The Harbor Pouch is a premium, water-resistant neoprene pouch with a durable polyester lining, and it hits the same sporty-meets-elevated note that's made the Hunter Toiletry Bag so popular. Inside, two removable air mesh zip pouches keep smaller items organized instead of rattling around loose, and a secure zip closure plus an exterior clip (great for keys or a bag charm) round out the details. It's 100% vegan, available in six colorways, and priced to actually make sense at scale.

Fitness is having a moment. Group fitness classes are packed, pickleball courts are booked solid on a Tuesday afternoon, and "active lifestyle" has become less of a niche and more of a personality trait for basically every generation. This isn't a passing trend, it's a full-on cultural shift, and it's opening up a huge opportunity for branded merch.

Be honest: you have a drawer somewhere with a stress ball from a trade show, a pen that skips, and a lanyard from a conference you don't even remember attending. We've all got one. It's the promo graveyard, and it exists because not every branded item earns a permanent spot in someone's life.

Here's the paradox we love talking about with clients: promotional products are one of the most effective advertising mediums out there, but a huge chunk of what gets handed out still ends up in the trash. So what separates the mug that lives on someone's desk for five years from the keychain that hits the junk drawer within a week? Turns out, it's not really about budget. It's about fit.

Have you heard about the new trending item that has people standing in line outside of retailers ahead of their release? Sure, you have! It's the Needoh! The now ultra viral product officially launched back in 2017 but suddenly skyrocketed to success in late 2025. If you haven't made the connection yet, I'll make it for you: You need to add branded stress relief toys to your merch strategy.

Lately my feed is full of “journal ecosystems” — not just one notebook, but a whole cast of journals with specific roles: memory keeping, goal tracking, brain dump, finance, creativity, even TV shows and reading logs.

The best merch isn’t always the flashiest or the most expensive. It’s not always a name brand.

The best merch is thoughtful, useful, and makes life a little better!

Travel is ready to make a comeback and keeping PPE related items, cleaners and sanitizers together and organized is going to be a priority.

After 28 years helping clients build their brands, we know that promotional products work.

🎸🔥I wanna rock and roll all nite (and cornhole every day)! 🌽 🤘

COUNTDOWN: What’s the #4 Trend in the Branded Merch Space for 2023?
 
Since our team recently went to our industry’s largest tradeshow, I have some answers!
 
The #4 trend we noticed is: the continued popularity of Retail Brands
 
Retail brands create an instant connection, delivering a unique combination of on-trend style, premium performance, and quality that people trust.

Event planners: Looking for the perfect universal gift?

I suspect you usually don’t specifically know your audience at the tradeshows, conferences, and other offsite events you plan:

Men? Women?
Older? Younger?
Job title? Level within their organization?

80% of people would write WHAT if they were asked to try out a new pen

Their NAME!

It’s true…When the Printable team sits in a pen supplier presentation we are asked to test out new pens.

As I look around the table, most of the team is writing their names!

Pens are one of those “try ‘em before you buy ‘em” pieces of branded merch.

Marketing and event peeps: Did you know that drinkware is the 2nd most-sold product category in the branded merch space?

Drinkware accounted for 9.7% of merch sales in 2021 (the latest year of data from the Advertising Specialty Institute's State of Industry report).

It’s 5:00 pm somewhere!

It’s not just Jimmy Buffet fans that like to celebrate when the workday is over!

Experiential gifts like this Happy Hour Kit complete with customized cork coasters have been popular with our clients who conduct remote events and want the group to celebrate together “on camera”.

Hey, Event Planners and Marketers: T-shirts are #1!

And that's not just something you might see printed on a tee for sale on the beaches of Miami, FL...but a reality in our industry for decades now!

Even in 2020, t-shirts remained the top category we sell here at Printable despite other, more fleeting products eating into its market share (Hello: masks and sanitizers).

You know how people bake cookies when they go to sell their house?

The reason? The positive feelings associated with the smell of warm baked goods!

How can you get your gift recipients to have the same positive feelings associated with your brand?

The answer is simple — give them a baking experience they simply cannot forget.

Quick Quiz: Which room do most people congregate in at a party?

Answer: The Kitchen.

This is Nacho your average promo gift…your recipients will congregate around some chips and salsa and queso in a custom box we send them for you!

What’s reusable, warm and glows?

No, it’s not one of my patented Dad jokes, but rather words that describe the characteristics of the items in this super cool “Let’s Get Cozy” kit I recently received from my partners over at Hit Promotional Products.

A reusable travel tumbler, some hot chocolate and a scented candle!

It's my job to stay in tune with branded merchandise trends.

One of the biggest trends I am seeing from my clients is a gravitation toward co-branding with premium products and retail brands.

People are LOST without their earbuds and headphones. Well, 87% of us, anyway!

Listening to music, podcasts, & audiobooks or taking a phone call. At their desk, out for a jog, chilling on the couch. They’re practically glued to our ears!