Clinkies didn’t start with a big business plan.

Back in 2021, I wasn’t sitting there thinking, “I’m going to build a brand around stubby holders.”

It was much simpler than that.

More and more businesses were coming to me asking for custom stubby holders. One company needed them for an event, another wanted something with their logo on it, and then another enquiry would come through asking about a bigger run.

After a while, it became pretty obvious that this wasn’t just a once-off thing.

There was real demand there.

So I started thinking, maybe this deserved its own website, its own ordering process, and a better way for businesses to get what they needed without making the whole ordering process harder than it had to be.

That was really where Clinkies began.

It Started With Real Customer Demand

The funny thing is, Clinkies came after the customers, not before them.

Normally, people think you come up with a brand first, build a website, launch some products and then go looking for customers.

For us, it happened the other way around.

Businesses were already asking for custom stubby holders, and the volume of enquiries just kept growing.

What they wanted was usually pretty straightforward. They had a logo, an event or promotion coming up, and they needed something useful that could carry their branding.

But the questions they asked were just as important as the product itself.

How long will they take?

Will they arrive before our event?

When do we need to approve the artwork?

What file do you need from us?

Can you get them here by Friday?

Those questions came up again and again.

And they made us realise that for a business customer, buying a custom product isn’t only about how it looks.

Timing matters.

Clarity matters.

Knowing what happens next matters.

So We Built the Process Around That

That became one of the biggest things we wanted to improve.

Instead of making customers chase updates or wonder what stage their order was at, we started shaping the process so it was much easier to follow.

The basic idea was simple:

you send the artwork, we prepare the proof, you approve it, we produce the order, and then it goes out for delivery.

It sounds obvious now, but when you’re ordering something for an event with a fixed date, that structure makes a huge difference.

If your company function is on the 20th, you don’t really care that production is “fast” in a vague sense.

You care whether the order is going to arrive before the 20th.

That’s always been a big part of the way we think about Clinkies.

We want customers to know what’s happening, what we need from them, and whether the timing is realistic.

One Customer Changed the Way We Looked at the Product

There’s one order that still sticks in my mind.

A business customer ordered custom stubby holders from us to use as part of a company promotion.

Later, they told us the campaign had generated around three times the response they were used to seeing, and they also noticed more repeat customers coming back afterwards.

That really changed the way I thought about the product.

Up until then, it was easy to see a stubby holder as just another customised item.

Put a logo on it, hand it out, job done.

But that customer made us look at it differently.

Because if someone takes that holder home, uses it again at a BBQ, brings it to the footy or throws it in the car for a weekend away, that business logo keeps showing up.

It isn’t sitting in a drawer after the event.

It keeps getting used.

And that’s when the idea became much bigger for us.

A Stubby Holder Can Be More Than a Giveaway

That’s probably the biggest thing behind Clinkies today.

We don’t really see a custom stubby holder as something that should just be handed out because a business needs “some promo merch”.

It should actually make sense.

It should be useful.

It should look good enough that someone wants to keep it.

And ideally, it should still be doing something for the business long after the original event is over.

That’s why stubby holders work so well in Australia.

They already fit into the way people socialise.

They show up at pubs, sporting clubs, BBQs, camping trips, work functions, birthdays and weekends away.

You don’t need to convince someone how to use one.

They already know.

Clinkies Has Grown a Lot Since 2021

What started with those early business enquiries has grown quite a bit.

Today, more than 60,000 customers have ordered from Clinkies.

That still feels like a pretty big number when I think back to how casually the whole thing started.

And those customers aren’t all ordering for the same reason.

Some are planning a wedding.

Some are organising a hens or bucks weekend.

Some want a funny photo printed for a birthday.

Others are ordering for sporting clubs, breweries, pubs, staff events, corporate functions or business promotions.

The product has stayed simple.

The ways people use it haven’t.

