Keeping up with the promotional trends can help ensure your product and brand safety. The standard promotional products such as t-shirts, USB drives, keychains, and pens will never seize to attract a potential customer. However, it’s 2017, and more people are looking for something new and exciting. Everybody wants “the next best thing,” and that includes promotional materials. Here are the best promotional product industry trends for this year.
Technology Is Key
The year is 2017, and technology is constantly changing and growing. More and more consumers are looking for technological products such as USB drives, phone chargers, headphones, and pen styluses. In addition, technology-related products are on a rise as well with things such as screen cleaners, laptop and phone cases, and money pouches for cellphones.
Quality Over Quantity
People notice the difference between a cheaper pen and a quality one. As more promotional material is put onto the market, the more imperative it becomes to have something nice to give to potential customers.
According to Cathy Houston of Delta Marketing Group, “Unsurprisingly, giving out cheap items says that your company didn’t put much time and effort into gifts for their clients or prospects.” Customers feel more value based on the quality of the promotional products. It shows the business takes pride and prosperity in all aspects.
Everybody Loves the Environment
More people than ever are “going green.” A report from The Green Industry supported that in 2013 nearly 71 percent of Americans have considered being more conscientious about the environment. In terms of promotional materials, more and more companies have been appeasing to the public with eco-friendly products, and it has been a success.
Things such as reusable lunch bags, water bottles, and bags see great success among consumer interest. Other eco-friendly promotional materials include recycled pens, paper products on post-consumer paper, and biodegradable products.
No More Work Clothes
Promotional apparel will never go out of style, but it may be time to consider a new, trendy look. Traditional polos are a thing of the past. More employees and customers are turning away from the professional look and are changing to more fun attire that they can wear both in the office and at home.
Garments with heathered fabrics are growing in demand in terms of promotional material. Heathered fabrics means it has yarn of different colors intertwined with the main color. These garments have a very unique look and quality which is why they are rising in popularity in 2017. Other styles that are becoming the latest trend are short sleeve sweatshirts. These are both extremely comfortable to wear at home and stylish enough to wear in public. “The goal is to have recipients of your logoed apparel want to wear your branded clothing based on their lifestyle – not work wear only,” says Houston.
These latest styles do not mean t-shirts, polos, hats, sweatshirts, and other promotional apparel is out of style, but adding to the collection will help generate new interest. As a final note, it is also important to use name brands when producing the apparel. Younger generations tend to appeal more to big name brands that make clothing.
Promotional products are seeing a subtle shift from tradition in 2017 as newer technology and styles emerge. People are more attracted to gadgets and accessories, eco-friendly products, and moving away from professional attire than ever before, and it is important that the promotional products industry keeps up with the changes.
