Using Gifts and Giveaways to Promote Wellness

The Rising Trend in Personal Care

Good marketing, and the products or services being promoted, seek to identify and fill a void within the consumer’s present life. For millions of individuals, that void often centers around wellness and personal care. An overlooked yet deadly serious element of daily life, self-care is an activity or habit that benefits the individual’s physical, mental or emotional health. This can range from getting enough sleep or visiting the dentist’s office, to catching up with friends and making use of vacation time. Though wellness looks different for everyone, but everyone requires and shares its two core components: mindfulness of ones’ needs and progress towards bettering overall health.

This Google Trends chart shows increased popularity for the search term, "self care" since 2004.

Self-care is an integral facet of the health industry that has been exploding in popularity this decade. Brands like Whole Foods, Under Armour and CVS Health have seen stock prices soar. While categories like fitness, mental illness and clean eating receive constant attention on social media. When the competition is vying for attention with items that are all flash and no substance, centering marketing efforts around wellness is a sure way to inspire confidence in constituents.

Wellness Makes Everyone Involved a Winner

Every promotional products business has their bread and butter items that sales representatives habitually turn to. From pens and T-shirts to portable chargers and drinkware, each offers versatility for use across various marketing campaigns. What’s exciting about the trend in self-care is that it encapsulates mind, body and spirit—meaning it, too, allows you and your client a wealth of choices for both items and their promotion.

When every business is focused on building trust with current and prospective customers, your clients can actively work toward softening their public perceptions through corporate wellness gifts. Personal care items are a win for everyone. Consumers receive a practical item that enhances their quality of life and the brand earns credibility as a result. Consider passing on recommendations for the usual baseball caps and magnets this quarter. Instead, imagine the outcome when your client gifts prospects with items like earbuds, hand sanitizer spray, condoms or safety whistles. More than just getting their names out there, these products communicate that the brands care about the recipients' comfort, health and wellbeing.

Branded items that endorse self-care are not just useful, they help recipients achieve their goals. The wellness industry is exciting and buzzworthy, but what’s more, its practice is selfless at the core.

Who Should Gift Wellness Items?

Businesses do not have to operate in the health and wellness industries to ride the tailwinds of this trend. Self-care is a personal undertaking that bleeds into every aspect of life—at work and at home; and in relationships with family, friends, significant others and oneself.

Self-care items are a sure way to help earn trust, and can be a boon when seeking attention among competitors. In the following scenarios, who are you more likely to remember? Who are you more likely to trust and give your business to?

1. The real estate agent who gave away branded snack bag clips or soothing aromatherapy candles
2. The hotel that offers free coffee or a complimentary spa kits to help visitors unwind
3. The beverage company that gives out can coolers at its events or takes care of attendees by offering pretzels and bottles of water?

Most types of businesses can find ways to tie health and wellness into their marketing strategies. If your client needs a cheap and easy giveaway, recommend that they substitute the usual pens for stress balls. If their customers are constantly on the go, opt for water bottles with fruit infusers over backpacks or tote bags. Coming up with a productive solution is as simple as thinking about what their end-user's pain points are. In today’s world, no one is a stranger to stress, and most of us could spend a bit more time and energy looking after our own health. Consider what concerns or areas of neglect you can help your clients to address through promotional gifts.

Sample Sales Scripts

Getting your sales team on board with new initiatives often means spelling out the strategy for them. Unsure of how to put this practice into play? Here are a few example scripts that illustrate the benefits of adding personal care items to a client’s order:

“I have it in my calendar that your salon’s anniversary date is coming up! What do you think about offering customers little swag bags as thank-yous for celebrating with you? I’m thinking we give them gift cards to your boutique, and then throw in a few personal items, like travel brushes, lip balms and hand creams. These will show your customers that you’re committed to taking care of them in between each visit! Plus, this way they’ll have something to remember you by that will remind them to schedule their next appointment.”

“These keychains will make a really cool giveaway, and what’s great is that your staff can gift them year-round! Why don’t we add something special on to your order for the students visiting campus around midterms and finals weeks? Between extracurricular activities, school work and applying to college, they’ve got a lot on their plates. How about we send them each home with a planner or notebook? That way they’ll be organized, less stressed and clearheaded when making a final decision on schools!”

“As working professionals, your customers are plugged into their laptops, tablets and phones 24/7. Your competitors likely are focused on winning customer approval through gadgets and other tech items, but I’ve been noticing a clear trend toward wellness that indicates interest in spending more time away from screens. What if you gift your customers something to help them achieve a better work-life balance? Adult coloring books are a really popular creative outlet. Also, puzzles, like sudoku, keep the brain active while still giving it a break from the internet. These definitely will help your brand to stand out from all the noise online!”

Final Thoughts

The topics of self-love and self-care have become increasingly important to working professionals and creatives. How can we, as suppliers of promotional products, help businesses leverage this trend? Work with your employees to see how you might help your clients to build stronger, more lasting relationships with their intended audiences through personal wellness supplies. They might be surprised to find that a little thought goes a long way!