There are well over 50 shades of grey if you count the spectacular spectrum of heathered colors! A heathered color adds an aesthetic touch of grey texture to any product. It's the perfect accent for promotional products and exceptionally highlights your logo. Below is a slideshow of a few of our favorite things that made us fall head over heels in love with heather. 
 

There's a reason we LOVE Tailgate Season!
 
Friends, family & the fresh scent of a hot grill are just a few reasons why we love tailgating. It's a great time to forget your stress and decompress. 
As the calendar falls closer to Autumn and Football fever makes it's comeback, now is the time to score the hottest tailgate accessories to expand the reach of your brand. 
 
Take a seat! First up is a great chair featuring two mesh cup holders and a frame constructed of heavy duty steel, this folding chair is a great combination of comfort and strength. It includes a nylon carrying case with a shoulder strap. It's not only great for tailgates but for all sporting events, picnics, the beach or any outdoor event.

The fate of a great tailgate is figuratively and literally in the hands of the Grill Master. A grill is the heartbeat of any outdoor event and the utensils are just as important as the person using them. Customized grills and spatulas are the perfect way to spread your logo. 

The cooler is just as vital to a tailgate as the grill. It keeps food fresh and drinks cold to ensure a good time for all. Made with a tarpaulin shell with sponge insulation and woven foil lining for an optimized temperature control. 

Different strokes for different folks especially applies to someone's drink of choice. Whether it's beer, wine or something in-between, a beverage accessory elevates any drinking experience. Shown are two of our best sellers, a stainless steel tumbler and a coozie with a built in bottle opener. 

Fun is the name of the game! Enhance your outdoor event with custom lawn games such as corn hole, giant Jenga, giant Connect Four and much more!

Get the party started with the sound of music. This portable speaker amplifies any event while packing a loud punch into a small speaker. 

Drawstring bags are an amazing accessory for events. The bag shown has a built-in slot for earbuds, corded shoulder straps, and a draw string closure. The corners are reinforced with faux leather and eyelets. A large front zippered pocket keeps items secure.

Memorial Day is the unofficial start of summer. Don't be left in the cold with hot wine. Keep your cool and keep your wine nice and cold!  Here are our top picks for a summer wine bag.  Of course, we can imprint your logo front and center for a perfect custom wine bag to suit your brand.  See the slideshow below to view all the styles

#1 The Dual Neoprene Wine Bottle Holder.  This convenient, insulated, neoprene bottle carrying case protects, insulates and keeps cool 2 bottles of wine. With strong, cut-out handles made to easily transport this divided wine carrier, this fantastic tote promotes your brand at any dinner or event.

#2 The 6-Bottle Wine Tote. When you need to tote more than 2 bottles, this is your bag.  Fill 'er up with bottles glasses and the thick non-woven straps can withstand the weight of all the bottles. The interior cloth dividers keep the glass bottles from clanking around against each other while you are carrying the bag.

#3 The Insulated Wine Tote. Keep it classic with this singular wine tote, which features built-in insulated lining that will keep your wine chilled for hours.  This tote bag also comes with a side pocket, which is a perfect place to keep corks, stopper, corkscrew or anything else you might take with you to an event/dinner party/picnic. This wine tote makes for the perfect bag for giving wine bottles as a gift.

#4 The Gel Wine Chiller. This heavy duty wine chiller and tote is constructed with pierce-resistant nylon, and is fitted with two layers of internal insulation that will keep your wine bottle save from external temperatures. The elastic-strapped adjustable collar snugly fits around standard wine bottles with a tapered top for maximum exposure to the insulaton, effectively keeping wine bottles cooler, longer

#5 The Gel WIne Tote. A truly unique wine bottle cooler/carrier. This gel carrier contains water pouches on the surface of the carrier, which can be frozen to turn this carrier into an effective cooler.  The pouches also serve to protect the glass bottle from damage while being transported.

It’s official! The color experts have spoken and Pantone has introduced its Color of the Year for 2018: Pantone 18-3838 Ultra Violet.
 
According to Pantone, Ultra Violet “communicates originality, ingenuity, and visionary thinking that points us toward the future.” The perfect recipe for a successful New Year!
 
Now is your chance to get in on the soon-to-be trending color of the year. Add your logo t-shirts, hats, water bottles, and more – your promotional options are endless!
 

