When it is time each year to honor those hard-working and dedicated dads, it’s also a great time to identify those notable promotional products that guys gravitate toward. Here is a rundown of category-specific, Father’s Day-inspired promotional products that are particularly suited for men – those with children and without:
- Sports Fans: No matter what type of sports fanatic he is – from golf and tennis to basketball, football, and baseball, there are sports-themed promotional products that can represent his team and love of the game. These include everything from the tools of the trade to play that sport to sports gear to sports apparel. From actually playing the game to simply rooting the home team on, sporty dudes will love to receive something that shows their spirit.
- Exercise Buffs: For those guys who like to stay in shape, there are many branded products to choose from, including running gear, branded water bottles, MP3 holders, tachometers, and more. He can even enjoy his very own personalized towels, gear bags, or gear organizers so he can always be ready to go for a run, bike ride, or hike.
- Tech Heads: So many men are into gadgets and electronics, and with today’s ever-changing world of technology, there always seems to be something new to play with. Logoed products include MP3 players, digital cameras, computer accessories, USB drives, remote-controlled vehicles and more.
- Car Lovers: Guys typically love promotional products that’ll keep their car, truck, or van looking its best. Some great promotional auto accessories include air fresheners, floor mats, license plates and frames, vehicle covers, maps and map holders and travel mugs. Whether it is for his restored classic or his everyday commuter car, he will appreciate that you thought to make his trip more comfortable and stylish.
- The Head Chef: For those men who like to tap into their inner culinary master, gift some new tools of the trade: kitchen cutlery or appliances, an apron, or new recipe books that will inspire him to keep on dishing out those epicurean delights.
In Review
The main points from this blog post are:
- Guys enjoy a wide array of promotional products based on some favorite pastimes.
- From sports fans to exercise buffs, there are ways to enjoy and celebrate these hobbies with gear, clothing, and accessories.
- Most men are a gadget geek and techie at heart so give him something that will keep him busy for hours, especially if there are lots of bells and whistles to explore.
- Car nuts love anything that make his ride look better or that offers comfort and enjoyment while out for a spin.
- Men who love to cook love to be treated to anything that adds further enjoyment to this often passionate hobby.
The sweltering heat of the summer months calls for a more air conditioned form of apparel, which can be proffered from your pool of promotional products. Hot summer styles that’ll keep your customers, clients, partners and employees feeling cool while highlighting your brand are the order of the season.
Fashion-forward promotional products abound. Here are a few summer style staples that sizzle:
Sunglasses and Shades: It’s a bright idea to help your staff and customers shade their precious peepers with a chic or fun pair of sunglasses. Today’s trends in branded eyewear offer everything from those retro Ray-Ban-style black sunglasses and cat’s eye shapes to super cool designs that have fluorescent highlights or are outlined in a bright color like red or orange. There’s a style to coordinate with every outfit and, at a relative per unit low cost, you can ensure everyone receives stylish shades!
- Shirts: Whether the preference is a casual tee to a bit more structured polo style with a collar, cool and comfortable shirts are always a summer wardrobe staple. Coupled with their adaptability and economical price point, such shirts are a perennial promotional products favorite. Ever versatile, shirts are available in a wide range of colors and cuts to fit men and women of all shapes and sizes. Just as notable is that they can be embroidered or silk-screened with logos, images, and/or messages in many places, allowing your “body billboard” to be seen on the beach, at the golf course, and everywhere in between.
- Visors and Hats: Many summer outfits and activities can do with those finishing accessories – particularly hats that do double-duty by protecting your customers and employees from too much sun on their heads and faces. This summer fashion favorite can range from a visor that works on the tennis court or golf course to baseball-style caps that help those working or playing outdoors. Of course, your brand will be front and center on these promotional products for all to see.
- Flip Flops: It wouldn’t be summer without at least one pair of new flip flops for those more casual occasions. Today’s flip flop footwear comes in nearly any color as well as a dizzying array of patterns and even sole thickness. Some even bring the “bling” with luxury features like rhinestones or seashells. Even better is that your staff and customers are tracking your brand everywhere they go.
