Tag: promotional items

Promotional Items to Consider in 2013

When people think of promotional items, they think of popular items such as t-shirts and tote bags. And while the most popular promotional items in 2013 continue to be fashion accessories such as clothing and sunglasses, as well as functional items such as water bottles and tote bags, the landscape for promotional items in 2013 is changing. Although these items will continue to have prominence in 2013, they all have a modern spin.  Therefore, promotional companies have to adapt to the new year by offering fresh and innovative versions of their old products.

promotional items trends
photo credit: Rice and D via photopin cc

Tote Bags

One promotional item to consider in 2013 is the tote bag. Tote bags continue to grow in popularity because of their lightweight design and versatility. Also, environmentally conscious consumers like tote bags because they replace several plastic bags by being stronger and having a higher capacity. Tote bags can have many uses, including being used as a purse, grocery bag, or lunch bag.

One very popular tote bag for 2013 is the BYO lunch bag. BYO lunch bags are tote bags made of neoprene, a soft and stretchy fabric. One reason they are popular is that the bas are insulated in order to maintain the temperature of the items inside.  BYO lunch bags are also popular because they are environmentally friendly.

Water Bottles

Water bottles appeal to everyone because we all need water to survive. One reason water bottles are popular is because buying plastic water bottles at the store becomes expensive when done on a consistent basis. Therefore, reusable water bottles are popular because they save people money while being ecofriendly. While water bottles are still popular, new designs are beginning to arrive on the market. CamelBak water bottles and tin canisters are replacing old-fashioned plastic water bottles. Promotional water bottles appeal to people because they can be ecofriendly, fashionable, and thrifty at the same time.

Sunglasses

Who doesn’t love a new pair of sunglasses? Sunglasses are fun promotional items that are bound to please everyone. Today, sunglasses are used for much more than protecting your eyes from the sun. In addition to protection, sunglasses have morphed into fashion accessories. Stores have sprung up that specialize in selling designer sunglasses. Therefore, sunglasses make for great promotional items because there is a huge market for them.

Multifunctional Items

We live in a society where everyone has to double task. Also,smart phones have imbedded the notion that everything has to have multiple purposes. If everything has multiple uses, shouldn’t promotional items go with the trend? One popular option is the keychain. Keychain are great promotional items because they are small, fairly inexpensive to make, and can be transformed to have more than one use. Key chains can have many uses from bottle openers to flashlights.

Clothing

The last promotional item to focus on in 2013 has been a popular item for a long time. Clothing still stands as one of the bestselling promotional items for many companies. However, the standard t-shirt doesn’t cut it anymore. Many organizations want to custom label nontraditional clothing items, including cardigans, jackets, and watches. Companies that only offer custom t-shirts should focus on offering nontraditional clothing items for the new year because of its growing popularity.

About The Author: Sharon Greenwood works in the marketing and advertising arena. She reviews and writes about marketing companies like paragonpromotions.com. In her free time she enjoys swimming and spending time with her 2 dogs, Betsy and Ralph.

Using Promotional Gifts in Your Marketing – Five of the Best

One of the best ways to create a positive brand impression is to hand out custom promotional items to your long term customers, or to people that visit your booth at trade shows.  You don’t have to spend a fortune on promotional items.  In most cases, your clients will appreciate even a small gift as a token of appreciation for their long term custom.  If you’re not sure what sort of gift is appropriate, check out the following ideas:

promotional items
Promotional items - ready to go!

1. Memory Sticks

This is probably one of the most useful promotional presents.  You can never have too many memory sticks.  A small memory stick with your logo on it won’t cost you a lot of money, but the recipient will appreciate it.  It will end up in their jacket pocket or laptop bag, and will probably get passed around the office as a handy way to transfer files.

2. Branded Mugs

People love branded mugs.  They’re another one of those promotional presents that falls into the “you can never have too many” category.   No matter how many branded mugs are already floating around the office, if you send a couple out to your best clients, they will end up getting used for many years to come.  The general rule for most offices I’ve ever worked in is: the more mugs there are in the office, the less often the washing up will get done.

3. Mouse Pads

Mouse pads are always handy.  They may not get used in the office, but people will take them home to use in the study.  Or, they might store them and pull them out when someone spills coffee on one of the old ones.  People will appreciate a mouse pad as a promotional present, and they’re a nice one to consider because they’re flat, not particularly fragile, and easy to send in the post.

4. Branded Keychains

Branded keychains are small, inexpensive, and useful.  Especially if you can make them dual purpose – for example, a keychain flashlight or bottle opener.  There’s a good chance that the recipient will clip it on to their keys right away, so your brand will always be in their pocket.

5. T-Shirts

For some companies, t-shirts make brilliant promotional gifts, but for others they’re not such a great idea.  If you work in an entertainment related industry, people will love getting promotional t-shirts, especially for a product that is either new, or not yet released.  That sort of promotional present is one that people will wear with pride.  The same is true for the sports industry – having a team t-shirt, or one with a supplement maker’s logo on it, is something that impresses a lot of people.

If you’re in a less glamorous industry, people might not think like that.  Before you order 500 t-shirts with your company logo on them, stop and think for a moment.  Would you wear one of those on a night out?  If not, would you even wear one to the gym?

Image: ingermaaike2 / Flickr