Salud!

If forced, we can live without a bite for 24 hours and only feel a bit fatigued and of course, our stomach grumbling. But it is much more uncomfortable to not guzzle liquid for any long stretch. Thus the absolute need for drinking vessels.

Of course, society just loves to enjoy what we need to do to survive, not merely do it. This means morning beverages to kickstart, hydration bevs and smoothies during the day for health, often energy blasters to maintain physical and mental alertness, then post-work cocktails, wine or carbonated beverages during dinner, and post-dinner coffee, tea or… more spirits. And we require that each of these drinking habits also has its own vessel. Would you guzzle Sprite® in a Pilsner glass, or down your energy drink in a crystal wine goblet? Conversely, who would sip expensive champagne from a plastic cup or ceramic mug?

Drinkware is everywhere – and perfect for a wide variety of promotions.

According to Margit Fawbush of BIC Graphic, studies show hydration continues to be an important component of overall health and well-being. “Stylish, functional water bottles can help make the habit easier to maintain on the go,” she comments, noting that Cool Gear’s blog, The Cool Down, summarized the benefits of hydration in its blogpost, “How to Drink More Water.” Promotional products distributors, she adds, can use these benefit facts to support drinkware recommendations for a variety of industries and programs, such as employee wellness programs, health clubs, sports clubs/teams, education, healthcare and more. 

Further, she notes that drinkware trends “evolve with lifestyle trends. It’s all about functional style – making hydration a part of the end-user’s daily routine while keeping it interesting and relevant. Drinkware is also carried as a badge of honor. A really sporty looking bottle shows your athletic side, while a particular brand on a tumbler shows your personal affiliation or interest.”

So many possibilities for drinkware sales, but merely mentioning a beverage vessel may not quite be enough. Ron Rosencrans of ProRose, observes that samples do indeed lead to orders in our industry. He advises to run an order for yourself in a drinkware item of your choice to give out on sales calls and meetings. “It doesn’t have to be an expensive item, just something that is useful and able to be left behind to further drive your message about what you can offer,” he remarks.

Rosencrans adds that most events your clients have involve some sort of food and beverage component. This is the opportunity to present the concept of customizing disposable cups and napkins so the client’s image and message are being presented to the target audience in a positive way.

Anna Ramos of Ceramic Source suggests getting more keenly creative with printing methods such as 3D, deep etch, and flock imprint. Think about creative shapes that make sense for the business, such as a hammer handle for construction companies, or vertebrae for chiropractors.  

Each client has his or her own unique and different need when looking for drinkware, points out Cheryl Gallagher of Starline. For clients who want quality travel mugs and water bottles, distributors have been very successful participating in Starline’s Ice Challenge with their clients. This involved distributors filling Starline’s vacuum tumblers and water bottles with ice and sending them to their clients. Clients were then able to witness the ice taking between one and two whole days to melt, which would lead to many orders, Gallagher reports.

Fawbush sees that getting into shape and regularly going to fitness and health centers have significantly increased consumption of protein shakes and supplement drinks, which “are all the rage as fitness trends continue to promote meal replacement drinks and post-workout hydration.” Here, she adds, drinkware with double opening lids – wide mouth for filling and smaller opening for drinking, or a single tumbler that works for hot and cold beverages are most suitable.

“With brand understanding at an all-time high, packaging glassware in sets for that retail presence, and even focusing more on the aesthetics of the glassware packaging itself, is really emerging and growing,” observes Stan W. A. Dohan, MAS, MASI Allen Company/Color Craft Line®.  “Retail names and real brands are where beverageware, drinkware, and hydration has shifted rapidly.  This is why we have advanced and developed and continue to concentrate and focus so much on our blender bottle®, Camelbak®, Takeya® KORwater, PRODYNE and Boss brands.”

Distributors’ clients are seeking certain factors in drinkware, suppliers report. For example, Tabasky says that Bel Promo's clients love the company’s multi-color capabilities on ceramics and glassware. As requests kept increasing, he notes, Bel Promo now offers full color printing on ceramics and glass for only a 36-piece minimum.

Ceramic is heavy, Ramos says, and buyers say it also breaks and freight is high. But customers consider ceramic as somewhat high-end and sturdy, perfect for hot beverages.

Dohan relates that “Distributors continue to tell us that their best clients are increasingly sophisticated and brand/retail conscious demanding quality brand names.”

