In the world of gadgets, the possibilities are almost endless, and their main task is to make life easier and evoke positive emotions. Unfortunately, still many companies choose the same trite solutions, which lose their appeal over time. And yet, modern technology and creativity make it possible to create products that not only meet practical needs, but also surprise and delight recipients. So how do you choose a gadget that will impress? The key is to move away from the cliché and take advantage of personalization opportunities that will make corporate products unique, functional and durable.
How does the implementation of gadgets usually look like?
Logo gadgets in their most basic use are supposed to make people’s lives easier. They are not just electronic novelties, eye-catching shiny things or logo carriers, but first and foremost tools that are meant to be useful to everyone. Thanks to decades of development, today we have endless options when choosing products. From light bulbs that are speakers, to jigsaw puzzles that are personalized to the point that we even decide the shape of their joints, to laptop covers that can have four beautiful graphics within a single design. So why do we often encounter situations where customers have unflattering opinions about gadgets?
This is still the fault of low awareness of what opportunities lie ahead. According to our research, as many as 72% of employees who were gifted with products received a cotton bag, water bottle or notebook with a pen. Boring! In a world where, with a little effort, a good idea and a flexible budget, it’s possible to give employees a glimpse of gadget heaven, many companies still opt for the crummy and standard.
What is key in selecting gadgets?
When choosing a corporate gadget, the customer pays attention primarily to three issues: the durability of the material, the functionality of the product and its price. What if I told you that there are solutions that meet these requirements, but at the same time go off the beaten track and produce a wow effect? What if I added that there are not a few types of such products available on the market, but dozens of times more? I think you will agree with me that this notebook with a pen packed in a cotton bag is starting to look less and less interesting. So what does it take to move in this direction?
First, let’s focus on what customers want to see on the gadget and why this decision is crucial to the effect. It goes without saying that the product will have a logo, but ideally we should not stop there. Gadgets that give us the opportunity to fully personalize are almost tailor-made, look unique and memorable. For this reason, it is always a good idea, as long as your brandbook and the Marketing Department will allow, to have designs at which the graphic designer can get away with.
Why buy a ready-made buff and sew to it a tag, when we can sew such a buff ourselves, decide on its size and thickness, and moreover print high-quality graphics both inside and outside the sling? Why decide on a laptop case where we will engrave a logo on a sewn-in metal plate, when we can sew a cover according to our vision? When we can decide on the size, color of the zipper, and even graphics, which will be on the outside of the product, but also inside? And if in your organization iPads or phones are more popular than laptops, why not sew a case just for them?
Bet on creativity!
Let’s dispense with round safety pin pins, which resemble an election accessory pinned to a candidate’s jacket, and go for molded pins that faithfully reflect your logo down to the smallest detail. Let’s make a whole series of pins that employees will collect over the years. Let’s pin each one to a specially designed cardboard box to transform it from a simple and inexpensive gadget into an eye-catching product worthy of a store display.
When we think of a screen cleaner, what comes to mind is a white bottle with a dispenser and an attached cloth that will leave more smudges on the screen than it gets rid of. What if, instead of this stiff duo, we could produce a cleaner in any form? At MerchUp, our cleaners are shaped like the T-shirts and sweatshirts from which our adventure with promotional products began. What shape would they be at your place?
So many possibilities, so many ideas!
Forget about adding a logo to a ready-made mouse pad, and instead make it ergonomic, add a wrist rest and print it in full color over the entire usable surface. Or, let’s forgo an ordinary coaster in favor of a larger desk mat on which to place not only our mouse, but also our laptop, a company coffee mug or a plant to add a touch of green to our space.
Speaking of vegetation, there is no better way to combine ecology with modernity than by growing your own plant, all with your client’s branding – isn’t this the perfect idea for an advertising gadget? Available in several carrier versions (wood, glass or metal can), the growing environment is just waiting for you to choose the right seed and… water. This is a great solution especially for new employees, who, as they enter the workplace, will water their plant and grow in the organization with it. It’s just up to you whether you grow a forget-me-not, a chili pepper, cherry tomatoes or, for example… a fir tree or a spruce tree.
In a situation where you don’t want to take responsibility for its development, choose something ready-made. Why not give an employee a flower in a personalized pot, or opt for something smaller, like a mini Christmas tree in a jute, or a moisture-absorbing weed from the air , which can be in any color, preferably related to your key visual?
Stand out!
Wanting to stand out from the competition, let’s not buy the same slope advertising gadget that has already had every possible brand on it. Let’s order something individually shaped, in your shape!
Whether it’s a powerbank in the shape of an airplane for an airline or an excavator for a construction company, or whether we opt for an individually sewn baseball cap or a winter cap with a pom-pom, we’ll work out every detail of the product. Let’s not sew labels to ready-made blankets from shopping malls, and let’s order knitted blankets that will be unique in the country. When choosing a humidifier, we can take a shortcut and choose something ready-made, or we can create a diffuser in the Pantone color of your choice and the fragrance you dream of. Let’s sew a scarf and a hat for winter and decide on its color, but also its length, width, thickness and material. Plain or recycled cotton, merino wool or maybe high, but it’s really high quality acrylic? You decide!
Keep this in mind during the holidays as well!
On the occasion of the holidays, let’s think about sets in which the individual items will complement each other, creating a thoughtful and pleasing whole. When we want our employees to relax after a difficult year, let’s present them with high-class cotton bathrobes with embroidered logos, but let’s add bath salts and flakes to them, so that they make their home a real spa.
Since we traditionally like to spend the holidays in the kitchen, why not dress up in a tasteful apron, equip ourselves with cake pans and a Christmas rolling pin to bake something on our own. However, if our confectionery skills prove insufficient then a box of ready-made gingerbread will still be waiting for you.
Advertising gadgets are supposed to stay with us, they are supposed to give us joy, make our lives easier, and if they are properly presented, we will hit the gadget bingo. From our perspective, this is a game that always brings victory. All that matters is who you play with. And we recommend playing with us, because we will realize and the most complicated ideas!
Author
Piotrek Ziemkiewicz
He’s been working in gadgets for 10 years and swears he’s seen it all. At MerchUp he is our gadget guru, to whom others come for advice, for a contact to the right supplier or an out-of-the-box idea to sweep a customer off his feet. He is a journalist by training, and it was in this profession that he took his first steps in a professional career, as we hope you could see in the text. Before his adventure in MerchUp, he worked with the largest advertising agencies dealing with gadgets in Poland. A passionate traveler, he takes his favorite gadgets all over the world and tests their functionality in the field.
