It’s that time of year again when we take out our magnificent crystal ball and gaze into what trends will be big in the upcoming year. This year is a big one with a zero at the end. We have a brand new decade ahead of us. Plus, we’re finally back into a decade that in the future we will be able to refer to as “back in the twenties.” We haven’t been able to do that since the 90s.
Think about it.
If you are looking to order some new promotional materials in 2020, these are the trends you should be watching.
A Note About Promotional Marketing Product Trends
Before we cover the hottest things in 2020, it’s important to remember one thing. Promotional marketing materials will always be the most effective if they’re well-matched to your ideal audience.
If any of the trends we’re mentioning are not suited for your ideal audience, please don’t order them. Even if you think they’re cool and want to be a part of the coolest swag trends at your event, if your audience doesn’t think they’re cool those items won’t help you convert a sale or improve brand recognition.
If you’re simply giving the item as a gift–with no business goal behind it–then it’s not essential to align your swag with your ideal customer. But assuming you have a business goal behind your promotional materials, it is extremely important that you consider your ideal audience and what their interests are when selecting the item.
Having said that, let’s take a look at the hottest trends in promotional swag for 2020:
Unicorns, Sloths and Llamas
Okay, so this trend really hit in 2019. Unicorns, sloths, and llamas are everywhere. In 2020, the unicorn, sloth, llama trend is going to be more tongue and cheek. Swag with these animals on it is meant to be funny. So if your ideal audience enjoys the laugh, this could be a good choice. However, if your ideal audience is older and doesn’t understand the irony and urban slang behind being called a unicorn, you may want to reconsider. Either avoid it entirely or use it in limited amounts when you are appearing in front of a young crowd.
Avocados and Tacos
No, we don’t mean giving out the actual food. Alth0ugh you could and it would be yummy.
Another big trend in swag, similar to the animal trend above, is avocados and tacos on everything. From burrito blankets to avocado t-shirts, these food items have a brand and appeal most of us can only wish for. Again, there’s humor behind using these items in your company swag. If your audience doesn’t appreciate that you want to find something else.
Healthier Living Items
Just as athleisure clothing was all over the runways this year, healthier living gadgets are an incredibly popular trend in swag. From pedometers to smartwatches, yoga mats to water bottles that measure your consumption, helping your audience make healthier choices is becoming a growing trend in promotional products.
The nice thing about this trend is that a lot of events are similarly focused. Conference and convention planners are now looking for ways to provide healthier options to attendees. Swag of this kind would fit in perfectly with that theme.
Green Items
Along with healthier living, many people are looking for ways to save the environment. Swag in these cases is one of the first things on the chopping block. People don’t want wasteful things.
That’s why it’s even more important now to ensure that your swag is closely aligned with the desires of your ideal audience. If they like it, want it, or need it they won’t think of it as junk. However, if they don’t, they may see you as frivolous and not caring about clutter. If minimalism is important to your ideal audience you need to take note of that.
Instead, consider giving things you know they will use such as a utilitarian item or a food item. We also have things that’re made from recycled materials or serve a secondary purpose. For instance, we offer business cards that can be planted to grow flowers once they’re no longer needed.
Gifts
Personalization has been a big trend in marketing for several years now. People want to feel like you’re speaking directly to them. They want you to understand their needs and desires. Swag is no different. Now instead of getting cookie-cutter swag that you give to everyone, innovative companies are looking for ways to give gifts, not swag.
But how do you give a gift to 200 people at a trade show? You’re not actually selecting a gift with the same scrutiny you would if you were giving it to your best friend. But the promotional marketing items that are the hottest right now appear to be more individualized items, not things ordered in bulk. That doesn’t mean you don’t order the items in bulk. It just means that they shouldn’t appear to be bulk items but individualized gifts. For instance, instead of keychains in a variety of colors, companies are providing attendees with a choice between several giveaways, ensuring they get what they want.
Since this can add cost to your giveaways, some organizations are choosing to save these items for the people they have more meaningful discussions with. You may give a cheaper promotional item to everyone who walks by the booth and give these nicer gifts to those you spend some time talking with.
Solution-based Challenges and Courses
Another hot trend in promotional items is not an actual physical tchotchke. Some businesses research a problem their audience has and creates a “challenge” around solving that problem. For instance, a cookware company make create a 30-day clean eating challenge complete with recipes delivered to the participants’ inbox on a daily or weekly basis. The businesses create these challenges in return for an email address. They continue to market to them through that connection.
Some businesses may not be a good fit for a 7-day or 30-day challenge. So they may opt to create a course instead. For example, a marketing agency may create a course and how to launch and begin populating a blog. At the end of that course, it may have a call to action to request additional information from the creator. Sometimes the course is provided for free with the only payment being an email address.
In order to ensure your trade show attendees remember this generous offer, you need to either sign them up immediately while they’re in your booth or send them home with your business card. You can also create a brochure with a QR code for easier access to all the information about your offering. Again, if you’re worried about waste, you can create this item on recycled paper or something that is biodegradable or edible
Solving for Stress
Sure, stress balls have been a popular swag giveaway since the dawn of the trade show. But companies are now doing more than just providing cute little objects to squeeze. Stress, overscheduling, and the inability to find work-life balance are becoming pervasive problems in our society. Some companies have stepped up to help with that by offering solutions to their employees and their customers. A hot trend in swag is items that help to solve productivity problems or provide an escape or a stress-free experience for recipients.
2020 is bound to be a big year. If you want to remain in the forefront of innovative processes for your company that means being innovative and trendy with swag as well. These seven trends can help you select an item that is ideal for your customers.
If you’re reading this and you’re still not sure what to choose, we can help. Call Think Quik today.
Leave a Reply