Category Archives for Ready To Wear

Embrace The Rain

622-MMRain might be a nuisance if you’re planning a picnic or attending the opening day of baseball season, but, as a vital part of our existence, everyone agrees rain is a good thing. Humans, animals, vegetation, lakes, oceans and farmlands all need the water that comes from rain. And at this time of year it’s particularly plentiful, so why not embrace the rain and all the opportunities it brings for increased brand awareness.

Rainy-day gear may not be the first thing companies think about when planning for a marketing giveaway, but many times it’s the just the thing that everyone needs, and don’t think to buy until they get caught in a rainstorm.  Be the brand that protects your customers and consider some of these popular gifts for staying dry.

  • Umbrellas:  From purse-size models to double-canopy golf umbrellas, there is a style and price for every audience.
  • Rain Jacket:  Available in men’s, women’s and children’s sizes, and offered in several different colors to support any corporate or school identity.
  • Rain Pants:  For serious golfers, rain paints are a must!
  • Poncho:  These handy rain protectors come in single-use, disposable material for a one-time event, or in durable PVC for a lifetime of use.
  • Rain Hat:  Bucket or cap style hats for men and women come in water resistant fabrics that work well for any outdoor sporting event.

At your next corporate outing, team-building event or community outreach, give branded rain gear so everyone can embrace the rain!

(Image via AAA Innovations)

Work Up A Sweat – Or Not

sweatpantsEveryone – including you, your customers and your work associates – just want to be comfortable on their days off from work.  They don’t want to be sloppy or unkempt, just comfortable.  And they don’t want to throw away all sense of style when they work out at the gym, relax on the couch or walk the dog around the neighborhood.  They simply want to get out of those work clothes and settle in with a pair of sweatpants that matches the laid-back feeling of finally being home from work and ready to relax.

Considering the contentment that comes from that perfect pair of sweats, as a branded corporate giveaway, this cozy apparel choice is perfect for many types of occasions.  Sports events, golf tournaments and charity walks are the obvious choices.  But they are just as well-suited for a gift package given for a team-building exercise; as an item that’s included in the wellness packet that’s distributed to new employees; or as part of the travel kit in an incentive program. Everyone is a candidate for this easy-to-fit staple of the American wardrobe.

Of course, you still need to consider the audience when you choose the style.  From fitted, tapered legs to heavy fleece, there are style and color options to match any demographic.  Consider a few of the most popular choices:

  • Seeking warmth:  Heavy fleece with drawstring waistband, tapered leg and side pockets
  • Dressing up:  Wicking fabric with elastic waistband, open hem cuffs and fuller leg
  • Keeping it simple:  Cotton/poly fleece with elastic cuffs, drawstring waist and no pockets
  • Moving into spring:  Fleece shorts sized to hit at the knee with drawstring waist, and pockets at the side and back
  • Ladies only:  Poly/spandex fabric with flared legs, wide waistband and small waist stash pockets

Sweatpants are easy to decorate and the recipients are sure to wear them when they’re at their most comfortable.  That’s a great time to reinforce your brand and get extra points at the same time for contributing to their relaxation.  It’s time to consider the value of helping your audience “dress down”!

Think About The Box

tee box

When brainstorming new ideas, we’re told to “think outside the box”.  This basic premise for creative thinking assumes we should view the issue at hand more expansively. When the issue is the next corporate giveaway, the packaging that is used to deliver a gift, trade show giveaway or conference materials should be viewed with the same creative approach.

Packaging can be considered a silent salesperson, communicating feelings and information that can’t be delivered by just the branded product inside.  It can generate excitement and curiosity, creating buzz even before the box is opened.  A clever container with vivid graphics and brand-specific messages can be designed for nearly any item.  Food, apparel, print material, tech items, drinkware, writing instruments … the list of potential promotional gifts is long, and there are innovative box options for each.

Consider these inspired packaging picks – all available with custom graphics – for a branded item that may otherwise be familiar and forgettable.

