AT THE TIME of this writing, a storm front reaching from Canada to Mexico was crossing the United States, pelting the Southern states with liquid precipitation and flurrying Northern states with flakes. Simultaneously, the beaches of southern Florida were enjoying the caress of bright, unadulterated sunshine. When gravity displays its dominance over tropospheric water, distributors and suppliers are reminded of the beauty and utility of promotional umbrellas. On the beaches, too, joy is felt upon seeing larger-than-life logos protecting users from harsh UV rays.
Jason Nanus, vice president of business development at AAA Umbrella, Paramus, N.J., admits he feels a certain sense of accomplishment when walking down the street on a rainy day. He said there is a “specific pride” in knowing that some of the biggest companies with the biggest budgets choose his company’s umbrellas. According to Nanus, an umbrella is a great promotional item because “it’s applicable across the board.” He feels umbrellas can help companies break out of the mold of vertical marketing.
Gene Moscowitz, owner of Peerless Umbrella, Newark, N.J., had similar thoughts. He echoed the idea that the promotional value of an umbrella comes from its ability to be used by both men and women as well as by many different businesses. And, there’s more to umbrellas than just protection from the rain. Moscowitz said about 25 percent of his company’s business comes from patio and beach umbrellas. Resorts, restaurants, coffee shops and bars are always in need of shade in the summer months, and this presents opportunities to distributors.
On a personal level, umbrellas are also in high demand. “When somebody hands you a quality umbrella as a gift, you know that [it’s] something that sells in the stores for 40 or 50 dollars,” said Nanus. Promotions with such a perceived value will ensure clients remember when and where they received the gift and, most importantly, who gave it to them. But, brand loyalty won’t increase if the umbrella malfunctions or can’t stand up to the elements.
To ensure the first storm doesn’t turn end-users and clients away, both Nanus and Moscowitz pointed out that a sample will afford the best comprehension of the product. Nanus said handling the product is the best way to understand its value. Check “how easy it is to open; how easy it is to close; how nicely it folds. You can see the quality in the material used,” he said. Because umbrellas have the pitfall of looking the same in pictures, Moscowitz said it is difficult for distributors to decipher a quality item when looking at images in a catalog or on a Web site.
Both Nanus and Moscowitz said the easiest way to purchase a high-quality umbrella is to use a reputable and well-known supplier. Beyond this, there are marks of good craftsmanship in umbrellas that can help distributors select durable items. The material and design of the ribs or spreaders makes a big difference to the item’s strength. Though it doesn’t necessarily mean they will, umbrellas with many moving parts and tiny, intricate segments have more places and opportunities to break, Nanus said. He also said umbrellas generally have steel, aluminum or fiberglass spreaders. Fiberglass makes the strongest umbrella, giving it maximum strength and flexibility. In addition, Moscowitz said distributors should ask about the umbrella’s frame: “If the frame is not chromed, it might rust.”
Most people are familiar with umbrellas blown inside-out by the wind. The uneducated umbrella user assumes this necessarily means the product is defunct or destroyed. “Certain umbrellas are designed to hold up better than others,” said Nanus, as he revealed the shocking truth that a good umbrella will not be damaged by this effect. In fact, it is designed to be reset simply by closing it. A good umbrella, usually one with flexible ribs, turns inside-out instead of breaking and simply distorts to its new form with no damage.
Design also has a strong impact on selling an umbrella. Peerless Umbrella developed a new line of umbrellas with water-activated ink called WINK printing. When the item is exposed to water, hidden words or logos appear. “We did it this year overseas, and it did extremely well,” said Moscowitz. “So now, we’re doing it domestically as well, and I think it will be a homerun.”
The large imprint area available on most umbrellas allows for more creativity, but Nanus warns distributors to first design to a price point. “You have an idea of what your clients can spend and you should work backwards from that because we could design the most beautiful umbrellas that they can’t afford,” said Nanus.
Hotels, baseball teams, newspapers, automobile service shops and car dealerships have all found the usefulness of umbrellas. As a result of their known retail value, they are great for loyalty programs. As Nanus noted, umbrellas can lead to much bigger deals: “Everybody can just sell an umbrella,” he said. “We’re using our umbrellas to help sell cars.”
