3 Trends For The Promotional Products Industry For 2017

The industry of promotional products, as with every other marketing industry, never stays static for long.

Companies creating promotional products are always on the lookout for the next breakthrough, and paying careful attention to industry trends in an attempt to stay at the forefront of the needs of modern companies, and gain an advantage over the competition. So to help you understand the common trends in the promotional products industry for 2017, we’ve put together a quick list of the 3 hottest trends in the business.

1. High-Value Items Are The Future Of Promotional Products

Gone are the days of beer koozies, branded pens, and other inexpensive promotional products. These products certainly have their uses, of course – but market research has suggested that these inexpensive items are not as effective at converting leads, and that higher-value items could hold the key to delighting clients.

The reason for this is simple – people place value on items based on the true monetary value of that item. You may enjoy getting a branded pen, but that’s not exactly a high value, exciting item. Items that are useful and are slightly more expensive – such as 12-pack coolers or electronic accessories like branded Bluetooth speakers – are both useful and higher in monetary value. This leads to increased appreciation from clients and potential leads – and boosts the efficacy of your promotional products.

2. Technology-Focused Electronic Accessories Are More Popular Than Ever

The fact that higher value items are becoming more popular is innately tied to this fact. Electronic accessories like phone chargers, earbuds, wireless speakers, and even flash drives are incredibly useful. Now, clients and potential leads do love expensive items – but utility is just as important. Think about the ROI of a pair of branded wireless earbuds, for example. They may cost about 20 bucks to buy branded, but your client will probably use them for a very long time, especially if they’ve never had the opportunity to try out a pair of wireless earbuds before.

People spend more time today than ever before interacting with the digital world – and the promotional products industry will not be immune to this trend. We can certainly expect to see the world of branded technological accessories continue to grow in the future.

3. Promotional Products Are More Inspired By The Retail Industry

In the past, promotional products have remained a bit static compared to the retail industry. Pens, t-shirts, bags were among the most popular items – and the industry didn’t really change to reflect the changing tastes of consumers.

However, this is no longer the case. Promotional products are now being increasingly affected by changes in the retail industry, and many companies are looking for partnerships with specific brands, in an effort to provide higher-quality branded items. Promotional product companies have begun to understand how valuable brand recognition can be for a branded item.

The best example of this is drinkware. Over the past few years, companies like Yeti, Nalgene, Tervis, and many others have been causing a huge buzz in the promotional products industry. Their products offer a great combination of brand recognition, usability, and affordability, and this has resulted in an explosion of popularity for branded drinkware such as tumblers and water bottles. Understand These Trends – And Look Toward The Future It will be essential for both consumers and manufacturers of branded promotional products to understand these trends. And while it’s impossible to predict exactly where the future of promotional products will go, it seems likely that these trends – higher value items, technology-focused accessories, and branded retail partnerships – will shape the industry not just in 2017, but in the years to come.

For more information about branded promotional products, visit us online at the Forefront Group.