Now more than ever, employees, particularly millennials, want to work for companies that not only volunteer at various non-profits, but also champion for health-related and social issues—from drugs/alcohol, cancer awareness, environmental concerns, social issues, U.S. veteran support, as well as many other illnesses and diseases. Spreading awareness and raising funds for these causes has become an important part of corporate culture
Melissa Ralston of BIC Graphic believes that social activism and fundraising for a cause is an increasingly important part of the community. “The 2014 Millennial Impact Report, supported by the Case Foundation, showed that a company’s involvement with cause-related opportunities influenced all stages of employment—from a millennial’s decision whether or not to accept a job (more than 55 percent said they were persuaded to say yes after cause work was discussed during an interview)—to whether or not they planned to stay at a job (20 percent said belief in the company’s mission and purpose would be the most important reason for staying),” she comments.
Awareness is about getting in front of as many people as possible, according to John Bates of Polyconcept North America. This results in customers often wanting to use products that appeal to the widest audience possible. “Drinkware is a great example of this because those who receive it as a promotional item tend to use it continuously,” he comments. “This allows for many more impressions, and it creates a higher perceived value from the recipient. Clients are often looking for items in a specific color that relates to the cause they are creating awareness for.”
Webb Company’s Sarah Hobson agrees that millennials are an important component of this market. “The millennial generation is more aware and conscious of what they put on or inside their bodies” she comments. “Especially when it comes to health awareness, many ingredients in imported topical products have been linked to many of the diseases these organizations are raising funds to cure.” She adds that U.S.-made products are trending, specifically sanitizer and lip balm. The Allen Company’s Stan Dohan also concurs that millennials’ influence on the market is apparent, and they want useful brands with a “real, true value proposition.”
As far as trends go, Dick Reuter for Warwick Publishing asserts that nothing can give an awareness program the daily exposure and reminder that a physical calendar can. “Unlike a computer or phone calendar, the paper calendar is up front and ‘in your face’—day in and day out—even if you’re not looking for a specific date! This means that you get your message across daily, whether it’s a reminder to drive safely or to ‘remember the date’ for your special event, calendars get the job done better and at a lower cost than most any product available.” He adds that the calendar is there for all to see the brand or message, not just one user, so it gets even more exposure.
At Hub Pen, Pam Baker sees pens trending in this market since they are an inexpensive giveaway that everyone can use. “Pencils do well with any campaigns aimed at children, such as drug prevention and fire safety,” she adds.
Promotional products suppliers are rolling out an array of new products in this vital market segment. According to Ralston of BIC Graphic, vacuum-insulated drinkware is increasing in popularity within the awareness market. “In addition, many of our proprietary and partner brands are featured in cause marketing campaigns because end-users are interested in brands they know and trust,” she affirms. “For example, we have seen a spike in our KOOZIE® line of beverage coolers and cooler bags used in these types of promotions.”
Vacuum drinkware is a best seller at Polyconcept North America. “For an item that customers will use time and time again, we suggest Bullet’s SM-6621 Sherpa 11-ounce Vacuum Tumbler & Insulator,” Bates comments. “It comes in a variety of colors for any cause and works as a tumbler or drink insulator. It also fits under most Keurig machines.”
For clients that are hosting a walk or run, Polyconcept recommends the sportier Leed’s 17-ounce, 1624-74 Copper Vacuum Insulated Bottle. “The copper insulation keeps drinks hot for 12 hours and cold for 48, plus it comes in over 14 colors for any occasion,” Bates adds.
New drinkware offerings and lip balms have also been debuted at Webb Company. The 27-ounce Tritan Water Bottle with Cooling Towel #COOLKIT and Silicone Carabiner Rubber Lip Balm Ball #SCRLB are two items the company brought in thinking specifically for awareness, Hobson says. The company also combined the two to sell as a total kit.
