I just hit my 15 year mark with FrontLine Exhibits and have spent the last five years of that developing the promotional products side of our business. Our promotional products website has over one million products, so needless to say, this has been a learning experience. So, how do we help narrow down which products are best suited for our clients? Here are six ways we help:
Industry Verticles
We sell to clients across many industries, and there are promotional products that are grouped for these broad industry categories. House-shaped items for realtors, hand sanitizer for healthcare, magnets for pizza shops, etc. We can look at what is out there for our clients’ industry and provide insight into which products are generating buzz and being reordered.
On Brand
What story does your brand tell? Does your organization want green giveaway products like seedpackets? Something made in the USA? Technology products to show your company is tech-forward? We can lean into the company’s overall brand strategy to identify associated products.
What’s HOT Right Now
If it is flying off of the shelves at Target, it’s probably made its way into the promo space. For example, when Stanley 40oz cups were all the rage, all of our promotional suppliers had their 40oz option ready to go within months. Tracking consumer trends can offer a good way to generate an exciting giveaway that people will use and talk about with others.
Who is the Audience
Sometimes you need a giveaway to go to hundreds or thousands of people. Sometimes you need a special gift for 10-20 people that will be memorable. Knowing the demographic you’re serving and what they like is important as we move into higher-value options. Could be a Bluetooth speaker, a golf bag, a charcuterie board, etc. Determining who and the budget can be key in unlocking the proper promotional solution.
Reliable Options
Regardless of everything else, we’ll still have plenty of bags, pens, water bottles, chapsticks, etc. to offer. Cheap, easy-to-produce options with a proven track record of use. I prefer to use these as a supplement to products that hit one of the above categories.
Trending Products
We do our best to stay on top of trending products by meeting with promotional product suppliers/manufacturers, reading and researching industry communications, and attending promotional product industry conferences. They look at what is selling and what is new, and help us know what to look at for our customers.
As you pick out your next round of promotional products, feel free to reach out to us or set up a quick meeting to evaluate which products might be best for you. We are happy to help!