For a long time, the promo world was always a few steps behind retail.
Times have certainly changed.
Where once it took about a year for retail trends to make their way to promo, the two markets are now in very close lockstep. And savvy suppliers are leveraging that reality by keeping pace with relevant products.
In this episode of Promo Insiders, ASI Media’s Sara Lavenduski speaks with Mary Furto, senior vice president of marketing at Counselor Top 40 supplier PCNA (asi/66887), about the top consumer movements that are poised to gain momentum in promo in the coming months. Furto and her colleague Liz Haesler, global chief merchandising officer, will be presenting the trends in-depth at the ASI Show in Orlando in January 2025.
Among the aesthetics Furto and Haesler will discuss in Orlando are “Optimistic Change” and “Intelligent Simplicity,” which both speak to consumers’ desire for sustainable, upscale and functional lifestyle products with a minimalist look.
“‘Intelligent Simplicity’ champions lasting, quality, intuitive designs and caters to customers who value things like efficiency and mindfulness,” says Furto. “It’s rooted in the ‘less is more’ philosophy that emphasizes clean designs and versatile functionality. It’s about products that we believe will seamlessly integrate into daily life and that offer simplicity without sacrificing style or purpose.”
Podcast Chapters
0:50: The trend forecasting process
2:15: What is “Optimistic Change?”
3:17: Sustainability in 2025
5:41: The “Intelligent Simplicity” trend
9:03: What’s next for the drinkware category?
