January is typically a heavy tradeshow month and 2016 was no exception.  Benefit Marketing Brand Advisors found ourselves in San Francisco, Las Vegas, Atlanta and Sacramento visiting wine, gift, and promotional product industry shows. We walked the aisles - got lost more than once - searching for the latest trends in our industry to bring them to our clients.  While feeding our fitbits we sourced some amazing new ideas.  Send us an email at info@benefit-marketing.com for a catalog of the trends we spotted!

Here's a taste of what we saw

ROSE QUARTZ AND  SERENITY!  For the first time in Pantone history the color of the year is plural. Two colors were chosen to represent and reflect 2016.

The colors evoke a mindset of tranquility and inner peace as the need for reassurance and security is becoming more prominent in our culture, according to the organization. Weightless and airy, like the expanse of the blue sky above us, Serenity has a calming effect, bringing feelings of respite and relaxation even in turbulent times. Rose Quartz is a persuasive yet gentle tone that conveys compassion and a sense of composure.

Each color can make a striking statement on its own, but works equally well as an accent when joined with other shades or through patterning, plaids, floral prints, striping and color blocking. Variations of this hue will be seen in a variety of textures that make it appropriate year round. 

The prevalent combination of Serenity and Rose Quartz also challenges some more traditional perceptions around color association.

“In many parts of the world, we are experiencing a gender blur as it relates to culture, which has in turn impacted color trends throughout all other areas of design,” said Eiseman. “This more unilateral approach to color is coinciding with societal movements toward gender equality and fluidity; the consumers’ increased comfort with using color as a form of expression, which includes a generation that has less concern about being typecast or judged; and an open exchange of digital information that has opened our eyes to different approaches to color usage.”

Each year’s selection process involves Pantone’s color experts sorting through new color influences, such as the entertainment industry, art collections, fashion and other areas of design.

Source: http://magazine.promomarketing.com/article/two-pantone-colors-of-the-year-chosen/#utm_source=promo-marketing-threads&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=2015-12-09&utm_content=two+pantone+colors+of+the+year+chosen-1

This past week our team attended the Quickbooks Connect Conference in San Jose, California. We were wowed and inspired by engaging speakers -Jessica Alba, Brian Graser, Robert Hercovich and even OPRAH herself. In the breakout sessions we learned about solutions to issues many small businesses face including managing cash flow, payroll, social media marketing, transacting overseas wire transfers and a variety of other topics. And, we had many other opportunities to network in the delicious breakfast and lunch buffets lines as well as the candy shop, beer garden or at the evening concert featuring The Goo Goo Dolls! It was a fantastic day complete with a small tradeshow. Check out the swag!

The newest trend in fashion comes in a multitude of colors. In fact, adding your logo to patterns in rainbow is a great way to have your design stand out compared to traditional, neutral colors. Because there are so many different variations of rainbow patterning, such as color choice, layout variation, and gradient, it allows companies to have their own spin on the style of rainbow patterning they want.

Rainbow patterns have become a high trend in wearing promotional items, such as t-shirts and sweatshirts. By placing a solid colored logo on a tie-dyed or rainbow garment, the logo will be clearly readable, yet the bright rainbow colors will still be incorporated into the design. By using rainbow patterning in designs and logos, it is more likely that customers will remember your product better.

Help your logo to stand out in a sea of neutrals by putting it on top of a rainbow.  Great idea for client events, tradeshows and employee gifts.

Touch and feel books were fun when we were kids - it added an extra experience to the story and made reading even more exciting. But that principle doesn't only apply to children! Adults still learn better and remember more when we have tactile experience with the material we hold and read.

This is good news for promotional marketing; the more tactile experience you add to your materials, the more your customers are likely to keep your brand in mind.

There are three different ways you can get creative with your print materials to help them stand out.

1. Texture: Aside from showing quality and creativity, utilizing different textures on promotional materials can make them more interesting and memorable.  Try printing your materials on linen or glossy stock,  using a soft touch coating for a plush suede feel. We can also apply a tonal aqueous coating to create subtle patterns or gloss and matte finishes.

 2. Depth: Ever seen thermographic printing? Similar to engraving and embossing, it's an elegant technique for creating raised text or images that will help give your print products a beautiful, tactual effect.

3. Cuts: Just like touch and feel books, pop-up books enhance children's reading experiences. Adding some laser cut-outs or creative folding to your brochures and other print materials can make them more appealing for adults, too! Stand  out in the crowd with a uniquely shaped business card.

And, that's just the beginning. Contact Benefit Marketing today to learn even more about how to add tactile appeal to your promotional products and leave a unique impression on your customers.

Source. navitor.com/blog/the-tactile-power-of-print

Stock up on your summer must haves with Benefit Marketing. Color is in for Summer 2015 and it can be the perfect branding tool.

