Go Fly A Kite

Kites have probably been in existence for over 25 centuries, with people of all ages flying them 1,000 years before paper was invented.  With its universal fascination and the irresistable exhilaration of using wind to defy gravity, the kite is a perfect product to showcase a summertime corporate campaign or event.

Today’s kites can be eco-friendly, made from silk, bamboo struts and cotton string with full color photographic quality images, or a 3D shape inspired by a company logo, musical instrument, tech tool, or almost any other form that brings life to the marketing message.  The quality of the image could easily tempt the recipient to hang this iconic teathered aircraft on a wall as poster art,  but more than likely the call of the outdoors and a gentle wind will persuade women and men … young and old … corporate exec or stay-at-home mom to go fly a kite.  Just be sure when they do, it’s your corporate message that’s soaring!

(image via The Art Kite)

Road Warrior Sidekick

Responding to emails on the road shouldn’t carry the risk of mistakes because of fat fingers!  The stylish and popular iPads make it easier to stay in touch, but it’s difficult for many people to work on a touch screen keyboard.  For those users, a Bluetooth-activated keyboard is just the ticket!

Ultra-thin and lightweight, the Island-style keyboard with built-in wireless Bluetooth capability is a high-tech accessory that will quickly become the must-have item for corporate travelers. It’s easy to use with a built-in rechargeable battery, and the special HOME screen allows for one-touch access to a variety of applications.  To advertise your company’s understanding and appreciation for technology, a corporate logo can be added to the aluminum cover as an effective reminder for the recipient, and anyone else within visual range of the dedicated road warrior.

Encourage and support ease of communication with this tech tool the next time you’re considering an employee recognition award or customer appreciation gift.

(image via Pingline)

Style Can Still Mean Business

You don’t have to sacrifice style to be taken seriously.  The traditional woven is still in, and professionals in the hospitality, service and financial industries recognize the value of a polished appearance.

Gone are the days when women have to settle for a man’s shirt in a size small just so they can match their fellow associates at the trade shows!  Retail inspired color choices, flattering cuts, attractive design details and easy-care fabrics all combine to make today’s woven shirts a perfect choice for any professional setting.  Manufacturers have stepped up with matching men’s and ladies styles, and wholesalers have tapped into many of the retail brands that are now offered to the promotional merchandise industry.

Next time the occasion calls for a uniform look on all team members, remember that professional attire doesn’t have to be stale, and a little more style will help your company stand out.

(image via S&S Activewear)

Books + Business = !!!!

Beautiful books with incredible photography are as appropriate in business as they are in our personal lives.  And when the book’s content is tied to the theme of the annual sales meeting or business conference, the message will be carried home and shared, instead of being passed over to the stack of handouts waiting for trash day.

Coffee table books, travel guides, celebrity cookbooks, health guides and the wide selection of self-improvement publications that offer professional advice on all manner of business skills can all be customized with informative insert pages, calendar of events or a simple logo.  The subject of the book can help support the theme of the meeting, or it can be used as part of the supporting materials for the wrap-up.

It may be tempting to consider purchasing another padfolio or writing journal for the next employee retreat, but consider that buying a book may be a way to ignite the reader’s imagination, and therefore drive more creative contributions at work.

(image via National Geographic)

Concentrate On Your Core

When considering which products best represent your brand at trade shows, customer meetings, recruiting events, and all manner of marketing engagement, it’s important to start with those core items that will serve as the staples for your merchandise program.  Whether that program is a professionally managed on-line e-commerce catalog, or it’s simply a pre-determined line of merchandise that the procurement department has vetted and approved for purchase, those products should reflect both the brand and the audience.

While sifting through the seemingly endless choices of products available in the promotional merchandise industry, there are are 3 key principles to follow:

  1. Identify the market that will receive your products
  2. Understand the audience
  3. Select what the audience wants, not what you personally like

Once the core items are in place, they should represent 80% of the product movement.  From there, keep the program fresh with expanded offerings of a core item, seasonal styles and creative graphics for those favorite tees. “Core” doesn’t have to mean “stagnant”, it simply represents a tightly focused selection of product categories that will speak to your brand messengers.

Concentrate on your core, and the merchandise that carries your logo will communicate the story you want told!

Youth Doesn’t Care About Your Brand

Generally speaking, I think it’s safe to say that unless you’re sellling Apple products or Red Bull, most corporations need to be creative when marketing to youth. Building a social media presence isn’t enough to get the word out.  Every product being considered as a canvas for your brand should be carefully selected with the importance of the audience being second only to the reality of the budget.

