New Year Trends: Promotional Products in 2021
2021 was an opportunity to strengthen the relationship your brand has built with customers and clients over the COVID period. 2020 was about meeting your stakeholders where they were. Because they couldn’t come to you. Promotional Products in 2021 were about looking after your people and their environments. Whether by helping them establish a new work-life balance or reducing the use of plastic in their day-to-day. Your brand can make a difference outside of your usual service or product offering into the future. Here are the things that set brands apart in 2021.
Notebooks
Work from home (WFH) was a necessity in 2020. Subsequently, we saw burnout increase due to the blurred lines between work and home. Without the commute to separate the timeframes and physical spaces, people are working harder for longer and ignoring their breaks. We’ve got more screens in front of us for more hours of the day and that fatigues our eyes and brains.
Your clients may still be looking for a product to solve this problem for their stakeholders. The answer? A notebook is just what they need. Branded notebooks offer the eyes a break from the screen, while keeping up the productivity. Additionally, the physical action of writing notes means greater information retention and a more organised WFH day. It turns out, they’re also a great tool in your marketing.
Plastic alternatives
Environmentally friendly promotional products have been one of the top trends for the last five years. It’s time to narrow it down for the big changes that are happening this year. In March 2021 South Australia banned single use plastic. That meant straws, cutlery and drink stirrers were the first to go. Thankfully, plastic alternatives are not difficult to find and branded plastic alternatives are widely available.
Read more about reusable straws and enquire about our range of reusable cutlery.
Not only are these reusable bits and pieces better for our environment, but they are also better for our health! We are responsible for their cleaning and carrying and so we are motivated to keep them in good working order. We know what cleaner we use and where the products have been. Furthermore, by looking after our reusable products, we are creating healthy habits and staying away from harmful bacteria.
Apparel
The business traffic slow-down that hit mid-2020 was an invaluable opportunity for many brands and businesses to refresh their look. From Adobe and Ampol to Kmart Tyre and Auto (now MyCar), redefining who you are and what you do is a valuable strategy when so much is changing around you.
Uniform updates are an exciting part of rebrands, mergers and refreshes. There is a subsequent opportunity for your people to look even better, be more comfortable and represent your brand in a more meaningful way. We have a wide range of corporate and trade apparel including brands such as Gloweave, Stormtech, Van Heusen and Calvin Klein. View some of our collection on our online catalogue.
Brands have also been reaching customers in their homes with social media’s help. Their promotional product of choice? Apparel. Limited edition socks and hoodies carried brands through COVID, maintaining brand interest and building relationships.
We love a giveaway, even more when its something we can curl up in. We predicted this trend to continue in 2021 as businesses rebuilt their brands and tested their new digital prowess.
Home and Leisure
Working from home since March 2020, employees, clients and customers are now comfortable with the new way of doing things. While state guidelines allowed workers to return to offices slowly, WFH and hybrid situations are here to stay! Balanced office and home workplaces offer the best of both worlds. For that reason, we know that brands are embracing the home as an important space for their marketing.
Most notably brands are looking to products that offer positive experiences in and around the home. In this case association between the brand and a good time is powerful. It will serve these businesses well into the future. If you’re thinking of doing the same, consider these wholesome, home-centred products:
- Picnic blankets/sets
- Camp chairs
- Games
What were your go-to promotional products in 2021?
The world was looking forward to a better year in 2021. Businesses especially explored new and better ways to reach customers and serve clients. Promotional products in 2021, as they always are, were an effective way to build brand awareness outside of the screen in an increasingly digitally dependent world. Put your brand in their hands and watch it grow.
Contact us today for more product ideas and marketing must-haves.
