2017 is a wrap! Now it’s time to focus on propelling your business and your clients’ companies forward into 2018. To succeed, it’s important to thoroughly evaluate the marketing landscape. You should take the time to ask, what are the top trends in promotional product marketing going to be in the new year?

The good news is that promotional products are still projected to be relevant, according to leading experts. With that in mind, here are a few up and coming product trends and design choices to consider when making recommendations to your clients this year.

• Tech will still rule, and wireless will become essential. Technology will continue be popular. But when recommending tech items in 2018, make sure they’re wireless. New mobile phones nixing headphone jacks are prompting consumers to choose wireless headphones and other Bluetooth-enabled items.
• Tote bags will be more popular than ever and so will logoed apparel. This will be the year when street style will include these products more than ever — tote bags especially. In 2017, we saw a rise in plastic bag tax implementations and removal. That’s one reason it is a good idea to encourage clients to choose branded tote bags and apparel. Not only will your customers be more likely to wear them due to the latest fashions and environmentally-friendly initiatives, but they will also work as walking billboards for your clients. It’s a win-win!
• Consumers will want products that are linked with priceless experiences. Everyone has stuff. Today’s consumers are looking to have more experiences than items. ASI Central explains that “products that require assembly, or are packaged in interesting ways, will be in demand to help create those experiences for customers.” ASI cites Instagate’s “Tailgate-in-a-Box”, which contains must-have items for tailgating, as the perfect example for this trend.
• Everything will continue coming up rose gold. Rose gold and “millennial pink” (if you are unfamiliar with the color, think of the shade of Pepto Bismol) are color trends that are expected to continue this year. The Disney Parks beautifully executed the trend when they produced Minnie Mouse headbands, a popular purchase at the theme parks, in rose gold. The ears were flying off the shelves and blew up in popularity on social media. It was so successful that the company is now producing another popular item in this color. Take a tip from the mouse and consider recommending rose gold to your clients when selecting apparel!
• The past will continue to be present. A marketing tactic that gained traction back in 2014, and is still relevant four years later when targeting the millennial demographic, is nostalgia. “Associating brand messaging with positive references from the 90s, 80s — and even the 70s — humanizes brands, forging meaningful connections between the past and present,” says Lauren Friedman at Forbes. Consider recommending vintage designs or throwback logos when producing new orders for your clients.

Idea Custom Solutions is ready to help you and your clients make 2018 a defining year for their businesses with great quality and the most reliable turn times in vector artwork, embroidery digitizing, image editing and marketing material design, you can count on Idea Custom Solutions to help you make this your best year yet in promotional marketing. Happy New Year from Idea Custom Solutions.