by Kirby Hasseman
If you want to help to grow your brand, inspire your tribe, or create a celebration with your organization, you will want to include branded drinkware. It makes sense! A great coffee mug or tumbler can be used nearly every day. It’s a very intimate branded piece (I mean, you put it in your mouth!)…and you don’t have to worry about sizes. A great piece of branded drinkware fits everyone!
But how much does a branded coffee mug cost?
It’s a good question…but a tough one. As we mentioned in this blog post about how much a custom t-shirt costs, it’s a little like asking “how much does a car cost?” It’s a tough question to answer because it depends on a lot of factors. So today we will tackle many of those factors so you can be more knowledgeable when picking the branded coffee mug you put your brand on!
What Kind of Material?
The kind of branded coffee mug you want can play a huge role in the cost. It’s an important question for you to understand because it will ultimately play a big role in whether or not your recipients actually want to use the mug. As I say all of the time, “Most everyone has a favorite mug. But they will often set that aside if you give them one they like better.”
Ceramic
When people think of a traditional coffee mug, the first thing that comes to mind is often the white ceramic coffee mug. And while that is certainly still an option, there are plenty of styles and options around a ceramic piece. Why use ceramic? For many people, it comes down to flavor. Why? Because ceramic is a solid and neutral material, it neither absorbs nor imparts flavors, leaving the coffee to taste just as it should.
Plastic
To me, the reason to choose a plastic coffee mug or tumbler is simple…price. Price is an important consideration in any branding campaign. But it should not be the only consideration. If you are going to use a plastic coffee tumbler, make sure the piece is BPA-free (here’s why). The safety of your customers, employees, and team members need to be at the top of your priority list…so please consider that when choosing your option! As a positive, there are some great BPA-free options and some are actually Made In The USA.
Stainless or Metal
Stainless or metal coffee mugs have become more and more popular over the past 10 years. I love my stainless travel mugs…especially when I am on the road. In addition, stainless has a very high perceived value with your clients. This adds power to the “gift” when you provide it to your recipients. Any time your client thinks you spent $20 on an item you spent $15 on…you are on the right side of that equation! In addition, a stainless coffee mug or tumbler often offers some cool and creative decoration techniques (more on that later).
Finally, in recent years, the technology around stainless has evolved to keep your hot drinks hot and your cold drinks cold for hours (think Yeti). This leads nicely to…
Single Versus Double Wall
For years, having a double-walled drinkware piece simply meant the mug would not “sweat.” But over the past 10 years, the technology of the Double-wall Vacuum Sealed Coffee Mugs has totally evolved. How does it work?
The key to this high-performance that keeps drinks cold (or hot) longer than traditional double-wall drinkware is a vacuum seal. This process essentially removes all air and other matter from between the interior and exterior walls of the tumbler. Creating a vacuum chamber in the middle of the tumbler stops all heat transfer by either conduction, convection, or radiation.
As you might expect, the double-walled vacuum sealed coffee mug is more expensive. But if you are looking for someone to connect with your brand for an extended period of time…it well might be worth it!
How Is It Being Decorated?
As you may or may not know, there are lots of ways to decorate a coffee mug. And depending on what way you go, it can have a huge impact on the cost of your project. I will go over a few of them here.
Silk Screening
I like to consider this the most standard decoration technique for coffee mugs. Silkscreen is a sophisticated stenciling technique for surface printing, in which a design is cut out of paper or another thin, strong material and then printed by rubbing, rolling, or spraying paint or ink through the cut-out areas. Most of your one or two color imprinting options can be well managed with this technique. This can be a very cost-effective way to imprint your coffee mugs, assuming you have enough quantity.
Pad Print
Pad printing can be a good technique for imprinting mugs when you only need a small quantity. It’s essentially the act of creating a die and “stamping” that imprint onto an item. It’s usually a process used to imprint items that are difficult to decorate using other techniques and is often done one at a time.
Sublimation
Using sublimation, you can create beautiful, full-color designs on a coffee mug. What is sublimation? Sublimation printing uses heat to essentially bring ink and fabric together as one. The process allows the ink to go from a solid to a gas without turning to liquid, a bit like dry ice. The conversion is initiated by heat and controlled by pressure. The upside is that, when done right, the images are beautiful and they are not going to come off. There is a downside though…most often, this can be a time-consuming and costly process.
