MB Sol

MARCH 2020 .PROMO

Professional Inspiration for Promotional Products Buyers/End Users

mark@m-bsolutions.com www.m-bsolutions.com 414-405-9066

Contact Your Promotional Products Distributor Shown on the C

Cover

tents Con February 2020

11 SHAMEFUL? MEGXIT MERCH HITS RETAIL 18 TOP TRADE SHOW IDEAS 2020 28 RECYCLED T-SHIRTS HIT PROMO 34 NEW YEAR...NEW PRODUCTS 38 HOT NEW TRENDS FOR 2020 56 SOCKS & SHOES GO BIG TIME 60 RETAIL BRANDS INFLUENCE PROMO 64 NEW ITEMS...REINVENTED ITEMS 68 PHASE ONE TARIFFS EASE PROMO COSTS

72

TECH PROMO PRODUCTS

.PROMO

.PROMO

Phase One Tariff Relief Will Ease Promo Costs...Phase Two Will Be Tougher, (see page 67 for details).

! w e N

RUBY

GALLERY

37 New Awards  15 NEW Designs THE ENTIRE GALLERY IS NEW!

How the Coronavirus Could Ef We all know the world is changing, from worrying about the environment and how it will affect our kids kids; to current major world wide issues like the Coronavirus.

Related to our industry we thought you’d like to hear our take on how the Coronavirus will affect you in the promotional products buying world.

Just like we reported on Tariffs--and continue to report on how Tariffs effect your buying power in promo products, we do the same for other issues that will effect your business on these pages. We--your promotional products Distributors--are here to help you navigate through these tumulous changes.

Like you we are monitoring the status of our industry but with an inside view you, our Buyers can’t get. We’re talking to our Suppliers here and overseas and we know what’s happening along the entire product production cycle. There’s so much more than meets the eye.

Here’s the inside scoop.

There are severe supply chain distruptions that are happening...in industries from auto to ours. Currently factories in China are operating at a fraction of their capacity. But they are also coming back to work as their employees get their get out of jail card and are Coronavirus free.

ffect Your Promo Campaigns As importantly we are closely considering the skill level of the workers returning to work and we know that may be of concern to returning to full production.

For example, if packaging workers return but sewing ones don’t, the factory’s production line will not fire up. In addition, speed to shipment completion will depend on raw material availability. That takes us back one full step in the production, back to the basics. Raw materials are also experiencing the same issues surrounding the Coronavirus.

In the cargo arena, the reduction of passenger travel in/out of China has led to shortages of air cargo bookings. Ships are also stuck in harbors. The Hong Kong Ports are filled with both empty and full container ships in quarantine.

Obviously this is out of our control, but we are focusing on areas where we can help.

We’re using factory partners outside of China and we’ve always had many domestic factory partners.

In general don’t expect much of a supply interruption unless the item is only made in China. Yes many of our products are made in China but we can manage your order with our domestic factories. Count on us for delivery on time and to specifications.

COLOR CHANGING BODY STICKERS REMIND YOU WHEN

TO REAPPLY SUNSCREEN

Customize any Logo Design on Stickers & Packs

Works Wet or Dry

Sticker resets to white after the sunscreen is reapplied.

Reapply Sunscreen When Sticker Turns Blue

Optional Packaging Available

• Sunburn Alert UV Stickers make it fun and easy to remember to reapply sunscreen!

• Patented color-changing technology detects harmful UVA & UVB rays.

• Can be used with any sunscreen, whether it is a cream, spray or lotion.

• One sticker works all day, wet or dry.

How to use: 1. Apply sunscreen to sticker and skin.

2. Repeat whenever sticker turns blue.

For more information, please contact your representative.

FAQ Q: Will it leave a mark on the skin by the end of the day?

A: When used properly, the UV rays can pass through the sticker.

Allowing the sticker to be used with minimal tan lines

Promo Products Create Pow Use the Right Product To strengthen a company’s brand equity and solidify emotional associations, consumers are receiving premium products as gifts. The increase in the higher costing premiums was recorded by the Incentive Research Foundation report Industry Outlook for 2019. Companies are spending an average of $800+ per person yearly for recognition programs and non-cash rewards. They also reported an average $160 per reward for merchandise items. Brand name merchandise is the top type of gift given 77% of the time and electronics at 73%.

Customization Complete customization is what really makes one product stand out from another of the same ilk.

Some people believe four color process silk screening is sufficient but others believe embroidery carries a longer lasting ad value. Creating a brand that people will remember has many opportunities and techniques. Making your promotional product “the most memorial” and therefore, most worn, is your goal.

