W ithout being aware of it, most employees are engaged in a daily brand-building exercise for organisations other than their own. Perhaps it's a desk calendar from a supplier. It might be the freebie pen you're writing with, the mug you're drinking coffee from, a logo-embossed diary or even the USB memory stick you use on your computer.

Offices are awash with corporate freebies - the promotional merchandise market is worth £1.2bn in the UK and $18.6bn in the US - and companies are seeking new ways to stand out from the crowd.