On the stationery front, Warwick Publishing is using new digital printing techniques and equipment to give its customers a high-quality, full-color imprint—with minimums as low as 50 pieces—on award winning WAVE, Tri-Fold and Daily Date calendars, as well as 150-piece minimums on select desk calendar styles. “Full-color printing allows you to expand the potential customer base for more effective use to promote new products, new buildings, and special events,” Reuter says. “As they say, ‘A picture is worth a thousand words’ and our low cost, full-color selection of products says a lot—and can make your message stand out.”
Hub Pen has introduced the 363 Carico—a pen with trim in nine different colors so many different causes colors can be represented, Baker reports. “We are also conscious of the fact that pink is the biggest awareness color and try to introduce at least one pink pen each time we release new items,” she notes. As a result, the company has rolled out five pink pens, including the 303 Turro, the 401 Vivira, and the 363 Carico. According to Baker, Hub Pen’s Javalina Splash and Mardi Gras Jubilee get used a lot for awareness campaigns as they have white barrels with vibrant-colored trim—and are the company’s best sellers each year.
Popular sellers at Southern Plus are items related to the outdoors. “The more visibility, the better!” Grethe Adams proclaims. “Our 105 Billboard Lounger is popular and provides an oversize imprint area that will ensure maximum visibility and exposure for the cause. Our cotton tote bags are also very popular and range from basic styles to heavy-duty cotton canvas. With a large imprint area and wide color offering, they are a perfect fit for this market segment.”
Hub Pen’s Baker sees pens as the ultimate awareness products since they get passed around a lot. “Your message gets in front of more people,” she comments. “Plus, they are inexpensive so you can give away many more than you would with a costlier product.”
Promotional products suppliers recommend that distributors emphasize that quality products will appeal to non-profits. And, keep an eye on the calendar, as each month provides a new opportunity to raise awareness. Heart health, breast cancer awareness, diabetes, and mental health are a few examples of causes that appear regularly on awareness calendars.
Finally, Adams of Southern Plus urges distributors to push the combination of cause marketing with product fundraising to their clients. “The product will continue to promote your brand long after the purchase is made to support the cause,” she explains. “Strengthening your brand by being a good corporate citizen and supporting a cause that ties in with the brand and the customer base is powerful. For example, if your main customer base is young, male, and outdoorsy, supporting an environmental cause may make sense and help cement the image of the brand with your key demographics. Many consumers consider a company’s corporate social responsibility when deciding where to shop—missing out on this connection can be costly.”
Case Studies
Melissa Ralston, BIC Graphic
Top 10 Breast Cancer Awareness Promotional Products
It’s time to start thinking ahead toward October Breast Cancer Awareness events and promotions. Here is our list of the Top 10 Awareness items—perfect for Breast Cancer Awareness events, promotions and fundraisers.
1. Silicone Awareness Bracelet—a perennial favorite in pink.
2. Awareness Ribbon Keyholder—give them something to hold on to—a daily reminder and a badge of honor they carry with them every day.
3. Ribbon Badge Holder—great for corporate awareness or healthcare facilities.
4. BIC® WideBody Design Grip—one of the most popular pens in the industry has a pink ribbon built right into the grip.
5. Ribbon Shaped BIC® Sticky Note™ Die Cut Adhesive Notepad—a proven favorite for offices, educational settings, healthcare and more.
6. Breast Self-Exam and Health Chart—a smart giveaway for breast cancer walks, health fares and more—spread the word about an important part of early detection.
7. Medium Snap Tote—the ultimate swag bag—a great tote that will be used for years to come.
8. Poly-Clean Bottle®—shatterproof with an easy to drink through lid, this water bottle is a great giveaway.
9. Shoe Wallet—perfect for awareness walks, the shoe wallet offers storage for keys, ID, lip balm and even comes in pink.
10. White Frame Sunglasses (with Pink bows)—a fun new idea for outdoor events, college campuses, retail, and more.
Dick Reuter, Warwick Publishing
Last year, more than $120,000.00 was raised by 3,000 participants in a “Fun for the Cure.” A Warwick 991-09DP, full-color Desk Calendar was given to all as a year-long reminder of the 2017 event date.
A university distributed out 6,500 Warwick Tri-Fold Calendars to every student at the beginning of the school year to be a year-long reminder of the dangers of drinking and driving.