Think about it...creativity counts big. Just slapping your logo on a wearable item isn’t the answer.

Instead, take a little bit longer and design something that will have that “wow” factor. Your logo can go beyond exciting with the right decorating technique.

Consumers Gravitate Toward With Positive Emotio

There are Four Blocks to Building

werhouse Brand Experiences

d Brands They Associate ons & Memories

g A Good Brand Experience

Creative Packaging Think of your mindset when you open a gift: Pure excitement and exhillaration is usually the result.

That feeling is called “The Unboxing Experience”. It creates an additional memory of your brand AND solidifies the branding experience.

This makes total sense. From the consumer’s perspective the antipation of opening a gift is a great way to create a lasting impression, one that’s a burn in to the recipient’s memory. You need not look any further but to youtube. There’s are many videos on unboxing, its almost a subculture. Here’s a link from CNN to peak your interest in learning more about this phenomenon. https://www.cnn.com/2014/02/13/tech/web/ youtube-unboxing-videos/index.html

Creating the Right Customer Experience The Customer’s experience is the most important of the four brand experience discussions. This is where Consumers gain loyalty to your company. Companies like Amazon, Apple, Nordstrom and luxury hotelier Ritz-Carlton have met or exceeded expectations in the customer journey/experiece and that’s why they are so successful.

A good customer experience is what makes people gravitate to your brand. The customer experience is directly tied to the feelings and attitudes the brand evokes when customers interact with it. This translates to every aspect of the customer experience--as an example--from using an iPad to walking through an Apple retail store.

This experience is more important today than ever before, but getting them on board and keeping them there is harder than ever. Companies need to be moving away from a sales and product-focused mindset to one that is genuine and customer-centric. The bottom line: A positive brand experience increases the likelihood of brand advocacy, ultimately giving the company a valuable competitive advantage.

Your Packaging

Should Be As Impressive As What’s In It.

Remember These? Footb OK, we are going to pull the age rank here and take you back to the 1970’s when being a hippie was “cool” for some. Back then there wasn’t a city park or a college campus that didn’t have a game of “footbag” going on. It was played for hours and hours.

Well now footbags have resurfaced in a big way...and corporate America is jumping on this promotion big time. Just take a look at the sponsors that have purchased it.

Here’s another reason to buy them:

They are ec indoors an ally any ag hippies are now they’r lize them.

bags Make a Huge Return

co-friendly, promote exercise nd out, and can be used by virtuge group. And yes, some of those e still playing “footbag� except re doing so with a cane to stabiGame on...LOL.

New Items...Reinvente High Caliber Line has come up with a line of reusable water bottles including some cool looking collapsible ones! With many millennials living in small urban apartments it’s “efficiently” sized. Click to see more of the High Caliber Video on stainless steel mug production.

https://youtu.be/fUBo8MZdXTI

It’s A

A gr speak

The Va and W

ed Items

About Time!

reat combo product ker & charger in one!

auxhall Bluetooth Speaker Wireless Charging Pad by High Caliber Line

How Cool is This?

Just when you thought you’d seen everything, Popsocket will surprise you. Everyone knows Popsockets are one of the coolest--and most popular--cell phone holders, but now its also being sold as part of a “koozie” style drink holder. And truthfully it makes a little sense.

Think about it...you’re walking along with your regular koozie and it can easily slip out of your hand. Being able to wrap your finger above and below the Popsocket makes a big difference in

the balance and feel of your favorite beverage. And because its a brand item it will be a highly desired promo product which will get you a ton of ad impressions. Plus its just so cool all your customers will want one...and when that happens your brand gets seen everywhere.

It’s available for 12oz cans and coffee cups.

A reinvented item with a little Genius.

FEEL THE DISTANCE. FEEL THE CONTROL.

Titleist TruFeel is the softest Titleist golf ball with low spin fo long distance and excellent control into and around the gre

Express-A-Button

Goodie Bags...What Hot Goodie bags are an integral part of your promotion when you’re putting together an event. Usually it’s a mad scramble to find “stuff” that fits your brand and will enhance it; all along with a budget that determines what goes in it. Add to that there’s potential co-sponsors that want to have their products in the bag too. Here’s how to have a win-win on all fronts.

First, let’s talk about the presentation. Plain undecorated bags/boxes can do the job but printed ones cost a little more and that branding is super important. You want everyone at your event displaying your logo...your walking billboards!

