Our customers are always asking us for creative ideas and the hottest promotional product trends. They want something that will help them stand out when they attend trade shows and host events like golf tournaments.
When I attend shows I’m always keeping an eye out for manufacturers who offer something new. From what I’ve seen over the past couple of events and what appeals to audiences, these are the hottest promotional product trends for 2016:
Usable Items
No one wants to invest money in a tchotchke that will find its way to a drawer or under a child’s bed. Usability is the key to having an effective giveaway and we’ll see more and more products that are created to be used and not just sit. Practical items will be snatched up quickly.
“No Way!” Recycled Items
Recycled items are hot, hot, hot! Whether it was made out of bottles or old tires, the harder it is to believe that simple item was made out of something totally different will have people grabbing for these goods just so they can tell friends and co-workers, “You’ll never believe what this is made out of!” Bonus that recycling is good for the environment.
Personalized Giveaways
Blame it on social media, or the way marketing’s being done now, but everyone wants a personalized experience in everything we do. Cookie cutter is so 1999. A one-size fits all promotional item will begin to lose its luster and we’ll see companies offering more personal items based on customer preferences. After all, a promotional item is only as good as how often it’s used or displayed. Staying top-of-mind is critical to your marketing’s success.
Power Up
Due to expanding cloud storage dropping the cost of keeping your data secure, USBs are no longer the must-have’s the used to be. Sure they’re nice but after a while it’s hard to remember what documents are on what USB drives. 2016 will continue to see these become less useful (except with the older, less techie demographic who don’t want things in the “cloud”). Power is taking its place. All sorts of power from solar power-ups to multi-charging devices, one of the greatest problems facing today’s consumers is the idea they could be without a charge.
2016 is bound to be an exciting year. Isn’t it time you start tying your promotional item into your larger marketing strategy?
Giveaways should enhance your brand and marketing efforts. If you’re lost on how to do this, give us a call because we can help.
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