In the immortal words of the philosopher Plato, “Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything.” For the promotional products industry, this translates into a universal appeal for products such as speakers, wireless earbuds, headphones—and even guitars—to be suitable gifts for nearly everyone.
Soundline’s Joel Schaffer reports that the company was the first to bring a full palate of music to the industry. “Until we did, it was a widely accepted premium but, not an everyday promotional product,” he says. “Over the past 30 years, Soundline has gone from cassette to CD, to media player, to USB devices, and to the cloud. The availability of music from streaming services online has changed the need and desire to own—be it a song or a movie. However, billions of CDs and DVDs are still sold. We have even seen a brief renaissance in vinyl, which cannot take hold in our industry due to lack of record players.”
Downloads rule the market and have set the price for all to see, Schaffer continues. “Our industry takes an intangible, a download, and makes it tangible,” he comments. “That is what we do. Hence, the trend is finding new creative and tangible ways to deliver music and entertainment. Event marketing is surging and along with it is the surge in popular music.”
According to Gwen Brey at Beacon Promotions, electronics are always top trend since the category covers many different types of products and are so universal. “Americans are listening to more music because of the many streaming platforms and new technology available,” she states. “Americans spend about 32 hours a week listening to music. Part of that increase can be attributed to new tech devices.”
The average listener uses three kinds of devices, Brey adds, including radio, PCs, laptops, TVs, smartphones, smart speakers, and specialized headphones and retro turntables. “We see many requests come through for Bluetooth® and wireless speakers and headphones,” she says. “We are also seeing more specific requests for items that are compatible or have Google Assist or Amazon Alexa built in. The customer is looking for lifestyle gifts that everyone can use.”
In agreement is Carrie Lewis at BIC Graphic, who also believes that Bluetooth®-enabled speakers continue to be one of the most popular tech items because people want to be able to take their music anywhere. In addition, she notes that wireless speakers are becoming more stylish and compact, with some carrying an IP67 rating—which means that the speaker is 100 percent protected against solids like dust and sand and will even work underwater. “This adds to the durability of wireless speakers for outdoor activities like boating and hiking,” she emphasizes.
“Along with wireless Bluetooth® speakers, truly wireless earbuds and headphones continue to be popular,” Lewis continues. “Wireless technology is becoming the new standard because of convenience, improved signal strength, and the freedom to move about without getting tangled. As wireless technology continues to get better, wireless earbuds are sure to be a hit with promo clients.”
Acoustic and electric guitars are trending at Seven Sourcing “Not only are they functional but they also make great display pieces,” Russ Mogell maintains. He adds that Bluetooth® speakers and headphones also continue to lead the segment—in addition to LED music bracelets.
Demand for music-related products has resulted in BIC Graphic expanding its retail brand partnerships to enhance the company’s music-related product offering. “Customers can feel confident in the quality and safety compliance of items backed by brand names like Sol Republic®, Jam®, Xoopar®, and HMDX®,” she states. The company is also realizing success with products that have a little something “extra”—such as a speaker with a light show or custom-shaped earbuds.
Schaffer at Soundline points out that the demand for older music delivery vehicles (CD, USB players) is down but not out. “The market for music downloads continues to grow rapidly and it is involved with scores of markets—such as safety, home sales, teamwork, appreciation, travel, fundraising, gift with purchase, etc.,” he comments.
In this market segment, suppliers rely on a mix of new and best-selling music-related products for their success. Two Bluetooth® speakers are new at BIC Graphic. “Perfect for days at the beach, tailgates, and backyard BBQs, the #16042 KOOZIE® Chillin’ Bluetooth® Speaker Kooler has two built-in wireless speakers, Lewis says. “Carry snacks and beverages while also providing the music with this one multi-function kooler!” she enthuses. “The main zippered compartment has heat-sealed PEVA liner with a hook-and-loop access opening.” The #32300 House of Marley™ No Bounds Portable Bluetooth® Speaker is IP67 rated and is crafted with sustainable cork for a natural look that also floats, Lewis adds. This speaker has a 10-hour battery life and features wireless dual speaker pairing that connects multiple speakers to each other.
