#1 – Healthcare

Healthcare is a big buyer of umbrellas, which shouldn’t surprise you: Healthcare is the second largest contributor to distributor revenue overall, accounting for 8.7% of distributor sales per the 2018 Counselor State of the Industry Report. If you’re looking for large orders, the healthcare sector will be your prescription for success.

To win their business, highlight the potential of the promos they’re investing in. For instance, the 2019 Global Ad Impressions Study found that umbrellas generate approximately 1,100 impressions in their lifetime. That’s over a thousand impressions for just one promo. Few other items can compare to that kind of reach, making umbrellas a great choice for medical professionals.

Top Prospects:

• Hospitals

• Medical groups

• Doctors

• Dentists

• Nursing homes

• Medical laboratories

Suggested Uses:

• Gifts for National Nurses Week
  (May 6^th - May 12^th)

• Gifts for National Hospital Week
  (May 12^th - May 18^th)

• Incentives for employee recruiting programs

• Rewards for new patients or members

• On-site gift shops or pharmacies sales

• Promote charity events and blood drives

• National Volunteer Blood Donor Month

• National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week (January 22^nd - 28^th)

• National IV Nurses Day (January 25^th)

• National Cancer Prevention Month

• National Eating Disorder Awareness Week (February 27^nd- March 5^th)

• National Donor Day (February 14^th)

• National Nutrition Month

• Brain Awareness Week
  (March 12^th - 18^th)

• World Oral Health Day (March 20^th)

• National Autism Awareness Month

• Public Health Week (April 2^nd - 8^th)

• World Health Day (April 7^th)

• National Mental Health Month

• National Women's Health Week
  (May 14^th - 20^th)

• World No Tobacco Day (May 31^th)

• Alzheimer's and Brain Awareness Month

• Men's Health Week (June 11^th - 17^th)

• National HIV Testing Day (June 27^th)

• Eye Injury Prevention Month

• UV Safety Month (all month)

• World Hepatitis Day (July 28^th)

• Summer Sun Safety Month

• National Health Center Week
  (August 12^th - 18^th)

• World Lung Cancer Day (August 1^th)

• Childhood Cancer Awareness Month

• National Rehabilitation Awareness Week  (September 17^th - 21^st)

• World Heart Day (September 29^th)

• National Dental Hygiene Month

• Red Ribbon Week
  (October 23^rd - 31^th)

• Walk and Bike to School Day
  (October 10^th)

• Lung Cancer Awareness Month

• National Diabetes Education Week (November 4^th - 10^th)

• Great American Smokeout (November 15^th)

• Safe Toys and Gifts Month

• National Influenza Vaccination Week (December 2^nd - 8^th)

• World AIDS Day (December 1^th)

#2 – Hospitality

Turn a sprinkle of umbrella orders into a full-on monsoon by selling to hospitality. Since most businesses in this industry have outdoor spaces (think hotels or restaurants with outside patios), umbrellas are a no-brainer. When bad weather strikes, your clients will be able to step in and save the day by offering promotional umbrellas that’ll keep guests dry on their way to the activities they planned for the day.
 

Umbrellas won’t just come in clutch during rainy days: Promotional umbrellas are kept an average of 14 months, per the 2019 Global Ad Impressions Study, so your hospitality clients will get over a year’s worth of advertising power from just one umbrella – rain or shine.

Top Prospects:

• Hotels

• Resorts

• Restaurants

• Bed and breakfasts

• Food courts and bistros

• Cruise lines

Suggested Uses:

• Gifts for guests or travel agents

• Courtesy umbrellas for rainy days

• Employee morale and rewards programs

• On-site souvenir and gift shop sales

• Promoting special events and tournaments

Score Additional Sales With Outdoor Seating

Although different from their handheld counterparts, patio umbrellas from StrombergBrand can open up a huge additional revenue stream for hospitality clients.
Not only can your clients give out or sell hand-held umbrellas to guests, they can also adorn their outdoor seating areas with large patio umbrellas for additional brand exposure. The shade doesn’t hurt either!

#3 – Finance

Looking for a little more ca-ching? Look no further than finance. Finance and banking is the third largest contributor to distributor revenue per the 2018 Counselor State of the Industry Report, making up 7.4% of sales.

Why is this market great for umbrellas? Because big-budget clients like this want promos with high perceived value, but they don’t necessarily want a big price tag. Umbrellas hit that sweet spot of high-class style at an affordable price point while delivering a quality item consumers will actually use. Don’t forget, 58% of consumers report the quality of an umbrella is the number-one reason they keep it, per the 2019 Global Ad Impressions Study.

Top Prospects:

• Banks

• Credit unions

• Insurance companies

• Savings and loan groups

• Brokerage firms

• Financial consultants

Suggested Uses:

• Gifts for new customers and accounts

• Promotional items at sales meetings

• Giveaways at industry trade shows

• Prospecting tools for salespeople and agents

• Promoting “umbrella coverage” products

#5 – Sporting & Outdoors

Game on. Wintergreen Research estimates the U.S. youth sports market is worth over $15.5 billion – and there’s even more profit potential if you factor in the adult sports market too. You can capture a piece of that pie for yourself by pitching fan-approved promos like umbrellas to sports organizations in your community.

While branded sports balls and pompoms are great, what will really give sports clients bang for their buck are promos fans can take home to use after the game – or even bring back to future games. Don’t forget to pitch promos that appeal to the parents of little athletes too: The 2019 Global Ad Impressions Study found 59% of baby boomers keep promotional umbrellas they receive for over two years.

Top Prospects:

• College and university sports teams

• Local recreational leagues

• Booster clubs and fundraisers

• Hiking and camping grounds

• Sponsored sporting events

Suggested Uses:

• Game day giveaways

• Sell in college bookstores and souvenir shops

• Sell to raise funds for booster clubs

• Free gifts to sponsors of corporate sporting events

• Raffle prizes at sporting events

Capture Corporate Orders With Golf Outings

Not only are umbrellas great sells to sports organizations, they’re super popular with corporate clients too. Why? Because umbrellas are impressive (and useful!) giveaways for corporate sporting events, such as a golf outings or golf fundraisers. Rather than pitch to the golf courses or country clubs themselves, reach out to the corporate sponsors to see if they’d like to invest in promotional items participants can take home and continue using after the big event.