By Hallie Forcinio, writer, Plastics Decorating
Economical and eye-catching are two reasons promotional drinkware ranks as the second most popular item (after apparel) sold in the $26 billion ad specialties, or promotional products, industry, according to figures from the Promotional Products Association International (PPAI).1 Drinkware, like coffee mugs, water bottles and travel tumblers, is easy to customize, widely appealing, particularly as a souvenir, and generates a quick return on investment.
An important trend for promotional products is sustainability. Accounting for 12.2% of the industry’s total sales, the sustainable products segment saw an 8% increase from 2022’s figure of approximately $2.86 billion, underscoring a growing consumer preference for environmentally responsible options.1 This has driven the “explosive popularity of reusable drinkware, as demonstrated by the #emotionalsupportwaterbottle trend on TikTok and the Stanley Cup craze,” said Riley Mann, digital marketing strategist at Inkcups, a supplier and manufacturer of digital inkjet equipment, pad printing equipment, laser platemakers and related supplies.
She explained, “Whether you consider its growth to stem from a move away from single-use packaging or burgeoning consumer demand for an everyday luxury, reusable drinkware is undoubtedly a space to watch. Brands, of course, have been quick to capitalize on this, and we have seen insulated tumblers riding high on lists of the most popular promotional products for some time now. Coupled with the growth in the global wellness market, it is no surprise that numerous industry forecasts predict sustained growth for the insulated drinkware market over the next few years.”
Other popular drinkware options include distinctive designs using mixed materials, gift sets, budget-friendly designs and multi-function “smart” products, like a water bottle with an audio speaker, a coffee grinder/brewer travel mug, temperature-control mugs, and water bottle/timer combinations. 2
Whatever item is chosen, it’s likely to be customized. “Customization reigns supreme,” said Michael Perrelli, marketing and sales director at Innovative Digital Systems, a supplier of printing equipment and contract decorating services. Customization is enabled by the evolution of digital technology, which now offers higher speeds and the ability to print unique shapes. Digital technology also is well-suited to short runs, making fulfilling orders of one practical. “This opens up opportunities in personalization and mass customization,” he explained.
Mann agreed, “There is an enormous appetite for personalization, but also for the agility and cost-efficiency that comes with being able to produce low volumes, and direct-to-object digital inkjet printing enables all of that. We’ve … experienced growing interest in the possibilities of print-on-demand models for drinkware decoration, which was one of the factors behind the launch of the Helix® ONE, our entry-level benchtop cylinder printing solution. With minimal set-up time and significantly faster drying times, using ultraviolet inkjet digital print to decorate drinkware means that it is as cost-effective to produce 10 unique items as it is to produce 10 identical ones. In the case of our Helix range of direct-to-shape inkjet printers for drinkware, for example, the only set-up required is securing the item in the machine and selecting the artwork. It then is possible to print a water bottle or reusable cup in as little as 46 seconds. Obviously, this makes on-demand production a real possibility, which has huge implications for both SKU proliferation and inventory reduction, as well as opening up opportunities for customization.”
Digital inkjet technology makes full-color printing possible and economically reproduces gradients, photographs and special effects. “Digital is perfect for the customers that want to evolve away from one- or two-color prints,” said Perrelli. Eye-catching special effects include textured surfaces, raised print and embossed or etched effects plus selective, or spot, varnishing, which can create graphics with a combination of matte and glossy elements.
Another digital technology, digitally printed heat transfers, also allows the applications of full-color graphics and variable messages on drinkware and other items. This dry process eliminates plates, screens, inks and ink mixing, solvents, thinners, curing time and associated heat tunnels or ultraviolet lamps. From a production standpoint, it is highly efficient because there is no set-up time, and multiple jobs can be printed on the same roll in one run. This means the unit cost of one transfer is the same as the unit cost for 10, 100, 1,000 or more.
“With CMYK [four-color] printing, we can reproduce about 2,000 different colors,” said Eric Steinwachs, director, Sales and Marketing at CDigital, a producer of digital heat transfers. He explained, “Digital heat transfer offers quick turnaround, is compatible with short runs and can reproduce variable information.” Each image can be unique; for example, a company logo with a different employee’s name on each cup. Unique bar codes also are possible, enabling item-level tracking, a requirement for many healthcare products.
The Future
Both inkjet and digital heat-transfer technology will see growth, particularly as heat-transfer technology continues to expand its color spectrum, increase resolution and gain recognition for its environmental attributes.
With no indication that interest in sustainability has reached its peak, reusable drinkware will capture market share. “Consumers already are seeking out and even amassing collections of reusable drinkware,” reported Mann. “I think this [will] continue, particularly as growing numbers of companies and consumers move away from single-use packaging.”
Mann also predicted growth for personalized and customized products, “particularly among consumer demographics who are using their drinkware as a form of self-expression. And finally, it seems likely that limited edition runs are going to continue to grow in popularity in the worlds of both souvenir and promotional drinkware.”
On the business side, as use of online ordering continues to expand, tighter integration from order to online store to printer will help maximize profitability and enable quick, economical processing of short runs and one-offs. Mann concluded, “It’s an exciting time to digitally decorate drinkware!” n
References
1. Auping, Jonny, Promotional Products Association International. PPAI Sales Volume Estimate: a Record Year, But Few Celebrating, News Release, April 1, 2024.
2. Bradley Marketing Group. The Must-Know Drinkware Trends for 2018, Sell Sheet, undated.
