The diversity of haptic advertising is immune to pandemics: In spite of the special circumstances brought about by Corona, the promotional products industry once again demonstrated its innovative power in the scope of the Promotional Gift Award 2021. For two whole days the jury comprising of five members met up virtually to examine the 146 submitted product ideas and campaigns. The result: 46 award-winning products made a long-lasting impression on the jury members.
A dire economic situation, aimlessness and a sudden absence of numerous contact and communication platforms – the Corona year 2020 unexpectedly faced the global promotional products market with huge challenges. The typical cycle of product development and novelty presentation was thrown upside down not least due to the contact restrictions enforced to curb the spread of the infection. Because hardly any international trade fairs were able to take place, new product ideas were lacking their usual presentation stages, lockdowns and travel restrictions made the exchange within the value chain and the product sourcing in the Far East and Europe difficult too. Those who are of the opinion that the innovative power of haptic advertising will inevitably come to a standstill as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, couldn’t be more mistaken. Once again in 2020, the industry excelled with one of its biggest strengths: creativity.
“Corona or not, everybody needs to find a way of survival,” stated Arthur Strijbos, Managing Director of Premium Square Europe. “Simply sitting back and waiting till the problem is over, is not the right strategy for me. Exciting, new development is a must for electronics, this is a category with endless possibilities. Supported by the right partner factories in Asia and Europe, we can develop our latest ideas together.” The Spanish company, iD Sneakers, who are treading new paths with their promotion shoes also demonstrates that crises don’t necessarily mean stagnation: “We used this period of crisis to improve procedures and to work with new models,” Sales Manager Teresa Castany explained. “Now we also have the possibility of using vegan materials and a higher percent of recycled materials. Although we have three generations of experience in the footwear industry, we are still new to the Promotional Gift sector.”
The traditional Swiss writing instrument manufacturer, Pagani Pens, has on the other hand been operating on the haptic advertising market for decades and has been relying on quality and sustainability during the crisis as arguments, as the Product Manager, Laura Bazzali, explained: “A new dimension of innovation is for us sustainability. We are committed to sustainability through quality. The two belong together, like a refill and a pen. We concentrate on products that people enjoy using and that reliably accompany them in everyday life for many years, everywhere and at any time.” The one thing all three companies have in common: They are all winners of the Promotional Gift Award 2021. Organised by WA Media, the award has already been distinguishing the most creative novelties and most original ideas on the haptic advertising scene since 2003. Promotional products manufacturers and distributors, advertising agencies, designers and creative directors from corporate marketing departments can enter their product, whereby on submitting their application they should emphasise the haptic and communicative potential of their product or campaign.
Jens Bräunig, responsible for the Merchandising division at VfB Stuttgart, was a jury member for the second time round last year. For him the award “distinguishes the work of many creative and committed companies in an industry that is characterised by haptics.” The five jury members were faced with the task of examining 164 products and campaigns from 13 countries on December 10 and 11, 2020 in a virtual process. 46 products and concepts ultimately attained the highest scores and are in future able to adorn themselves with an award. Once again, the entire spectrum of haptic advertising was represented: Many entries impressed the judges with their creativity and innovative power this year too – from the digital drinking bottle with a UV-C cleaning system, to pellets comprising of dried horse dung – implementable as natural plant fertiliser – through to a well-thoughtout campaign with a magic NFC wooden spoon. Whereby there was a strong focus on sustainable product ideas – from ballpoint pens made of biopolymers, through to the Environmental Quiz. The jury member Bräunig welcomed the continuing environmental awareness within the industry: “The trend towards sustainability is ongoing – and that is a good thing. The high number of holistic concepts impressed me. I hope that this combination between sustainability and storytelling is even more pronounced next year.”
The promotional Manufacturing quality and the haptic component of all submissions were checked in advance by parts of the jury.