Next, goodie bags are divided into many categories...from “Healthy Goodie Bags” to “Sports ones”. Choose a category that fits your business and even a theme; that helps narrow your product search.

Now to finding the best goodie bag items.

We’ve got a ton of choices...100,000 or so products but don’t worry, we’ll select some that really fit your needs. Here’s a partial list: Can coolers Custom t-shirt Sports bottles Bottle openers Can cooler and Koozies® Custom T-shirt Energy or protein bar Sports bottle USB drives

Bottled water Electrolyte drink Bottle opener Moist towelette Pens Socks (are big) Stress ball Body lotion Lip balm

Prince Harry’s Wedding Gift Bags

Ear phones Ceramic mug Portable pillbox Key chain Chip clip Tape measure Cap Notebook Nail file Phone wallet First aid kit Portable earbuds Trail mix Portable charger Bandanas Aprons Post-It Notes Flashlites Multi-tools Sample size health gifts Custom Creative Packaging by Crawford Industries

It’s All in

for Your Events

n the Bag! Do My Hair Salons Goodie Bag

Kids Party Goodie Bags

Custom Samples Cork & Cutting Boards

E E

Stainless Mugs

SAMPLE R F

Stainless Drinkware

with your logo Instructions: Contact your Distributor send them your logo...

And in a few days you’ll have a custom sample at your oďŹƒce. Limit one per customer.

Kobe T-shirts Used to Memor All across America--basketball fan or not--people are saddened and many will never recover from the late January death of Kobe & Gianna Bryant. Kobe was a legend not only on the court but also a philanthropist of major porportions.

The Lakers held a beautiful memorial service for the Bryants at Staples Center that brought tears to our nation. What a great way to allow the nation to memorialize this great player and his daughter. But who would have thought a t-shirt would or could be used to celebrate his life in this way.

Nike, one of Kobe’s biggest sponsors, witnessed a huge increase in sales in what some are calling a “Bryant merchandise explosion”. Many were shocked to see Kobe logoed merchandise sell out like it did. What about the social media reaction to all of this? There was a ton as you know and Nike benefited from it big time. Billions of posts all over the world pushed this sad event into a social media explosion unlike any other. However, as usual, there are some irreverant people out there...many buyers were purchasing materials not as a memorial item, but for their personal financial gain only to sell them off for big profits.

We’re hoping that social media does its job and really points the finger of shame at those folks that would try to benefit from such a heartfelt loss and not see those profits go to charities that Kobe supported. Kobe & Gianna, we’re all so sorry to see you go.

rialize NBA Legends Service

ENOUGH P STRAWS TO WRAP A THE EARTH’S CIRCU 2.5 TIMES A DAY! US CONSUMPTION =

It’s Time We Start Taking Care of Mother Earth

Promote Your Company or Cause With Logoed Metal Straws

PLASTIC AROUND UMFERENCE

h

Stain Imaging

All Over Print

March 2020 Promotion Dates March 2019 Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

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Read Across America Day (Dr. Suess’ Birthday)

Employee Appreciation Day

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Women’s Day

Mardi Gras

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Daylight Savings

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St. Patrick’s Day

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Girl Scout’s Day

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Pi Day

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First Day of Spring

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Puppy Day

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31 Crayon Day

National Medal of Honor Day

2

MLB Opening Day

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Mom and Pop Business Owner Day

30

Spring & Summer Hot Pr

From Eco-Cons

roducts

scious to Tech...

Contact Your Promotional Products Distribu

utor on the Front Page of IdentityEdge

The Latest on the Tariffs On January 15, 2020, President Trump signed the first phase of a trade deal between the USA and China. But there’s an escape clause for either side to withdraw if a dispute at the highest levels cannot be achieved. In other words, Consumers and Businesses will still pay costly Tariffs while the US Treasury rakes in billions. How will that effect the promotional products industry?

We are still going to pay slightly higher prices.

The USA will maintain 25% duties on $250 billion worth of Chinese goods used mainly by companies making finished goods in the USA. It will also keep the 7.5% tariff on another $120 billion in consumer goods like jackets, gloves, footwear and some electronics.

In addition, China will keep retaliatory duties on five to 25 percent on roughly $110 billion of US exports to China; that harmed US exporters.

What’s next? The second phase...which we think will be reduced as the election nears...just in time for Christmas. But here’s the good news.

China has to buy $200 billion MORE in 2020-2021 than they did in 2017. That’s about the same as it was...

Other good news, China will reduce barriers to farm products; and in a major concession, China will protect US Corporate secrets...and that’s been a long time coming.