Custom plush toys are a fantastic way to show the fun side of your brand and connect with customers of all ages.
Use your custom plushies as huggable giveaways for product and brand promotions, movie and TV series promotions, book promotions with characters from the book as plushies, at sporting and school/university events with mascots, at marathons, and fundraisers. You can also retail them as merch in your online store.
We present the top 5 compelling reasons why you should use custom plush toys to market your brand. Read on!
1. The numbers don’t lie: Promotional products are popular and the Global Plush Toy market is growing rapidly
Did you know?
(* According to PPAI (Promotional Products Association International) reports)
This is the #1 reason to go for custom promotional products. They work!
Why custom plush toys you ask?
The global market for stuffed animals and plush toys is growing exponentially. In 2018, it was valued at USD 7.98 billion and is anticipated to expand at a CAGR of 7.61% over the forecast period of 2019 to 2025. The top reason for this growth is due to the high impact of cartoon shows, action, animation, and superhero movies.
Image Credit: Grand View Research
Your brand is sure to receive a fillip when you use custom plush toys for brand promotions. Now’s the right time (and market) to go for it!
2. Plush Toys appeal to all age groups:
Emily Dove with her plushie Ted
Image Credit: Richard Saker/The Guardian
Everyone needs a hug from time to time, and what other product offers unlimited hugs?
Plush toys have a universal appeal: they look cute, and most people will react positively when presented with a plushie.
Children find them irresistible, and adults have a soft (literally 😊) corner for them, as they connect these soft toys with their own childhood. So, with plush toys, you can help create new, fond memories for children while you take adults on a trip down nostalgia lane.
As per a report in The Guardian, 44% of adults have held on to their childhood teddies and dolls, and as many as 34% of adults still sleep with a soft toy every night. Also, researchers at VU University Amsterdam found that cuddling a soft toy can have a beneficial effect for people with low self-esteem, helping to alleviate their anxieties.
Let's delight your young and young-at-heart audiences with creative, cuddly plushies!
3. Custom Plush toys are highly customizable:
You can convert your brand mascot, artwork, logo, or characters into custom made plush toys.
Check this cute bunny plush toy, the brand mascot of Duracell
Cute Bunny Plush Toys for Duracell Batteries
Image via theconversation
If your brand is co-sponsoring a TV show, or launching a new product line, you can send us your character design and we can convert your imagination into a plush toy. If you have an idea for an incredible plushie, or have an image and need design guidance, we are here to help.
Check how we, at Gumtoo converted this artwork into a huggable plushie!
Custom artwork transformed into a plush toy
You can customize your plushie in multiple colors to match your brand colors and choose from different plushie materials. You can also dress your plushie in custom t-shirts and accessories such as bandanas, sashes, bows and tags with your brand name and logo printed on it.
Instead of going for a large plushie, you can also choose to have them made as keychains and magnets.
4. Custom Plush Toys are long-lasting and have high retention value:
Unlike promotional items such as pens, mugs, socks or T-shirts, custom plush toys are a durable, long-lasting product. It is the kind of promotional product which everyone will take notice of. A well-made custom plush toy has a higher chance of being well-loved. Every time, your customer looks fondly at your plushie, your brand registers a positive impression.
Custom plush toys can be machine washed and used for extended period of time. When your primary customers have loved and enjoyed the plushies, they are likely to share and pass them on to younger siblings, grandchildren, and other children.
Also, it is really hard to misplace a plushie, unless you like to take it to the beach, the grocery store, on flights, and on sleepovers 😊
5. Custom Plush toys are a match made in heaven at Fundraisers and other events:
If you are a non-profit or are promoting a cause or raising funds for a charity, club, sports club, custom plushies are a great choice. You can mark up the cost of the plushie, to match your fund-raising goal. Plushies are very appealing, and people would love to contribute to your cause, while collecting a memorable keepsake.
You can use plushies of your mascot to promote your university at open day events.
NUS mascot Linus and NUS Computing mascot SocCat say hello!
Image via Facebook
How adorable would these mascots look as plushies! And an awesome souvenir for students.
You can also retail your plushies on your online store. The chocolate and confectionery brand Cadbury retails this cute Freddo the frog plushie on its online gift store.
Cadbury Freddo Plush Toy
Image via cadburygiftsdirect
We are sure that these reasons have compelled you to get custom plushies for your brand!