Parade promotional products deliver sweet success

Think beyond candy this summer event season

By Carrie Kramer

Summer is prime time for community events. From parades to festivals to cultural celebrations, these gatherings aren’t just beloved—they’re important. Local events help people feel connected to their communities opens in new window and proud of where they live. Parades, in particular, offer organizations a meaningful opportunity to roll their brands and messaging past thousands of neighbors. 4imprint customers I-57 Roofing opens in new window and Fort Hays State University’s Department of Advanced Education Programs opens in new window offer recipes for success this season. By handing out memorable parade promotional products—instead of sticking only with candy—you can boost awareness, differentiate your brand and leave an impression that lasts long after the floats have rolled by.

I-57 Roofing nails the balance of fun and function

Promotional products for parades catch their attention

For many small businesses, community connection is critical. That’s the case for I-57 Roofing, a commercial and residential contractor based in Arcola, Illinois. Last year, the I-57 Roofing team took part in three small central Illinois community Fourth of July parades—including one in the village of Arthur, where co-owners David and Marcus Yoder grew up.

76%

of people have looked up the brand
of a promotional item they'd received
Source: ppai.org

I-57 Roofing employees approached each event with the goal of raising brand awareness. Not only did they want to get as many eyes on the logo as possible, but also the team came stocked with promotional products to help brand interactions resonate. It’s a smart strategy, given 76% of people have looked up the brand opens in new window of a promotional item they’d received.

“Every roofing company in town participates in the parades,” said Daniel Birky, office manager. “So there is a little bit of a rivalry with them. You need to be in the parade if you want to be seen—and that’s why we like to toss items to the crowd.” Memorable parade favors can help your brand stand out from the competition.

In all, I-57 Roofing employees and families made an appearance in 10 company trucks split among the three events. Along with candy, the parade teams gave out foam footballs, flyers and Koozie^® magnet can coolers. The items were chosen to connect with the all-ages crowds lining the streets. “The can coolers were a big hit with the adults,” said David Yoder, co-owner. “As far as for the kids, the flyers and the footballs were the favorites.”

Catch the fun—candy-free parade promos

Birky said there are four qualities they look for in parade promotional products: durability, affordability, visibility and fun. “Hands down, my favorite item to throw out at parades are the flyers because they check all four boxes,” he said.

The parades allow the I-57 Roofing team to remind communities they’re an option the next time roofing services are needed. The promotional items, meanwhile, offer that reminder again and again. “Last summer I was going through one of the city parks and saw some kids out playing with a flyer,” Yoder said. “Come to find out it was an I-57 flyer. That was really cool to see.”

Practical promos put brand awareness on repeat

Advanced Education Programs’ strategy earns high marks

Another organization that understands the brand-elevating potential of parades is the Advanced Education Programs department at Fort Hays State University in Kansas. It’s important for the department to promote its offerings—which include advanced teaching degrees, education specialist degrees and nondegree licensure programs—to the broader community. And the university’s homecoming parade is the perfect opportunity.

“It’s a very big event here in town,” said Mary Cooper, senior administrative assistant. “The entire town pretty much shuts down for it.” While the parade is a university event, it’s a whole-community gathering. Participating along with student organizations, homecoming royalty and the marching band are local businesses, clubs and nonprofits.

Cooper said 2025 was the first year Advanced Education Programs joined the festivities. The department is under new leadership and has a renewed emphasis on raising awareness. To give the brand a boost during the parade, employees and their families drove classic cars or walked the parade route carrying banners. Team members gave out candy, as well as erasers imprinted with the university and department logos.

From parade day to school day

An eye-catching neon yellow was chosen so the erasers would stand out. Once they caught people’s attention, their practicality gave them staying power. That’s key, as 57% of people say they’ve recently kept a promotional product opens in new window because it was useful in their daily lives. “The erasers are something that students can use in school,” Cooper said. “They are an advertisement that goes on and on.”

The erasers served as an affordable way to increase visibility. Giving erasers might seem like a small gesture, but every bit of brand awareness helps. “We really believe in what we do here,” Cooper said. “We educate educators, and that trickles down and affects students. We want people to know that this is a local and very affordable place to get a quality education, and we’ve been trying to do a better job of getting the word out.” Giving memorable promotional items at the homecoming parade accomplished exactly that.

Parade promotional items: Hand out to stand out

I-57 Roofing and the Advanced Education Programs department at Fort Hays State University know the power of thoughtfully chosen parade promotional products. Unlike candy alone, they’re more than a short-lived thrill—they build familiarity, inspire conversations and deliver lasting visibility.

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