Classic stripes are always a good ideas for your summer patriotic parties.  Our striped stapes with your logo will catch anyone's eye. Or, throw your summer essentials into a roomy weekender bag with bold color.  Whether you're traveling to Hawaii, Mexico or Aruba, be prepared to jet-set in style  Go for the glow with your favorite neon color.  Adding a subtle pop can be all you need to kick your summer marketing program into high gear!

Spice up your summer wardrobe with a bold print. Whether it's your favorite floral, a bright polka dot, or monochromatic camo, use prints to display your brand in summer style.  Try paring a vivid print with a subtle stripe for a daring statement.

Take the color plunge with Benefit Marketing. We can help showcase your brand in a fresh and colorful way!

Suddenly acrylic wine tumblers are everywhere.  They are a great gift for wine clubs, winery events, and corporate giveways. They target a younger demographic but appeal to all ages. The acrylic is double- wall so it insulates the wine and helps maintain the temperature that it was served. The outside of the glass won't sweat.   The reusable material is eco-friendly - no more landfill with single use plastic cups.  The snap on lid with slide closure keeps debris out and drinks in.  The flirty floating stem is a conversation starter. We offer ten lid color options to fit your brand and matching PMS inks.   This one holds a  full  10 ounces. No more broken glass on the patio, boat or around the pool.

 Benefit Marketing special pricing is $4.99/glass with a minimum of 144 glasses.  

The polo shirt is one of the most popular promotional clothing items that exist today. It is a short-sleeved, collared shirt with a placket of 2-3 buttons, and is usually made of knits and piqué cotton. It also has a history of traversing a number of different sports to get to the universal usage it has today:

Polo. In the 19th century, the British military began with the earliest version of the polo shirt, which they created when they brought the sport to England from India. The original shirt had long sleeves and was made of thick cotton, and was improved upon by English polo players attaching their collars to their shirts with buttons to keep them down in the wind.

Tennis. The garment became more like the one we have today when French tennis player Jean Rene Lacoste designed a more comfortable, short-sleeved collared shirt made of piqué cotton, an innovative fabric that was more breathable than the previous cotton. The flat collar and button placket also made the shirts more comfortable to wear while playing tennis, and the crocodile-emblazoned brand is still a favorite today. Polo players adopted this new version of the “polo shirt” in the 1930s.

Golf. The polo shirt started becoming popular on golf courses in the late 1900s as attire for the sport became more casual, and some adjustments were made to the button placket and fabric to fit the sport better. Today, a polo shirt is required in the dress codes of many golf courses across the country.

Whether you prefer to call it a polo, tennis, or golf shirt, this item is loved by both men and women today, and can be worn in a variety of occasions with all different types of pants and shorts. Get in touch with Benefit Marketing to get your logo on one of these universal garments today!

Sources: 
Press Release
The Atlantic
Yahoo

Promotional products may seem like kind of a modern concept, but they’ve actually been around for centuries—George Washington may not have had cork pens or stainless steel water bottles, but he did have commemorative buttons to give out when he was elected the first president of the United States back in 1789.

The Industrial Revolution of the 18th and 19th centuries, following Johannes Gutenberg’s invention of the printing press in 1438, led to a surge in the creation of promotional products. New manufacturing techniques allowed businesses to get more creative with items they used to advertise themselves; one newspaper printer once used his printing press during off-times to print a shoe store logo onto bags to be given to customers. Bookmarks and even branded corkscrews and pocketknives also came into play in the early days of promotional products.

These types of products can also be a reflection of culture changes. For example, ashtrays and matches used to be highly popular promotional products; but now that smoking is less prevalent in our culture and flameless candles have made a rise, you don’t see them as much anymore.

Promotional products can be cultural icons and markers of a certain time period. Make your mark on today by seeing what Benefit has to offer? Come partner with Benefit together we can come up with something that will make its mark on history.

Co-branding: an interesting marketing tactic done by aligning your brand with another brand that has a great reputation. At Benefit, we can put your logo on generic brands, but we also have a number of name brands available for co-branding opportunities.

Want to use apparel to promote your business? Your logo can appear on tons of clothing items from name brands like Lacoste, Nike, Calvin Klein, Kuhl, The North Face, Marmot, Spyder and more. Looking for promotional items other than clothing? Try Apple, Beats by Dre, Swiss Army, Tumi, Callaway, Cuisinart, Swarovski, Igloo, Thermos, Jawbone, and Mont Blanc, among many others.

If generic brands fit better in your marketing program and budget, you can stick with them—they’re great too! But placing your logo on a name brand that has a good reputation and high popularity can make your customers perceive your brand as one aligned with the name brand’s image and product quality. 


Source: inc.com