PROMOTIONAL PRODUCTS
STUART DERRICK takes some of the more common New Year’s resolutions and suggests how promotional merchandise can help kick start 2013...
A
fter last yearʼs bean feast of royal pageantry, Olympic achievement and great weather, 2013 has a lot
to live up to.
Some negative sorts have taken to referring to the new year as ʻempty 2013ʼ given the lack of focal points for marketing activity. Why, February alone marks the 60th anniversary of the end of sweet rationing, and the 30th anniversary of the invention of the quick release bike wheel. How much more excitement do you need? (Apart from a Royal baby! Ed.). We obviously canʼt have a Jubilee or Games every year, but we can start the year with an attempt to better ourselves and our businesses. And where thereʼs an ambition for self-improvement, thereʼs an item of promotional merchandise to provide some support. So letʼs take a look at some of the commonest resolutions and see how merchandise can help kick start the year. 1. Indulge less – an increasing number of people try and start every year with a month of no drinking. After the period of over-indulgence in the lead up to Christmas, itʼs usually no hardship to give your liver a vacation. You have to drink something though, so how about some of the old H2O. Fluid Branding can provide pure, still mineral water for conferences or start-the-year team motivational events. 2. Man up – as if January wasnʼt grim enough with no booze, no money and no prospect of sunshine for months, ʻtis also the season to get man flu. This year, resist it, or at least do your best to hold it at bay with Bio Labs range of brandable tissues and hand sanitisers. Bless you! 3. Get more business – think of Januaryʼs empty order books as less of a bloody nightmare, and more of a blank sheet upon which you can write your plans for world domination. The start of the year sees some of the industryʼs
major trade shows taking place – what better way to drum up some new business and seek out fresh inspiration. Dusseldorfʼs PSI exhibition has a bigger showing than ever from UK businesses, which will have their own hall this year. Elsewhere, Printwear & Promotion LIVE is taking place at the NEC on 24-26 Feb, and Juneʼs FESPA print show will include a promotional products section. 4. Get fit – the start of the year is also the time to brave the gym for the first time in 11 months. And if your body isnʼt in the best of shape, you can still promote an air of confidence by turning up with the right smellies. Touch of Ginger supply his and hers Urban Kits for the gym. The neat plastic containers have everything you need to freshen up after a workout, so you can look the business after what could be your one and only gym trip of the year.
5. Donʼt stress – lifeʼs little trials can be infuriating, but an uptight worker is an unproductive one, so why not take out your angst on something that canʼt answer back. A favourite is surely the eminently punchable piggy banker figurine – you might not be able to squeeze an overdraft out of him, but youʼll save yourself an ASBO from trying to enact the real thing. Novelty Products can provide a host of alternative stress toys, which make lightweight and mailable giveaways. 6. Recycle more – the earthʼs not going to save itself and the promotional industry has been a keen champion of products that help to reuse scarce resources. These days an array of products is available with impeccable environmental credentials. Suppliers like Everything Environmental can supply anything from unbleached natural cotton shopping bags to conference folders and pens, and keep your conscience clear.
7. Be more organised – thereʼs never a better time to get organised than at the start of the new year. There is nothing more galvanising than seeing the coming year mapped out in front of you in the form of a year planner, while a pristine new desk diary can provide a sense of purpose when you re-enter the cold and unwelcoming office on January 2. 8. Swear less – if like me, you resort to Anglo-Saxon language more than is strictly necessary, why not attempt to tame the excesses with a system of self- imposed fines collected in a money box. Watch the cash mount up as the air turns blue. And then donate the sum to a charity of your choice. 9. Recognise your staff – we all know that it looks like being another tough year for business. Itʼs the people in a business that make the difference, so as we call on them to go the extra mile for the company, make sure that their efforts are recognised. It really doesnʼt have to be about having a lavish incentive scheme in place. The best motivation can come from the boss giving a timely pat on the back to somebody and making sure that their colleagues know about their efforts. Merchandise can play its part too, whether itʼs a new desk tidy for everybody on the first day of the year, or an employee of the month mug, promotional items help to bond to team and provide a sense of common purpose. 10. Donʼt forget the treats – January doesnʼt have to be all about self-denial. Allow a little room for the odd treat for staff and clients. Sweet Temptations can anything from lollies and jelly beans to cakes and even ice cream, all branded and with room for a personalised message.
Hereʼs hoping that 2013 is a happy and prosperous year for you all.
| 66 | January 2013
www.printwearandpromotion.co.uk
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