We’ve Learned That Every Order Is a Bit Different

One of the biggest lessons over the years is that there’s no single “right” stubby holder for everyone.

A company ordering 500 for a big event probably has different priorities from a brewery ordering 100 limited-edition holders for a new beer release.

A sporting club might need multiple sponsor logos.

A tradie might just want a clean company logo and phone number.

A wedding party might want everyone’s names.

That’s why we’ve kept expanding the range and the customisation options.

Some customers want a lighter foldable style.

Others want something thicker and more structured, such as a 5mm holder.

Some just need a simple logo.

Others send us photos, artwork, QR codes, sponsor panels or designs that are completely their own.

We’ve learned to let the order lead the product, rather than trying to force everyone into the same template.

Small Runs Matter as Much as Big Ones

Another thing we’ve learned is that bigger isn’t always better.

A business doesn’t always need 1,000.

Sometimes they want 50 for a small staff event.

Sometimes they’re testing an idea.

Sometimes they just want to see whether customers actually like the product before committing to more.

That’s completely reasonable.

We’d rather someone order the quantity that makes sense for them than fill a storeroom just because the unit price looked cheaper.

If it works, they can always come back for more.

Plenty do.

The Design Matters More Than People Think

Printing a logo on something is easy.

Making it something people actually want to keep is harder.

That’s one of the areas we think about a lot.

The strongest designs are usually pretty simple.

A good logo.

Clear colours.

A short message.

Maybe an event name or a QR code.

Not twenty pieces of information squeezed into one small space.

If it looks like an ad, people tend to treat it like an ad.

If it looks like proper merchandise, they’re much more likely to hang onto it.

That’s the goal.

What Clinkies Is Really About Now

These days, our focus is much clearer than it was in 2021.

We want custom stubby holders to become one of the first things businesses think about when they’re looking for a practical promotional product.

Not because they’re flashy.

Not because they’re complicated.

But because people actually use them.

For us, that’s the whole point.

A good promotional product shouldn’t disappear the second the event finishes.

It should stay around.

It should be useful.

And every time someone reaches for it, your brand gets another little moment in front of them.

That’s what we think makes a stubby holder such a good marketing tool.

Where We’re Going From Here

Clinkies has changed a lot since those first enquiries in 2021, but the way we think about the product is still pretty straightforward.

Make ordering easy.

Keep the process clear.

Help customers get their artwork right.

Make sure the timing works.

And produce something people are actually happy to use.

As we keep growing, we want to make the business side of Clinkies even stronger.

More options for companies.

Better support for clubs and events.

Easier ordering.

Better ways to turn a simple piece of branded merchandise into something that actually works for the business behind it.

More than 60,000 customers in, that still feels like the right direction.

Planning a Business Order?

If you’re thinking about custom stubby holders for a promotion, event, club or company, you don’t need to have everything worked out before getting in touch.

Your logo, the quantity you’re thinking about and the date you need them by is usually enough to get started.

From there, we can work through the rest.

Get a Custom Quote

FAQ

When did Clinkies start?

Clinkies started in 2021, after more and more businesses began asking us to produce custom stubby holders for events and promotions.

How many customers has Clinkies served?

Clinkies has now served more than 60,000 customers across personal events, business orders, clubs and other custom projects.

Why was Clinkies created?

The brand grew from real customer demand. As business enquiries increased, we wanted to make the whole ordering process clearer, easier and better suited to customers working around event deadlines.

What types of businesses order from Clinkies?

We work with businesses across a range of industries, including pubs, breweries, sporting clubs, tradies, event organisers and corporate teams.

Can I order a smaller quantity?

Yes. Not every order needs to be large. Smaller runs can work well for testing a promotion, staff events or limited campaigns.

Can I use my own logo or artwork?

Yes. Business logos, sponsor artwork, QR codes, event graphics and other custom artwork can all be used.

Will I see the design before it is printed?

Yes. A digital proof is prepared before production so you can check the artwork before the order goes ahead.