Terrific new idea for a tote bag made of cork. It has a soft feeling and slight flecks of metallic running in the background
 We saw it at retail at style and trend setting Anthropology and decided it was a great idea. Why should they have all the fun! Let us design and produce some with your logo on it. Find it here:

 https://benefit-marketing.espwebsite.com/ProductDetails/?productId=551585543&tab=Tile&referrerPage=ProductResults&refPgId=515445716&referrerModule=PRDREB

Ever wished you could amaze a customer with the perfect product? A product so perfect that they didn’t even know it existed? Creative and innovative promotional products are a sure way to wow and impress your customers. In order to help you think outside of the box, we compiled a list of promotional product ideas that will help you give every customer what they’re really looking for.
1. Unexpected Giveaways As everyone knows, interesting promo products are a sure way to attract consumers. No one wants to receive a pen when they could be given something fun and different instead! So, how do you do it? Finding unpredictable products takes some time and research-- you shouldn’t expect to find them on the front page of a website. Be sure to think creatively when brainstorming product ideas, and don’t stop thinking. No, settling for a different colored pen is not an option this time!

2. Thoughtful Items
Customers want to know that you care about their interests before they attend your event, so show them you do! Items such as lip balm and water bottles are always great choices to supplement your tradeshow-- water bottles especially if you’re hosting a 5k race or tennis match. Items like these prove that your company is prepared for the event, and cares about their customers.

3. Useful Items
When a customer is given an item with a high perceived value, they’re going to want to keep it. Additionally, customers are going to be motivated to keep a product if it is useful to them in their everyday life. For example, nice sunglasses, a USB port, earphones, or portable speakers are most likely to be kept past the date of your event. High quality pens are also a good idea, as the customer will choose to keep it over a cheaper one from a different brand.

4. Well Made Items
Customers aren’t going to want to show off their product to those around them unless it’s well made. Every time people look at your tote bag or expensive water bottle, they’re definitely going to notice the logo on the side of it. The more often your company decides to do a giveaway, your company gets shown off.
Customers tend to trust the brands that they know and love, especially when these brands have a reputation of being high quality. For example, customers tend to trust the Camelbak waterbottle more than any other brand because of its reputation for durability, Choosing such products will lead to better reactions of your company

The first day of July seems like the ideal time to give you our list of the perfect picnic promo products for you to add your logo!

1. A cozy blanket is the first stop to a great outdoor adventure. It will keep you warm on your journey with its soft fleece lining.  Once you open it up it has a water resistant side to keep everyone's backside dry. Bonus - this one doubles as a seat cushion too. Diamond quilting, full zipper, comfortable shoulder straps and a front pocket make it even more likely to be used and showcase your brand 

2. Stay charged on the road with a dual port car charger. It will guarantee you can keep Spotify, Audible and WAZE flowing!  With two ports, it may just reduce the backseat fighting!

3.  An insulated cooler will help you travelers stay hydrated and nourished and prevent stops at potentially unsavory rest stops.  Don't let anyone get hangry on your watch!

4. Fun inflatable lounger will make you the envy of everyone at the beach. This lounger inflates easily - no lung power required. Nice LARGE area for your logo - too! Get them while it is HOT and they will make your brand COOL.

5. Adult coloring books are calming minds everywhere - let people doodle awhile on your logo and other brand images. Totally custom books available.

6. Don't forget to stay hydrated. This eco friendly and reusable flask makes pack in/pack out advice.  No glass or cans to lug around. Fill it, "drain" it, fold it and stow it!  How easy is that!?

This summer a lot of people will be hitting the road. Make sure they take your logo with them!

Apparel products are one of the most popular branded items and one that requires distributors to say on top of trends in order to be a great consultant to clients.   In addition to extensive shopping (!) we are always checking fashion blogs, our favorite Instagram stars and watching pop culture icons to stay on the forefront. Here is what we predict - look for retro styles to make a comeback strong as well as an emphasis on patterns and textures and new spins on old favorites.

DAD HATS: just in time for Father's day next month - dad hats is an unstructured cotton or canvas baseball cap that has a slightly curved bill and a strap back. Guess who is wearing them now? Counter culture hipsters, college kids, skateboarders, major celebrities are donning the formerly un-hip hats.

HEATHERED GARMENTS: Heather is a movie and it also refers to interwoven yards of mixed colors that produce flecks of alternating color.  We have been seeing lots of heathered fabric apparel pieces including polo shirts, t-shirts and fleece. It had interest to apparel but in a subtle way that won't compete with your logo.

DENIM AND FLANNEL WOVEN SHIRTS: Cotton based denim and flannel woven shirts are important components of many retail collections headed into 2017.  Denim and flannel woven shirts are available in short and long sleeve and in lighter weight, sleeker styles are great if your brand wants to project a youthful image or court a millennial generation audience

CAMO ACCENTS: Camouflage - pattered apparel is a trend that is likely to stay strong into 2018. Camo conveys an outdoorsy image with country-cool appeal.   Caps with mesh back and camouflage fronts and camo accents in ladies apparel  will hit the target!  (What's a blog post without at least one pun?)

