The classic Sly and the Family Stone song from 1969 can be the perfect tagline for promotional products distributors who focus on outdoor fun promotions.
Think: beachside, lakeside, camping, picnics in the park, festivals galore, hiking and biking. Americans love to take full advantage of the outdoors during the summer months; July and August are two of the biggest vacation-time months when employees take their time off to spend quality time with family and friends, and go on adventures, such as day trips.
But it’s also the time when corporate outings and team-building events outdoors are frequently held.
“What makes summer/beach promotions fun is that you can turn almost any product into a great giveaway,” says Cheryl Gallagher of Starline. “Think sunglasses to protect the eyes; water resistant Bluetooth speakers for enjoying music outdoors; coolers or picnic bags to fun outings. Vacuum water bottles and tumblers are other great summer product ideas. The insulation will keep drinks cold during the summer, but they are also perfect for daily use giving the businesses long-term exposure of their logo.”
One of the reasons why Grethe Adams of Southern Plus says beach and summer fun products are great promotional products are what she refers to as the three P’s – Public, Positive, Plus-size Print.
Public: These items are used in public, generating exposure far beyond the original recipient. The additional exposure provides added value, making an attractive sales point.
Positive: Linking your client’s company or brand to a positive activity like a family picnic, enjoying fireworks, and beach or poolside lounging “provides a much more powerful, deep and long-lasting connection than, for example, a work-related promotional item like desk accessories or tech gadgets,” Adams points out. Further, when describing this attribute to your clients, bring the experience to life by noting how after the vacation or summer fun time is over, those memories of the sounds, the sun, the fresh air and ocean scent, will also include remembering the comfortable logoed beach chairs they sat in, the large logoed beach bag that held the required beach gear (four beach towels, two bottles of sunscreen, a volleyball and Frisbee, beach cover up, reading material and Bluetooth speakers), the matching cooler bag with room for six hours of drinks and snacks. She suggests asking, “Do you recall ever remembering the sound or smell of when you used a promotional pen?”
Plus-size Print: “We’re selling advertising and typically, as far as logo size, bigger is better,” Adams asserts. “With our beach and outdoor products, the imprint is much larger than most other promotional product, creating a virtual billboard for the client.”
Again, products for summer-beach fun promotions are numerous. For example, Prime Line has a wide variety of items for outdoor fun – including sunglasses, party cups, sport bottles, can openers and sunscreen. Its 6-Can Flexi-Chiller (#PL-4359) is an eye-catcher. The freezable PVC can cooler has special cold-holding pockets to keep contents chilled for hours. Its Weekend Explorer Grill & Cooler (#LT-3369) is a heavy-gauge steel grill that burns charcoal or wood, with an outer chamber that holds the grill while the insulated and lined inner cooler compartment holds up to 10 12-oz cans; the case is imprintable.
Prime Line also has a variety of products for fun activities such as classic beach balls, collapsible flyers and the (#PL-0471) Funky Foam Flyer, a soft, squeezable polyurethane foam flyer with EVA tail.
Late spring through early fall is prime time for picnics. Picnic Time has numerous products that will serve perfectly for corporate promotions and incentives. The Festival Blanket is an attractive and sturdy 57" x 67" outdoor blanket with a patchwork design, and is made in the USA. And of course, on top of the blanket is where friends and family can enjoy a refreshing summer meal, notably with the Charleston Picnic Basket, which the company describes as a "top of the line" basket with service for four. It includes stemless glasses, full-sized serving tray, and the Festival Blanket. The basket is made of willow with leather trim.
Outdoors anywhere, however, can quickly turn sour when the bugs are biting. Webb Company provides its brand new Insect Repellent Sprayer (#IRS1), billed as an effective, lightly-scented insect repellent spray, that is also Deet-free. The active ingredient in this insect repellent is IR3535, which is recommended to protect against mosquito and insect-borne illnesses. This item is available for shipping on July 25.
Keeping cool during summer is also a desired factor, and Webb Company offers its Large Ice Ball (#ICELG) that easily creates round ice balls. This may be suitable for bars and liquor stores as a great summer promotion.
According to Adams, these summer fun products are not just for the obvious summer-related consumer brands or the hospitality industry. From general company picnics and sales retreats and conferences to summer related promotions, there are some great sales ideas. For example, for insurance companies, a beach bag to promote auto and travel insurance; banks can give out a cooler bag or a beach bag with new account openings, or as giveaways at outdoor community events; healthcare companies can promote being active outside with a beach towel, or promote healthy skin care in the sun with sun protection products, “such as our Clamp-on Umbrella (#CU-48). And car dealerships may want to give out coolers with every new auto purchase,” she says.
One of Starline’s “most creative, successful sells for a summer product has been our Ice Challenge,” asserts Gallagher. Distributors are encouraged to take any of Starline’s Vacuum Tumblers and Vacuum Water Bottles, fill it with ice and giving it to the client. The distributor asks the client to call him or her once the ice has fully melted. “The surprise response comes about 24 to 48 hours later when the client discovers the ice has finally melted and calls the distributor. This helps demonstrate the quality of our vacuum while helping remind about the importance of staying hydrated in the summer time,” she notes.
Everyone loves the summer time, no matter what they do to enjoy this time. The promotional products industry is absolutely abundant with items that can create memorable and enjoyable promotions that will lead to fond memories by the end-user – a positive experience that filters to your client.