Optimism abounds as more Americans are getting vaccinated—and out of the house! Although it is still extremely important to exercise caution to remain healthy, regulations are becoming more relaxed and people are dying to hit the open road. AAA Travel predicts a significant rebound in the number of Americans planning to travel this Memorial Day holiday weekend. More than 37 million people are expected to travel 50 miles or more from home, an increase of 60 percent from last year when only 23 million traveled—the lowest on record since AAA began recording in 2000. And, these numbers stand to increase as the summer progresses, which is great news for the automotive promotional products segment!
Joe Davis at Digispec/CounterPoint points out that the company has seen steady continual business in the automotive market this past year. “Counter mats have always been a fantastic promotional vehicle for auto related parts and services,” he states. “Although there was less driving for a period of time last year, the automotive counter mat business really didn't change much. Demand for automotive counter mats has been steady and service-related mats have been and continue to be strong.”
According to Joshua Pospisil at KTI Promo, the company specifically looks to make sure that its auto tools are all-encompassing. “We do not just want to focus on a tire gauge or a seat belt cutter or something so singular,” he remarks. “We want to focus on giving you products that can handle multiple aspects of auto safety.”
With that in mind, suppliers are relying on their tried-and-true products to supply this burgeoning market. Davis at Digispec/CounterPoint believes that Duratec established counter mats will continue to be a great hit for the company. “They are every bit as durable as our SuperDuty counter mats while being almost 50 percent lighter,” he explains. “This definitely helps out with shipping cost. We also have a great offering in the ReTreads counter mat which uses recycled tire rubber as the backing material.”
Josette Bosse at Americanna reports the FT-CC Car Coaster Flat Tire Coaster is a recycled product that is made in the USA. This coaster fits into the bottom of standard vehicle cup holders—collecting condensation and keeping the care a little cleaner. It is notch-cut for easy removal and made from post-consumer recycled tires. Bosse notes that the “flat tire” rubber material consists of a textured surface with slight imperfections due to the recycling process that will affect the imprint. She recommends a minimum font size of 12 points for legibility as well as random printed samples.
A trio of KTI Promo’s automotive accessories promise to deliver this year, KTI Promo’s Pospisil maintains. First up is the Emergency Travel Multi-Tool. According to Pospisil, this tool has so many useful features that it is a “no-brainer” to promote your brand—including an LED flashlight, LED lantern, fire-starter coil, knife, can/bottle opener, carabiner clip, and a built-in emergency phone charger for a quick charge when needed. “No batteries are required to keep this tool going, as it has an attached hand crank that you simply crank for about three minutes for the flashlight, lantern, and fire-starter coil to begin working,” he elaborates. “To get a quick charge on your phone, you must plug your charging cable into the bottom of the Emergency Travel Multi-Tool and continuously rotate the hand crank, your phone will then begin to charge. Once you stop the hand crank, the phone will no longer charge.”
Additionally, KTI’s Auto Emergency Kit prepares users for any kind of emergency. This 9-in-1 Kit offers a three-watt LED flashlight, LED emergency light, lantern, or flasher, metal window-breaking hammer, a set of various tools and knives. Pospisil notes it is the perfect size for a car’s glove compartment.
Finally, KTI offers a Keychain Auto Emergency Tool that features an automatic glass striker, seat belt cutter, whistle, LED flashlight, knife, and a screwdriver with tire tread depth gauge. This auto tool also comes equipped with an attached key chain to easily take on the go, Pospisil adds.
Top quality sells, Digispec/CounterPoint’s Davis maintains. “If you have a client or perspective client that sells a product or service related to the automotive industry, chances are good that they're already buying counter mats,” he comments. “They should be buying them from you—and you should be buying them from us. We have counter mats of all different types and sizes with something that works for every budget. All of our counter mats are made in the USA, using materials also made in the USA.”
Pospisil at KTI Promo emphasizes the universality of its automotive products. “Our auto tools are a one size fits all, so to speak,” he comments. “Not only is it a tire gauge, but it also has a whistle alarm, a seat belt cutter, a glass striker, maybe a flashlight and more.
“That is also the key to selling these items,” Pospisil concludes. “They are a one-stop shop for auto tools—while also keeping focus on a large imprint spot for a company’s logo to be front and center.”