Promotional Products
Old and new ideas can both do a job P
With summer a fast receding memory, it’s time to focus on the months ahead. Promotional products commentator Stuart Derrick explains further.
romoters are now looking towards the golden quarter, that time when fortunes are made or broken. With so much at stake in the run up to Christmas, itʼs handy to know where to best invest your merchandise pound. Luckily, our good friends at Outstanding Branding have undertaken some research to find out what works. The research can probably best be summed up as, itʼs best to play it safe. In a survey of 1,000 people, Outstanding Branding asked what people had on their desktops, which is as good a guide to whatʼs popular in merchandise as anything. The results are hardly surprising, but demonstrate the virtues of giving people what they want. The top five most common desktop items were pens, mugs, calendars, mousemats and USBs. Presence is one thing, but a follow on question about what items were kept the longest indicates that three of the top five most common items had the best shelf life, with the items kept for at least a year being USBs, mugs, umbrellas, clocks and pens.
Commonplace vs. novelty Iʼm as guilty as the next person of chasing novelty, but it seems that sometimes the commonplace has the greatest cut through, especially if you tweak it, or target a market that might be less familiar with the item. New snack brand Hippeas has ambitions to be the next big thing in good for you snacking. The brand is made from organic chickpeas, is low in calories, high in protein, and, as the name suggests, has a modern take on the hippy ethic of being right on and cool to the planet and others.
Although its ambitions are big, Hippeas
is building from the ground up, so there are no big ad budgets yet. Instead, it has ploughed its money into hiring a top branding agency, JKR, to produce a look and tone of voice of the brand, that is big, bold and memorable. The brand is also showing a touching faith in the power of merchandise. It has produced a range of items that use the brandʼs funky pop art look to attract the attention of its target millennial market.
As well a button badges and patches (remember them?), Hippeas has produced a number of simple products that have been so popular with customers, that they may end up being produced for retail. A simple tote bag with the slogan ʻIʼm a Hippeaʼ had social media frantic with followers anxious to find out where they were available, while a denim, draw string duffle bag sent folks equally crazy. All of which goes to show that you donʼt need huge amounts of money to attract attention, just smart design and a bit of imagination.
Producing opportunity Thatʼs not to say that newness doesnʼt produce opportunity. The new £5 note has recently been released, featuring the indefatigable image of Winston Churchill on it. This isnʼt the only change as the new fiver is made of plastic to make it tougher and longer lasting, although probably no less easy to spend. Another difference is that the note is 15% smaller than the old note – shops and banks are facing a £236m bill to recalibrate their ATMs and automatic tellers. It also begs the question of whether weʼll need new promotional wallets, or will our declining dependence on cash mean that promotional wallets go the way of tax disc holders – oblivion.
3D engraving from Crystal Galleries
Awards season One thing that hasnʼt changed is that autumn is awards season, as the great and good of British business look to recognise and reward the achievements of those in their industries. So itʼs timely that trophy specialist Crystal Galleries is taking 3D engraving to the next dimension. A technology upgrade means that the technique, which is a real show stopper, according to Crystal, can now produce even higher quality items. The company can now recreate more complex objects such as engines and buildings alongside more traditional crests and logos. This can be done within a week in most cases, compared with longer time frames in the past. A further neat piece of tech innovation comes courtesy of Macdonald Fyne. Its anti-gravity phone case allows users to go hands free in many situations. Donʼt bother about finding a willing snapper to take a video of you again, as the case sticks to most smooth surfaces allowing you to stay in the frame for as long as you like – great for producing demonstration videos without the kerfuffle of trying to wedge your phone upright. It also makes following recipes easier as you can stick your phone on a kitchen cupboard door.
Hippeas tote bag
All of which will come in handy for the latest intrepid bakers on the Great British Bake Off. Yes, itʼs back already, and never one to miss a trick, Awesome Merchandising is flagging up its fantastic range of aprons so you too can be the Mary Berry of your scullery. The company can produce and brand a whole range of different styles, from full length, for the messier bakers out there, to mid-length ones for those who feel that they only need the odd hand wipe. Whichever you choose, save us a slice.
| 62 | October 2016
www.printwearandpromotion.co.uk
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