OFFICE SPACE

Command coveted desktop real estate with these stylish and useful office supplies.
By Carly L. Price

With the mountain of office supplies workers need at their fingertips, desktop real estate is highly coveted. Promotional products that make a bold, personal statement and are space efficient, multi-functional and well designed will obtain this premium office space.

“Office supplies have evolved from a necessity to a fashion statement,” says Lindsay Hoylman, marketing specialist for Leed’s (UPIC: LEEDS). “Desktop accessories have developed at an especially fast pace. As employees spend more time at work, employers seek ways for employees to personalize their workspaces. Pen cups, clocks, photo frames (including digital photo frames) and desk organizers have become increasingly popular and sophisticated.”

John LeTourneau, sales manager for Strong Leather Company (UPIC: STRONG), says this has led to an overall rise in demand for promotional office supplies, especially for internal promotions such as sales incentives, anniversaries, motivation, product launches and new employee welcome packages. The external uses for office supplies are endless, ranging from small handouts at tradeshows or sales calls to elegant holiday gifts.

“In general, our orders have increased for office products,” LeTourneau says. “Companies want to advertise not only to end users but also their employees.”

Supplies That Just Won’t Quit
Flexibility and dual functionality are highly valued on the desktop. Office supplies that have multiple uses are popular because they take up less space while getting used more often.

“Real estate on a desk is in such high demand,” says Wendy Simons, vice president of sales and marketing for International Merchandise Concepts (UPIC: IMC1). “If you combine a clock with a business card holder, you kill two birds with one stone. People want to simplify and have items that are multi-functional.”

Low-tech, flexible items with universal appeal, such as storage containers, are also hot items. “Nobody works the same way anymore,” says Allison Gower, president of The Platform GroupGallery (UPIC: PLATFORM). “Everyone organizes differently. Distributors and their clients want pieces that can be used and reused in many different ways.”

Don’t overlook packaging when putting together office supply promotions. When carefully chosen, imprinted packages can have a second life holding office supplies and personal items, and they may be more likely to stay in public view.

“We do foam inserts designed for secondary use so the advertiser gets stickier, longer-lasting exposure,” Gower explains. “Hanging file boxes, magazine files, CD files, boxes...the concept of office and desktop storage has changed so much. These boxes are colorful, bright and logo-printed. They’re not going to be thrown away.”

The same goes for long-lasting, high-value materials such as leather. Embossed leather boxes, blotters and cases are likely to be kept within view.

In general, technology has also changed the desktop landscape and created demand for a whole range of tech-related office supplies—from the ubiquitous mouse pad to USB drives and PDA charging stations. This explosion of devices and wires can create desktop clutter, so many companies are introducing new promotional products to deal with it.

“As technology and electronics are increasingly being used for work, office supplies have accommodated the change,” Hoylman says. “There is now a need for stylish platforms that organize electronics while charging them, mouse pads, flash drive loops in stationery, and various sizes and shapes for electronics’ holders. As new electronic devices are introduced, more office supplies will be created.”

The Future Is Bright And Bold
Whatever the end use, office products with staying power will embrace the latest trends in style and function—and all suppliers agree that the future of office supplies includes a surge in demand for bright colors.

“During the past eight years, the biggest sellers were always black and silver,” Gower says. “But now distributors and their clients are becoming much more adventurous—bright reds, greens, oranges and yellows. The trend is one of being noticed and getting away from safe and conservative.” Even so, classic black and silver tones, including the stainless steel look, are still popular. In terms of style of office supplies, simplicity as well as smooth, streamlined, curved designs are pushing to the forefront.

“Clean designs and sleek materials are used for desktop accessories because the point is to be functional, not create clutter or distraction,” Hoylman says. The exception is when you want to make a bold personal statement, of course. Smaller, nonessential items can get promoted to share desktop space with larger, more frequently used items if they express the worker’s personality.

“We have a ruler in the shape of a paper airplane,” says Simons. “People may not keep a regular ruler on their desk, but they keep this one to make a statement.”

Promotional items incorporating digital or conventional picture frames (for instance a desktop flip calendar or business card holder) are also popular because they allow users to personalize their space.

Higher quality items (and workers do notice quality) are also more likely to be retained and used the longest because they not only last but also connote a higher level of value or status. To really instill pride, consider high-quality, durable, heavyweight materials and personalized decorating (with a name, initials, title, etc.)

“The higher the quality, the more staying power,” Simons adds. “The goal is to get the most logo exposure for your money. Make sure you pick unique items that won’t get tossed. The more unique, functional and high quality, the more your logo is going to be exposed.”

Carly L. Price is a Dallas-based journalist who has written for national trade and consumer publications, including Cooking Light and Southern Living.

The ultimate goal for promotional office supplies is to get them to stay on the desktop, on display, or to be carried around by the worker. To that end, distributors should always consider: Quality – Higher quality items are more likely to be displayed on the desktop or used in the home office. Design – Items featuring a clean design and functionality will stick around. Dual Functionality – A pen isn’t just a pen anymore—it can also be a flashlight. Office supplies that serve more than one purpose are more likely to command a piece of desktop real estate. Personality – Office supplies in unusual designs, colors, shapes and textures get attention. When they resonate with an individual, they will be displayed proudly. Portability – Items that travel with someone—either around the office, from home to office, or out of town—create opportunities for more impressions. Folders, portfolios, USB drives and pens all fit within this category.

No office item is too small to convey a big message. Even if it gets stored in a drawer, office supply minutiae can serve as powerful promotional vehicles that get passed around. “Something as simple as rubber bands can really make a great marketing statement,” says Simons. Photo courtesy of International Merchandise Concepts And indeed it did in the case of one national marketing association. It wanted a creative way to increase attendance and promote its seminars to marketing executives. The distributor had the clever idea of using MoMA (Museum of Modern Art) Rubber X-bands, which consist of an assortment of double-strength rubber bands in four sizes and colors. The association’s logo was screen-printed on the container, and the package was mailed to prospective attendees with a note that read: “Learn to Think Outside the Box and Expand Your Creativity.” Rubber bands can also make a great marketing item for banks and investment firms (“Stretch Your Dollar”) or for many other industries (“Be Flexible,” “Stretch the Limits”).