Tag Archive for: trends

Stainless Drinkware Makes Sense

Stainless drinkware – bottles and tumblers – have been around for awhile, but there’s been a surge in popularity with two styles in particular:  The S’well® bottle and the Yeti® Rambler.

The promo industry has embraced these two stainless drinkware products with many suppliers adding their own versions. These two styles were one of the most popular and most seen items at recent industry shows.

What’s the big draw? Both are made from 18/8 stainless steel with double-wall copper vacuum insulation. That combination creates the best insulating properties for drinkware available. With copper vacuum insulation, a stainless bottle can retain it’s temperature for hours longer than standard air insulation.

A stainless steel copper vacuum insulated bottle can stay hot for up to 8 hours and cold for up to 24 hours!

In addition to the incredible insulating features, these bottles and tumblers also offer an eco-friendly alternative to plastic water bottles. Consider promoting these as a waste-reduction as well as wellness initiative to  your employees.

insulation chart

This chart shows the differences in various types of insulation used in drinkware.

We’ve found these items in our industry are coming in at under half the retail cost of the name brands, including your imprint:

The 20oz name brand tumbler sells for $30, while our industry version comes in around $9.99!!

crownyeti stainless drinkware

20oz Stainless Tumbler

A 17oz name brand bottle retails for $35-$45 while the very same bottle in our industry, with your custom imprint, sells as low as $9.99!!

force gray bottle stainless drinkware

17oz Stainless Bottle

In addition, the construction and quality of the promotional versions match or exceed those of the retail brands. We’ve found in some cases, the promotional versions actually are higher quality and hold temps longer.

For a full retail look and a great presentation, many of these come with retail-inspired packaging. Options for custom imprinted boxes are also available, making them perfect for gifts.

17oz force bottles stainless drinkware

Bottles come in a variety of colors, including vivid neons.

Wearable Tech Promos – Hot Items

Wearable tech promos are now a hot ticket in the promotional product industry. Smart bands, smart watches, smart tags, smart everything were all the rage at the big industry shows last month. It’s a trend that’s surely to keep getting bigger.

These items have the ability to appeal to a wide-range of promotional marketing uses:  health and fitness programs, employee incentives, customer gifts, and purchase incentives to name a few. Their usefulness and popularity ensure they will be appreciated and valued.

The Smart Tags can also be a useful item for tagging expensive company equipment used by field techs. It’s a great way to ensure equipment doesn’t get left behind at the site.

Prices are very competitive and in some cases, much less expensive than the name brands. We’ve been surprised to find some of these items at less than half the cost of retail brands. We’re even finding additional features such as remote picture taking and alarms for notifying if you’ve left your phone behind.

These items not only have that “wow” factor, they have a high perceived value. Anyone receiving one is sure to appreciate the gift as well as find it highly useful. All important factors to keeping your brand top of mind.

Since tech item pricing can fluctuate, please contact us for current pricing.

wearable tech promos fitness tracker

Fitness Trackers – Monitor steps and calories, plus connect to phone for caller id and alarm.

wearable tech promos smart tag

Smart Tag – Keep track of your phone and to what the tag is attached.

 

 

 

 

wearable tech promos tracker bracelet

Smart Band – Displays time, track steps and calories and can display caller id and messages.

wearable tech promos activity bracelet

Sports Fitness Activity Bracelet – Track steps, speed, calories, milage as well as time display.

Trends: Athleisure – Fitness + Fashion

Athleisure or Sport Luxe is the term being used for fashionable fitness wear. According to our main apparel source, Sanmar, this is a growing trend as the market for comfortable activewear increases while the demand for denim jeans decreases. Taking a look at my own closet, I’m finding I’ve added mainly these type of pieces to my wardrobe this past year.

Some of the trends and details to look for in this new category:

Sophisticated Colors:
Neutral palettes (think grays and browns) are replacing bold, neon colors, making these fashions more suitable for the office.

Layering:
Long sleeve shirts with textured hoodies, topped off with tech-fabric jackets to complete the look.

Varsity Details:
Team-inspired details such as baseball jerseys or letterman jackets are popular.

Materials & Detail:
Textures such as mesh and lace add visual interest. Accents of metal or contrast piping elevate the sporty styles to the luxe level.

Click on image above to read more on this trend.

Shop the trend:  Click here to view Sanmar’s Sporting Luxury items