THAT #WFH (AND PROMO) LIFE

 

According to an article CNBC put out mid-December of the year we do not speak of, one in four Americans will work from home for the entirety of 2021.  If you’ve seen us traveling around with B.O.B, or if you caught our previous blog What About B.O.B., you probably know not only do we love working remote, but we thrive when we do.  We are, however, very aware that we are not the norm, and that the vast majority of people everywhere rode the struggle bus HARD when forced to suddenly start working from home last March. 

 

The months that followed after the pandemic hit was like watching Tiger King for the first time, and at the very center of this pandemonium seemed to lie the uncertainty of the workplace going remote.  Fast forward to today, ten really weird months later, and some of the world’s biggest companies have either already gone fully remote indefinitely, or they’ve vocalized it as being a very real possibility.  If Twitter and Facebook are doing it, you can bet companies of various shapes and sizes are going to be following suit.  Luckily, we managed to iron out the kinks and quickly adapted to this new normal, and that seems to be the general consensus according to news and television outlets everywhere. 

 

The #wftcrisis became the #wfhchallengeaccepted, and that is GREAT news for you and your business. 

 

We finally figured out what lighting works for us at 9am AND at 4pm, and we all (hopefully) started wearing pants to our zoom meetings again.  Some of us even transitioned out of the pajama pants phase, which was a huge upgrade from the no-pants phase.  While we may have finally figured out how to keep our five-year-old from coming into the room at the worst possible times, and even though our pet’s are so used to us working from home by now, they don’t feel the need to jump all over us during every other zoom call, there’s still going to be new challenges and inconveniences that are going to come along for the ride.  Knowing your target audiences’ main pain points when it comes to Work From Home 2.0 means you have an opportunity to be a part of their solution.  With promotional products, of course. 

 

One of the most common obstacles employers continue to face with their team still working remote, is employee engagement.  We think it’s safe to say we all miss human interaction on all levels the most, and that especially goes for the workplace.  We put together some of our favorite items (also known as tangible little problem solvers) that are great for helping your work squad feel valued and motivated.  Hashtag all the feels.

 

BACK TO BASICS: DESK ACCESSORIES FOR THE HOME OFFICE

Simplicity isn’t a bad thing these days, and sending your employees a few feel-good items to help kick-start their year doesn’t have to break your budget.  We love this twist on a promo-OG mouse pad, which is an item that’s practically new again.  Use the Paper Mouse Pads as a blank canvas, and take advantage of the full-color decorating capabilities to express a funny and/or motivational quote, and do the same with a classic Coffee Mug to create a matching set.  The sheets of paper that make up the mouse pad are a built-in space for a running to-do-list, which aside from being ridiculously convenient, to-do lists have proven to help with anxiety and depression, especially as of late.  It’s the little things that we all crave, and a little bit goes a long way in terms of company morale.  

 

GET THE NEWBIES GOING!:  NEW HIRE WELCOME KITS

Life has been a lot of things lately, but ordinary is not one of them.  You’re branding shouldn’t be either.  Cyber security is also a rising concern moving further into the virtual world, and nothing says “I care about your cyber-safety” like a simple, yet powerful, Webcam Cover  Since your new additions will be staring at a computer screen, likely for longer than in pre-work-from-home days, nothing says you care about their eye health (yes, it’s a real thing) quite like a pair of Blue Blockers  These guys have swept the retail market, so we have plenty of styles to span across all budgets.  Last but not least, don’t forget to make sure they’re fully loaded and looking fresh for their first big zoom meeting.  And since socks really are the new shoes, we absolutely love using Custom Socks as another creative way to showcase your brand.

 

STAY CONNECTED:  TEAM ENGAGEMENT / EMPLOYEE INCENTIVES

It’s pretty easy to feel like you’re alone on an island if you’re not used to working from home, so creating team-building interaction that reminds your employees they’re a part of a bigger picture is key.  With social media for business continuing to play an active role in company growth across all industries, we think these Letter Boards as an out-of-the-box engagement initiative are pretty darn cool.  Create a print-piece ride along with 30 days of simple, feel-good phrases, and incentivize your team to post a daily picture to their social media channels, offering a prize to the person who engages the most.  Friendly internal competition?  Check.  Social media exposure?  Check.  All around inspiration and daily motivation?  Double check. 

 

To go along with the bragging rights won, reward them with something awesome they most likely haven’t seen with a past employer.  Nothing says Yay, You! like getting a birthday celebration in a box when it’s not even your birthday.  If that’s a little too extra for your brand, the Phone Soap is an all-time fan fave, and it’s extremely relevant to the times we’re in.  Promote their health and wellness with this cool tech piece, while your brand enjoys some prime desk real estate at the same time.

 

 

For more information on all of the additional behind-the-scenes services Brand-On offers, such as custom patches on the coolest headwear, kitting and custom packaging for your virtual events, online stores, fulfillment and so much more, go to brand-on.us/our-work/.

You can also contact us for more ideas on how we can help you amplify your image by visiting us at brand-on.us/contact-us/, where you can subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest on sales, product releases, industry news, and more.  Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram using the handle @brand_on.life – all the cool kids are doing it.