I’ve just looked back on my post dated 18 December 2020 … it began “Whilst it’s been a year like no other, December is here again and it’s a time to reflect on the months that have passed and plan for the ones to come” …
And, I guess, I can start this post (20 December 2021) in exactly the same way!
So, here’s the reflection bit … This year we saw more and more promotional items part-made with sustainable, recycled or recyclable materials added to our range; and like us, many of our customers thought they’d be a sound choice for their marketing and promotional activities.
A great new range launched in 2021 is the rHIPS.b collection; this innovative material is exclusively manufactured for the UK promotional merchandise market and is fully biodegradable and is manufactured from 100% waste, it’s broken down by 600+ naturally occurring microbes and biodegrades 200x faster than traditional plastic. The collection includes a Spork, Coaster, Ruler, Webcam Cover, Plant Markers and a couple of Keyrings and are all priced to include printing of your full colour logo or design.
I touched on Plant Marker Kits then, and can say we also added more seed based items, that are both in packets and pots but also combined within pencils, bookmarks, greeting cards, notebooks and more!
Even though fewer shows, gatherings and events took place, printed Cotton Bags continued to be as popular as ever. One of my favourite ranges is the Pheebs Bags Collection that’s made from a recycled cotton/polyester blend and comes in a range of trendy shades. In addition to the classic Totes, there is now a Sports Bag and a Rucksack that I think will be just as popular in 2022.
So, I have moved to the looking ahead part. I hope to see ‘digital wrap-around printing’ develop further (how cool do these promotional water bottles look with their 360 degree wrap-around print?) … and hope to see more new items part-made with sustainable materials like bamboo added – such as these new tablet stands and lovely pen sets.
And finally, to wrap-up this blog (before I start wrapping presents) whilst ‘everyone’ has continued to be innovative and creative, my fingers are well and truly crossed that all the postponed ‘in-person’ get-togethers, tradeshows, seminars and events will blossom again and that I can delete some of the video meetings already in the diary.
Wishing you a safe and happy Christmas, and looking forward to 2022 with buoyancy and optimism.
