Pavilion Earth: Blog
Cork - what is it? where does it come from and is it a sustainable product? This blog answers these questions and explains why cork is such a great material
The factors affecting the price of branded promotional merchandise
Is there a standard for 'sustainability' and 'eco friendly' within the promotional merchandise buinsess
The best eco bottle is the Ocean Bottle made using ocean bound plastics - but others rank highly too. Namely • Cove Recycled Stainless Steel Bottle • Aspen Glass Bottle • Glass and Bamboo Infuser • Bio Plastic Sports bottle How do you decide what is the BEST eco water bottle? To rank eco products is always very difficult because there is no real standard measure for eco credentials, and one has to balance eco credentials with price. And most importantly the bottle must work as a promotional product. So, it must be retained and look great when branded. With Pavilion Earth’s years of selling eco products, we have come up with our ranking based on the popularity and success of various promotional water bottles. One significant factor is that all reusable bottles whether made from eco materials or not can be considered eco-friendly. A reusable bottle in any format stops the use of single use plastic bottles and thus a ‘Refill NOT Landfill’ approach. The polythene and PET bottles used by the drinks industry are a significant problem , adding to ocean waste. So which are the best promotional bottles from Pavilion’s experience: 1. The Ocean Bottle
Eco printing techniques. The pros, cons, quality, cost, and durability of three major printing techniques: DTG, screen printing, and transfer printing.
Eco-friendly promotional products need eco-friendly decoration - this post looks at printing and beyond
Presented here the best eco promotional notebooks for 2026
Statisics on the UK market for eco promotional products - size and attitude
How does the price of eco promotional products compare - you may be surprised
Searching for a branded gift or promotional product? Finding it hard to discover something new, something different? This post will give you a different way of finding what you are looking for by explaining how the industry works and why endless browsing may not be the right approach - or you can watch the video here 1. Understanding how the promotional products industry works a. Promotional Products Distributors The web sites you see on Google are numerous – indeed there are 2,873 distributors in the UK, each selling branded merchandise and each with a website. The web sites vary from the aesthetically pleasing to the overcrowded. BUT you will see the same products on many different web sites – why? b. Promotional Products Manufacturers The number of actual manufacturers is relatively small – a few hundred – each making a single product line, whether that be bags, notebooks, pens or clothing. But the vast majority of the manufacturers will only sell to the Trade – you will find it difficult to access them without the distributor. c. Merchandise Wholesalers In addition to the manufacturers, there an even smaller number of ‘wholesalers’. These Trade only suppliers will stock a huge range of products from many different sources and brand the product with your logo. They may also allow electronic feeds of their products to the distributor websites. d. Images of products So, as you search the myriad of websites presented by Google, you are looking at distributors with potentially the same product lines. ‘But they appear different’ – I hear you say. Yes, that is because each distributor, ourselves included, chooses what we believe to be the best promotional products for a particular price and quality, and the best images. Three problems We may have chosen the wrong products We may have chosen the wrong image The products constantly change so it is really tough to keep the website updated But, remember all the distributors buy from the same sources and virtually all could supply ANY of the products you see….. 2. I don’t know what I am looking for but will know it when I see it! This is true for 95% plus of everyone searching. You do however have some basic parameters: Rough cost per item Estimate of the quantity An understanding of who it’s for An understanding of your brand How the product will be used TIMING This last one is the ‘real kicker’ – you may find what you want but not be able to get it in time – in our experience this happens so often. 3. Alternative approach – a guide So, what is the alternative approach? Have the distributor do the work for you – for FREE We spend every day looking at products, attending industry exhibitions and meeting with manufacturers and wholesalers. We know what is available and when. We can help you clarify a brief and then present you with ideas. We can even quote on a product you have seen elsewhere. See us as your guide. OUR PROMISE – no pushy sales people – happy to chat by email or WhatsApp if you prefer.
