Thirsty?

Whether for hydration or relaxation, gulping or sipping liquid is part of all our daily lives. From the morning “boost” to the evening’s cordial, available beverages span countless varieties. And, thanks to our opposable thumbs, we can take our time to enjoy our beverages of choice in vessels that contain them.

When consulting with your clientele, drinkware may be brought up and potentially discarded because of the client thinks a mug, tumbler, etc. is “too expensive,” and “everyone has one, they probably don’t want more.”

Well. We have rejoinders for those potential objections. Drinkware lasts quite a few years in the kitchen cabinet. A drinking vessel, says Linday Schultz of Imagen Brands, “is a promo item that actually lasts for a long time – which means that the branding can stay in front of the end-users’ eyeballs for much longer, providing the opportunity for the users to ‘bond’ with the drinkware, so that it can become meaningful in their lives and by extension, the imprinted brand.” 

Sean Kindrick of Leprechaun Promotions emphasizes that he is willing to bet that “anyone reading this article has that cabinet in the kitchen with a stack of promotional stadium cups. Each one in the cabinet has a story to tell by its owner, and represents an event or job position, or gift – and therefore, he says, “distributors can pitch that their customer’s brand will be viewed in homes for a very long time. This fact, combined with the low cost of the personalization, makes drinkware a winner for any promotional or celebratory occasion.”

For more than 30 years, Cliff has been speaking, training and consulting internationally to associations and national business groups on more effective ways to market themselves, their products and services, as well as motivating their personnel. Recognized by PPAI for his creativity, he has won the prestigious PPAI Pyramid award 25 times, and the Printing Industry's PSDA’s Peak Award for creativity five times in three years. He has also received PPAI's Ambassador Speaker of the Year Award six consecutive years and was the inaugural recipient of PPAI's Distinguished Service Award. Named one of top six industry speakers and trainers, he also was recognized by PPAI in the book, "PPAI at 100," as having a significant influence in education. He has also been recognized by Counselor Magazine as one of the Top 50 Most Influential People in the Promotional Products Industry. 

There are key pros and cons about drinkware – the pro, says Ron Rosencrans of ProRose, is that it is an inexpensive promotional product that is highly useful and garners multiple impressions throughout the day. “It is almost impossible for someone to throw out their favorite coffee mug or glass,” he says. “This, however, could make it a con as repeat orders for distributors might be slow in materializing. ProRose sells a wide variety of drinkware, starting with low-cost disposable cups; these single-use vessels ensure quicker re-orders.”

Jon Bates of Polyconcept NA, observes that if the drinkware lasts for years, “it could be so good that people want more of them to give as gifts or use for other promotions. This could mean a lot of repeat business for distributors.”

Stan Dohan of Allen Mugs, which offers CamelBak®, sports bottles, advises to first encourage your customer to identify the message he or she wants to deliver when the drinkware is used. “How is your customer giving out the bottle?  At a trade show, with a store visit or purchase? Remind your customer to consider how often their logo will be viewed on the bottle; it will serve as an ongoing referral to his or her business – not only with the bottle user but with anyone who sees it such as gym-goers, co-workers, team mates and more,” he says.

Brent Buford is a co-founder of eBlox, a Tucson, AZ and Austin, TX-based web development firm. He can be reached at brent@eblox.com.

There are numerous situations where drinkware is a perfect and memorable fit. Family reunions, pools, country clubs, camps, county fairs, food festivals, car shows and concerts – all outdoor activities that are increasing in numbers, says Dohan. “And don’t forget golf outings. These items can be used as sign-up gifts, donor gifts and as prizes. Charitable foundations that host runs/walks are also perfect customers for drinkware to be given to volunteers, participants and donors.”

There are many reasons why to sell drinkware, but there are also as many types of drinkware, it appears. Some attributes are becoming important among end-users, and therefore, your clients.

Functionality is Key

Laura High of BIC Graphic says, that she sees an increased focus on how long drinkware keeps drinks cold or hot, which is fueling the demand for vacuum-insulated drinkware of all types including tumblers, sport bottles, growlers, can coolers, and even wine glasses. Vacuum-insulated drinkware also resists condensation, which is another appealing characteristic for end-users who don’t like picking up wet glasses or tumblers. “Vacuum-sealed tumblers like our Glacial Diamonds Tumbler and bubba^® Envy Vacuum Tumbler use specific technology to harness the natural insulating properties of air,” she says.

