#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 9.8% of distributor sales per the 2020 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 2020 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

#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 2020 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

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 fourth largest contributor to distributor revenue per the 2020 Counselor State of the Industry Report, making up 7.3% 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, promo umbrellas that cost $10 will have a CPI (cost per impression) of less than 1 cent, per the 2020 Global Ad Impressions Study.

Top Prospects:

• Banks

• Credit unions

• Insurance companies

• Savings and loan groups

• Brokerage firms

• Financial consultants

#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 2020 Global Ad Impressions Study found 45% of consumers own promotional umbrellas.

Top Prospects:

• College and university sports teams

• Local recreational leagues

• Booster clubs and fundraisers

• Hiking and camping grounds

• Sponsored 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.