When it comes to saving the date, there’s just something special about counting down the days on an actual calendar. That might explain why, even with all the online calendar apps complete with pop-up reminders and shared feeds, the popularity of “hold it in your hands” calendars persists. From wall calendars to desk calendars and even pocket planners, people still love the feeling of circling a date. And that’s where your brand comes in. For year-round branding, feature your name on the best 2023 promotional calendars. Let’s look at the perks of promoting on calendars and cover our top picks for the year’s best calendar gifts.
Why Do We Love Promotional Calendars?
As technology pushes forward, we push back with scrapbooks, journals, diaries, and always, with good old fashioned paper calendars. A few reasons for the hard-core fan base:
- Remember to Remember: Writing an appointment or task on a calendar helps us move it from short-term memory into long-term memory, meaning fewer “senior moments” (at any age).
- Same Family, Same Page: Physical calendars are visible to others including colleagues and family members, keeping everyone in the loop about upcoming obligations and preventing calendar conflicts.
- Cursive Still King: Calendar entries give us an opportunity to use those penmanship skills we learned in second grade and which have given way to thumb typing and stylus swiping.
- Current Calendar = Calm Mind: A quick glance at a calendar, giving us a visual snapshot of our day, month, or year, helps us feel organized and in charge.
- Zen and the Sound of Silence: In contrast to the annoying and overwhelming barage of pings, bings, alarms, and alerts of smartphones, checking a physical calendar is nearly, dare we say it, soothing.
What Are the Benefits of Giving Promotional Calendars?
Your customers keep track of dates and keep your name top of mind with customized calendars of all kinds. A few of the advantages that keep calendars on top of personalized merchandise lists every year:
- Daily Visibility: Few customized gifts provide the ad impressions that a calendar does. On average, a workplace calendar is referenced 10 days per day.1 Whether it’s a promotional magnetic calendar the whole family sees when they reach for the milk, or a promotional desktop calendar they reference daily to stay on track with tasks and events, your name’s displayed prominently when it’s on a custom calendar. And since promotional calendars often provide more imprint space than other giveaways, your name never hard to find.
- Memories “Pressed Between the Pages of Their Minds”: As Elvis crooned, memories and pages go hand in hand. Was he talking calendar pages? Perhaps! We write things down that we want to remember. Put your slogan where your customers keep track of their most important dates and events, and you’re part of lasting memories.
- Beauty and the Brand: Calendars, especially Wall Calendars, provide aesthetically pleasing and uplifting images that associate your brand with good vibes. Just take a look at the Reflections Wall Calendar with Matching Pen and start to feel stress melt away.
- I Owe You One: Any gift encourages reciprocity, and in the case of a business gift like promotional calendars, reciprocity can come in the form of a purchase, appointment, or donation to your small business. A daily reminder of your brand breeds familiarity, loyalty, and a propensity for your recipient to give you a chance ahead of the competition.
- It’s in the Mail: Want to make sure your direct mail recipient actually opens your marketing piece? Add a promotional calendar! Most calendars fit into a flat envelope (the Design Wrap Envelope-Size Magnetic Calendar, for instance, slips into a standard envelope). Calendars provide enough added weight to incentivize your recipient to open your envelope and take a peek inside. Tip: For more ideas about how to get your direct mail opened, see our blog, 5 Effective Lumpy Mail Ideas for Direct Mail Campaigns.
What Are the Best 2023 Promotional Calendars for My Business?
The best calendar gift is the one that gets used, so when choosing the calendar you want to personalize, keep your customer in mind:
Match Calendar Style to Occasion and Customer
Best Calendar Gifts for 2023
Add your messaging to one of these top sellers and start the year off strong:
Reflections Wall Calendar with Matching Pen: Serve up months of beautiful images and a pen for easy use, and your branded gift’s referenced regularly.
Design Wrap Monthly Magnetic Calendar: Your full color logo and the magnetic backing on this calendar are designed to deliver daily visibility.
Design Wrap Envelope-Size Magnetic Calendar: Easy to send, easy to attach to a fridge or file cabinet, and the price is right for generous distribution.
Value Stick Calendar – Thank You: Say thanks (every day!) with this magnetic 13-month calendar.
Good Value™ Landscapes of America Calendar (Window): This 13-month calendar depicts beautiful America and delivers branding that pops.
Monthly Budget Pocket Planner & Calendar: Combine a planner with your calendar for daily notes and reference.
Calendar Doodle Desktop Pad: For dates, doodles, and everything in between, this desktop pad gets your brand in the middle of their business.
What New Dates Have Been Added to Customized Calendars?
Though not every calendar will include the same dates, many publishers are adding a few important dates that help make your calendar gift more meaningful:
- Juneteenth: Since 2021, June 19th has been a federal holiday, commemorating the freedom of enslaved Black people in the USA. Tip: A great way to celebrate? Buy from a Black-owned business. For more, see our blog, How to Support Black-Owned Businesses as a Business Owner.
- Indigenous People’s Day: Celebrated on the second Monday of October, this holiday honor the cultures and histories of the Native American people. The focus of this holiday is the resilience and contributions of Native Americans to American society.
- Lunar New Year: Legislation has been introduced that would make Lunar New Year a federal holiday. It is an important event for the Asian American community, is celebrated in the USA and around the world, and provides a key opportunity to recognize Asian culture and history. Based on the lunar calendar which is moon-based, rather than Western calendar which is solar-based, the dates of the holiday vary from year to year. In 2023 Lunar New Year begins Sunday, January 22. Tip: For ideas about celebrating Lunar New Year, see our blog, Chinese New Year Marketing Ideas to Stir the Branding Hot Pot.
- Daylight Savings Time: The Sunshine Protection Act may put a “sunset” on Daylight Savings Time. In the future, you may see this biannual event noticeably absent from your promotional calendar (and sleep cycles restored across the country).
When Should I Distribute My Promotional Calendar 2023?
November, December, and January are ideal months to mail or hand-deliver your customized calendars. For those prospects who thrive on planning ahead, get your calendar in their hands early. That way, they can add important events and appointments to your calendar well before the competition gets to them. For others of us (present company included), a January distribution, after year-end and holiday hullabaloo has concluded, will be appreciated all the more. Expect a hearty “Right! Thanks! I forgot I needed that!” reaction.
Save the Date for Your Small Business
Best reason to customize a 2023 promotional calendar with your name and slogan? Old school or new school, we all need to know the date. Put your name on the calendar they keep and you’re one step closer to being the company they keep.
P.S. For even more reasons why companies and custom calendars go hand in hand, read our blog, 5 Reasons Promo Calendars are Good Marketing Gifts.
Sources:
- https://pubs.ppai.org/ppb-magazine/mark-your-calendar/
