Category Archives for Trade Tips

Simply Better

loopNew products are introduced every day to answer the age-old question every corporate buyer asks their promotional products partner – “what’s new?”.  Of course, the answer to that question depends a great deal on what products the company has traditionally used for branded giveaways, because new ideas can many times mean the same thing as new products.  New to  you, so to speak.

However, it is true that every year original products are introduced that appeal to a wide variety of customers.  Many of those new products are not entirely unique inventions, but rather a simpler design on existing products meant to make our lives slightly less complicated.  And if a company distributes a branded item that helps simplify life, it’s likely that recipient will use the product and therefore continue to increase those valuable brand impressions.

A few of my favorite new items this year are listed below:

The Loop:  Shown in the image in this article, this is a valuable tool for keeping earbud wires tangle-free and easily accessible.  Anyone who exercises, travels or just relaxes with their favorite tunes will appreciate this low cost, high impact gift.

The Bottleband:  Turn any size bottle into a handheld device.  Made out of the same silicone material as the cause bracelets, these handy bottle holders allow runners and walkers to easily carry a bottle of water by slipping the band over the hand.  Hydration simplified!

The Slip Clip:  It’s a beach towel clip that holds a towel or bag onto the lounge chair without scratching or leaving marks.  For a conference held at a beach location or an incentive reward trip aboard a boat, these simple clips offer a large imprint area and easy-to-use design that will showcase your logo every time the weather heats up.

New is good … simple is good … new AND simple is better!  The next time your company is considering a branded giveaway, take a look at what’s available to help make your customers’ lives a little bit easier.

 

 

Enjoy The Holidays – Plan Early

plan“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.”  Benjamin Franklin   This quote could apply to just about anything – preparing for a college exam, an important job interview, or a new corporate product launch.  Planning takes time and more than one contributor to prepare for the desired end result, but the level of eventual success is nearly always in direct correlation to the amount of thoughtful planning at the beginning of the process.

In consideration of this fact, now is the time to begin planning for your holiday promotion.   With enough time, samples can be ordered and reviewed; custom pieces can be produced domestically or overseas; and print materials like personalized thank-you cards can be created.  You avoid product inventory shortages, holiday plant closures, and extended production times.  And then there’s the WOW factor!   Planning ahead provides time for consideration of unique gifts that will represent your brand in creative ways that rarely happens with a last-minute thought and rush ordering.

Some creative gift ideas and their lead times:

4 – 5 months:

  • Custom-built car, truck or plane with company markings and retail packaging
  • Tailor made clothing item like fleece jacket in corporate PMS color-matched fabric and contrasting zippers

2 – 3 months:

  • Game sets like bocce ball or horseshoes customized in the logo colors; or sport balls like baseballs with unique corporate images
  • Scarves or blankets with knit-in logo, lush fabrics and custom labels

30 days:

  • Custom cover, book jacket or promo page in any popular gift book (photography, architecture, travel, business, dining, etc)
  • Wood-carved items such as boxes, carving boards, and executive puzzles designed to reflect the corporate logo, truck fleet or city skyline

Regardless of the budget, there is a unique gift solution for every holiday promotion.   But the closer we get to that December ship date, the choices become more limited.  Plan early this year, and enjoy the holidays with less stress and increased client recognition of your creative thoughtfulness.

 

Continuity Programs Grow Business

contin progContinuity programs are often associated with the marketing model of automatic billing for receiving monthly shipments of popular products like the lifestyle beauty and grooming samples offered by Birchbox; paid subscriptions to informative on-line newsletters; or annual renewal services like Amazon Prime’s free shipping program.  In the corporate world, successful continuity programs are built with a combination of targeted communication tools and well-considered promotional products in order to attract, engage and retain loyal customers.

Marketing 101 taught us that consistent communication helps build brand equity, so the communication should be ongoing.  Create branded marketing materials, or touchpoints, that are unique to your program and client base.  Design a carefully timed calendar for sending that communication and follow it up with a personal call or visit.

To compliment the marketing materials, select a few creative promotional products that can be easily mailed and will provide a merchandising message that builds on the program goals.

A few examples:

  • Message:  We care about your health
  • Product options:  stretching bands; pedometer; water bottle holder; stress reliever; hand sanitizer; foil pack pill opener
  • Message:  We want to be your financial institution
  • Product options:  credit card shape flash drive; identity protector card holders; pocket pro brochure for managing finances; magnifier ruler with mutual fund/stock listing financial guide markings
  • Message:  Let us care for your pet
  • Product options:  dog food lid; poopy pet bag dispenser; foldable pet travel bowl; reflector id tag; paw luggage tag

Continuity programs grow business by keeping your company front-of-mind with your prospects and customers.  The hardest part is getting started – call your promotional products partner today to talk about the possibilities!