Multi-functionality to achieve hydration for any fitness promotion where the end-user works out regularly and/or is competitive in a sport, is an attribute that would sell well, says High. An example is BIC Graphic’s O2COOL^® ArcticSqueeze™ Insulated Bottle featuring the 2-in-1 patented Mist 'N Sip function.  “This is the ideal sport bottle because it provides a high flow rate of water and a fine mist to cool you down,” she remarks. “Our Square Sport Bottle is another unique offering, not only because of its shape, but also because of its large full-color imprint area with personalization options. You can creatively promote an important event by incorporating the recipient’s name, the event name and date – plus a full color image of the event’s location.”

Stan Dohan of Allen Mugs agrees that vessels that keep hot liquids hot and cold beverages cold are increasingly in demand.  “There's no better season to share these great products with your customers than this transition time when the days begin brisk and cool yet still warm up to a toasty level. Increased opportunities for use equal increased exposure for the customer logo or message imprinted on that tumbler or bottle,” he comments.

Schultz also concurs, adding that the functionality is the key attraction in drinkware for end-users. “The SS vacuum craze is no accident,” she says. People have finally discovered how well these items keep their drinks hot/cold. Style is very important, especially if it reflects retail trends. Some other things end-users appreciate are style, portability (and fitting in car drink holders), durability, and flexibility (able to be used for multiple kinds of drink types).

“Multi-function drinkware pieces have become very popular this year,” Bates emphasizes. “For example, Bullet’s SM-661 Sherpa is a tumbler that can fit under a Keurig machine, keep coffee hot for hours and, also act as a can insulator!”

Other Attributes

According to Janine Cannici of VisionUSA, buyers are increasingly seeking U.S.A.-made drinkware, which she asserts offers several attributes: “a higher level of comfort for product safety, reduced carbon footprint, guaranteed inventory and overall support of U.S.A. manufacturing. We feel it is important and we take our commitment to safe drinkware to the next level by offering third party product testing on all drinkware items in our line. We know the materials we manufacture with and are involved with every step of our manufacturing and printing.”

Creative barware, Schultz observes, is gaining a lot of momentum in promotions. Vessels that reflect and support the craft brew and wine trends are being introduced from many suppliers and show a higher sophistication in adult beverage culture. 

Josette Bosse of Bay State Specialty Co. notes the company’s Here’s-to-You Plastic Wine Glass (K312), a one-piece construction that can hold more than six ounces, “is a perfect item for outdoor events where wine is served, as well as tradeshow cocktail hour parties where the client company is launching new products,” she describes.

Imagen Brands’ Flip Bottle won the PPAI award this year for most creative product, according to Schultz.  It converts form a double-wall tumbler to a 32-oz water bottle. “Our Triple Bottle Stopper also creates a new way to promote brands in both short- and long-term ways,” she describes. “This item can initially be given out as a shot glass (with liquid sample) at the event to be used immediately. It also can serve a long life as a brand reminder when used as a bottle stopper/jigger at home.”

Also important to more and more consumers is recyclable or sustainable drinkware, says Rosencarns. ProRose has a line of disposable cups, Greenware, made of plant-based materials.

The messaging is just as important as the vessel. For example, Leprechaun Promotions’ RealColor360 line is growing and definitely demanding a larger segment of the market, according to Kindrick. “This full-color technology takes a traditional, injection-molded stadium cup and allows the customer to imprint a full-color, digital imprint 360 degrees around the cup. On the 12 oz., 16 oz., and 22 oz. versions, this imprint will even include the full color imprint from top to bottom, including the lip. It’s a modern twist on the traditional stadium cup,” he explains.

Bates adds that full color decorating has also had a rise in popularity thanks to all of the new imprinting methods available. In the past, a one or two-color imprint was all that was available but now a story can be told on a tumbler using a full color photographic imprint.

Everyone has to consume beverages throughout the day to remain alive – humans can live longer without food than we can without water, and dehydration can lead to dire health consequences. With such a necessity – it makes sense to “drink up” from the fountain of drinkware promotions.

CASE STUDIES

Janine Cannici of VisionUSA: “A high school wanted to commemorate a fun and winning season for its boys’ soccer team as well as raise funds for the school’s soccer program. Through its distributor, it chose our ThermalTraveller Tumbler (TT17) that accommodates both hot and cold beverages. Each senior was provided one complimentary tumbler (as well as other promo items featuring the school logo), all packed inside a college-sized travel luggage piece personalized with each student’s initials. Also, an email order form with an image of the tumbler and an offer of a four-pack at $45 was sent to all families. The school’s soccer club raised nearly $1,000 from the sale of the tumblers with 50 percent of the proceeds going to a local sports charity. The distributor has used this same idea with six of the school’s other sports programs – more sales!”