Promotional Marketing
Blog by HALO Branded Solutions
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Posted: 22 Jul 2016 02:06 PM PDT
Last week I attended the
industry’s biggest show of the summer: ASI Chicago.
With nearly 700 suppliers on the
show floor and thousands of products, there was a lot to take in (and a lot
to take home in my new metallic tote bag). I was only there a few hours, long
enough to walk the show floor but certainly not long enough to stop at each
booth. In my whirlwind trade show experience, I did notice few
reoccurring trends.
§ Products used with an App: Everyone loves
playing on their smart phones so why not have a custom app to go with your
product? California Tattoos has an awesome variety of temporary tattoos
that now includes Holo Tats, temporary tattoos that spring to life with a
little help from a free app and your mobile device. Imagine your logo
or mascot dancing around on your client’s screen like a character from
Pokémon Go. Enough said.
§ Vintage Appeal: Pinterest and Etsy
are popular right now and are filled with whimsical and vintage-feel
products. Generally that’s not what you picture when you think of the
promotional products industry, but I did notice a bit of whimsy at the ASI
show this year including custom paper straws from Aardvark Straws. Bonus:
They’re eco-friendly!
§ Free Food! Free food always
draws a crowd, especially sweets. There was no shortage of delicious samples
up for grabs and packaging options perfect for the holidays, which are
right around the corner. The logoed chocolates at the Sweettrio booth
were both delicious and direct. It was the first time I ate something
that said “Your Logo Here,” but in this industry, I have a feeling it won’t
be the last.
§ Cooling Items: It’s the middle of
July in the Midwest so it’s not a surprise that staying cool is top of mind.
Promotional products that help beat the heat are great for any outdoor summer
event. High Caliber Line now has O2COOL products. My favorite was
O2Cool Ergo Bottle complete with the Mist and Sip Top.
§ Eco-friendly/Recyclable: I noticed a great
variety of Eco-friendly products at the show. As a coffee lover and
Keurig user, I was pleased to find that Mineral Springs Bottled Water now
offers custom labeled coffee and tea including recyclable k-cups.
§ Oversize Items: It’s important to
stand out at a trade show and there were several oversize items that caught
my eye. The Bobblehead at the Alexander Global Promotions booth was my
favorite (possibly because it made me feel like I was in “Honey I Shrunk the
Kids”). It drew me to the booth where I stayed to check out the rest of
the custom sports commemoratives and collectibles. It was also a great
photo-op.
§ Multi-Purpose: The more useful the
product, the more likely someone is to keep it… so it makes sense in this
industry to design products that have multiple uses. The Aura Box from
Origaudio is a Bluetooth speaker, with built-in microphone, LED lamp,
thermometer, alarm clock, and desktop notification. It’s also just
really cool.
§ Working Remotely: More and more people
work remotely, work from home or travel for work. Honestly, my first
thought about the Iclick Keybook was “It’s so cute!” but the reality is
that it’s so functional. It works with any Bluetooth compatible smart
phone or tablet and makes it possible to professionally compose emails and
notes regardless of what device you are using. It’s worth
mentioning that if you’re going for cute… it comes in rose gold.
§ Neoprene: It’s a material with
many uses and it looks good doing it. There are lots of awesome
neoprene items in both retail and the promotional products industry right
now, and Numo is always coming up with new ways to use this functional
fabric. My personal favorite was the growler cover.
§ Tech Holders: There were several
nifty gadgets meant to help you hold on to or go hands free with a mobile device.
It’s a great place to advertise because let’s face it… we are constantly on
our phones. I really liked the Go Strap. It was easy to use,
could quickly be removed from a device and could be securely mounted to
anything, from your treadmill to your stroller.
         
Did you attend ASI Chicago?
What were some of your favorite products that I missed? There was so
much to see!
For more industry trends and fresh
ideas you can always reach out to your HALO Account Executive. If you
are ready to take it a step further and attend a promotional products trade
show register for one of HALO’s End User Shows! Upcoming locations and dates:
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