The world is changing a mile a minute, marketing trends that were hot a few years ago may not be even relevant this year… ( fidget-spinners are so 2017! ). It’s becoming increasingly difficult to differentiate your brand in a way that your customers can relate to.
In this post, we share some of the promotional marketing trends for 2019 that will keep your brand relevant in the eyes of your target audience. And we will give you an example of a creative marketing campaign while we’re at it so keep reading!
Eco-Friendly Promo Products Keep On The Rise
Studies show that nearly 65% of end-buyers say they prefer promotional products that are environmentally friendly. It only makes sense to follow this consumer behavior/preference. Take a hint from the giant: Ikea commits to phasing out single-use plastic products by 2020. That reusable tote bag can become a cool and trendy item in your customers’ eyes!
We’re talking about products not only made from recycled materials but also manufactured in sustainable ways. As a distributor of promotional products, we understand that the majority of our environmental and social responsibility is directly connected to our suppliers. Click here to learn more about our Green Initiative Policy.
And this product category has come a long way! The manufacturers have become more and more creative to satisfy the growing needs of environmentally conscious consumers. The below line RuMe, short for ReUseMe, designs consumer products that do not sacrifice STYLE and FUNCTIONALITY for SUSTAINABILITY.

Journals are timeless essentials and continue their popularity in this product space and we love these eco, PLANTABLE calendars made from SEEDED paper!

The Future Is Wireless
Wireless technology trend continues to be strong and many manufacturers are taking notice. The wireless charger category is a perfect example. These promotional products are a must-have for practically anyone and they can become a reminder that your brand is in tune with the modern-day consumer market.

Cut the cord on other technology while you’re at it and get amazing sound from wireless earbuds to incredibly useful desk fixture like a mousepad that charges your QI-enabled smartphone as well!

Retail-Inspired Promotional Ideas
Any product that shines in the retail space will most likely outperform others and will be popular in the promotional marketing world. And retail-inspired promotional products add excitement and show that your brand is current with the trends! Products with vibrant colors and stand-out patterns will dominate this year.

But don’t worry if those are not really your brand’s style. Neutrals will never go out of style and textures like bamboo, wood-grain and metallics will continue their strong presence in product design.

Useful Products For Everyday Living
If in doubt on where to spend your marketing dollars in 2019, stick to products that are useful. People are more likely to hold on to the product if it is useful to them, especially in every-day life. Products that optimize their working or living space and their habits. Remember that reusable tote bag from the beginning of this post? Not only is it now cool and trendy but also ESSENTIAL everyday use item! Notebooks, journals fall into this category, they are some of the oldest and most popular promotional products and they are still going strong! PopSockets are also one of our top favorite technology essentials that are an everyday must-have for anyone with a smartphone!

They are the everyday staples, with an indefinite life span that are guaranteed to do the trick and your brand will be top-of-mind every time your customer reaches for that promotional product.
Creativity Is Always In
There is one golden rule that will always give you great results. Be CREATIVE! Creativity is always on-trend! If you have a strong marketing campaign planned, choosing the right promotional product to support it is much easier because you have a clear and targeted understanding of your needs. Almost ANY product will be your winner if it truly aligns with your campaign!
For example, you wouldn’t necessarily call a t-shirt an innovative or trendy product. But when you apply a creative imprint specific to this campaign and if you are creative in how it will get packaged and presented, you have a winner campaign that is sure to turn heads and get results! This is just a quick example of what we can do for our clients. Find this and other creative ideas and case studies in our Project Gallery.

Pantone Color of the Year 2019
There is just one last thing that we get excited about around here when we look into upcoming trends and that is the release of the color of the year by The Pantone Color Insitute. And this year, we LOVE LOVE LOVE the vibrant yet comforting PANTONE 16-1546 Living Coral, which was just announced in the last couple of days!! The devoted trend-chasers that we are, we postponed the release of this blog post just so we can include this bit of news for you in it 😄 We cannot wait to see how Living Coral gets translated in retail, fashion and our very own promotional marketing industry!
Your Next Marketing Campaign In 2019 Should Have Great SWAG
If you are unsure what promotional products to purchase in 2019, no worries. That’s where we come in! We believe that SWAG stands for something important: Stuff With A Goal. That’s YOUR BRAND’s goals… YOUR MARKETING CAMPAIGN’s goals! We will source only the best promotional product ideas for your company to ensure that you do not waste your precious monetary resources on products that your target audience does not value. We will help you choose promotional products that are relevant not only to your industry but specifically to your brand!
We are your trusted supplier of promotional products in Edmonton. We help companies with their promotional marketing efforts. We grow brands. We can’t wait to work with you!
Wishing you success in 2019 and beyond!