  • Butterfly box:  top opens like butterfly wings and holds any small gift item (heart box is another option in this genre)
  • Milk carton box:  keeps cookies, nuts or candy in a box that dispenses as easily as morning milk
  • Single-serve coffee box:  this box is self-explanatory and perfect for a new employee welcome pack or hospital/student care package
  • Tool box:  provides an instant marketing message and can hold food, conference items, or (spoiler alert) tools
  • Bottle neck box:  slips around the neck of a bottle with a place to add another small gift item
  • Pyramid box:  build your argument with this distinctive shape even before the gift is revealed
  • Suitcase box:  fill this with travel essentials for the next sales incentive program

The choices are limited only by your imagination and creativity.  When thinking outside the box on your next marketing initiative, begin by thinking about that box!

(Image via Admints)

Seeing Red

img_pantone_color_of_the_year_2015_press_releaseNew Jersey-based color systems firm Pantone has announced that Marsala – an earthy shade of red – is its color of the year for 2015.  “Marsala enriches our mind, body and soul, exuding confidence and stability … it’s red-brown roots emanate a sophisticated, natural earthiness,” said Leatrice Eiseman, the executive director of Pantone.   Where that may be breaking news for the fashion world, a corporate marketer may want to know how it could, or should, affect branding strategy.

Consider the upcoming trade show season.  The team apparel for the associates managing the booth doesn’t always need to reflect the corporate logo color, as much as it does the spirit of the team.  The logo decoration on the shirt or jacket will take care of the branding.  The color and style of the clothing should demonstrate how you want the brand ambassadors, and thus the brand itself, to be perceived.  The new color is likely to be used in fashion, beauty, industrial design, home furnishings and interiors.  Since your customers are seeing it in the retail marketplace, they will recognize that your team, and your company, understand today’s trends and consumer preferences.  When discussing your own products and services, that subtle message can be helpful.

In addition to shirts and jackets, other accessory items could be used to add a contemporary flair to corporate giveaways.  Hats, bags and wearable technology items are products that should be considered in this popular color choice.

One thing to consider, however, when looking for promotional merchandise in colors other than the standard corporate blues, blacks, reds and greens, is the ability of product suppliers to match a PMS color for an all-over or accent-color imprint.  Not all product suppliers have this capability, and not all products lend themselves to this type of decoration, but sometimes “close” is good enough to give you the up-to-date effect you’re looking for.

It is undisputed that your customers expect to see familiar colors with your logo branding.  But when there’s an opportunity to add a little “punch” to the branding message, consider the color that your audience will be seeing in retail, and likely bringing to their own homes.  Marsala – like the wine!

 

 

Eat More Salad!

oil.vinegarAccording to Statistic Brain, the #1 New Years resolution in 2014 was losing weight – and coming in at #5 was staying fit and healthy.  With no reason to believe the 2015 resolutions will be much different than last year, it makes sense for corporate marketers to consider healthy food options for one or more of their 2015 promotional giveaways.  Either as a single gift, or as part of an ongoing campaign directly aimed at the consumer interest in staying healthy, it’s time to take a look at some of the healthy food choices that offer logo branding.

  1.  Olive Oil & Balsamic Vinegar Set:  There are several choices, but one of my favorites is a set of bottles that are uniquely shaped to sit on top of each other.  The top bottle can be deep etched and hand painted with the corporate logo.
  2. Trail Mix:  With a variety of packaging options like cello bags, aluminum tins, tubes, and champagne bottles – all of which offer full color imprints – trail mix is an easy way to give a healthy snack in a quantity that fits either the trade-show crowd or your top customers.
  3. Clif Bar:  The Clif Bar is a widely recognized energy bar that provides organic snacking to your active audience.  With the option to offer a full color imprint on the outside of the wrapper, your company will get the credit for thinking of a convenient food gift that’s good for you.
  4. Organic Fruit & Foods:  Seasonal organic fruit and other organic foods like sparkling lemonade and hearty trail mix can be packaged in a variety of ways and delivered to your top customers or valued employees with a foil logo seal.  Your company’s focus on healthy eating for the entire family will be noted and appreciated.

