-size wall calendars are also available.)  They are meant to be prominent and visible.  They may be spiral bound, secured at the fold with staples, or come in "tear away" format.

It is this very visibility that makes them such an overwhelmingly popular choice.  Families and home owners refer to them frequently, often using them to note important birthdays, meetings, appointments and events.

Choosing a wall calendar is a sure-fire way to get your business information prominently displayed in the homes and offices of your customers and potential clients.  If a majority of your customers are average home owners, have families or are students, wall calendars are an ideal choice for advertising your business.

2) Desk calendars: You'll find two major varieties of this style.  The "tent-style" desk calendar is generally smaller, so that it fits easily on a desktop without crowding precious space.  It folds into a "tent" so that it stands on a flat surface, much like a standing picture frame.

The second type is flat, like a placemat.  They are designed to rest prone on the surface of a desk and function much like a placemat.  Other things can be placed on top of it, if needed.

Desk calendars are used most often in office settings.  They may be the best choice if you cater largely to offices, or if most of your clients are business people.

3) Pocket calendars: As their name implies, this type is smaller and meant for carrying one one's person.  They typically fit conveniently in a pocket, purse, briefcase or backpack.  They are designed to be for personal use, unlike wall calendars which are generally for the use of an entire household.

Pocket calendars aren't as popular as they once were due at least in part to the advent of the personal communication device or personal digital assistant.  Most of these have built-in calendar features with the convenience of being portable, and so have replaced many of their paper-version cousins.  However, pocket calendars are still a great choice, especially for "niche" businesses.

Pocket calendars are also available in "planner" form.  Planners are extended calendars, with larger spaces for each date for the logging of appointments, events, meetings, etc.  Some even include lines denoting all 24 hours of the day for at-a-glance appointment management. They are widely used by students, and by many business executives who prefer hard copy to PDA-style calendars.