Laser Etching
Laser etching can be a really cool-looking and elegant way to imprint a coffee mug or tumbler. Laser engraving is a process that vaporizes materials into fumes to engrave permanent, deep marks. The laser beam acts as a chisel, incising marks by removing layers from the surface of the material. What is created is a light imprint or a tone-on-tone look that can look sharp without being completely “in your face” from a branding perspective.
Other Factors To Consider
Okay…so we have talked about the kind of coffee mug or tumbler and the way it might be decorated. But there are a few more things you want to consider (or questions you might want to ask) before you order your organization’s coffee mugs. Here are a few!
How Many Do You Need?
In nearly every area of life we understand that when we order more, we can often get a better price. That is true with coffee mugs as well. On the other hand, if you only need them for a small team, you might consider your decoration options above so you can get the number you actually need. For example, some people can pad print or sublimate just a few coffee mugs, while you usually need to silkscreen more.
Personalization
We have long known that personalization is a powerful tool. It’s simple. If you put my name on something (maybe in addition to your logo), then I am much more likely to keep it! That puts my name with your brand on a branded piece that I use all of the time. As I said…powerful. But recently the technology to personalize has improved. More and more branded items are allowing you to personalize your customer’s name on them. Combine that with a time (during the pandemic) when it was more important than ever that we do NOT get our coffee mugs mixed up…and the number of orders that include personalization has increased a ton. It’s a powerful tool to use when creating a branding campaign (especially for current customers), but it does usually add cost.
Where Are They Shipping From?
One factor that is often forgotten is shipping. When it comes to branded drinkware, the location the items are shipping from is very important. Coffee mugs are expensive to ship, so I highly recommend that you ask where the FOB point is. If you are in Ohio, and you need an order quickly, shipping 288 coffee mugs from California can become cost-prohibitive.
But How Much Do They Cost?
Yes. I realize that after all of that I have still not given you an answer. I think you may now know why! It’s even harder as I write this because current issues with the supply chain are wreaking havoc on pricing! But because I want to give you an idea, I will define the parameters and give you an idea of what you should be paying…regardless of who you buy custom coffee mugs from. Below I will define the parameters for each of the options below. It will not be a hard and fast quote (you can reach out and request that here), but it can at least give you an idea of where to start.
Traditional Coffee Mug with One Color Imprint
This is basic and cost-effective. You can do something like this for anywhere between $2.15 and $4.00 (depending on quantity). And as I mentioned above, there are plenty of other ceramic styles and options to choose from.
Basic White Coffee Mug with Full-Color Imprint
This is the basic mug option that allows you to provide full-color graphics. With an item like this, you will be looking at anywhere from $4.25 to $7.50.
Plastic Travel Coffee Mug with One Color Imprint
Above I mentioned some of the concerns with plastic coffee mugs, but there are plenty of great BPA-free options. When considering this option you might be looking at anywhere from $3.50 to $7.50.
Stainless Double-Walled Travel Mug with Full-Color Imprint
This is the most expensive option, but it’s also the one with the highest perceived value. The range is wide depending on the brand specificity. For this option, you can spend anywhere from $10.00 to $30.00. This is the reason I have said that you should never buy a Yeti-branded coffee mug. There are some amazing options for this style. If you need help selecting one, feel free to reach out and we can help.
As you can see, there is a lot to consider. My hope is this arms you with information on how to get the right coffee mug for the right budget for your brand. Good luck!
If you need help with your next promotion, please reach out to us. You can learn more about how we help with branded merchandise here.
And if you want to make sure you never miss an update, sign up for our VIP newsletter here.
by Kirby Hasseman
Stop me if you have heard this before. “I went to buy something (anything), and it was ‘out of stock’, ‘back-ordered,’ or ‘more expensive.'” Yeah…us too. The fact is, we are living through a trying time in our economy where supply chain issues and labor challenges are affecting nearly every sector. And the marketing and branding sector is no different. We have been talking about this since early this year.
While you can still get some amazing branded items for your organization, it’s more important than ever that you plan ahead. That is why at Hasseman Marketing, we are making a fairly bold recommendation. It’s July as I write this…but it’s not too early.
You should start thinking about your 4th quarter gifts now.