 

 

 

 

 

Time For Action In The Second Half

Time for action. Stopwatch on white background. Isolated 3D image“How you respond to the challenge in the second half will determine what you become after the game, whether you are a winner or a loser.”  Lou Holtz 
Second quarter results are in – it’s time to look at the data and analyze how you make the most of the remainder of the year.  Whether the results met expectations, or fell short of the goals you started the year with, the second half of the year is the perfect time to “re-boot” your corporate energy and reenergize your brand visibility.
However, expanding your brand differentiation as your customers are heading into the third and fourth quarter frenzy can be challenging.   Employees are returning from summer vacations and already looking forward to the fall and winter holiday breaks; sales teams are reviewing their quotas and working harder to meet their goals; the finance department is concentrating on reducing spending and improving profits; and, through all of this, your objective is to somehow break through the noise in order for your brand message to be heard.  To help with that task, consider the following tips.
  • Donate time to community non-profit events:  As Aristotle said, we are what we do.  Volunteering in the community will set your company apart and position you in a different light.
  • Actively solicit customer feedback:  Knowing how your company has scored with customers in the first half of the year will help you map out a strategy for building on the positive and improving on the negative.
  • Optimize your social media channels:  Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, YouTube, Instagram – these platforms all have their advantages, but if you don’t have the company resources to stay current on all of them, it’s best to narrow them down.  Expanding your brand presence on two or three social media channels is better than being nearly invisible on all of them.
  • Plan now for end-of-year customer appreciation gift – but send it at Thanksgiving:  Better to beat the end-of-year gift clutter, and express your thanks when it will stand out.  And don’t settle for another cookie tower that will be placed on the pile of holiday food that has already arrived.  Look for the newest, up-to-date promotional merchandise options and demonstrate your understanding that customers aren’t just corporate buyers, they’re people who know a well-considered gift when they see it!

Your company is in the second half and racing towards a great finish – it’s time for action!

Brands Stay Current With Color

radiant orchidAt first site, Radiant Orchid, Pantone’s 2014 color of the year, may not seem to be the easiest color to incorporate into your corporate branding strategy.  After all, a study of the world’s top 100 brands (determined by brand value) shows the most popular colors among top brands are blue (33 percent), red (29 percent), black or gray scale (28 percent), and yellow or gold (13 percent).  Not a purple hue among them!  But with thoughtful consideration of the various ways to incorporate the color trends into your marketing game plan, you can stay current without sacrificing the consistency of your branding message.

Refresh web site images:  Although a corporate web site is the best place to showcase the corporate colors, it should also be the place that is consistently updated with news clips, calendars, videos and photos.  The new color of the year may be reflected in subtle images like a tree with purple flowers; or in an on-line ad for a new customer contest using a splashy new background or text color.

Customize online display advertising:  Online display advertising is different from your website or landing page. Display ads will be competing with many other elements on the page that are out of your control.  Test new colors in photography, illustrations and font to help your ad stand out.

Incorporate new colors into promotional product mix:  News flash! Promotional product giveaways don’t always have to be the same color as the corporate logo.  As long as the logo is imprinted according to brand guidelines, the products themselves should appeal to the audience in a creative way.  Tote bags, flash drives, writing instruments, drinkware, caps and t-shirts could all be offered in a variety of colors – with the same logo design, of course – to demonstrate how your brand is both consistent and up-to-date.

While it’s imperative that a brand maintains color consistency in order to achieve long-term consumer recognition, it is also important to let your customers know that your company is not only aware of popular trends, but is also responding to them.  Staying current is easy with color – give it a try!

(Image via Pantone)

 

 

 

Branding In A Brave New Tech World

techModern technology, driven by perpetual innovation, can boost the visibility of your brand.  Not just for the tech-savvy consumer, even the simplest of products can inspire excitement through smart design and practical application. From smart pedometers for the health conscious consumer of any age, to high capacity power banks that appeal to the techies that never have enough battery life to get through their day, there are tech products that will appeal to every audience. Today’s corporate buyers have as many price point options as style options, so there’s a tech product solution for every marketing budget.   Consider the newest offerings in this trending category of promotional merchandise: $3.00 – $5.00:

  • Slim slider stylus attaches directly to back of phone or tablet
  • 2″ sphere shape silicone speaker
  • Water resistant phone protector

$5.00 – $10.00:

  • Custom shape PVC ear buds
  • Mobile phone charger
  • Neoprene sports armband to hold mobile phone

$10.00 – $15.00:

  • Bluetooth speaker/amplifier
  • Calibration pulse reader pedometer
  • Laser pointer flash drive

$15.00 – $20.00:

  • Remote photo snap for mobile phones
  • Compact aluminum tablet stand
  • Wireless webcam

Branding in a tech-savvy world isn’t difficult, and can be as cost effective as your budget demands.  Next time you need a new idea for a discriminating audience, think tech!