In Summary
Here’s a quick checklist of the promotional products you can offer that will expand your target’s warm weather wardrobe:
- Sunglasses minimize the brightness factor while upping the cool factor of the person behind those stylish shades.
- Practical, yet fashionable, t-shirts and polo shirts can go from casual to semi-professional and work well for most types of outdoor activities.
- A wide range of hats, caps, and visors are available to help shield the head and face from summer’s damaging rays.
- Flip flops are a shoe-in as a popular summer fashion item that allows you to promote your brand on-the-go.
The summer season offers a perfect opportunity to provide customers and prospects practical and timely items that will duly promote your business and keep your brand top-of-mind while they are out and about. Here are some perennially popular summer promotional products that your customers will enjoy as they try to beat the heat.
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With Mother’s Day just around the corner, it’s a fine time to start thinking about logoed merchandise that will particularly appeal to the ladies within your recipient base – and that will resonate with moms in particular. Here are some holiday-inspired, female-friendly logoed merchandise that blends practicality with indulgence and brand recognition to boot:
- Robes and Slippers: Most ladies love to slip into a plush microfiber robe or a kimono-style waffle robe and cozy slippers when lounging at home or while travelling. These embroidery-suited items will help them relax and make them feel as though they are at the spa all year through!Spa Kits and Mini Massagers: With so much on their plate, gals everywhere covet gifts that help them relax and unwind. Give her something she can pamper herself with like a brandable spa kit, which includes a manicure or pedicure set, or a mini massager that helps alleviate the tension. With these promotional items, she will be sure to take more than a moment to care for herself and will associate your brand with the enjoyable experience.
- Perfume Atomizer: Help women enjoy a favorite fragrance on-the-go with a personalized perfume atomizer. Engraving a silver or chrome-plated atomizer provides something personal that she will definitely love and regard as a keepsake for many years to come.
- Handbag Accessories: Any type of handbag accessory is practical promo merch that will help her stay organized and appreciative. And, the market is rife with such offerings – from a cosmetics compact for her touch-ups while she travels, to smartphone cases in lovely feminine colors, to purse hanger keychains that will keep her keys at-the-ready no matter how large, deep or full her pocketbook may be.
- Chocolate: Nearly every woman is sure to enjoy one of many decadent delights that may be imprinted with a company identity, including everything from large chocolate bars to sweet individually-wrapped nibbles.
- Florals: From luggage and tote bags to kitchen and office accessories, floral designs add a feminine and colorful touch to any promotional gift.
In Review
Here are the main points from this blog post:
- There are many great logoed merchandise gift ideas that will be sure to please women recipients.
- Treat her with comfort and luxury by giving her robe, slippers, a spa kit and/or mini massager. This way, she can relax and enjoy her day!
- Personalized products mean a lot, especially items like picture frames, photo albums, and perfume atomizers.
- Go practical with handbag accessories that keep the busy gal on-the-go organized.
With more concern and focus on health and wellness in the workplace, it makes sense to address the issue in your corporate logoed gifts strategy, whether the recipient be internal staff; current business partners, clients or customers; or would-be prospects. When customers and employees know you have their health at heart, it helps strengthen those bonds of loyalty and motivates them to continue working with you.
There is a wide array of health-minded corporate logoed gifts on the market today starting at extremely budget-friendly price points. We’ve done the heavy lifting to gather this quick list of some popular health and fitness-minded merchandise that can be branded with your logo:
- Pedometers track just how far a person can go with their exercising each day, including steps taken, distance walked, and calories burned. You may choose pedometers in different sizes – even those with wide screens for clearer viewing – and a wide range of colors to match your logo and company colors. Some pedometers even have extra features, such as BMI and body fat measurement functions to track progress on health goals.
- Heart Rate/Pulse Rate Watches help ensure that you keep your heart rate and pulse rate at a safe level when exercising and even when at rest. This can help a person better understand how their body is working to ensure they are exercising effectively and generally staying on track.
