There is a child in every adult

Some of the promotional gifts are toys or games, from sporty ones to figures to board games. Éva Váradi, sourcing and marketing director of Golding Business Gift Kft. reckons it is important to keep in mind that there is a child in every adult. She thinks there are still lots of unused opportunities in the sector. Judit Rolkó, managing director of Menta Promotion Kft. told our magazine that fashion trends exist in the business gift segment too: if a brand starts using sunglasses and straw hats like it happened this summer, the craze will spread and they will become obligatory accessories at every music festival. According to Győző Sauer, commercial director of AbsolutGift playfulness is connected to creativity and bravery too: sometimes market players need to be brave to leave standard solutions behind when picking the right promotional gift. The experts agreed that there are evergreen business gifts such as mugs, T-shirts and pens – but even these can be made a little more playful. Ms Rolkó told that one of Menta Promotion’s most popular products is the mug that comes with a marker pen, so that the person who gets it can decorate it. Ms Váradi told Trade magazin that some of the toys and games distributed by business gift companies aren’t for children only, because adults also love puzzles, board games, card games or sporty ones. As a matter of fact it is very difficult to draw a line between functional, playful products and actual toys and games. Mr Sauer informed Trade magazine that this year they developed a customised Nine Men’s Morris for one of their partners and it was a huge success. Special events such as the football World Cup this year can also influence the promotional gift market. As regards B2C products, Ms Rolkó believes that product manufacturers must keep in mind: the children of today will be the decision-makers and consumers of tomorrow, consequently brand loyalty developed during childhood can secure buyers for a product for many years. She added that all Golding business gifts are certified to meet European Union regulations. Mr Sauer’s experience is that as the end of the year is approaching, demand for creative promotional gifts is increasing. His advice to those working in sourcing or marketing is that they shouldn’t rush picking the products, it is best if they let suppliers bombard them with ideas and products and wait until the right gifts come their way.