Meanwhile, Allen Company/Color Craft Line® has launched new drinkware, such as its new Takeya® brand of vacuum-insulated hydration bottles keep beverages cold for 24 hours and hot for 12. The company has also added “cool colors in the Blender Bottle® series as well as the cool, functional GoStak®, four nested containers that can be mixed and matched. Prodyne from our Housewares are the newest, most innovative fruit infusers on the market!” 

The company, he points out, has “taken a deep dive into insulated drinkware.” Its Boss brands of 20- and 30-ounce stainless-steel vacuum insulated tumblers that are highly suitable for outdoor activities. Its CamelBak® Brands have grown to 14 styles of hydration bottles and packs with numerous vacuum insulated and filtration options. The packs are updated quarterly.

New this year for Starline are unique finishes such as a stone finish, and “the variety of colors fit with any promotion,” Gallagher promises. Starline also recently launched its new Arctix Vacuum Tumblers, a family of six different styles, including a 12-ounce, 3-in-1 Insulator – all stainless steel; 20-ounce in a stainless steel and a black matte finish and 30-ounce in stainless steel. “These are all very retail looking pieces,” she says.

CoolGear, according to Fawbush, offers a variety of portable drinkware options: Subzero Bottle (28-ounce), Mason Tumbler (16-ounce), Wine Glass with Lid (12-ounce), Aquaburst Bottle (20-ounce), Straightwall Pure Bottle (30-ounce), Shaker Bottle (24-ounce), Smoothie Tumbler (20-ounce), and Arise Wave (28-ounce).

Rosencrans reveals that ProRose’s “next generation will include a product line between single-use and high-end drinkware – kind of an inexpensive drinkware line that will be priced low but desirable enough to be taken home and used over and over again.”

So, let’s drink to increased sales of drinkware for creative promotions your clients will love!

CASE STUDY

Stan W. A. Dohan, MAS, MASI. Allen Company/ Color Craft Line®

Several years ago, distributors submitted quotes for a ‘$2 water bottle’ for a certain annual, extremely popular outdoor music festival. When many, many of the same RFQs arrived in a short time, we became aware of the end-user (festival) and use. Only a few distributors had the foresight (and maybe courage) at that time to understand the ‘customer base,’ primarily college kids travelling out of town to attend something that would be (to that point) one of the most enjoyable times of their lives. What was selected for corporate sponsor giveaway swag gifts and on-site retail sales ended up to be our most expensive CAMELBAK®option, the  Double Wall Stainless Steel eddy™. The retail price on-site was $65 per piece. All 12,000 sold out on day 1. Two distributors were involved in these sales and still today are their largest orders of the year. The order has since increased to 25,000.

The Arsenal 17-oz. vacuum bottle from Bullet keeps drinks hot for five hours and cold for 15 hours. It has double-wall construction and a leak-proof locking cap.

This 17-oz. vessel from Glass America is double walled, copper vacuum insulated, and comes in a variety of colors.

Available from J. Charles, this stylish beer glass is designed for capturing the color, taste and aroma of good beer. Pour your favorite import or micro-brew and you're ready for a very personal indulgence.

Leprechaun Promotions now offers new RealColor 360° cups in 12-, 16-, 22- and 32-oz. sizes. They feature full high resolution 4-color process printing with full coverage; even the rim, is included. Cups are top rack dishwasher-safe and printed with FDA approved inks.

Put your brand directly in the hands of party-goers far and wide with this vibrant 5mm neoprene drink sleeve from Makana Line.

This open six pack cooler from Southern Plus has six separate compartments for cans or bottles, and a center compartment for an ice pack to keep them all cold for hours (ice pack not included).

The U.S.-made Soupreme from VisionUSA the perfect gift for use at the office or at home. Designed with function in mind, this mug features a bowl like base perfect for accommodating soup, salad, pasta, hot and cold beverages, cereal, ice cream, and much more.

Put your MUG on BamBams’ rug. These custom full-color printed drink coasters will be just what you need in the office, home or anywhere drinks are sat. "

The big one liter (33.8 ounces) German Mug from HowwUSA is U.S.-made and molded of clear, durable Styrene plastic. It is is recyclable, BPA free, FDA approved, and top rack dishwasher-safe.

From Webb Company, this 36-oz., clear, plastic carafe with a colored, flip-open, screw-on lid is a great way to serve up beverages and have them on hand in your refrigerator. BPA-free, the carafe is available with four lid colors.