Printed Merchandise Trends In 2014

Unique printed merchandise has been popular for marketing companies for many years, even as new technologies have come into place printed items still remain popular.

If you're currently working on your promotional campaign for 2014 then it may be worth looking at different trends for the next year. If you're working on a promotion for the next year, then you should consider your items carefully, thinking about the overall effect on your event or promotion. We've pulled together our top gifts for 2014 for your consideration.

As the world strives to become more environmentally friendly, there has been more focus on using items which have either been recycled or can be reused. With this in mind, one of the key printed merchandise trends for the next year will be drinkware and food containers. This is to include sports bottles, tumblers and other drinkware which can be reused. You may have noticed that a number of coffee shops have started selling promotional cups to encourage customers not to waste
materials. We expect this will continue into 2014.

Clothing is also set to be a big seller in 2014, particularly sporting products. Just as we saw during the sports events in 2012 people are more likely to invest in items supporting their country. With this in mind, businesses should consider giving away hats, t-shirts and even sunglasses supporting their team for the big world footballing event in Brazil. In true British style, we believe that everyone should be supporting their country in this event, even if you aren't keen on the sport.

Another trend we are already seeing is the increase in 'tech gadgets'. As technology changes, there will always be popular and they continue to remain strong in the promotional industry. Popular items which are popular include mobile accessories, earphones and of course USB drives. USB drives have been popular for a number of years and will continue to remain so as we are using more devices which require a USB.

Finally, a popular trend is full-colour products. By this, we mean items which are visually enticing and with eye-catching designs. It's time to revisit how you design your products and consider how your audience sees your image.

According to recent research, the UK Promotional Gift market is around £765m and includes all different types of branded merchandise. As with many other industries the market suffered in the recession, however, we have noticed a lot more companies willing to invest in promotional gifts over the last few years. Whilst this is good for the market, more business also means more competition which makes making the message stand out more challenging.

What printed merchandise trends do you think we will see in 2014?