by Renato Castagnetti

Inclusiveness and creativity, expertise, useful products and a sense of belonging to the brand. These are the key elements that describe the relationship between agencies and customers. But how have the individual players changed? The health situation has done a great deal, accelerating a trend that, perhaps, was already in place for some time, favouring a more attentive comparison also in the advertising by object field (PTO-pubblicità tramite oggetto).

Customer expectations

"Our customers expect to find a contact person who fully meets their needs", says Andrea Stenico, managing director of Sadesign.

"Compared to the past, expectations mainly concern the possibility of purchasing innovative products capable of getting across a message in line with the mission and values of the customer company. Identifying and proposing an article that presents these characteristics can be a successful strategy to appeal to buyers" explains Luisa Delle Chiaie, sales account NBL Vitolo. "Right now," says Damiano Zanini, Etabeta Sales Manager, "the strategy for building customer loyalty, and therefore meeting expectations, is to demonstrate the ability to adapt to their changing needs as quickly as possible, and to proactively find professional solutions".

Gadgets for every occasion

The pandemic, however, has created a number of new needs, and this has created a watershed. Last year, there was a rush to use all those essential devices for safe working as gadgets for customers and employees (masks, disinfecting gels, gowns, caps, safety goggles). This year, after the emergency peaked, the increasingly widespread use of smart working, distance learning and online meetings is prompting companies to purchase promotional products for these activities, with requests for tablet, smartphone and pc stands, charging leads and data transfer cables. In addition to these signs, Damiano Zanini stressed how "the alternation of home/office working is also leading to a revival in bags and backpacks, laptop bags, equipment cases and flash drives."

How have the services changed?

As a result of these changes, the services of the companies we approached have also changed, with a move towards consultancy. "Our offer in additional services (targeted and broad selection, sustainable products, dedicated packaging, creativity and design available, ad hoc photographic services, material handling, storage management and shipping) is real and cannot now be separated from a business like ours", Stenico explains.

NBL Vitolo is on the same wavelength and, besides describing themselves as consultants and no longer as suppliers of gadgets and merchandising, also based on the fact that logistics is the service that has undergone the greatest change, speaking through their sales account, Delle Chiaie state that "they are moving towards specialization in home delivery of their articles."

Etabeta has also structured itself to offer customers a logistics and packaging service supplementing these, when required, with the development of web portals dedicated to each buyer.

What are the trends for promotional items?

"When we started this business about 30 years ago, we had about ten promotional items (caps, sweatshirts, t-shirts, umbrellas, backpacks and little else). Now," says Stenico, "it is possible to make any item with any variation. You produce to the specific needs of that customer with that project. So, it is difficult to talk about a particular trend. If we look at the past year, medical devices were all the go. If we look back to the pre-Covid era, we'd be looking at memory sticks, high-tech, T-shirts, eco-friendly materials, water bottles and now digital gadgets are also making an appearance."

Delle Chiaie agrees, specifying: "One of the main trends in the promotional sector is sustainability. The general trend of end consumers to opt for environmentally friendly and eco-compatible products has direct consequences in the B2B world. In line with this direction, companies are also choosing eco-friendly articles, made of guaranteed and even recycled materials."