- Multi-function Exercise Sets provide a way to address many areas of the body that may need some attention with respect to physical fitness. As a gym-on-the-go, these sets make it easy to exercise anywhere, anytime plus it allows you to put your logo on more than one item! Typically, these sets include exercise items like a pedometer, jump rope, stretch exercise band, hand grip and sport towel. Other kits are also available for specific exercise or health interests like a walking enthusiast’s kit or a wellness kit.
- Individual pieces of exercise equipment also make good corporate logoed gifts, including such items as an exercise ball, jump rope, yoga mat and stretch band. Each of these is a great portable exercise tool that will help a person stay in shape at home, at the office and even on the road.
In Review
In summarizing some of the best ideas for health-oriented corporate logoed gifts, consider these options:
- Pedometers and heart rate/pulse rate watches all help a person track their progress on health and exercise goals, providing a way to celebrate any accomplishments and understand how much more needs to be done.
- Multi-function exercise sets help take an exercise regimen on the road or to the office while offering a way to undertake multiple types of exercises to address all parts of the body.
- Many types of individual exercise equipment are available to appeal to certain people’s preference for types of exercise, such as strength building, yoga, and cardiovascular exercise.
It’s said that we must endure those April showers to enjoy the full glory of spring flowers that signal the start of a fresh, bright season. But, traversing amid rainy weather can present its share of challenges. Here’s a list of popular promotional products designed to keep the recipient high and dry:
- Umbrellas – Whether you are considering compact retractable portable umbrellas, large diameter golf umbrellas, or stadium umbrellas, these popular promotional products are available in a wide range of sizes, colors, and logo options to make a bold and highly visible statement while offering shelter from the storm.
- Custom Rain Boots – These are a unique, functional, fashionable and comfortable way to keep shoes from getting sopping wet. You’ll be able to help your staff or customers keep their feet warm and dry in these brandable unisex rain boots that are easy to pull on and are designed with a cozy lining and buckle closures. The non-slip, flexible outsole helps maintain steady footing on those wet sidewalks and pavements. Your logo can be imprinted on these to ensure the wearer puts his or her best foot forward!
- Ponchos – These are popular promotional products that are practical because they can cover most of your outfit to keep you dry on a dash from the parking lot to your office building or during a downpour at your favorite sporting event. These usually include a hood and can be reused again and again. They are great to give out in multiples so your clients or employees have one to keep in their office, one that can stay in the car, and one to have at home. They are available in a spectrum of colors and can be easily imprinted with company names, logos and verbiage.
- Rain Coats – From windbreakers with detachable hoods to weatherproof jackets for men and women, everyone can use an extra rain coat to have on hand for a sudden downpour. These can also be imprinted with a large logo on the back or just a small feature on a pocket or lapel.
- Internet Weather Forecasters – Stay on top of the weather with this handy forecasting device with Internet-powered wireless capability. This technology can provide accurate weather forecasts for thousands of locations across theUnited States andCanada, including temperature and weather conditions like rain, wind, and sun. It’s good to know what weather is on the horizon so plans can be made and travel provisions packed accordingly.
In Review
Here are the main ideas from this blog post to keep in mind as you seek popular promotional products this spring:
- Popular promotional products during the spring season include those that can keep you dry.
- Umbrellas are a top pick as you can never have too many in different sizes and colors to keep in your handbag, backpack, car, office desk drawer or garage.
- Custom rain boots make a fashion statement while keeping you dry and warm.
- Ponchos and rain coats are two outwear favorites to protect clothing and keep you dry on those soggy days.
- Keep an Internet weather forecaster close by at home or the office to stay on top of sudden weather changes.
Source: Urban Line Apparel Trends.
Urban clothing lines are trending throughout the apparel industry. Every major brand now has a line that is featuring items influenced by the fashion world outside of the workplace. People’s lives are becoming more transient, travel has become easier and more efficient, and technology has made everything and everyone more accessible. We are also seeing a cultural movement within our professional relationships where people are connecting on a casual and personal level more often. We no longer have a separation of work and life, and with that, people are dressing in such a way that adheres to this new lifestyle. Professionals want to be comfortable yet well-dressed and these new lines of apparel are making that easier. We need our clothing to perform in all aspects of our lives. Active wear and specific fabrics are making this possible. These apparel trends started to pop up about six years ago in the apparel industry and with each season continue to evolve and become more refined.
