It’s hard to believe but we are approaching the fourth quarter of 2019 with all the power and fury of a hurricane. (Yes, it’s fall and we’re in Florida. We know about these things.) In the next few months, you’re going to hear about all sorts of predictions for 2020. You’ll hear about the hottest trends in marketing, customer experience, support, technology, and hundreds of things you absolutely must know about in order to be a successful business, right?
Well, we’re no different in that respect.
There are several trends that are impacting promotional marketing. And you do need to know about them because they mark a subtle shift that has been occurring recently.
We’ve talked about it a little on our blog but it’s something that’s changing in giveaways and you can thank experiential marketing.
In this article, you’re going t0 learn how experiential marketing is changing the promotional marketing business and what that means for giveaways and we’ll also share the top trends in promotional apparel according to ASI, the Advertising Specialty Institute.
What Is Experiential Marketing and Why Should You Care?
You undoubtedly have noticed how everything is becoming a bigger deal. For instance, first days of school pics (big push on social media with pre-printed chalkboards being held by less than enthused students), National Dog Day (canines parading around in crowns that their owners lovingly added to their favorite pics), conferences that have become interactive and immersive experiences for their attendees.
Everything is a big production.
There was a meme that was going around that featured a child-sized Harry Potter Castle treehouse. A set of grandparents lovingly had it built it for their favorite wizarding child. The caption of the photo was something along the lines of “Adulthood will be so dissatisfying.”
But we’re not condemning loving grandparents. We’re using this as an example of how everything is gearing toward creating an over-the-top experience.
That’s the thought behind experiential marketing.
Experiential marketing is a marketing strategy aimed at engaging the audience through participatory, hands-on interactions with the brand. Some experiential marketing is straight out of Hollywood, while others can be done with a slightly smaller budget. (Take a look at these examples.) But it’s something that is being used at conferences and trade shows by both exhibitors and event planners because it makes an impression on the audience and they remember you.
How Is Experiential Marketing Shaping Promotional Marketing?
So what do these interactive experiences have to do with the things you give away at conferences and trade shows? Plenty. Experiences have set the bar causing people to expect larger productions out of every aspect of the conference or trade show. You can’t have a giant immersive production and then hand out a sticker.
There’s a disconnect there.
You’re setting an expectation with your grand experience (or the event planner’s) and then giving a basic giveaway. With marketing, you want to provide a consistent experience in all aspects of your marketing. So if you’re participating in a conference, trade show, festival, or exhibition that values experiences, you need to take that further into your promotional marketing as well.
That doesn’t mean your giveaway has t0 be expensive but you do want it to be memorable and something that fits in well with your business’ branding. You want it to look like a natural piece of the pie, not something that was sh0ved in less second as an afterthought.
But if you want people to keep your promotional marketing pieces you need to do more than just match your selection to the experience.
Promotional Products that People Keep Are Utilitarian and/or Entertaining
If you want people to hold on to your promotional products to get the full value out of your branding and increase sales, you want to select something that is either utilitarian or useful and/or entertaining.
A “useful” product should be one that’s useful to your ideal audience, not a generic audience. For instance, an auto safety kit that contained flares, road caution signs, first aid items, and other road travel necessities is very useful…for car owners.
But if your ideal audience is young urban dwellers who bike to work, they may not even own cars. So keep your demographic in mind and do more than simply searching under “useful promotional products.”
The same holds true for what’s considered entertaining. What might be “entertaining” to a 20-something, might not hold the same appeal for an octogenarian. Make sure you tailor your selection t0 the audience you’re trying to attract.
Remember: there is no promotional marketing guidebook that says you need one promotional item per event. You can buy a variety to suit your different demographics. That way you can give them more of what they want. This is another trend that we can thank experiential marketing for–the expectation of a personalized experience, not just a common one.
One of the most useful promotional products you’ll find is apparel. We all need clothes, right? And if you spend some time considering the desired design and the style for your ideal demographic, they’ll likely keep the item for a long time. The best thing about apparel is that it advertises for you with each wearing. It’s not just something the recipient sees.
While apparel may seem like a category with limited selection, that’s simply not true. There are all sorts of choices that are perfect for your ideal audience. Plus, some of the apparel options come with lower minimums than you might expect.
So what types of apparel should you consider if you want the hottest styles? With help from the ASI List of 2019 Promotional Apparel Trends, we have some ideas for you.
Hottest Promotional Apparel Trends This Year
If you’re looking for some promotional apparel consider these hot trends:
- Leisurewear. This isn’t your grandpa’s jogging suit. We’re talking high-end pieces that can be worn to the gym or out with friends at night. There’s even a line of yoga pants you could get away with wearing at the office. People are looking for comfortable transitional pieces that can go everywhere they do without going home to change or bringing a change of clothes.
- Sherpa. This fluffy material offers the warmth of wool without the scratchiness. It’s soft like fleece but warmer so a lightweight jacket can go indoors or out.
- Quality. Attendees want quality. If they’re going to dedicate luggage room to bring it back from an event, they want an item they’re going to wear along the same quality lines of something they’d buy themselves. People have little patience for chintzy, see-through t-shirts these days. And quality is a good thing for you too because if someone is going to wear your branded apparel, you don’t want it looking cheap and giving a bad impression of your company unless you have a bare-bones reputation.
- Statement socks. There are entire stores dedicated to “statement socks.” These socks come in all colors, patterns, lengths, sizes, and textures. Run an air conditioning company, penguin socks are a fun giveaway. Own a pet grooming boutique? How about some chihuahua socks? And they don’t have to be giveaways. You can sell them too.
- Bills for everyone. Whether you’re a “youngster” who loves your hat bills flat or a “dad” (that’s the nickname for the hat style, not a comment on having children), there are hats out there to make everyone happy. Unless you serve only one age demographic, we would suggest getting some of both style and let your recipient choose the style they prefer. We don’t see a lot of crossover in this trend. You’re either a flat biller or a “dad” biller.
Want to know more about promotional apparel trends and must-buys? Check out our Quik Apparel Brochure or call us and we’d be happy to find you the perfect item.
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