Don’t get me wrong. This is not some crazy upsell. I am not suggesting you should buy more than normal. No one is trying to trick you. But in case you haven’t noticed, the past 18 months have been a bit different. If you are planning to do year-end gifts this year, you need to get the ball rolling.
Here are two quick tips on buying 4th quarter gifts in 2021.
Order Way Early
If we have said it once, we have said it 20 times…plan way early this year. If you normally plan to order items 4 weeks in advance, plan 12. Seriously. Can you get things faster than that? Yes…sometimes. But more often than not, we are seeing clients have to scramble to get items in time…or not get them at all. That adds a ton of stress to you and your organization. If you know an event is coming, do yourself a favor and order early. Update: We have created this shop based on items with deep inventory. Check it out.
Select More Than One Option
As you are going through your ideas for branded merchandise, we recommend you have a plan A, B, and C! Yes we will work to check stock in advance, but things are changing quickly. One day an item may have “plenty” of stock, but then a big order comes in and it disappears. While you are doing the research, just pick a few backup options that are in the same price range. This will keep you from having to start over if you run into challenges.
There are plenty of things we cannot control in today’s economy. So many things seem to be in flux. That’s why it’s so important to control what we can. And while it might seem crazy to think about ordering year-end gifts now, we can assure you it’s not. If you want to discuss your year-end options, please contact your Hasseman Marketing Account Executive. If you don’t have one, click here to set up a time to chat with one!
by Kirby Hasseman
When I first got into the promotional industry, I had a sales trainer (who also happened to be my dad) ask me a simple question. “What is the worst thing that can happen to a promotional product?” Being the young smartass I was (as opposed to the older one I am now), I grabbed the calendar he was holding out, looked at it, and then threw it in the trash can in the corner.
Smiling. He looked up at me and said “Exactly!”
He went onto explain that I noticed the promotional item. I looked at it. Then I discarded it. “That is the worst thing that can happen to a calendar (or any piece of branded merchandise). But that is the best thing that can happen with most other advertising!” This might sound like a simple story, but it has powerful implications for your marketing. When you are deciding how to market, you should consider the results you get with promo and other advertising.
I tell you that story to tell you this one. Sometimes there are problems when ordering branded merchandise. I have actually talked about that before here. So let me tell you about the time a Beach Towel order went sideways…and what happened.
It started like any other order.
I met with one of my favorite clients. Lisa Reed, Executive Director at RHDD, and I have a great relationship. I work hard to understand her business. She talks about that here. In addition, she asks me to push her on deadlines. She has so many details in her brain running RHDD (an amazing organization that serves people with Developmental Disabilities) that sometimes she needs me to help keep her on task on promotional projects.
I tell you this because of what happened next.
Lisa and I had discussed getting beach towels to recognize her team. She wanted to do something other than just her logo. She wanted a message recognizing how much she appreciated her team. We had bounced around a few ideas and landed on a message that said “My boss kinda thinks I am a big deal!” We had our theme and worked on a design to make it fun on the towel. In addition, we had discussed our deadline. Lisa had an event where she wanted to hand the towels out…and it was coming up quickly.
I sent over the proof for approval and did not hear back. As I mentioned, Lisa is super busy, so I sent another reminder. Still nothing in response. After I sent the proof over a third time with no response, I was starting to get nervous. The deadline was coming up fast. I got a message from the supplier that if we did not the proof approved today, they would not have their towels on time.
So I made the decision to approve the towels.
The supplier worked their miracles and the towels arrived on time for the event. There was one really significant problem. Lisa and her team had decided they were not going to do the beach towels. They had not approved the proof because they did not want to move forward. It’s not that they did not want to recognize their employees, they were not just not sure about the design. Lisa called me to tell me the “good news/bad news” situation. The good news is that the towels arrived on time. The bad news is, they had decided they did not want them.
Lisa was gracious and kind. It was my mistake. While I was trying to do the right thing to take care of my client (and keep them on deadline) I had most certainly over-stepped. But after seeing the towels, she decided to give them to her team anyway. At the designated event, Lisa and her leadership team gave the towels to her employees. The response at the event was great…but then something cool and unexpected started to happen.
One by one, when her employees went on vacation, they started to post pictures of themselves on the beach with their new towels! Without being asked, the team tagged RHDD on Facebook to show how much their boss “thinks they are a big deal!” For an organization that is proud of their employees, this was magic.