Major brands are responding. We are striving to have less “stuff” and consumers are expecting the items we purchase to last longer and fit better. Fabric in these lines are more comfortable, well-made and customers are willing to pay the price for these luxuries. You’ll also notice patterns such as camouflage and regional trends such as pigment dyed are making a major statement. It is a very exciting time in the apparel industry as technology is making it possible for today’s clothing to wear better, look better and be more functional than ever before.
In the words of Nike, There’s Always Better!
We’ve all been to trade shows where we’ve been given bagfuls of promotional products by exhibitors that are designed to create goodwill and positive brand imaging which hopefully leads to a business relationship. Some of these giveaways capture our attention because of their uniqueness, quality and usefulness. Others are ‘circular filed’ before they leave the building. Therefore the challenge for those of you who exhibit at shows is: How do you choose a promotional product that has a long shelf-life, will be a lightning rod for attendees at the show and will simultaneously give your brand and marketing message maximum exposure?
The answer? Show that you C.A.R.E.
- Category? Pens, caps, bags, desk / computer items and drinkware represent over 40% of the promotional products industry. People use these products. The trick is to find an item within one of these categories that meets your standards for quality, creativity, usefulness and end user appropriateness. Avoid anything that’s perceived as ‘seen that done that’. Choose bright colors or unusual shapes and sizes to spark interest. Remember the goal: Select an item that your prospect will use and use often. Frequent use will lead to more impressions and greater brand awareness.
- Appropriate? You also want to consider audience appropriateness when choosing a promotional item. You probably wouldn’t give a fridge magnet to a CEO, a mouse pad to fishermen or a $1 tape measure to a professional builder. Similarly you will help the prospect connect your brand with the service you provide when you tie the item to your industry. Financial services companies often give away calculators, pens, pads and clocks; technology companies mouse pads, usb’s, keyboard and monitor cleaners; travel companies luggage tags, bags and passport wallets. If the item doesn’t have industry applications at least make sure it mirrors your image. Are you promising above average service, value or quality? Choose an item that compliments and doesn’t detract from the image.
- ROI? The key to developing an effective marketing and advertising strategy is to utilize best practices that maximize return on investment (ROI). To that end be aware that the average cost per impression of an ad specialty item is $.004 versus $.019 for newspapers, $.033 for a national magazine and $.019 for primetime TV1. In addition the recipient of a trade show give away has typically been prequalified by virtue of their show attendance making them a highly targeted prospect which will drive up the effectiveness of your campaign. If your giveaway accentuates your value proposition it will drive up your ROI further. If you claim to be a Mercedes or even a Toyota in your industry space don’t give out anything that reminds the recipient of a Pinto.
- Entertainment? In order to increase brand awareness an effective trade show give away must be functional, attractive, have longevity and whenever possible contain a fun factor. The ultimate goal is to create buzz, visibility and for prospects to positively engage. It’s working if you see ‘em smile….and a smile is your best referral source. At the very least the item must be useful. Usefulness means your brand, contact information and marketing message are being seen over and over by your target audience which increases the likelihood of them calling you to place an order.
Show that you CARE and you will reap a harvest of goodwill with prospects and clients and propel your brand to higher and higher levels.
With the New Year upon us, it is time to revisit those resolutions to get in shape and take better care of the body, mind, and spirit– and encourage your customers, employees and business partners in kind. To help those within your network achieve their wellness goals in the New Year while also increasing your company’s visibility, it’s wise to structure your upcoming branded merchandise campaigns around health, fitness, and beatify products.
Here we detail some of the top trends in health-related branded merchandise that’ll make the recipient feel good on the inside and out while concurrently achieving strategic promotional objectives:
- Yoga mats are very popular as the practice has rapidly increased in popularity for its ability to trim and strengthen the body while calm the mind and alleviate stress. As a branded product that you can give your clients and staff, there is considerable room to advertise your company thanks to the various mat styles and print customization options now available. Even better is when you can supply your clients and employees with a yoga mat that can be rolled into a convenient carrying bag with a handle, which provides a second place to get your company mark and message noticed with an imprint.
