Everything but the Kitchen Sink

There’s no place like home – and millions of Americans continue to embrace their havens. Rising popularity of HGTV, DIY, Cooking Channel and Food Network shows attest to the desire for people to nest comfortably and enjoy being homebodies.

Forbes reporter Eustacia Huen, in her November 30, 2018 article, “The Top 5 Food Trends to Watch in 2019,” pointed to the 75 million Millennials who are “unafraid” thrown down in the kitchen, and cited a Better Homes & Garden market study showing that 93% of this generation spend four nights a week eating at home. This is supported by the booming meal kit/delivery markets, as well as an increasing number of farmers markets and stands that are cropping up.

Pam Degore, product development team member, PCNA emphasizes, “A lot of data points toward Millennials and younger people entertaining at home instead of going out. They like to create experiences. This means that getting a brand into their homes is even more important. The best way to do this is with kitchen items. Kitchens are considered the gathering place in a lot of homes.”

Research from NPD Group shows that 82% of the meals Americans consume are created in their kitchens, and this number reflects a significant growth compared to a decade ago. According to Gwen Brey of Beacon Promotions, Americans spend an average of three to five hours per day in the kitchen – “so there is no better place to put a useful kitchen product where the ad message is seen on a regular basis. It doesn’t matter what market your company is in.”

This, of course, creates perfect opportunities for your clients to contribute to the homebody experience via creative and on-point promotions. Says Degore, “Housewares are great for mass giveaways at conferences or conventions. They’re items people will use regularly in the home and be constantly be reminded of the brand. Housewares are good promo items because people are in their homes every day and consistently using the items.

Obvious opportunities to remember are home buying and selling, construction and home renovation, especially kitchens, notes Jake Peterson, vice president of sales and marketing, Webb Company. He advised to not limit the kitchen as the only place where food is enjoyed – “Consider all the other place people eat: cars, at work/at their desk, picnics/outdoors, camping and RVs, so any food-related item will work. A kitchen should not be confined to a physical structure but could potentially be anywhere we eat,” he asserts, adding that kitchen and houseware items can be used as giveaways, gifts or retailed.

Josette Bosse, of Bay State Specialty, agrees that identifying the audience your kitchen promotion is being used by can be beneficial when selecting products. If your clients are focusing on apartments, or tiny homes, or urban condos where space is a premium, selecting items that can collapse, like the Quick Work Silicone Strainer, are easier to store while being effective and useful. And if you're trying to get someone to cook, which may be out of their comfort zone, she says, "Bay State’s Silicone Utensils are a favorite in my house, especial the K451. High heat resistant, easy to clean and they will never scratch the pan or melt!! What more could you ask for?"

Overall, there is a growing lifestyle trend among Americans of all ages to stay in and nest, says Carrie Lewis, marketing and communications manager for BIC Graphic. And, according to Refinery 29, she cites, 55% of Americans prefer drinking at home for reasons like the comfortable environment and saving money. Promotional items like Bic’s Super-Soft-Plus Blankets and Aluminum Bottle Openers are a great way to get clients’ brands in front of this audience, every time they opt to stay in.

 Higher-end household items, adds Lewis, can help make spaces around the home feel trendy and ready to be posted on social media (another growing trend). “Items meant for entertaining like the Personal Espresso Set or Bamboo Cheese Set can help reinforce a positive perception of a high-quality brand.”

Home Sense
Retailers (Home Goods, Bed, Bath & Beyond) and e-tailers (wayfair.com) offering great home finds are exploding – even Christmas Tree Shoppes offers décor and kitchen essentials. No longer do people need to spend a lot of money to create spaces that are inviting and functional, and that serve to augment the haven lifestyle.

Serving ware, such as coasters are fun, inexpensive and highly appreciated. “Bamboo and marble continue to trend in retail and on HGTV,” observes Degore.  “We have coasters and cutting boards that meet these needs and are in tune with the big retail trends.” Peterson notes that Webb Company’s selection of coasters are gaining in popularity as “they can be used in a number of different rooms throughout the house and can be both functional and attractive.”

Numerous businesses can reap the benefits of having their logos and messages seen on kitchenware and home products because of the “nesting” trend. Brey suggests that home products can tie into any type of client event – “grand openings, anniversary celebrations, customer appreciation days, home & health fairs and community or safety events.  Because any market can advertise on a home product, the options are endless for the advertiser.”

Do not forget the DIY-er/maker trend, either. People of all ages and skill sets are empowered to create, fix things for and around the home. Here, Lewis suggests, multi-functional items that include tools will be well-received by the client’s end user. “With the popularity of HGTV shows like ‘Fixer Upper,’ there is no longer a stereotype when it comes to who is doing projects around the house,” she asserts. “Fashionable tools, like a measuring tape in trendy woodgrain can help brands to make a lasting impression by appealing to this new, younger, more diverse audience.”

Home improvement consumer shows in your area are also perfect for the companies that exhibit, and of course all year long for them as well.

Out of the box thinking – how about pizzerias giving away a pizza cutter for every fifth or 10th order? Wine shops giving openers with purchases of 3 bottles. A furniture store giving bamboo coasters for orders? Farmers’ markets giving away vegetable peelers for every purchase $10 or more?

Look around your own home, and ask your friends and families what their favorite or “go to” kitchen or household item may be – and you will see how vast this market sector is. After all, who doesn’t love home?

CASE STUDIES
Gwen Brey of Beacon Promotions: “A local apple orchard wanted to attract more customers (old and new) and advertise that they have the largest apple selection in the area.  They decided to give away the apple slicer (#HW29AS) free to the first 200 customers.  The slogan ‘We offer the largest variety of apples no matter how you slice it’ was printed along with their logo on the slicer.”

“The hot summer months are the time of year for county and state fairs and ice cream!  The Ice Cream Scoop (#HW29AS) was the perfect item for a farm dairy cooperative to give out at the fair. It’s a useful, durable plastic item made with FDA-safe materials. The ad featured their logo and the catchy slogan ‘Get the Scoop.’”

“A State Cattlemen’s Association was doing presentations at a local county fair.  The presentation was to educate the consumer on beef products, how to prepare the different cuts of beef and some recipes.   At the end of each presentation, they had the participants complete a survey.  The Cattlemen’s Association wanted to give a thank you gift to those who took the time to attend the presentation and complete the survey.  They choose the Digital Kitchen/Grilling Thermometer (#HW23TH). It serves two purposes – a thank you gift and a useful tool in meal preparation so you don’t overcook your beef!”

“A credit union was holding their annual customer appreciation week, with different activities and events each day. They gave the Veggie Brush/Peeler (#HW48VB) to their existing bank customers and to customers who set up new accounts that week, as a thank you for their business.”