With t-shirts being the 2nd most commonly owned promotional product, this relatively inexpensive give-away continues to be the “go-to” item for multiple types of corporate events. When a young audience is the target, a well-considered t-shirt that has the look and feel of their favorite retail brand is an item that will pay logo impression dividends many times over. The current color choices are endless; the fabric content varies from 100% cotton to moisture wicking performance polyester fabric; and – my personal favorite – the options for a fit that suits the younger market are amazing!  From men’s styles that are lean and long to ladies pieces that offer racer backs and youthful, flattering cuts, today’s choices for t-shirts are anything but boring.

If you want the youth to care about your brand, show them you “get it” with a shirt that reflects their style, not their father’s!

(Image via American Apparel)

The Ardent Golfer

“The ardent golfer would play Mount Everest if somebody put a flagstick on top.” -Pete Dye

This famous quote reminds us that it’s never too early to think about the upcoming golf season.  The perfect time to schedule a charity outing or a casual client meeting at that golf course everyone wants to play, but few have the skill to conquer, is when spring and summer seem like a distant dream.  Even though most people in business don’t have the time to be an ardent golfer, nearly everyone enjoys the opportunity to hit the ball around 18 holes with a group of like-minded collegues.  And, with every golf outing is another opportunity to gain brand visibility.

Golf balls and tees are essential, but with the inconvenient placement of small lakes on all those water holes, it’s likely those balls will not be coming home with the golfer.  Golf shirts require prior knowledge of a person’s size, and the goodies in the golf goodie bags are gone by the time you hit the back 9.  As an alternative to those options, caps remain one of the most effective and popular wearable items for any corporate give-away.  A classic golf cap with a subtle co-branded logo treatment featuring your company mark along with the golf course name will be appreciated and worn again.  Matching visors are available for the ladies, and with a breathable moisture wicking fabric, the heat won’t cause unwanted sweat in the eyes just as the golfer takes that perfect swing!

Think spring and plan ahead … it will give your guests time to hit the driving range!

(Image via Sanmar)

The Well-Written RFP

The concept is simple:  RFP’s are issued to find the lowest cost provider that will offer the highest value return.  However, while the concept is easy to understand for both the customer and the bidder, drafting the bid document is a complex task.  After receiving and completing countless RFP’s in my career, it was always painfully clear when an RFP was written without the benefit of even the most basic understanding of what it takes to build a branded merchandise program for the corporate customer.  Bidders put in endless hours to research, analyze and justify the cost of the products and services they offer, but often submit that information knowing the team of reviewers may not fully understand how each respondent will apply their particular set of skills to building a program that meets the unique needs of that client.  The RFP process should bring a clear understanding of how well the winning bidder will perform as a trusted expert advisor, not just as the lowest-cost provider.

If we can all agree that to purchase branded merchandise through a distributor-hosted web site is not the same thing as understanding the complicated process of developing and managing a multi-tiered promotional merchandise program, then we can also agree that employing that level of insight should be one of the most important parts of the RFP process.  If you have a strong partnership with your current provider, that could be the best place to start. As an alternative, an outside consultant with the appropriate industry experience can provide unbiased support for this exercise.  But, regardless of the solution, the need for an educated approach to this very important process is undeniable.  After all, as I’m often told by IT programmers helping me to design a comprehensive activity report for my customers … Junk In, Junk Out!  Consider this is a call to eliminate the Junk from your next RFP!

Bright Idea

We hear the term flash drives, and jump drives, and thumb drives …  but whatever you call them they remain the greatest tech tool for anyone who owns a computer.  From classrooms to boardrooms, the hard disk has become nothing more than a quaint curiosity, while a flash drive can be seen hanging out the side of every laptop in the room.  Large purchase quantities open up endless custom design possibilities … wouldn’t it be fun to receive one that looks like the e-trade baby?   But even small orders can demonstrate an original idea with the ever-expanding choices of stock styles.  At the next recruiting event, forget about another backpack or padfolio, and give away a memory stick pre-loaded with all the fun company facts those candidates may have forgotten but wont’ see on your corporate web site.

(Image via Leeds)

Numbers Don’t Lie

Please don’t call them chatskis!!  The value of promotional merchandise to help raise brand awareness has plenty of well-researched facts to support the genuine reality that even a budget-friendly pen can leave long-lasting positive impressions with the recipient.

In fact, according to the 2010 industry survey by the Advertising Specialty Institute, advertising specialites beat out prime-time TV, radio and print advertising as the most cost-effective advertising medium available, with a cost per impression at .005 cents.  Bags have the highest number of impressions in a month, over 1,000, and over 1/3 (36%) of those with incomes under $50K own bags.  83% in the U.S. say they can identify the advertiser on a promotional item they own, and 41% say their opinion of the advertiser is more favorable after receiving it.  The statistics go on and on, but the bottom line message for all corporate marketing teams is undeniable … increased brand recognition is the reward for giving good stuff!

(image via ASI)