As a matter of fact, I would say “it’s kind of a big deal!”
While the situation was not ideal (I will never do that again), the outcome was really great. It does go to show you that, when you recognize your employees using beach towels (or other branded merchandise), good things happen. Even when the delivery does not go as planned, the outcome really can be powerful.
Special thanks to Lisa Reed for her leadership and understanding on this project! If you are looking for a great place to work that really does value their team, you can learn more about RHDD here.
And if you want to discuss an appreciation project for your team, let’s talk!
by Kirby Hasseman
Twas the 4th Quarter of 2020, and like the rest of the year,
The time was filled with uncertainty, frustration, and fear.
Some people were masked up and trying to stay safe
But we all want to get back to life before riding the COVD wave.
And OH the election, the division it creates!
It seems both parties are selling division and hate.
In the midst of this madness, our businesses have a great chance
To show our customers and team members, a grateful stance.
Sending Branded Merch, through the years, has been a part of the map
That help companies all over bridge the appreciation gap.
But there’s a catch in 2020 all you leaders and friends.
It’s going to be harder this year, for branded merchandise to send.
More people than ever are working from home.
So each box of goodness, you will need to send to them, and them alone.
In addition, the Post office, UPS and Fed Ex
Are saying they are running out of delivery muscles to flex.
So what does this mean, and the question is “How?”
Can we show our appreciation in a world that is so crazy now?
While Santa won’t fly in with reindeers to save the proverbial day
We are working very hard to help you find a real way.
So if you want a simple solution, where are the charges are “all in,”
Then you can click on this shop to find options, or simply call in.
But one simple truth (or advice) from this friend.
If you want to order gifts, don’t wait for this year to end.
So click an email, send a text, pick up the phone, or go online to shop.
But let’s take care of our customers and teams and hope this madness will stop!
This little poem I am calling “The Nightmare on Merch Street” is just a light hearted attempt to share some important information. As we said in this blog, this year has been a tough one. We need to show our appreciation more than ever. But it’s a tough time to do it…that’s for sure. So if you are planning to order your appreciation gifts, this is NOT the year to wait to the last minute. Otherwise, you might be facing your own Nightmare on Merch Street!
by Kirby Hasseman
I was sitting at my desk, with the feet up, listening to Mike Michalowicz speaking at a recent Commonsku at Home event. Mike is one of my favorite speakers, thought leaders and authors in the business space. He has written several must read business books including The Pumpkin Plan and Profit First. When he said he is working on a new book about marketing, he had my attention. It was then that he told us about the most powerful word in marketing.
Mike’s new book (still in production) will be called Different is Better. The concept is simple. When there are thousands of options in nearly every business space, how do you stand out? It’s not just about being better (though that is great). It’s about being different. You must do something to differentiate in the customers mind.
Simple right? As we know, simple is not the same as easy.
While I am excited to dig into the book and try many of the tactics Mike discussed, there was one thing that caught my attention. One way to stand out in a sea of competitors is to use the most powerful word in marketing. What is that magic word? What simple word can you put on a piece of marketing that will wildly increase the likelihood that your customer will not only read the piece, but maybe also KEEP it? Let me give you the word…
It’s your customer’s name.
As Mike suggested, we are all attracted to our own name. If we are in a conversation with someone in a crowded room, and someone mentions our name, it will break through the noise. We will hear it. Our name is special to us. It gets our attention. It makes our customer feel important…because they are! If you want a simple way to make your marketing more effective, personalize it. It’s the marketing equivalent of listening to Beyonce and “putting a ring on it.”
The implications of this are simple and powerful. If you are going to create a direct mail piece, you are more likely to get it opened if it actually says the customer or prospect’s name rather than “current resident.” And if you are created a piece of branded merchandise to say thank you to your customers (and you should), what if you personalized that as well? If you create a vacuum tumbler with your logo on it, how much more would it mean if each customer, team member and board member had their own name on it? The effect will be powerful.
And as a side note during this pandemic, it’s safer. If each person has their own tumbler (or other branded piece), then there is a much lower chance of someone drinking out of the wrong tumbler and getting sick.
So now that we are in appreciation season, consider using the most powerful word in marketing to increase the value of your branded gift. Use your customer’s name and personalize your gift for even more affect!
Make sure you never miss an update. Please sign up for our VIP list and we will email you once a week with all of our latest content.
