3 Bold Trends We Love For Promotional Products In 2018

3 Bold Trends We Love For Promotional Products In 2018

At Forefront Group, we pride ourselves on being at the “forefront” of new promotional products – pun definitely intended! And this year, we’ve put together a quick list of our top 3 predictions on where the promotional products and apparel industry may be headed in 2018. Take a look below!

1. Promotional Products Will Begin Appealing Specifically To Millennials

Millennials are entering the workforce in droves, and as of 2016, they overtook Baby Boomers and Gen X as a percentage of the working population. This means that there are more millennials working than ever – and promotional products companies have to adjust to this.

As we all know, millennials have different attitudes towards work and life than older generations.

Millennials aren’t afraid to be bold and brash, and they love electronic devices and technology, and are very comfortable with it.That’s why we predict a major upswing in bold patterns, more engaging and quirky promotional products, and high-tech gadgets.

2. Wireless Accessories Are Going To Continue To Boom

Since the introduction of the iPhone 7 and “EarPods”, wireless headphones and other wireless technology have become very commonplace. Brands like Google and Samsung are also removing the 3.5mm headphone jack from their phones, and this trend does not seem to be slowing down any time soon!

We predict that BlueTooth speakers, headphones, and other wireless accessories are going to be even more popular in 2018, and that upscale manufacturers like Bose or Harman Kardon may even begin offering brandable items in the promotional products space.

The iPhone 8 and iPhone X have also repopularized an older technology – wireless charging. We predict that wireless charging accessories will continue to become more popular as more phone manufacturers begin using this technology for new flagship smartphones.

3. Wearable Technology Will Become More Commonplace

This is certainly our boldest prediction. We think that “smart clothing” is going to enter into the promotional goods space this year, in some way. This category is still very new, but there are already examples of great implementations by some companies.

For example, Nike sells jerseys with NFC tags that can be scanned, opening up the team’s highlights for the day. And Levi’s new Commuter Trucker Jacket includes “smart fabric” that allows you to control your touchscreen from your sleeve. You can answer calls, interact with your GPS, and change music without touching your phone.

Other technology includes Lumo running shorts/capris, which can measure metrics like ground contact time, cadence, and other fitness information, helping to improve running form.

While these products will probably be very niche and a bit on the expensive side, there is a lot of potential for use in the branded products space – and we expect a few companies, at least, to harness this power for promotional products in 2018.

Let Us Know What You Think Of Our Predictions!

Think we’re on-track with our big predictions for 2018? Disagree with one of our choices? Regardless, we’d love to hear from you, and discuss how we can help your company thrive in 2018 with our branded products. Get in touch now, and see what The Forefront Group can do for you!