The Promo Column New under the sun


What did the Romans ever do for us? Well, apart from the aqueducts, sanitation, education, the roads, and wine, they also gave us promotional merchandise. Curious? Find out more with Stuart Derrick, promotional products commentator.


museum, Colchester Circus Centre, dedicated to Britainʼs only-known Roman circus.


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While looking around this fascinating place, I happened upon a replica glass beaker in one of the display cases. The original is in the British Museum, but this little item shows how our ancestors were not so very different from us.


When not betting on the chariot races and nibbling on bag of larks tongues, they would buy memorial trinkets as a reminder of a nice day out. The beaker featured has lovely images of the horses and chariot drivers and even the names of some of those taking part. It records that the charioteer Cresces beat his opponents Hierax, Olympaeus and Antilochus. Go Cresces!


It just goes to show that thereʼs nothing new under the sun. Well, apart from 3D printing, delivery drones, self-driving vehicles, artificial intelligence, and space tourism. But you know, what I mean.


Innovation


At a conference I attended recently, one of the speakers put a new slant on innovation. He said that many companies wasted so much time making perfect the enemy of good, that they ended up missing the main chance. His point was that there are so many great ideas out there, that sometimes itʼs better to just copy what someone else has done.


Glasses, for example, are still a big promotional item centuries after the Romans went home. Brands like Stella Artois, Coca-Cola and Tropicana have all


ear with the history lesson for a moment. This was news to me too until a visit to my local


given away thousands of branded glasses in promotions to boost their sales and brand equity. If itʼs good enough for brands of this stature, then why not others? Of course, itʼs not always a great idea to copy somebody else. McDonaldʼs has been giving away free toys with its Happy Meals for years. However, when M&S recently tried the same tack with cute little toy versions of its products as part of its Little Shop campaign, it was slammed as dishing out ʻplastic tatʼ. The company, whose Plan A environmental campaign aims to make it carbon neutral, is actually encouraging customers to share the toys when children tire of them, or even bring them back in-store, and they will be recycled into playground equipment. Will this stop the haters? I think we can guess the answer. One company that has its finger on the environmental pulse is Nexus Collections. A great example of think global, act local, the company has seen a significant increase in enquiries and confirmed business from Canada, Mexico and the US. New business enquiries totalling nearly 20,000 of its environmentally friendly conference bags have been received during the last quarter from major events in North America. These include significant orders for delivery into Europe on behalf of US clients.


The growth in international business reflects Nexus Collectionʼs ongoing focus on creative solutions to international shipping, which ensures all products, whether conference bags or conference gifts, arrive fully branded and on time, no matter the location.


Global consciousness Thereʼs more global consciousness from our friends at Sow Easy, who take an active approach to creating a better tomorrow. It claims that its seeded products not only encourage flower and herb planting, but help to deter consumers from plastic promotional products. Apparently, July 10 was ʻDonʼt Step on A Bee Dayʼ (no, me neither), and Sow Easy reminds us that dedication to the preservation of bee populations is something that we can all contribute to, not least through its lovely Bee Mix Seedball Matchboxes.


Each Seedball Matchbox contains six easy-to-grow wildflower Seedballs. The seed varieties within these Seedballs have been carefully selected, as they are each especially sustainable for, and a favourite of, bees.


The Roman glass beaker www.printwearandpromotion.co.uk Perhaps the best thing about Seedballs is


Sow Easy’s Bee Mix Seedball Matchboxes


that they require no gardening skill. The balls simply have to be scattered on soil, in a garden, or pot and nature is left to do the rest. As the seeds are inside a clay ball, they are naturally protected against predators and more.


Each Seedball Matchbox comes outfitted with a fully brandable label with a print size of 51x51mm which covers the top (34x51mm) and one side (14x51mm). While youʼre out in the garden messing about with your balls, it can be a devil of a job to check your mobile phone. Weʼve all been there, squinting at the screen trying to read work emails out of doors, and completely unable to read a thing. What can you do?


Firebrand Promotions’ smart umbrella


Well, those merchandise ninjas at Firebrand Promotions has the answer in the shape of its smart umbrella, a tiny brolly that clips to the top of your phone and provides shade to allow you to go about your mobile business. The umbrella can even be clipped to a tablet or laptop to ensure that out of doors doesnʼt mean out of touch. And, just like its full-sized brothers and sisters, the baby brolly can be branded to ensure it makes a lasting impression. What was I saying about there being nothing new under the sun?


August 2019 | 75 |


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