Food and Wine magazine recently did an exhaustive research study of the best corkscrews.   Their gear guide texted 15 different styles of cork pullers to rate each one. There are different openers for each purpose and the good news is that we can add your logo to any and all of them!

The results told the Benefit Marketing Brand Advisors something our customers have told us. The classic waiter style double hinged style opener is still the best one on the market for today's consumer.   It is the best quality, most foolproof design to pull a cork from the bottle so it remains fully intact  and un damaged.  This is important because no one wants to drink a glass of wine laced with small pieces of cork.  It is also costly for restaurants as generally, if the cork isn't pulled intact, the restaurant cannot sell the bottle and will lose money. The double hinge style eases the cork out of the bottle with a smooth two step process easy for the most inexperienced server.

The smooth double prong style with no worm was awarded best for bottles with  brittle corks such as the ones on older library wines. This ahso style which also available and we can add your brand to the handle!

The pricey Code 38 model is  the most elite brand of opener that is a pleasure to use and will last for a lifetime or uses.  This is an excellent choice for your beverage service manager or a sommelier gift.

Considering adding branded wine openers to your restaurant, winery or shop?   Let us know how we can help. We are the experts.

Here is  the link to the full review if you want to give it a read.

http://www.foodandwine.com/lifestyle/kitchen/best-corkscrew

Photo courtesy of Food and Wine magazine

As Spring arrives in cities and towns all over the United States, people are emerging from their cozy spots by the fireplace to venture to the farmers market, picnics, parks and outdoor festivals. The laminated market tote is a perfect accompaniment for all of these activities and more.  This tote is made from earth friendly jute and comfortable leather handles. Generously sized at 18" tall by 13" wide and 8" deep it will make a stylish and strong catchall and be used daily.  It is laminated on the inside to remain water resistant in case the fresh spring asparagus is still wet from the market.  It will look beautiful with your brand on it. Call us.

Made in the USA is not just a campaign issue or a personal preference it is a time honored tradition. Quality manufacturing can still be found in many small and large plants all over the United States.  There are many options to support American workers in US manufacturing and production facilities. The advantages are that the production times are faster, the transit time is faster (4-5 days from coast to coast) as opposed to 1 month from China or 3 months from India.   In a globalized marketplace it is nice to have many options for production based on client needs! Call Benefit Marketing for Made in the USA apparel options and many other products!  We even have a number of options made right here in California for our West Coast homies.  

As 2016 comes to a close we want to reflect on some of the top trends in promotional products in 2016. We have rounded up our favorite trends from the past 12 months!. 

A very popular category for promotional products is pet products.  Leashes and collars for dogs are always popular but this year they exploded along with dog branded neckerchiefs and  small packages of dog treats. New to the line are dog raincoats, collapsible bowls and cat collars.   Pet owners want to show off their favorite brands  while out and about  with Princess and Fido.

For people, trucker hats continue to steal the show.  They offer wide variety of color combinations and logo possibilities. Beanies have come into greater popularity as people have been wearing them year round for a stylish and trendy look.  There are many ways to brand both trucker hats and beanies to update the logo look.

Along with stylish and modern headwear, puffy vests remained a mainstay for clients to add their logo.  These are not your daddy's puffy vest as they are made with performance materials so it is flattering to wearers and adds style but doesn't add any extra puff!

Our top product was the metal canteen style water bottles that are lined in copper. They keep hot beverages toasty for up to 8 hours and cold beverages chilled for up to 12. This reusable bottle is a sleek and sexy game changer.  IT looks great and people are thrilled to use it all the while advertising for your business.  Capable of a full wrap imprint or a full color imprint it was the top product of 2016.

ALl of these products will likely remain popular throughout the new year! The Benefit Marketing team is hitting the trade and gift shows in  January 2017 and we are looking forward to forecasting  what the hits will be in the new year! Stay tuned to us so you can stay in tune with the trends!

On Pack Neckers are a funny name to describe a gift.  It is a way to package a gift with a bottle.  The gift can be packaged in a number of creative ways but it always attached to the bottle of wine - usually around the neck.  It entices the consumer to purchase it and it stimulate sales for the wine.  

 The gift hangs from a wine bottle or spirits bottle and can take many forms.  This box can hold any number of gifts including a wine bottle stopper, a small travel corkscrew or some chocolate. The diecut window shows the consumer exactly what is inside. Not additional print is needed.