Healthy food gifts are one of those well-considered promotional and incentive items that are gender-neutral and guaranteed to delight every recipient with a delicious start to the New Year. The next time you are considering a corporate giveaway, take some time with your promotional products provider to taste-test all the enticing food options – it’s a tough job, but someone has to do it!

 

 

Paying It Forward

yellow stripesThe cost of distributing a branded giveaway can only be justified if there is a measurable ROI.  Questions that should be asked and answered range from the cost-per-impression of the item to the length of time a recipient keeps the product, and even what happens to the gift once the customer discards it.  Fortunately, the Advertising Specialty Institute performs a lengthy study every year to give us the answers to these types of questions.

Branded merchandise remains less expensive per impression than most other forms of advertising.  In fact, the only form of advertising with a lower CPI (cost-per-impression) is internet advertising. But with advertising specialties, the investment is modest, more targeted and allows for much greater level of interaction with consumers than other forms of advertising, like TV, magazine and newspaper ads.

Another benefit of using promotional merchandise to market your brand is the staying power of those products.  Some items, such as calendars, can stay around for the entire year.  Other types of merchandise, especially health and safety products, last for 4 to 6 months.  Outerwear and USB drives hang around for over 8 months, and drinkware, bags, caps, office accessories and shirts last over 6 months. And if the recipient chooses not to keep the item, 63% give it to someone else.  So you get double-duty impressions from one item.  Compared to a 30-second commercial, that’s a lot of bang for your buck!

Finally, and I believe most importantly, promotional items sway consumer opinions.  The study shows half of the people who received a branded giveaway had a more favorable opinion of the advertiser who gave it to them.  And, even more impressive, 63% of the people who received a piece of outerwear with a logo had a more favorable opinion of the company.  If we can agree that consumers who have a positive opinion of a company will be more likely to buy that firm’s products or services, then promotional items have proven to be a good investment.

As always, the exact product selected for a marketing promotion or an incentive gift definitely matters and will affect the outcome of the program.  But with careful consideration of the audience, the right promotional item at the right price will provide a solid return on the corporate investment.

How Brands Make A Good Impression

blk bag

Ultimately, the goal of all marketers and advertisers is to improve brand visibility.  The newest Advertising Specialties Industry Impressions Study provides statistical evidence of the power of promotional products in improving the number of impressions a brand captures.

The number of impressions a product makes is derived from multiplying how long a recipient has the product to how many people they come in contact with each month while using it.  In the U.S., bags generate the most impressions (5,772) of any item measured in the study.  This makes sense, since bags are most often used in public places.  But what about all those caps, pens and t-shirts that your company gives as a way to increase brand exposure?  See below for some insight.

  • Caps:  3,136 impressions
  • Writing Instruments:  2,805 impressions
  • Outerwear:  2,650 impressions
  • Shirts:  2,450 impressions

Of course, number of  impressions is important, but every corporate marketer wants to know which items are most likely to drive new business.  According to the Survey, nearly 4 in 10 consumers who received a product from an advertiser they had not done business with said they were more likely to do business with them in the future.  The rundown on which products had the most positive effect on new business is listed below.

  • Outerwear:  53%
  • Health/Safety:  51%
  • Desk/Office Accessories:  44%
  • Bags:  40%
  • Calendars:  39%
  • Shirts:  37%
  • Drinkware:  36%
  • USB Drives:  33%
  • Caps/Headwear:  32%
  • Writing Instruments:  29%

Increasing the number of brand impressions and selecting a promotional product that helps to drive new business are only two of the many things to consider when purchasing the next branded giveaway.  In my next post I’ll shed some light on which items sway opinions, which are likely to be passed along and how long those products are kept by the recipient.  After all the evidence is presented, it will be hard to deny the power of promotional products!