Having promotional products printed is a smart way to increase your brand awareness or the visibility of your products and/or services. You may have a beautiful website, product, or service, but without visibility, people will not be able to find you. Nowadays there is a lot of choice when it comes to products that you can have printed, which is nice, but it also makes the choice more difficult. Which products provide the greatest effect? This depends on your message and your target group, but also on the current trends in the field of promotional marketing. As a specialist in printing promotional products, IGO Promo knows exactly what is going on in the market. In this article we list the 5 promotional marketing trends for 2024, so that you can respond to them now.
1. Products made from recycled or biodegradable materials
Sustainability has been a trend for years and will certainly continue in the coming years. Products made from recycled or biodegradable materials are on the rise. And that is a positive promotional marketing trend, because if you choose these sustainable products, you not only reduce your ecological footprint, but you also send a green signal to the outside world. In addition to the now ‘well-known’ sustainable materials such as felt and cork, we see more and more products made from unusual materials. How about elephant dung paper and apple leather, for example? Read more about this in the article about unusual materials. Below we list some popular examples of promotional materials from our range that are made from recycled and biodegradable materials:
Popular products made from recycled material:
- Impact AWARE™ RPET storm umbrella: a storm umbrella made from recycled PET bottles.
- RecycleNote-L notebook: notebook with recycled paper leaves.
- Recycled cotton apron: an eco apron made of mixed, recycled cotton.
- Brady Soft Touch Recycled Alu pen: a ballpoint pen made of recycled aluminum.
Popular products made from biodegradable material:
- Bio Degradable Natural pen: a ballpoint pen made of recycled paper and biodegradable PLA.
- Seed Paper A5 Notebook: a notebook with seed paper leaves.
- PLA Cork Cup coffee cup: a coffee cup with an exterior of cork and an interior of compostable PLA.
- Hot Soluble Bag shopping bag: a shopping bag that automatically dissolves in water.
2. Made in…
This trend is also related to sustainability. More and more customers are realizing the importance of no longer having products shipped from far away but ordering them as locally as possible. And that is why we offer the option to filter promotional resources based on the origin of the products. This could be the Netherlands, Belgium, the United Kingdom, or Europe in general.
We see a growing preference for products that are ‘Made in Europe’ and ‘Made in UK’ and we therefore regularly supplement the range of products with this origin with new promotional tools.
3. Reusable items instead of disposable items
Since July 1, 2023, the giving away of plastic cups has been prohibited. The main reason is to reduce the plastic waste mountain. But fortunately, there are very good alternatives to these plastic cups in the form of reusable cups. These cups are available in different shapes and sizes: from coffee-to-go cups to reusable mugs. In addition to cups, there are many more reusable items available as an alternative to the disposable variety. Consider, for example, the following products:
- reusable fruit & vegetable bag
- reusable notebook
- reusable straws
- reusable shopping bag
Check for your own company which products can be replaced with a reusable version. And also make these products part of your sustainable campaign. A smart way to raise awareness, contribute to the environment and at the same time, motivate your colleagues to become more sustainable as well.
4. Focus on quality instead of quantity
Within promotional marketing, we are increasingly seeing a shift from ‘cheap’ promotional items to more premium products. It is often no longer about quantity, but more about the quality of the products. The advantage of high-quality promotional materials is that they often have a longer lifespan. The recipients appreciate these high-quality premium products more and they are less likely to end up in the trash. It is better to pay a little more for products that cause less damage to the environment and that last longer than to pay less for products with a poor ecological footprint. For example, there was a time when plastic fidget spinners were a no-brainer, but nowadays you make a better impression with a more premium product such as printed electronic items.
5. Employer branding
Employer branding will also remain important in 2024. Many companies are in need of staff and just putting a simple vacancy on your website is no longer sufficient to recruit new staff. Instead, companies devise recruitment campaigns to attract new staff in a creative way. Another name for this is ’employer branding’. Printed products are often part of supporting this recruitment campaign. And also, why not consider welcoming new colleagues with a welcome package. When they share this on LinkedIn or show it to friends or family, they immediately increase brand awareness. And maybe it will also encourage people to apply! Popular examples of promotional materials from the IGO Promo range that companies use for employer branding are the Topflask drinking bottle, vanilla scented candle and Parker Jotter ballpoint pen.
The promotional items market continues to evolve and there are plenty of opportunities to use promotional marketing in a creative way and make it work for your company. Do you need help selecting the right products? With more than 75 years of experience, we know exactly what works. Contact us and we will be happy to think with you about the perfect promotional items for your target group.