2021, A Year In Review
We’re on the verge of our Christmas break and so it seemed like the perfect time to take a look back at all of the ups and downs of the promotional merchandise industry in 2021 and say a little thank you!
We started 2021 very unsure of what was to come. The country was still in lockdown but we were all eagerly anticipating some good news from the Government about how we were going to be able to navigate the next few months ahead. And then, one day in February the Roadmap was launched! The four-step plan saw the country gradually ease our way back to some form of normality and we had our hopes pinned on 17th May for the return of some indoor and outdoor events, with capped capacity. The pilot events came and went with great success and the events industry started to get excited! Then…
Orders started winging their way to us as businesses were preparing to welcome staff back to offices or plan their first events to get back out there! And we loved the buzz! We even attended some events ourselves, exhibiting multiple times at the mktgSHOWCASE events and also heading to the Hampshire Business Show. We absolutely loved getting to meet so many clients, old and new, and make new connections with prospects who were just as excited as us to get back to normality!
We also had the added complication of Brexit and the withdrawal of the EU but we’re delighted that we were able to stay ahead of the game and ensure that our clients continued to receive their orders, despite a challenging time of changing paperwork and regulations!
And then, the supply chain was hit by the blocking of the Suez canal, the fuel crisis and a shortage of HGV drivers all in quick succession! We are incredibly fortunate to be able to call upon a trusted network of suppliers that are based in Britain and so the external influences on the UK didn’t have too much of an impact on our customers. And to say thank you, we launched our “Let’s Help Britain Bounce Back” campaign this summer, when we highlighted all of the top reasons to buy British made promotional merchandise, and we also showed off some of our favourite British products across our social media channels.
Then autumn saw a huge influx of orders! We became incredibly busy with business events back on the cards and also clients who had spare marketing budgets that they needed to “use and not lose!”. We have helped some amazing clients level up their brand awareness and spread their reach far and wide! We’ve been branding some old favourites such as pens, post-its and water bottles but we’ve also been given some more interesting challenges where brands are really looking to show off their personality (these projects are great fun to be involved with!).
And to top it all off, we’ve had a new addition to the etc. Branding team when our director Emma gave birth to a happy and healthy little boy at the beginning of December! Congratulations!
We are so grateful to each and every one of our clients. We genuinely still do a happy dance every time an order is placed. And despite the current uncertainty around the latest COVID-19 variant and what is to come, we know that 2022 will be a great year as more and more events come back on stream and we work with clients old and new to help them revamp their promotional merchandise strategies!
etc. Branding provides bespoke and innovative branded promotional merchandise and luxury gifts. Our company mantra: “It’s about being remembered not just being noticed” motivates and inspires us to offer you the best service we can! So, why not call us today on +44 (0) 333 358 3522 to speak to a member of our team who’ll be delighted to assist you. Alternatively, you can email us at info@etcbranding.com or take a look at our website.
