2022 is in the books, and we’re excited about everything that 2023 has to offer. While marketers and promotional product professionals are eager to dive headfirst into the new year, this is actually an excellent time to reflect. What went well in 2022? What didn’t work out? What lessons can you carry over into 2023??
Instead of creating 2023 campaigns without any context, it’s a good idea first to check out what we learned in 2022. After all, last year’s trends can significantly impact how you proceed this year, so it can’t hurt to review your performance first.?
2022 in review: What marketers need to know
Let’s look at 2022’s trending topics in the promo product industry — and how they should affect your 2023 promotions.
Trend #1: Offline marketing
Online marketing will get you results, but after years of turmoil and lockdowns, people were ready to connect in person in 2022. Consumers were sick of sitting behind screens all day, and brands that acknowledged the shift back to in-person connections won big in 2022.?
Physical marketing helped more brands
“skip the line” last year. Instead of waiting for customers to check their email or social media feed, brands could get in front of them ASAP — with fewer distractions and delays — by connecting in real life.?
In 2023, brands can still take advantage of this trend by:?
- Offering creative products: Send scented candles
instead of print mailers. Smell is the sense associated most strongly with memory
, so people will definitely remember you.?
- Making it an experience: Physical marketing allows you to mail shoppers a boxed experience
, collectibles, or free interactive experiences, like cooking classes.?
- Personalizing: At a minimum, physical marketing goods should try to include the recipient’s name.?
It might sound old school, but more brands were reinvested in direct mail in 2022
. That isn’t surprising, though, given that direct mail helps brands overcome online competition, ad blockers, and cookie-less browsers. In 2023, brands can continue to get value from direct mail by:?
- Testing product samples before mailing them out. This allows you to double-check the quality of your swag before customers see them.
- Tracking mailers with QR codes, coupon codes, phone numbers, hashtags, or custom URLs for proper attribution.?
- Retargeting online leads with mailers.
- Personalizing with the customer’s name, product photos, or local maps.?
Direct mail performs better when it complements your digital strategies. If you want to reinforce the messages you’re sending to people online, direct mail will help you get bigger results in 2023.
Trend #2: Branded promo product boxes
Offline marketing was a hit in 2022, so brands decided to take things one step further with promo product boxed experiences
. This allowed brands to interact with more people in person — even if they were hundreds of miles away. This trend isn’t going away in 2023, so follow these tips to make the most of branded boxes:?
- Include a letter in the box that explains what your brand is and why you’re sending the person a gift.?
- Choose a theme for the box to spice things up.?
- Plan your branded box campaign well ahead of time so you can test the products, print leaflets, and more. You’ll always need more time than you think!
- Personalize the box with the recipient’s name, a handwritten note, or custom promo products based on their history with you.?
- Choose quality products that will make an impression.?
- Use creative printing, like printing on the inside of the box, to turn more heads and reduce the need for additional paper inserts.?
- Package the box appropriately and add lots of padding so the products safely arrive at their destination.?
- Share an unboxing experience on social media to generate more hype for the branded box campaign.
But companies didn’t reserve branded boxes just for their customers. In 2022, more businesses sent out offer letter kits
as a creative way to engage with potential employees. Offer letter kits help employers create employee advocates from day one, so if you want to engage remote workers in 2023, consider this creative way to deepen team bonds. If you want to try your hand at offer letter kits this year, be sure to:?
- Choose promotional products that tie into your business’s culture and values.?
- Audit your interview process to ensure you’re sending candidates as many green flags as possible. Your job offer kit won’t mean a thing if you have a clunky interview process that turns good candidates away.?
- Personalize the box. Print the recipient’s name inside the box, include a handwritten note from HR or the CEO, or print a QR that links to a custom welcome video from their future manager.?
- Ask current employees for their opinion. Collect feedback from your current team to ensure that your offer letter kit creates the right experience for soon-to-be employees.?
Trend #3: Eco-friendly promotions
Sustainability isn’t a new trending topic in the promo products industry, but it held strong in 2022 — and it promises to be important in 2023, too. Choosing eco-friendly promotional products can help you
:?
- Be on the right side of history: Promotional products are a great first step to building a more sustainable business as a whole. If you want an easy way to reduce your carbon footprint, eco-friendly options are a must.?
- Increase your staying power: Eco-friendly products are usually made from more durable materials, so you don’t have to worry about them snapping in half during transport. Your audience will also get more use out of the products, which can give you more impressions for the money.?
- Save money: Sustainability isn’t an expensive novelty anymore. Green products are often made from lower-cost recycled materials, which is a win for your budget and the planet.?
Need tips to make your promo products more eco-friendly? We’ve got you covered
:?
- Opt for eco-wear made from sustainable materials like hemp or bamboo.?
- Choose goods made from renewable or recycled products, like acacia trees or old flip-flops.?
- Give away reusable products like silicone straws or metal tea strainers.
- Opt for minimal or sustainable packaging on your promo products.?
