Kellie Aucoin
Owner
Lanier Goods
PPAI 800945, Standard-Base
Dawsonville, Georgia
When it comes to work-from-home promo, Aucoin says you can’t go wrong with tech-driven items like Bluetooth speakers and ergonomic desk accessories. However, even in today’s digital age, Aucoin says she still loves a classic notebook and pen. “I’m a write-things-down kind of girl,” she says.
Looking ahead, Aucoin sees more companies prioritizing employee choice. “Instead of offering all 500 employees the same promo item, we’ve been building online company stores that allow our clients’ employees to choose what they want,” she says. “It shows that the company cares and wants to give employees a more personalized experience. Plus, everyone’s WFH environment is a little different.”
Aucoin has also noticed a shift toward more eco-friendly WFH items. “As more companies prioritize sustainability, recyclable and reusable products like water bottles will continue to be popular,” she says.
As someone who loves to hold and feel a journal and jot things down, Aucoin adores the Neoskin Hardcover Journal. She fell in love with this promo when she got one at the PPAI Women’s Leadership Conference this past summer in Nashville. “It’s an awesome journal,” she raves. “I’ve been recommending it to everyone.” It features an interior pocket for stashing business cards and other documents. A ribbon bookmark makes it easy to find important pages, and an elastic closure marks the next blank page.
Spector & Co. / PPAI 168328, Gold / spectorandco.com
When choosing WFH promo, “you want something that someone is going to hang on to,” Aucoin says. A fun desktop item like the Air Plant in a custom planter can spruce up any workspace. It’s low-maintenance and features a woodgrain aesthetic to complement any décor.
Jornik / PPAI 111065, Silver / jornik.com
Aucoin also recommends travel-friendly items like the Asobu Cosmic Bottle. “Quality and functionality are important,” she says. Employees can use this double-walled stainless-steel mug wherever they’re working, from a local co-working space to a nearby park. It’s designed with an easy-open lid, a pop-up straw and a handle for a secure grip.
Ad-N-Art / PPAI 236926, Standard-Plus / adnart.com
Jen Beldam, MAS
President
Northern Branding Studio
PPAI 759362, Standard-Plus
Picton, Ontario, Canada
Beldam swears by the tried-and-true classics, like pens that write beautifully and tea and coffee items that spark delight. “You can’t go wrong with elevated takes on the basics,” she says. “The key is not to overthink things or try to be too trendy.”
She also recommends thinking about where recipients will use the promo. “There’s working from home,” she says, “and then there’s working remotely. People could be working from a coffee shop or the beach.”
Beldam notices a trend toward higher-quality items that people might buy for themselves. “We’re seeing an emphasis on more retail-focused items that fit into an employee’s overall lifestyle,” she says. “These items show that companies care about employees’ work/life balance more than just their productivity.”
With WFH promos, Beldam points out that you can create shared, enjoyable experiences for recipients. Beldam recalls creating Vietnamese coffee and chai kits with branded mugs for one of her tech clients. “They were holding their first virtual offsite, and the products aligned perfectly with their teambuilding virtual meeting,” she says. “They created a pour-over experience, which brought a really fun interactive element to the event.”
Beldam says it’s important to create a certain vibe and to set a mood that helps people stay focused when working from home. For her, the Modern Sprout Rooted Candle is just the promo to get her energized and ready to work. “I’m a candle snob,” Beldam says, “and these are so good!” Each 6-oz., soy-blend candle includes an organic seed packet to grow in the vessel once the candle has been used. The candle in the sienna matte glaze ceramic vessel (shown), features a comforting fragrance combination of fresh rosemary, lush greens and rich sandalwood.
Gemline / PPAI 113948, Platinum / gemline.com
There’s no need to reheat your coffee after a call – the Ember Smart Mug allows you to set your ideal drinking temperature on the mug or with the Ember app. It keeps your drink just the way you like it while using the coaster. A smart LED indicates when your beverage has reached your preferred temperature, and an auto sleep feature senses when to turn it on and off. Beldam loves this item and adds that her husband’s favorite WFH item is something similar: a smart kettle. “He can turn it on while he’s still in a meeting,” she says.
PCNA / PPAI 113079, Platinum / pcna.com
Beldam’s personal favorite promo to use when working from home is the ClearPad Eco note board. “I get an unreasonable amount of joy from this little memo pad,” she says with a laugh. “I used to live on sticky notes, but this is so much more satisfying. I have the eco version, which is made from Canadian maple.”
PowerStick.com / PPAI 383252, Gold / powerstick.com
A great pen and notebook never go out of style. As the owner of a Canada-based company, Beldam was proud to use the Canadian-made Ciklo Pen to highlight her brand. This sustainably made pen pairs perfectly with the Classic Layflat Notebook, a softcover notebook with binding that allows it to lay flat and keep pages from falling out.
Kotmo / PPAI 825150, Standard-Base / kotmo.ca
Denik / PPAI 766866, Standard-Plus / denik.com
Sellers is a California-based freelance writer and former associate editor at PPAI.