Moreover, several advertising ambassadors created a link to the Corona pandemic. For instance, with eco-friendly products and under the observance of all protective measures, the “Oktoberfest at home” campaign – Beer Festival ingredients in a box – conveyed a relaxed Beer Festival atmosphere within one’s own four walls. “There were naturally also reactions to the Corona crisis this year,” the jury member, Martin Zettl, organiser of the promotional products trade show, markeding, commented. “This in some cases was reflected in the form of exciting product innovations and newly developed materials, but also in the implementation of creative campaigns.” The promotional products agency, Bartenbach, for instance won an award in the category “Best Practice” with a product concept that was directly related to the crisis: A digital concert evening including a haptic reinforcement (see pg. 39). “Haptic advertising is alive and it is innovative!,” the agency’s Managing Director, Tobias Bartenbach, stated. “Of course, the industry is noticeably struggling. But one can still excel with creativity and innovation. The digitalisation offers chances and opportunities here – and we exploited these to the full.”
Comprehensive evaluation process
Not only the submitted product ideas, but also the adapted judging process of the Promotional Gift Award show how quickly the industry can react to new circumstances and situations. Due to the protective measures for Corona, the jury members weren’t able to jointly examine the entries on-site in December 2020 as is usually the case, instead the project team of the award organised a virtual judging process. The production quality of the promotional product is one of the five criteria, according to which the jury members evaluate the submitted products and this was sed by part of the jury live this year under observance of the protective measures. Then, the entire jury team determined the points for the four criteria Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility, Product Idea, Design Quality and Communicative Potential on December 10 and 11. “I looked forward to the virtual judging session this year with trepidation,” reported Zettl. “Even if we weren’t able to assess the haptic properties of the production quality this time, the outstanding preparation and presentation left us a lot of scope for discussing the individual entries.” Witzorrek initially viewed the virtual assessment process rather sceptically: “Our industry lives from addressing as many senses as possible, but exceptional situations simply demand flexibility. In the end I was proved wrong, because even the controversial, but always expedient expert debates with my colleagues from Germany, Switzerland and Austria, didn’t come too short.”
After the intense discussions, each judge awarded his points for each criterion – from one point for a standard implementation through to five points for an excellent implementation. The entries with the most points are distinguished as particularly outstanding representatives in categories, which cover the entire spectrum of haptic advertising from the favourably-priced give-away through to merchandising collections. Eight products ultimately won a prize in the category “Giveaways”, 15 in the category “Communicative Products” and seven in the category “Custom-made Designs”. There were a further seven winners in the category “Best Practice”, three in the category “Merchandising” and five products and campaigns were distinguished in the category “Premium Products”. The products campaign Exklu-Bees won a special prize in the category “Campaign Concepts”.
The jury met up virtually for two whole days to intensively discuss the numerous entries. Top row f.t.l.: Presenter Andrea Bothe (WA Media), jury member Jens Bräunig (VfB Stuttgart) and presenter Klara Walk (WA Media). Centre row f.t.l. the jury members Michael Mätzener (diewerbeartikel gmbh), Michael Scherer (WA Media) and Martin Zettl (markeding). Bottom: The jury member Michael Witzorrek (merchandise.blog).
Experts at work
Alongside Jens Bräunig, Michael Witzorrek and Martin Zettl, this year’s panel of experts comprised of Michael Mätzener, Managing Director of the Swiss promotional products agency, diewerbeartikel gmbh, and Michael Scherer, managing partner of WA Media. Detailed information and – where available – videos were blended in for each entry. All products could be examined in a showroom set up especially for the purpose via live stream and on request the individual products could be demonstrated by the Project Manager, Daniela Dragunová. The expectations of the jury members were indeed rather reserved beforehand, however fascinating, thrilling product ideas and innovations had been entered to the design competition again this year. “The multi-faceted spectrum of different product and campaign ideas was breath-taking again,” noted Witzorrek. “Whether portable rucksacks with an electronic display or stylishly packed fertiliser for flowers made from horse dung – where else can one find such a wealth of creativity?” It is decisive here that an idea is thought through right to the end and correspondingly implemented.
