The specialty beverage industry is a multi-billion dollar business. Offering everything from bottled water to meal replacements, the sales opportunities for branded caps are seemingly endless.
Distributors use promotional products to encourage sales of their products in stores. Small coffee shops use them to instill pride in the community and inspire people to shop locally.
In this series, we will provide you with extended knowledge of the specialty beverage industry as it relates to promotional products, as well as offer tips to help expand your cap sales into the market.
You will learn how to reach out to common decision makers in various supply chains. You will also learn how to optimize sales among differing promotional product usage behaviors.
Today, we’re looking at specialty drinks, next time we’ll cover adult beverages.
Branded Caps for Tea Rooms and Coffee Shops
Tea is the world’s second most consumed drink behind water. Studies show that over 80% of the adults consume coffee at least on an occasional basis. The morning pick-me-up habit is rooted in American culture. For many, it’s a necessary daily ritual.
Starbucks has made a fortune by capitalizing on our excessive need to caffeinate. And while I’m sure there are promotional opportunities there as well, we’re going to focus on smaller scale, local tea rooms and coffee shops.
Take a drive around your town and any nearby cities. How many local coffee shops or specialty tea rooms do you pass? A quick Google search found 10 within a 5-mile radius of me; I can bet your area isn’t much different.
These small shops are always looking for ways to encourage people to ditch the name brand and drink locally. Promotional hats are the perfect way to do this as each hat gets over 3,100 impressions throughout its lifespan.
Additionally, caps can act as part of the barista uniform in the store. Shops can sell their logoed hats, or give them away as a part of a customer promotion or at local community events to help advertise their business.
Branded Caps for Smoothie and Juice Bars
These businesses act similarly to tea rooms and coffee shops, except they’re promoting healthy lifestyles and wellness rather than caffeine addiction. They offer things like meal-replacement shakes, juice cleanses, and a low-calorie or low-carb menu.
They too are looking to promote their business to locals and outfit their employees.
Here’s the good news, if the juice bar you’re targeting is partnered with a gym, that gives you an in to sell to both companies.
Branded Caps for Energy Drink Companies
These companies focus a big portion of their marketing efforts on high-energy, living-on-the-edge events and lifestyles. If you think about Redbull or Monster, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? For me, it’s extreme sports.
They do a lot of publicity surrounding an intense moment in time, like the stratosphere free fall stunt or the X Games.
They sponsor athletes and extremists, and they have a large presence at things like sporting events and concerts. They will either give their promotional products away or sell them as merch. Either way, they need to get high-quality gear at a wholesale price.
Flat visor hats and heathered fabrics are very popular among extreme sports athletes and fans: BMX, skateboarding, surfing, etc. However, Dad Hats are making a quick comeback in all markets. So, be sure to offer a wide variety of on-trend cap styles when meeting with these clients.
On a smaller scale, you can work with distributors who need promotional caps to help get their products on the shelves of grocery stores, pharmacies, gas stations, etc.
Don’t forget to check back next time as we look at selling branded caps to the alcoholic beverage industry.
What market would you like to see us cover next? Let us know in the comments below. You can also follow us on Instagram using the hashtag #hatswork.