Beacon Promotions has also introduced a new speaker, The Bose Home Speaker (#7953451), which features built-in voice control from Alexa. Brey says the company’s best seller has been the Bose SoundLink Micro Bluetooth® Speaker that boasts a rugged design that is 100 percent waterproof from the inside out.
Schaffer at Soundline reports that the company pioneered the CD greeting card in the 1990s and had sales of one million plus each Christmas for many years. “It has been our best seller and CDs still rule for real estate, mortgage, and financial markets,” he comments. “Now, that Christmas card is more popular carrying a pin code to download music. For the end buyer, it is lower in cost, easier to mail and it achieves the same gift result for less money.
“Beyond Christmas, our Acclaim line of B2B greeting cards include topic-centric music for thank you, appreciation, birthday, parties, special events, etc.,” he continues. “If a company has an incentive trip to Mexico, a card to hype the, trip can carry 10 songs as a taste of Mexico.” He adds that the company also delivers music on flash drives.
Mogell at Seven Sourcing shares that the company is seeing more crossover products such as wireless chargers that also have the capability to play music direct from the base unit.
To promote music-related products to clients, suppliers remind distributors to emphasize the timelessness of music. “My presentation will remind the buyer that many products duplicate something the person already has,” Soundline’s Schaffer emphasizes. “Music is endless. It is kept for life, enjoyed by one or more and evokes memories of an event, a day, an occasion. A full song as a gift in a birthday card not only costs less than a card that opens to a 10-second clip but has greater value and long-term impact.
“It is incredible to realize that music can help soothe a loss, motivate performance, help celebrate and even save a life,” Schaffer continues. “Listening to and learning Stayin’ Alive is critical in learning CPR and is a promotion for heart health month and wellness. We do it on USB, on an e-mail download, and in a card.”
Brey at Beacon Promotions expands on Schaffer’s sentiments. “In order for corporate gifts to motivate employees and/or feel appreciated, the gift needs to have value and meaning for each recipient,” she comments. “The biggest concern is about the quality of the product along with the ease of use and reliability of the product. There is always the issue with items that connect to phones as to whether the item is compatible with Apple and Android phones.”
Music-related products hit a variety of price points and are popular, BIC Graphic’s Carrie Lewis points out, citing wireless speakers and earbuds. “Clients looking for a promo that will appeal to a broad audience can now consider these types of tech items—even if they have a limited budget,” she says. “Younger demographics are sure to be impressed with music-related products, especially wireless items. Staying on top of trends to include the latest technology that speaks to younger generations should return good results for your clients.”
In conclusion, Mogell of Seven Sourcing adds, “Continue to navigate around the traditional commodities and push relevant products that fit the promotion or event. It’s all about the WOW.”
Case Studies
Gwen Brey, Beacon Promotions
Travel agents realize that many people plan their vacations themselves. A travel agent wanted to show their appreciation to their customers who booked vacations of $7,500 or more with them. For a two-month period, the travel agent gave out the Bose SoundLink Wireless Headphone (#7411580010) to those customers. The customers really like them, as they could use them on their vacation with the in-flight entertainment or in their daily lives when they returned from vacation.
Carrie Lewis, BIC Graphic
A shopping mall was holding a summer promotion to increase traffic during typically slower months. Visitors to the complex were given a “passport” to take to different stores within the mall for stamps to win prizes. The facility was looking for items that would have broad appeal from a recognizable brand that would make the prize more desirable. They chose the Jam™ Chill Out Bluetooth Speaker® as one prize option because of the popularity of the Jam® brand, compact size, and appeal to their target demographics. They imprinted the speakers with the promotion logo and it ended up being one of the most popular prizes. The mall monitored hashtags tied to the promotion on social media and found the speaker to be the most mentioned and photographed prize by participants.