- Sports armbands for electronics have become more important as runners, walkers, and exercise enthusiasts rely on music or audio books to motivate them through their routine. Your clients and staff will love this convenient accessory where they can safely store their iPod or MP3 player while they exercise, keeping it clear of harsh weather elements as well as ensuring it doesn’t drop or get damaged.
- Fitness journals are being used more often to track progress, especially as more walkers and runners and weight lifters want to keep on top of what they have accomplished and set new goals to go farther or faster. Tracking your fitness accomplishments is certainly a great motivator to stay on track with those resolutions.
- Calorie/Fat/Carb counter guides are also a good way to stay on top of health goals in the New Year. It’s become so popular that even restaurants in some states must now publish their calorie and nutrition information, which makes it easier to track this information and manage dietary intake as a key factor for losing weight.
- Hand sanitizer continues to grow in popularity as more people seek to avoid germs in order to stay healthy. These branded merchandise bottles now come in all sizes, including those that go on a key chain or clip up to larger bottles for the desk or counter.
In Review
To summarize some of the popular trends in health, fitness, and beauty branded merchandise, here are some products to consider to help staff, clients and others achieve their New Year self-improvement goals:
- Yoga is hot for helping both the body and mind, so yoga mats and yoga mat bags are a well-loved promotional item.
- Sports armbands help exercise enthusiasts protect their electronics while they run, walk, and workout so they can remain motivated while they sweat it out.
- Fitness journals and food counter guides help to track progress on goals and stay on target with specific health and fitness goals or resolutions plus serve as motivators when it’s easy to see just how far a person has come!
With the New Year steadily approaching and as the holiday excesses weigh heavily on our minds and bodies, it’s time to start thinking about those annual resolutions to achieve a healthier mind, body, and spirit. To support clients or employees who seek to improve their diet, fitness and lifestyle regimens in the New Year, think about gifting healthy promotional products during the holidays and at the top of the New Year. Summer bathing suit season is yet another apropos time for healthy promotional products.
Gifting Fit with Healthy Promotional Products
When you want to treat your staff or clientele right and really have an impact on their life, give them branded merchandise that can improve their physical or mental health. Here is a roundup of some great healthy living logo products:
- Exercise Equipment: There are a slew of healthy promotional products to help boost fitness – everything from Pilates and exercise bands, pedometers, and towels, to yoga mats, pulse rate monitors, and drink bottles. All such items may be customized with a company name, logo, and other brand markers.
- Fitness Accessories: You can even offer fitness equipment and accessories designed to help get your clients and staff to the gym or to exercise at home. Popular items include duffel bags, drawstring bags, backpacks, motivational calendars, jump ropes and fitness journals to track progress.
- Good Health Gear: Numerous promotional products are also available to make living healthier an easy proposition. Whether it is a pocket first-aid kit, hand sanitizer spray, cookbooks, or a travel health kit or it is lip balm, pill cases, stress balls or bandage dispensers, there are a wide range of branded healthy lifestyle merchandise that can underscore your company’s health philosophy or just serve as a helpful reminder to take care.
- Safety Tools: Part of a healthy lifestyle is looking after one’s safety and security in these modern times. An array of safety-based promotional products are available, including flashlight key chains, health and safety awareness bracelets, first aid kits and safety clothing and gear. There are even healthy promotional products for kids that focus on safety like educational coloring and activity books.
There is a wide range of promotional products that are unisex, making the selection and ordering process even easier. In the end, with health-based branded merchandize your clients and employees will appreciate that you are looking out for their well-being.
In Summary
To summarize the ideas on what types of healthy promotional products are available for your employees or customers, these are the main points:
- There is a plethora of exercise and fitness accessories that can be branded with a company name and logo that help with exercise routines, staying hydrated, and looking great not to mention improving performance.
- Health accessories are valuable for improving mental and physical well-being.
- Safety should always be considered part of a healthy lifestyle, including education for younger ones.
- Clients and employees will appreciate that you are concerned about their physical and mental health.