Brands Connect With Experiential Marketing

hugExperiential marketing is a form of advertising that focuses primarily on helping consumers experience a brand.   Staging events with interactive experiences enable your customers and prospects to relate to your brand in a way that creates a memorable, long-lasting impression.  As a result, this type of emotional connection sets your brand apart from competitors, increases brand loyalty and drives sales.

Determining how to bring the event to the people and create a buzz-worthy interactive experience with your audience may seem like the biggest challenge of the planning phase, but in reality it is only the beginning of the discusson.

  • How will you advertise the event?
  • How will the event integrate with the larger marketing initiatives?
  • What social media channels can be used to reach the highest numbers of target consumers?
  • Which branded products should be used before, during and after the event to support the brand message?
  • Which emotion are you trying to associate with?
  • How do you keep the buzz going after the event is over?

The answers to those questions are different for every company, but the discovery phase is not.  Involving your expert corporate partners in the planning sessions is imperative to a creative and memorable event.  Your marketing team may know the demographics for your target audience, but may be less informed in the best content marketing strategy for your social media campaign or have little understanding of the best products available in the promotional merchandise industry to carry your brand message.

Once your planning team has been assembled, the driving mentality behind every suggestion should be how to connect your brand to the senses of the customers.  The booth should stand out; the experience should be creative, but natural (no cream pies in the face, please); and brand ambassadors should exhibit energy and enthusiasm in a professional manner.

Experiential marketing is the fastest growing category of the events sector for a reason.  Do it well and you’ll create brand advocates who will further spread your brand messages through word of mouth advertising, and become a loyal customer for life.

 

Pack Your Bags!

toteLos Angeles instituted a ban on single-use plastic bags in January and New York City Council recently proposed a bill that would impose a 10-cent fee on all plastic and paper grocery bags.  In addition to the two largest US cities who have taken a stand against disposable plastic bags, several cities throughout America in states like Texas, Colorado, Washington and Hawaii, to name a few, have all imposed bans or nominal bag fees on retail plastic and/or paper bags.  In view of the facts around the disposal of plastic bags – namely, they are not biodegradable; the littered bags are a threat to sea life and animals; and over time they release toxic chemicals into the soil – the number of cities adopting these bans is likely to increase.  So if your company has not yet jumped on the opportunity to attach your brand to a fairly inexpensive item that will likely be used all over town, the time has never been better to consider the many reusable bag options for your next marketing campaign.

It’s not a new concept for companies to distribute reusable tote bags with the company logo to recipients at community events, trade shows, recruiting functions and student career fairs.  Large retail grocery store chains like Whole Foods and Trader Joes sell their branded bags for less than $1.00, and have enjoyed growing brand awareness as those bags are used many times over for lots of reasons besides grocery shopping.  But what marketing teams may not be aware of is the vast number of choices that are now available in this bag category.  The options vary from the simple one-color, non-woven grocery tote that started appearing on the scene in the 1990’s to the laminated, insulated versions with pockets, zippers and different handle lengths.  These bags are designed to be used as lunch bags, grocery totes, soft side coolers, bottle totes, garment bags and backpacks.  They are targeted at parents shopping for groceries, the college kids hanging on campus, and virtually anyone with a need to carry something in a lightweight, yet durable, reusable bag.  Price points vary, but start as low as $1.00 and don’t run much more than about $3.00 or $4.00 for the bag options with all the extra features.

According to Nick Sterling, research director at Natural Capitalism Solutions, “If used once per week, four or five reusable bags will replace 520 plastic bags a year”.  With the growing movement to take positive steps towards helping the environment, why not include branded reusable bags in your marketing strategies and enjoy the benefit of spreading your branding message by turning your customers into a mobile marketing force of useful, sustainable items.

Time Is On Your Side

watch1.2 billion watches are sold annually worldwide.  Watches are a fashion statement for some and a practical timekeeper for others.  They range from the high end classics used for gifts for top employees and important clients, to the nearly disposable styles that are popular with the younger crowd.

Invented at the end of the 19th century, naysayers had predicted the demise of the watch with the explosive growth of clock-equipped cell phones.  However,  in recent years watches have had a resurgence in popularity.  Flashy, bulky watches show up on runways; retro watches are all the rage after the success of shows like Mad Men and Boardwalk Empire; and watch companies like Movado are all coming out with styles that offer bright colors and high tech capabilities.  For many people, a new watch is a fashion necessity.

Considering these trends, corporate marketing departments should consider that a fun, creative watch could be the outside-the-box item that creates a solid brand bond with their customers.  The logo can be big and bold on the face of the watch, or in a more subtle location like the band or the back.  Materials range from stainless steel to plastic, and the color palettes are broad enough to suit any company’s brand color.

The days of waiting to give a watch until your employees retire are long gone.  Today’s watches are a good choice for fundraising events, university promotions, reward programs and recruiting efforts.  Prices range from $5.00 up to several hundred dollars, and are creatively styled to appeal to any demographic.  For your next promotion, what would be better than giving the gift of time!