Tailgating is one of the few promotional environments where the item gets used within about ninety seconds of being handed over. That immediacy is the whole opportunity — and it means anything that does not have a job in a parking lot is dead weight.

Can coolers are the currency

Collapsible koozies rank at or near the top of every tailgating list. They are cheap, they are used instantly, they go in a pocket, and people genuinely collect them by team and venue. If you buy one item, buy these — and buy more than you planned, because they walk.

Team colour beats brand colour

An item in the team’s colours gets used in the lot; the same item in your corporate palette goes in a bag. If you are a sponsor, accept that being on a piece of team-coloured kit is worth more than a brand-accurate item nobody carries. Get the Pantone from the team rather than matching by eye — supporters notice.

Buy for the season

Home games repeat, so one order covering the whole season lands in a better price break than buying game by game, and avoids paying setup charges four times. Keep the artwork undated so a slow-selling game’s stock carries to the next one.