- Give out conscious living options, like natural sunscreen or solar-powered lanterns, to encourage people to explore nature.
- Follow eco-friendly business practices like recycling, ditching paper altogether, or carpooling.
Trend #4: Promotional product ROI
Promotional products are effective
, and in 2022, marketers maintained awareness that they had to account for every penny they spent. With the possibility of a recession in 2023
, it’s still important for brands to figure out the riddle of promotional product ROI.?
So, how do you know whether your promo swag actually moved the needle? Follow these tips to prevent rogue promo product spending in 2023
:?
- Set SMART goals for every promotional product campaign so you can easily pinpoint whether it was a hit or a flop.?
- Budget based on percentages. Assign 25% of your budget to promotional products, 50% to paid search, and 25% to influencer marketing. By placing your marketing budget into different buckets, you don’t have to worry about overspending on the wrong things.?
- Focus on the payoff. $200 might sound like a lot of money, but if a $200 gym bag leads to a $200,000 account, it’s worth the money. Look at the cost-benefit analysis of each deal to see if you can justify nicer promotional products.?
- Choose the right products for the job. Don’t pass out 200 rubber duckies if they don’t match your brand or if your customers won’t appreciate them.?
- Conduct campaign post-mortems. Schedule a post-campaign meeting to review your metrics. This will help you determine if you met your goals or if you fell short.?
Trend #5: Events, trade shows, and promo swag
In-person events came back with a vengeance in 2022. That meant more brands invested in trade shows and quality products to turn more heads on the expo hall floor
. If you’re gearing up for trade shows in 2023, follow these tips to get more out of your promotional products at these events
:?
- Schedule a trade show that your audience will actually attend. Ask the event organizer for a breakdown of their audience demographics to make sure it’s a good fit.
- Set SMART goals for the trade show. This way, you can see whether you achieved ROI from the event.?
- Set a budget for every 2023 event on your calendar — and stick to it. This way, you can control expenses from the start, which can help you maximize that ROI.
- Generate pre-event buzz. Let everyone know that you’ll be at the trade show and the hot deets on the promotional products you’re giving out.?
- Theme your booth based on the event theme, location, or time of year.?
- Create an experience. Trade show swag is fun, but why not create a memorable experience that will get people talking? Make it exciting to stop by your booth! Offer quiz bowls, downloadable playlists, and Instagram-worthy photo walls.?
- Billboard yourself. Send people out into the trade show crowds holding your promotional products. The “Where did you get that?” effect is powerful, so it’s bound to bring more people to your booth with head-turning swag.?
The most popular promotional products of 2022
While it’s helpful to know the big trends of 2022, we can’t overlook the importance of trending promotional products, either. Like any industry, promotional products have to follow trends based on consumer preferences. Trends come and go, but these promotional products were the heaviest hitters of 2022
:?
These promotional products will still be popular in 2023, but ultimately, you have to pick what works for your brand, audience, and event.?
Not sure which products to choose for 2023? We’ve got you covered. Follow these tips to pick the best promotional products for your brand
:?
- Create a goal: What do you want to get out of this promotional product campaign? Recognition? Customer loyalty? Employee retention? Setting a goal will help you pick the right product for the job.?
- Set a budget: You need to keep an eye on your expenses any time you do a promo product campaign. This reigns in the costs of the campaign, so you’re more likely to see a positive return on your investment.
- Know your audience: Create customer personas and ensure that the products you choose align with that target persona’s expectations.?
- Follow color trends: Most promotional product companies offer products in a? variety of colors, so pick products in this season’s hottest shades
.
Must-try marketing tips for 2023
So, we know what worked in 2022, but what does the future hold in 2023? According to Boundless’s team of marketing experts, these trends will help you get more mileage out of your marketing in 2023
:?
- Long-term influencer relationships
- Repurposed content across platforms
- Customers turned brand advocates
- Updating and using customer personas in every campaign
- Following trends while creating unique branded content
- Investing in marketing (despite recession worries)
- Choosing a mission or greater purpose for your company
To make sales in such a challenging environment, businesses need a cult following, and you need to Cultivate Brand Love? to do that
. 2023 will also be the year that businesses need to work double-time to create Brand Love with their customers and employees. It isn’t easy, but 2023 is the year to:?
- Brand every promotional product your business gives away.?
- Create a mission that means something.?
- Be bold, experimental, and unique.?
- Create branded experiences for your customers.?
- Foster brand advocacy with your employees.?
2023, here we come
2022 was a banner year for promotional products. We learned a lot, and it’s important to remember the lessons of 2022 before we move forward this year. No matter your brand goals for 2023, remember these key lessons from last year:
- Invest in offline marketing
- Create an experience with branded boxes
- Opt for eco-friendly promotional products
- Calculate ROI on all campaigns
- Follow event marketing best practices to get more out of your promo swag
Now’s the time to embrace everything 2023 has to offer. Follow Boundless on LinkedIn
to get the latest tips for creating more Brand Love moments in 2023.
