Top 5 Promotional Merchandise Trends for 2012
Monday, January 23rd, 2012The team at Steel City Marketing have been discussing our predictions for the top 5 promotional merchandise trends for 2012 and here they are.
1. QR Codes
Using QR codes on branded items is an extremely effective use of the print area. It provides the brand with the opportunity to maximise the information they want to communicate about their campaign, product or service to the chosen recipient. This is a trend being seen throughout the marketing mix, so it will naturally extend to promotional merchandise in 2012.
2. Social Media Calls to Action
Promoting social media links via promotional merchandise allows a business to join up its offline and online marketing activities, encouraging your customers and prospects to engage with you online and driving traffic to your website. Traditional calls to action in other media are being replaced by social media calls to action, allowing the brand to interact regularly with their audience. This will certainly be the case in 2012 for merchandise. There is no other form of media that acts as a reminder for the person to engage when they are ready to do so. The reason we feel this is that according to a recent British Promotional Merchandising Association survey, over three quarters of recipients said they kept a promotional gift for longer than 12 months – that’s effectively a 12 month reminder to connect with a company online!
3. Personalisation Through Accurate Data
There will be a greater personlisation of products this year, as a result of ever improving methods of accurate data capture and retention. For example notebooks, calendars and mugs lend themselves perfectly to this. However, digital printing techniques further increases the possibilites for personalisation across an even greater number of different product ranges.
4. Smartphone Accessories
Smart phone and tablet accessories will become increasingly popular this year with the continuing increase in sales of smartphones. According to figures published in the Guardian in July 2011, smart phone users in the UK will make up more than half of all mobile phone users in 2012. In terms of this trend for promotional merchandise, items such as smartphone gloves, touch screen pens, cases and holders will help improve the user experience and provide a strong brand presence.
5. Augmented Reality
Augmented Reality may seem a little unattainable presently for smaller brands as cost is a factor. However this will likely reduce over time and the potential wow factor for the user is undeniable. With some potential self managed solutions, a “desktop” where products come to life with additional info and imagery using smart phone apps is an exciting prospect.
Developments in technology are certainly a common theme affecting trends in promotional mechandise and marketing techniques in general for 2012 and no doubt for years to come.
One of the best ranges of branded merchandise to consider in the winter months is that of promotional ice scrapers. We are guaranteed frosts in the UK at some point and people will often choose to use an ice scraper (plus a little elbow grease) above other solutions such as chemical de icer sprays, credit cards or (heaven forbid) a kettle of boiling water!
Putting together and creating a marketing plan for 2012 can seem a little daunting at first but failing to plan is planning to fail! Producing a list of all your activities will help keep your budget spending under control as well as making it easier to measure the effectiveness of your marketing spend. If this is something you have never done before, it can even be done using a couple of very simple tools: