I am semi-retired and live in a community with 140 clubs, facilities for tennis, pickleball, softball, disc golf, horseshoes and more. That is the definition of an active adult. So that got me to asking, what are the top hobbies for men, women and adults in general?
If you read my columns before, you know I am the grandfather of this team of young writers. I was taught early in my career that you could cluster promotions into broad categories: something for the home, something for the office (includes school) and something for the person. I don’t think that has changed much. So, if we are consulting with our clients to develop the best promotion we can for their budget, then I think we/you should look at where people have interests. This information should be at your fingertips, if you are a consultant. If you matched hobbies in 1968 when last I went door to door as a distributor, you will see how things have changed. Electronics did not exist, travel was nearly unaffordable and reading was reading a physical book.
Generally, and based on my research, the top hobbies for adults are:
- Travel
- Reading
- Cooking and Baking
- Fitness and Wellness
- Music
- Watching Movies and TV Shows
- Photography
- Gardening
- Hiking and Outdoor Activities
- DIY Projects and Crafts
If you put this into one column on a spread sheet and then had columns next to it for your top three ideas for each interest, that would make a valuable tool for yourself on a sales call. It can also make a great social media information series posting to call attention to you and your business. There is no doubt that people are captured with blogs and posting citing the top this or the top that. I have been very successful doing that with Christmas gifts. Number 5 above is what I offer as a supplier.
Top hobbies can vary greatly depending on personal interests, cultural influences, and current trends. However, these hobbies are universally popular. For men, sports and fitness seems to be at the top of their interests. Video games are also in the top 10. Automotive and technology are popular for them as well. For women, fashion and beauty and socializing differentiate them from men’s interests.
In the old days a pen, mug or keychain was a go to product. With pushbutton smart locks… out goes the key tag. With digital communication pens still rule, but they swiftly accumulate. The average roller ball that gets occasional use and remains covered when not used, can last 4 years.
You need to reach into your creativity and find new ideas for changing interests and tastes. There was a time when we had travel agents, and they were the best buyers of bags. There was a time when a good book was a fantastic promotion. It is still a good promotion, but online reading and free reading sources complicate that.
So, what is the takeaway? Perhaps your taking action and posting online or preparing yourself for promotional product recommendations in concert with today’s trends.
Joel D. Schaffer, MAS is CEO and Founder of Soundline, LLC, the pioneering supplier to the promotional products industry of audio products. Joel has 48 years of promotional product industry experience and proudly heralds “I was a distributor.” He has been on the advisory panel of the business and marketing department of St. John’s University in New York and is a frequent speaker at Rutgers Graduate School of Business. He is an industry Advocate and has appeared before the American Bankers Association, American Marketing Association, National Premium Sales Executives, American Booksellers Association and several other major groups. He has been a management consultant to organizations such as The College Board and helped many suppliers enter this industry. He is a frequent contributor to PPB and Counselor magazines. He has facilitated over 200 classes sharing his industry knowledge nationwide. He is known for his cutting humor and enthusiasm in presenting provocative and motivating programs. He is the only person to have received both the Marvin Spike Industry Lifetime Achievement Award (2002) and PPAI’s Distinguished Service Award (2011). He is a past director of PPAI and has chaired several PPAI committees and task forces. He is a past Chair of the SAAGNY Foundation, Past President of SAAGNY and a SAAGNY Hall of Fame member. He was cited by ASI as one of the 50 most influential people in the industry.