Another type of necker is integrated with the packaging. A compressed t-shirt makes an ideal onpack necker because it can fit over the neck of the bottle with no additional packaging needed. The marketing budget can be placed 100% into the gift without having to create separate holder. The t-shirt can be compressed into any number of shapes to create an eye catching look on the retail shelves.

Another fun and useful on pack necker is a festive holiday bow necker. For everyone who has stopped at the store on the way to a party this is an easy and perfect solution as the necker includes a bow that matches the brand colors along with a to/from gift tag. Problem solved!

Our team traveled to New York City this past month to visit the  NY NOW  gift show to discover trends for the season that we can translate for the  promotional product marketing world. Aligning your brand with trends seen in retail is a great way to keep your promotional programs fresh.
Here is what we saw:

Tassels:  Tassels found on candles, blankets, pillows and jewelry.

Fringe: fringed scarves, belts and totebags add a fun element to your branded offerings.

Velvet: touch of velvet but with a modern twist that is 2016 and not retro

Copper metal:  this new metal trend may be the next brass!

 Check out the slide show below and see how Benefit Marketing can help you add some life to your promotional marketing program by adding modern design trends!

Sources:
nynow.com
Williams-sonoma.com

A survey of retail trends for Summer 2016 has brought to light a few new and modern ways to add branding to the ever popular t-shirt.  The t-shirt has been a branding billboard for decades but there are still new and different ways to add your logo in a unique way that reflects your brand and will make people will want to wear the t- shirt!

1. Custom Branded Pocket: borrowing a trend from retail brands such as True Religion and Lucky Brands - we can design and print a full color pocket and add it to you basic T. Suddenly, your T is not so basic anymore.

2. Allover Print: This method sounds like it would be in your face but it can have a very subtle look. The shirt looks as if it is made from a patterned fabric but upon closer inspection you can see that it is 100% branded.

3. Label on the Outside: Printed, woven, or embroidered labels are another new way to inject fresh branding on the ubiquitous t-shirt.  In this case the label is worn on the outside of the garment - such as the hem line, the sleeve edge or even stitched at the bicep area. Extra large labels, like the ones Titleist has recently been doing look especially modern. We can help you create this look for your brand

Contact Benefit Marketing today and we can help you inject  modern style into your basic shirt.

Image sources
asos.com
pacsun.com
etsystatic.com

Now is a great time to take a closer look at the promotional products you are using to represent your company. Summer and Fall are traditionally busy months for tradeshows, wine tasting events, festivals and opportunities for you to introduce your company to new potential customers.  Does your marketing collateral at your booth represent the story you want to tell?

Questions to ask:
1. Have you been using the same products for years and year?  There are a lot of new innovations in giveaway ideas. Smart phone accessories are some of the most popular items. One blog study shows that a single mobile power bank will generate over 1000 impressions (times your logo is seen) in the course of its lifetime.  Talk about money in the BANK!

2. Is your team fired up about the promotional products they are using to market the company? If your employees aren't using the products themselves, chances are they aren't too excited about distributing them - maybe they are even embarrassed to give them out.  

3. New logo? This is a definite indicator that you need to change your promotional products.  Don't water down your exciting new logo design and colors by using promotional products with the old logo on them.  In fact, new promotional products are a great way to advertise your refreshed company design and inject some new energy and enthusiasm with your top clients as well as helping you capture new ones.

4. What's the strategy?  Promotional products should directly relate to your brand.  It should not only be something the recipient should use - it should be something to surprise and delight your intended audience.  The product should be related to your industry AND the event you are planning to use them - such as a logo bandanna for a winery pouring at the US National Rodeo. Or, if you are sponsoring a surfing event, beach towels or surf wax are perfect products as they reflect the tone of the event. Do you have a booth at an outdoor venue this summer - an inexpensive paper fan can make you the most popular booth of the day. 

Do we have you thinking yet?  Consider this, did you know that promotional products are the most cost effective way to advertise your business? Take a look at the results of a recent study - it may give you the impetus to devote more of your marketing dollars to promotional products.  
83% of American consumers like receiving promotional items
48% would like to receive promo items more frequently
76% could recall the advertisers name on the products they had received in the past year
52% did business with the advertiser after receiving the product.

If you are looking for ideas to revamp your promotional products, contact us! We will put a little more swagger in your swag!

Sources: 
Delta Marketing Group
PPAI research

Our team visited the annual Retail and Design industry tradeshow to learn more about trends in the retail world, store display and packaging.  Low cost corrugated store displays leave room in the budget to add unique elements such as die cut elements, foil print elements, LED and motion.   Take a scroll through our slideshow below.