PSI (the Promotional Product Service Institute) is a professional network of businesses established in 1960. It’s the organiser and voice of the European promotional products industry with 6,000 member companies - and amongst these members are about 3,500 distributors like us.
Every January, PSI also acts as the organiser of the leading industry exhibition ‘PSI’. Held in Düsseldorf, it’s the destination for the European promotional product industry. The show gives the industry a comprehensive chance to see innovations, trends, network with new business contacts, and see educational presentations over a three day event.
We visited the show to check out the latest products and trends, paying particular attention to products that fit within our brand promise.
So without further ado, here’s what the team found at this year's PSI:
Considered & Sustainable Products
2019 saw the industry reflecting cultural change, moving closer towards products that were kinder to the environment and focusing on reusable merchandise. As a B Corporation, we’re always trying to encourage small changes to make the world and industry a better place. In 2020, this theme is set to continue with a specific focus on the concept of ‘reusability’ and considered product choices.
...and we’re totally on board. We encourage this mindset when thinking about your branded merchandise - it reduces costs per impression and environmental impact, whilst increasing brand longevity and the lifespan of the product.
With products made from recycled, bio based and natural materials taking the industry by storm, 2020 appears to be taking this one step further with products made from waste. How about notebooks made from your waste coffee grounds or your office milk cartons being turned into pens? We even spotted paper products made from elephant poo!
When it comes to the environment, one major cause for concern is fast fashion - it’s a major contributor to greenhouse gasses. Kudos to one clothing supplier who, however, has taken it upon themselves to create a textiles collection made of 100% recycled raw materials. Committed to making only ecological and otherwise ethical choices, they promise to use only materials that would otherwise have gone to waste; saving up to 2700 litres of water with just 1 t-shirt!
Products & trends to look out for
Personalised Trainers
Personalised trainers, designed and made in Barcelona! This new manufacturer of personalised shoes have worked with some of the worlds biggest brands and are able to create the perfect shoe for your brief and even offer vegan materials!
Grocery Bags
Last year Morrisons became the first British supermarket to roll-out plastic-free fruit and veg areas in its stores, allowing customers to buy fruit and veg loose or using recyclable paper bags. Supermarkets in Europe have gone one step further offering shoppers the opportunity to buy reusable branded cotton bags. We’re sure we’ll be seeing a lot of these this year.
Umbrellas
Oh yes. We saw lots of umbrellas. But these two particular innovations caught our eye...
The first was a mini umbrella with a fillable transparent handle. The idea is to give your customers a little surprise or carry your marketing message further with the fillable handle. Examples we saw had this handle filled with sweets, information leaflets, or special offer vouchers. Nice!
Secondly, we saw another umbrella that comes with a reverse-opening and closing mechanism. Bonkers? Maybe. But it does allow the user easier opening in a small space, and its innovative design is quite eye-catching. Oh, and you can leave it upside down to dry out!
Print & branding methods that'll deliver maximum brand impact
Branded Luggage
We know you've always wanted to. Now you can! Add a bit of moving imagery to your branded luggage - This range of bespoke made luggage comes with a video panel to the front, displaying a moving marketing message.
Individual personalisation
Traditional bulk-buying branded merchandise traditionally didn't leave much room for individual personalisation - but we get asked more and more for an extra touch of personalisation on a client's merchandise these days. Now, on a selection of products, you can add individual personalisation to the product or packaging. Known as ‘Variable Data Printing’, there is an array of branding options to make your gifts extra personal.
Sound good? Get in touch to find out more about this branding method and how it can be applied to your campaigns.
Full colour printing with a tempered glass overlay
This new print method has been developed to accompany tech products, and it looks awesome. A full-colour digital print is complemented by a layer of tough tempered glass, creating a high-end finish and a unique sheen to the branding. The tempered glass finish gives excellent durability for tech products such as wireless chargers, power banks, and speakers that can have heavy everyday use.
So folks, there you go. That’s our round-up of the products and trends from PSI that we think will be big in 2020. If you want your brand to be at the forefront of the latest promotional merchandise just get in touch and we’ll make your branded merchandise 'more than just give-aways'.
Interested in speaking with the team?
Pop some details into the form below, and we'll be in touch shortly!
