Perhaps you have an upcoming campaign and need some cool promotional swag to stand out and grab your audience's attention.

The problem is that traditional promotional products have become the new banner ads! They’re completely ignored by your audience because they appear to provide no value.

And just as banner ads have recently evolved to recapture value by becoming more relevant, dynamic, and personalized, there are emerging trends in promotional products that are getting audiences engaged again.

Not surprisingly, one of the hottest trends takes advantage of the one thing your audience is more engaged with than with pretty much anything else in their lives, their smartphone!

So here are our top 4 iPhone and Android compatible promotional products that are sure to have your audience pleading with you to have more than just one

1. Branded Google Cardboard VR

Source: Cardboard VR Canada

To say VR is exploding would be an understatement. VR has the power to really immerse your viewers in captivating experiences like never before.

So while you can’t buy everyone a $800 HTC Vive, the good news is Google’s Cardboard provides an insanely affordable way for your audience to enjoy VR content by leveraging the smartphone they already own!

What’s even better is there are a few suppliers that can help you create Custom Google Cardboard viewers to get your brand in front of your users everytime they use it.

And with literally hundreds of apps and 360 videos available on youtube, your audience will be exposed to your brand constantly. They are also highly likely to share the experience with a few people in their work and personal lives.

2. Custom Augmented Reality Tattoo

Source: California Tattoos

Augmented reality is right up there with VR as one of the hottest technology trends. AR let’s users use their smartphone camera to modify and interact with the world around them by adding virtual content on top of what they’re looking at.

From a promotional standpoint, a handful of vendors are creating custom temporary tattoos that promote your brand and “come to life” when used with a freely provided app. These tattoos can last for a few days all the while exposing your brand to your audience in a very personal way.

3. Promotional Cardboard Speaker

Listening to music and watching videos makes up a huge chunk of the time many people spend on their smartphones. But if you don’t have a pair of headphones handy, the sound output from these little devices can be pretty underwhelming. That’s where portable speakers come in.

Similar to the high-end VR headsets, while you can’t give everyone a $150 Beats by Dre speaker, you can give them a trendy looking portable cardboard speaker that’s covered in your branding!

These portable speakers are likely to get months of use giving you repeat brand exposure every time.

4. Branded Wireless Charger

For all the advances in smartphone screen resolutions and processing power, the one thing that’s still a huge problem is battery life. And with the average person now spending 3-4 hours a day on their phone, the demands on battery life are only increasing!

So while battery technology is slow to evolve given the numerous constraints, the next best thing is having the ability to easily charge your phone. That’s where wireless charging pads come in. These slick pads let you wirelessly charge your phone while working at your desk without having the hassle of plugging it in and unplugging it everytime you want to look at it (yes, this is what we’ve come to as a society!).

Giving your audience a branded wireless charging pad is a surefire way to get your brand exposed to them daily for many months!

The only drawback of this product is that the Qi charging technology isn’t natively built-in to some of the older and non-flagship phones so it’s possible not everyone will be able to use it out of the box.

Kicking off your next campaign

Those are our hottest smartphone promotional product picks for this year. If you'd like a quote for incorporating custom branded Google Cardboard viewers or branded cardboard speakers in your next campaign, feel free to Get in Touch.