It’s easy to think you know everything about bottles and cups. Drinkware has been a popular product category for years, but QCA regulations and societal trends have changed how suppliers and consumers test, market and use water bottles. Here are 10 things you need to know about selling sports bottles in the new health-focused, eco-conscious and safety-testing United States.
1. Target Healthy People
Health clubs are obvious sells for sports bottles, but what about companies that sell to healthy people, like farmer’s markets or juice bars? Jason Emery, vice president sales and marketing for Tagmaster/a division of Dard Products, Evanston, Ill., pointed out that carrying a water bottle is more common now that being healthy is trendy. “Consumers understand the importance of consuming water more now than they have in any recent time,” he said. “As such, it is often that people carry with them their own water bottle or sport bottle throughout the course of the day,” he added. Why couldn’t those go-to water bottles be branded with your client’s logo?
2. Use Full-wrap Imprints
If end-users are carrying bottles everywhere, you better make sure your client’s logo is on display. “The best way to make a sports bottle or cup stand out is with a full-wrap imprint,” said Brenda Cameron, marketing manager for Atlanta-based Justin Case. “This allows for maximum coverage of the bottle with the customers logo/message for maximum impact,” she explained. She added four-color imprints as another good option, while Emery suggested screen prints or pad prints.
3. Add Bottles to Bag Promotions
“Sport bottles have quickly evolved to become more of an accessory these days as opposed to a promotional product,” Emery noted. Users may not match a bottle or cup to their outfit, but they will consider it when picking a bag to carry since it needs to fit in a water bottle pocket.
4. Try New Materials
Plastic seems like the go-to for cups and sports bottles, but Cameron mentioned stainless steel and polyester (yes, polyester) are actually the best sellers. “Our stainless steel drinkware continues to be our number-one seller,” she said. “We are also seeing greater interest in our Eastman Tritan copolyester drinkware,” she added. “This material was introduced in 2007 as a safe alternative to polycarbonate.” She added that copolyester has a glass-like look and more durable than alternative materials.
5. Don’t Go Crazy with Color
Even though neons and brights are popular in other product categories, most end-buyers prefer classic, primary colors for drinkware. “The most popular colors for drinkware continue to be red, blue, black and green,” Cameron stated.
