Brands Can Sizzle Even In The Rain

Rain slickers are back! Originally this classic outdoor rain jacket was offered only in the traditional maritime yellow. Heavy, but functional, it was created for those brave souls who worked outside.

No longer the stalwart of fisherman, sailors and toddlers, today’s rain slicker is fashionable. The fabrics are improved, and the styling is up-to-date with slimmer cuts, vent holes and slant pockets. Unlike the predictable windbreakers that offer a generic, gender-neutral style in two or three basic colors, rain slickers are offered in a variety of colors that are on-trend and ready to be noticed.

Rain slickers sporting your company logo are the perfect choice for many corporate marketing efforts. Company outings and outdoor community events; wellness initiatives promoting walking; appreciation gesture to valued clients; or gearing up for a spring team-building event. Try one on, and you’ll agree – the right slicker will help your brand stand out in the rain!

On-The-Ball Marketing

Effective marketing efforts should bring the brand message to customers through many different channels. Social media, event sponsorships, and experiential marketing are all proven promotional methods that help build the brand equity. To support these efforts, the company logo must be visible, the promotional materials creative, and the logo treatment consistent.

While building an effective marketing plan, it would also be worthwhile to add a little fun into the mix. According to a global Nielsen Survey of Trust in Advertising, almost half (47%) of the respondents said that humor resonates with them more than any other content approach. Injecting fun into your marketing strategy could be just the thing you need to stand out from your competitors.

Show booths with flashing bounce balls, fidget spinners, games and exciting display visuals are much more likely to capture the attention of the crowd. Lobbies, booth spaces and work areas with a few Boost Ball chairs covered in custom graphics offer comfort and improved posture while bringing a truly modern approach to seating, with a brand billboard that is hard to miss. Sponsor a charity fun-run with bright shirts sporting creative graphics or launch a social media campaign that offers all-day passes to the nearest amusement park for the winners of your next enter-to-win contest.

There are many ways to add fun to your next marketing campaign, and everyone has a different idea of what they consider to be amusing. But the important thing is to start the conversation with your team, and get the fun-ball rolling.

Dye Sub Basics For Better Branding

T-shirts, sweatshirts and hoodies are wardrobe staples for everyone. Consumers of comfort clothing will wear a well-designed tee under jackets and blazers; statement sweatshirts can be seen at the gym or, if you’re paying attention, even on many of Taylor Swift’s recent album performances; and hoodies, whether zip-up or pullover, remain a slightly edgy article of clothing that is embraced by youth-driven communities.

While I’m certain most of this information is not news to the corporate buyer, I believe that the most creative decoration options for these basics of the charity run have been ignored in favor of the always dependable, but rarely exciting, one and two-color screen print. While it’s considered budget-friendly to settle for this tried-and-true imprint method, in reality, other decoration options are often no more expensive than that simple application of one-color ink onto the surface of the fabric.

My favorite print method, which has become one of the industry’s most popular and exciting decoration methods for t-shirts and sweatshirts, is dye-sublimation. This method uses heat sensitive inks that turn into gas under the influence of heat, and become part of the structure of the material. In other words, the image is in the fabric, not on it. Therefore, the graphics don’t fade or crack, even after multiple washings, and the fabric remains breathable and touchable.

In addition, dye sublimation offers the ability to recreate logos and images in multiple colors and with extremely fine detail that is not possible with traditional screen printing. The colors are brighter and smoother – the detail is razor sharp. Overall, the look has a more retail-quality feel.

Dye sublimation works best on polyester and poly/cotton blends, which makes the all-cotton tee a poor candidate for this print method. But considering the popularity of the poly performance fabrics, this only adds another reason to take a fresh look at your brand strategy when planning the next shirt giveaway.

Whether your logo is recreated best in a simple 1-color treatment, or you have invested in lush, multi-color “statement” art, dye-sublimation printing should be top-of-mind for your next tee giveaway. In a world where every customer has a drawer full of discarded t-shirts, sweatshirts and hoodies, make sure yours stands out. The shirt will be worn, and your brand will be noticed!

The Gatekeepers Of Your Brand

Brand management is vital for the success of any organization. It affects every aspect of a brand’s products, communications and marketing. The corporate brand manager is the on-staff gatekeeper for your brand, but what about all the companies you partner with to help you get the word out?

Ad agencies, social media marketing firms, and promotional products suppliers are all in the business of promoting and protecting your company’s brand. Anyone who has accepted the responsibility of reprinting your company logo; communicating the value statement for your products and services; or promoting the newest marketing campaign must also have the same enthusiasm and passion for your brand as you do.

