promotional products

It’s hard to believe that Thanksgiving is just next month. In many parts of the country, it's still warm and the leaves are a rich bright green. But give it a few weeks and businesses in every sector of the economy will be shifting their marketing efforts and promotions toward the winter holidays including Christmas, Hanukkah and New Year’s Eve.

Autumn is here and, in most parts of North America, the leaves are just about ready to turn to shades of orange, red and brown. As the joke goes, pumpkin-spiced everything returns to stores near you.

An old classic is back. Fountain pens as we know them are writing instruments that date back to the 1800s (and possibly even earlier in history). They are known for both utility and class. Now fountain pens are once again becoming popular in the business world.
 

At trade shows and conferences, most booths and exhibit space typically have some sort of specialty advertising or promotional products emblazoned with exhibitors’ names and logos.

In last week's Idea Custom Solutions blog, we talked about the fact that wearables — altogether the promotional products industry's best selling category — is one that need not be tied to specific seasons.
 

We’ve talked previously about the power of the t-shirt. Perhaps this classic garment has an unfair advantage. After all, the t-shirt is not only an icon in American folk and pop culture, but also pops up now and again as a part of high-fashion, depending on what's hot in one season or another.

Small businesses might ask their marketing partners about "what's hot." Anytime trade shows are on the calendar, it’s a good time for them to consider the latest promotional products to be released. But it’s also helpful for them to understand the products that make up the biggest slice of the market and why.

In business, where too many of us are juggling multiple tasks at the same time, it’s important to stop frequently and look around. Entrepreneurs and those who sell products and services to small and medium sized businesses (SMBs) are among the most in tune with the idea of taking a pause because they are always looking for the next opportunity to build their success.

Sometimes we get overly excited about promotional products at Idea Custom Solutions. We know the specialty advertising industry helps small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) market their goods and services in a unique, cost-effective way. Plus, we recognize promotional products are a marketing approach that is influenced by what is going on in branding and technology, as well as trends in fashion, sports and recreation.