I love January! I’m always getting revved up for the New Year and, thankfully, so are my clients. One of the other January perks is that there are a number of promotional products shows and new product announcements going on.
So I’ve rounded up some of the hot new products and product categories to give you some ideas for your meetings and events in 2013:
- Going mobile. With a cell phone in just about everyone’s hands these days, mobile accessories are hot. In particular: texting gloves (especially for the winter), mobile phone holders and charging stations, and pens that double as smartphone/tablet styluses. As I’ve discussed elsewhere, unless you absolutely know what devices your attendees are using, steer clear of any device-specific promotions such as mobile skins fitted to a specific phone design. Otherwise you might have people rejecting your promotion altogether.
- Naturally green. I always try to steer clients toward more eco friendly promotional
products whenever possible which, in some ways, is getting much easier than when I started selling them about five years ago. Green attributes and materials are being built right into the normal offerings of many suppliers. So I don’t have to sell them as “green” products which often set off the “How much ‘green’ will this cost me?” alarms. As well, even if the product is not totally green in its manufacture, the green aspects of the product are being emphasized. For example, reusable mugs that are super durable have long-term use potential, thus delaying their inevitable trip to the landfill. The biggest shift is that green is no longer special, it’s a new normal. - “Chillax.” Following up on the green issues, there are more and more reusable water bottles making the scene. But these aren’t your typical white plastic bike bottles. No, these are fancy-schmancy contraptions that help keep cold drinks colder longer, are easy clean or even have ways to add fruit to make fruit infusions. There are also a number of entries for imprinted cooling headbands and packs that help lower your body temperature or reduce muscle pain. Great for those summer golf outings.
- Shiny objects. Attention girlie girls and organizations that cater to them! Bling is the thing for promos. Mobile accessories, T shirts, lanyards even mugs which would be ideal for female-focused events.
- Sanitation nation. Anti-bacterial and sanitizing products continue to be hot new entries. Yes, there are even anti-bacterial pens in addition to the traditional hand sanitizer bottles, sprays and wipes. If you are hosting events during flu season or that focus on health or healthcare, these are good promo choices.
products whenever possible which, in some ways, is getting much easier than when I started selling them about five years ago. Green attributes and materials are being built right into the normal offerings of many suppliers. So I don’t have to sell them as “green” products which often set off the “How much ‘green’ will this cost me?” alarms. As well, even if the product is not totally green in its manufacture, the green aspects of the product are being emphasized. For example, reusable mugs that are super durable have long-term use potential, thus delaying their inevitable trip to the landfill. The biggest shift is that green is no longer special, it’s a new normal.Happy New Year everyone!
