It's the season so often immortalized in film, song and novels – summer! Frolicking outdoors, barefoot – the shores of an ocean or a lake, camping, picnicking, playing frisbee in the park. Outdoor concerts and movies under the stars. Bonfires on the beach, campfires and toasting marshmallows. School's out – and fun and games are in.
Our supplier sources have quite a few ideas to help you think of the big picture first rather than the item first.
According to Grethe Adams of Southern Plus, a day at the beach is a perfect way to spend time with family and friends during the summer. "To ensure it’s an enjoyable experience for all it requires having the right gear." A large, strong, colorful beach tote is a must to hold all the beach necessities (sunblock, aloe gel, book/magazine, little toys for the kids, etc.). A logoed cooler keeps drinks cold for those very hot afternoons and is also roomy for snacks and sandwiches. Then, she says, you need your beach chairs and/or a beach mat to lay on, a beach towel to dry off or sit on in your chair for extra comfort. "Finally, no trip to the beach – or any summer activity for that matter - is complete without our CU-48 clamp-on umbrella to provide protection from the sun. Its versatile clamp fits any of our folding chairs as well as most strollers. An extra plus, if you have matching colors in all these items you’ll create some visual impact and will easily see your spot on the beach after a swim or a trip to the snack bar! (personal experience speaking here.)"
The ideal summer outing for Terry Town towels, envisions Michael Del Bucchia, would be for a multi-day city/county summer celebration. Such occasions are typically comprised of multiple outdoor events ranging from athletics, entertainment, tradeshow-style fairs and food/drink-related activities. These events are also typically driven by multiple corporate sponsorships, in which everyone involved wants advertising recognition.
"Beach towels, golf towels, sports towels, event/rally towels and fitness towels could all potentially comprise a series of event giveaways to participants, attendees and staffers," he says. And, similar to Adam's idea of color coordination for beach products, Del Bucchia says, "The series of towels could all be brand-united and color coordinated so there would be continuity to event and theme. Whether the means of imprint would be traditional silk-screen imprint, or Terry Town’s ‘Picture Perfect’ full-color edge-to-edge print, the impact from the towel giveaways will be powerful and last well after the event."
Anthony Romano of Pro Towels cites three summertime situations for which logoed towels would be a perfect addition. One is family vacations – think of hotels and resorts; beach clubs, RV clubs and of course, boat/yacht clubs. He suggests Pro Towels' mid-weight colored beach towel (BT-15) that is available in over 15 colors and would perfect for any summer vacation. When the family makes the reservation, or joins the club, the logoed towel makes a superbly relevant gift.
All-day concert or food festivals are another summer fun event. In addition, more communities are offering outdoor movie nights for families on beaches or in parks. Contact the organizers to see if they want to sell or raffle Pro Towels' oversized beach towel (BT-5060) which is roomy enough for two to enjoy the festivities.
Camping and hiking comprise a third thing many people enjoy doing in warm weather. "Our roll-up lightweight fleece blanket (FL-3600) is great to take on a weekend camping trip or a one-day hike," Romano says. "Along with being lightweight, the roll-up feature is appreciated so that the user can condense the blanket, because space for gear is always limited when camping and hiking, and it can be carried by its attached handle." This, he adds, would make for a great corporate gift, corporate store, and for campsite organizations and park systems that want to sell it with their logos on it.
There are several new items that fit perfectly for summertime fun. Adams says that Southern Plus's new 7074 Calypso Bag is "a perfect fit for any summer fun campaign. The colorful pattern begs to be shown off and the roomy tote will hold all you need for a full day’s worth of outdoor activities. This tote is both fun and groovy, colorful and earthy. Depending on the event, you can match it up with our beach mat, a picnic blanket, or beach towel to create an all-inclusive kit. Also, our new 7071 Chevron Tote is also a fun tote for summer. The clean, crisp chevron pattern of this tote is youthful and classic and an ideal travel tote (cruise lines, resorts, on-flight)."
Pro Towels' SLIPCLIP is the perfect addition to any beach towel, Romano points out. This customizable beach towel accessory keeps the user's towel from slipping off a lounge chair or bunching up. Additionally, Pro Towels' jersey shaped rally towels can be completely customized to fit your client's summer promotion. Romano suggests this would be desired by summer leagues, you can replicate your client's team jersey and add the team's summer schedule. "And, not just limited to sports jerseys, these towels can be customized to look like a uniform at a waterpark (great for staff to commemorate a milestone), summer camp T-shirt or even for a high school band," he offers.
There are quite a few sales opportunities available. Now, many, many people with all types of jobs and professions take summer vacations – whether they go away, or remain home to relax at the beach, pool or park and throw backyard parties, barbeques and picnics. You may have some corporate offices that want to reward sales people with a tote, towel, and summer fun pack that includes a visor, frisbee, SPF lip balm and after-sun skin cream.
"Whether for a customer thank you, employee appreciation gift, or sales incentive, promoting on products that support outdoor, recreational, or leisure activities provides real impact," Adams says. When you put a logo on something that supports a person’s passion(s), which often is what they do in their free time, the brand association can be very powerful. EVERYONE does things in their leisure time that they enjoy, or has passion for. Therefore, products/categories like ours (at Southern Plus) can suit virtually every situation."
She adds that there's no better item to bundle items with than a tote. The bundle concept can go in any direction from beach volleyball tournaments (add suntan lotion or visor or cap) and outdoor concert (add a T-shirt) to a luxury cruise (add a velour beach towel) or company picnic (add picnic blanket or water bottle). Pro Towels, says Romano, has created three items (TTC-06, TTC-30, TTC-31) that are a combination of both a beach towel and a tote bag.
And, although it's back-to-school in late August or early September, it is still a summer month. The weather is perfect for relaxing on the beach, and there are many weekend outdoor events for the whole family. This is a category that actually lasts from late May to late September - and it calls for great ingenuity.
Look around at event signs, look online for festivals, google local campsites/boat clubs, pool clubs, etc. Then, review your current roster of accounts and have fun getting creative to bundle a terrific and successful summertime fun promotional program. With your expert and enthusiastic creative guidance, you can be the antidote for any "summertime blues!"