Like an over-protective parent, the gatekeepers of your brand should continually be monitoring the execution and the output of the information. Spotting new trends and understanding how they can help increase the brand visibility is important, but ensuring that those trends are in line with the established corporate brand guidelines is vital.

Always asking, “What else can we do”, should be a common discussion between you and your gatekeeper partners – the end result will be a brand respected by customers and coveted by your rivals.

Stuff That Works

The mobile accessory market is still relatively young, and getting better all the time. The demand for these portable phone accessories is growing due to the continual rise in the smartphone market along with the preference for comfort and simplicity. Items like portable speakers, headphones and battery chargers have become standard “must-have” items for even the most casual consumer.

That’s good news for the corporate marketing teams looking for a home run with their customer base. The variety of products in this category available for logo branding is growing, and the quality of those products is improving.

A few examples:

Micro Bluetooth Speaker: Small size unit (1″x1.25″) with maximum sound
Solar Panel Phone Charger: Produces a high-powered solar charge with a single USB hub
PopSocket: Media stand for your device; a photo or texting grip; lower it for video chat
WiFi Smart Plug: Connect the plug to wifi network and control your devices from your smartphone or tablet via an App
Power Bank: Digital display of charge level on UL-listed dual USB output power bank

The price points vary, which makes portable phone accessories the perfect choice for all budgets, in most marketing campaigns. Give a few of these items a test drive – you will have a difficult time deciding, but your customers will thank you for the effort.

Business Casual, Not Business Sloppy

As Lady Bird Johnson said “I’ve really tried to learn the art of clothes, because you don’t sell for what you’re worth unless you look good.” To that point, if office attire isn’t done right, intelligent, well-qualified people run the risk of being overlooked because their appearance alters others’ perception of their qualifications. However, there’s a reason many people are confused about the term business-casual.

It’s logical to assume that business attire should be professional and crisp, while casual wear is associated with the slouchy, comfy weekend tees and sweats. These two terms seem to be at odds with each other. So how do we blend the two?

First, and foremost, don’t leave the “business” out of business-casual. Regardless of the industry, every business is a professional organization that expects its employees to dress with respect. What does that mean? Simply stated, it means no one should come to work looking like they just finished mowing the lawn or came directly to the office from last night’s party. Clothes should be clean and shoes should cover the feet.

Appropriate business casual dress typically includes:

Men: Slacks or khakis; dress shirt, open-collar or polo shirt; optional tie or seasonal sport coat; loafers or dress shoes
Ladies: Dress or skirt at knee-length or below; knit shirt, sweater or tailored blazer; casual or dress shoes that cover all or most of the foot

Of course, depending on the industry, some companies may have more relaxed standards that include jeans or sneakers, but even those should be clean and tasteful.

Finally, when companies contribute to the business-casual wardrobe of their employees by giving shirts, sweaters or jackets with the company logo, it’s particularly important to keep in mind that these clothing items are meant to represent the brand as well as the office dress code. When selecting the next trade show shirt, remember that you want the associates representing your company to sell your company for what it’s worth.

Camo Trend Is Back Just In Time For Fall Promotions

The camo trend is back in fashion, and it’s not just for the hunters anymore. Since 2015 the classic camouflage pattern has become nearly as popular with style fashionistas as it has always been with outdoor and sports enthusiasts.

Drinkware, blankets, flashlights, caps, bags, coolers … almost anything you can imagine as a gift for your upcoming fall/winter giveaway is available in a camo pattern and can be decorated with your company logo.

And since camo is increasingly popular with the female demographic, suppliers are offering more exciting products geared to women. Form-fitting tees; jackets with neon pink trim; and trendy totes are among the many products that make an outdoor-theme giveaway just as appealing to the ladies as it is for the men.

A few events that would benefit from the camo craze:

Fall Sporting Event
Combat Drugs (or any cause) Campaign
Community Clean-Up
Employee Team Building
Gardening / Landscape Trade Show
Sales Incentives

The camo trend is perfect for fall promotions. When you’re on the hunt for new customers, give a camo pattern giveaway to stand out from the crowd.

newfound identity

products carry the mark, people carry the message

Tag Archives for logo

Brands Can Sizzle Even In The Rain

On-The-Ball Marketing

Dye Sub Basics For Better Branding

The Gatekeepers Of Your Brand

Stuff That Works

Business Casual, Not Business Sloppy

Camo Trend Is Back Just In Time For Fall Promotions

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