“Barometer for innovations”
Once again, the promotional products industry has proven that its creative power can hardly be curbed even amid difficult framework conditions. “Whether existing products with an additional function or totally new inventions – even after being a member of the jury for ten years, the industry impresses me again and again with its fantastic innovations,” stated Mätzener. Predominantly campaigns that rely on the interplay between online and offline tools particularly convince him, whereby the promotional product takes on a central boosting role. The modern communication has certainly arrived in the industry, the Swiss jury member emphasised. Michael Scherer confirmed: “Even in the course of the meanwhile 19th edition of the Promotional Gift Award, it had none of the characteristics of a boring routine. On the contrary: The participants impress with their creativity and deliver inspiring examples for the efficacy of haptic advertising with their products. There was no decline in the level of innovative power or implementation quality compared to last year in this Corona-dominated year either.” The Promotional Gift Award will remain modern and versatile in the future too. “As a barometer for innovations, trends and future developments can be reliably discovered. The award is so to say the industry Oscar of the promotional product and merchandising industry,” Witzorrek remarked. “Major companies don’t compete against small start-ups in any other international award in the stirve to have their entries elected as the smartest product ideas and most sustainable campaigns. Whereas other awards quickly prove to be one-off wonders, the Promotional Gift Award stands for international continuity and quality.”
Blvck celebrated their success in the industry competition together with the animal producers of the natural fertiliser.
First time participants this year include for example the Austrian company, Blvck, who astounded the jury straight off with natural fertiliser made from horse dung. “The Promotional Gift Award was on our bucket list from the very start,” the Managing Director, Michael Grafenberger, stated. Completely following the motto “He who doesn’t dare, doesn’t win“, the horse dung specialists tried their luck and found the Promotional Gift Award as the ideal platform to gallop onto the market with their innovation. “Our idea and the implementation thereof were understood immediately. We were particularly happy to win such an important distinction with an environmentally-friendly product and we now hope to receive a positive response from the promotional products distributors,” noted Grafenberger. “Of course, we try to mention this distinction in our social media activities and mailings. The award will also be allocated a prominent place on our digital exhibition stands to exploit the whole potential of the distinction.” Because as an internationally acclaimed communications prize, the Promotional Gift Award has been a well-known quality seal on the market for a long time, which companies can use to stand out from the crowds and which is “very highly-appreciated by our employees and by our customers,” as Bazzali confirmed.
“The Promotional Gift Award is of great significance for us as an agency, perhaps even slightly more so than for the customers,” said Bartenbach. “For both parties it is a confirmation and a sign of appreciation for the work, which we invest a lot of time, ideas and effort into. For us as promotional products distributors it is also a very important and well-recognised quality seal, which we definitely communicate to our (new) customers.” Integrated into the corporate communications and marketing strategy, the Promotional Gift Award generates attention – whether at real-life events or in virtual space. “The award clearly distinguishes us from our fellow competitors – both nationally and internationally,” Uwe Thielsch, Sales Director Incentives and Promotion at koziol, pointed out. “In a globally connected world, the award is an excellent tool to credibly advertise our design and material competence, the high relevance and individual communication degree of our products.” Here, koziol communicates the logo of the award together with the product, i.e., in presentations for winning over new customers, in catalogues, brochures, on the company website as well as prominently at trade shows. “Beyond this the award is conveyed to journalists and customers through press releases and newsletters.” Last, but not least the Promotional Gift Award offers suppliers, agencies and their clientele the chance to submit joint campaigns and reap the corresponding merits. “In the case of custommade designs, we apply together with the contracting party, to whom tribute is of course also paid,” commented Thielsch. “This success has a bonding effect and creates great trust as well as a sense of ambition for future projects.” Such “joint ventures” were also among this year’s winners.
All of the 46 award-winning products and campaigns will be showcased in an own exhibition at the HAPTICA® live ’21 on September 23.
// Joanna Meißner
Photos: Andrea Bothe, © WA Media GmbH (6); Blvck (1); illustration: Jens C. Friedrich; Shutterstock.com (1)
