Jump Start Next Year With Promotional Imprinted Products

This is my last post for the year. The next one will be the week of January 7, 2013.

I want to thank all of you for following this blog & for your comments.

Let me remind you to remember to include promotional imprinted products in your advertising budget next year. It's so important for you to get your company name out among the public & expand your business identity. That makes a good new year's resolution, don't you think? Customized promotional items are economical & also one of the easiest ways to get your logo & company recognized.

Please leave comments on this article with your suggestions about topics you'd like to see discussed. This blog is for you & I'd like to write about what you're interested in.

Have a wonderful & safe holiday season.
May 2013 be a healthy & happy year for you & one filled with success & prosperity.

IT'S YOUR COMPANY........SHOW IT OFF!!!
Ronni Sherman

Top 12 Customized Promotional Gifts Under $10

'Tis the season for giving, but it doesn't have to be the season for empty wallets.  There are plenty of corporate gifts that your clients will enjoy but won't break the bank. So here is my pick of the top twelve customized promotional gifts under $10:

1. Drinkware:  All kinds--ceramic mugs, insulated travel tumblers, sports bottles--but make them different.  Since these are one of the most popular promotional imprinted products to give as gifts, be unusual so you stand out. Let yours be the one that's used throughout the coming year.

2. Stylus Pens: The perfect accessory for the number one wish list item.  Whether it's a smart phone or tablet, the round tip won't scratch the screens as their older counterparts did. The stylus also makes it easier to type on those tiny keyboards.

3. Flash Drives: Advertise in a flash with this much needed device. Save, store & share. You can download your own company information--personal greetings from your staff, 2013 product line, show property or merchandise--or give blank for your customers' storage.

4. Umbrellas: How many times are you left without an umbrella when all of a sudden there's that unexpected shower? Give one with a splash of color that your customer will want to use, but will also show off your logo. They're available in all sizes, shapes, colors & fun patterns.

5. Food In Personalized Containers: Nuts, candy, cookies can be given in containers that will be kept long after the food has been eaten. Save the generic boxes of candy or tins of popcorn for your competition to hand out. Yet, there's something about the holidays & sweets that just go together. Once the goodies are gone, make sure they still have something with your logo on it that will last into the new year.

6. USB Warmer For Hot Drinks: Nor more cold coffee or tea while working. This plugs into your computer & drinks will stay hot. What a treat, especially when you bring that cup of gourmet coffee you bought on your way to work. Think how excited your customers will be to get one of these!

7. Duffel Bags: Whether for sports or overnight travel, these have always been a favorite. Going to the gym, playing racket ball or taking a quick overnight car trip......these brightly colored bags will be used over & over.

8. Cell Phone Holder: Have you ever reached for a stack of papers on your crowded desk & your phone went flying? Or heard it ring but couldn't find it? This desk top phone holder keeps your cell out of harm's way & makes it convenient for you to reach for when needed.  Many styles are available but I like this one because it takes up little room & folds flat when not in use.

9. Media Sleeves: These are great for protecting IPads, Kindles & other tablets. This neoprene case is a favorite because it securely shuts & has a pen holder & an adjustable strap that's also removable. This is perfect for home, at the office, carting to a wi-fi coffee shop or traveling.

10. Reusable Tote & Shopping Bags: These have become the number 1 promotional custom product this year. Besides being eco-friendly, these give you the most bang for your buck......there's a large space for your logo to stand out & an average of 1038 people will see it a month.  Do it with flare......high gloss or metallic bags......these will make an impact & you can show off your company with style.

11. Soup Bowls With Attached Spoons: Because of simple economics or for healthy options, more people are bringing their lunch to work. Many times it's soup or pasta that can be heated in the microwave. The cold, dull sandwich is no longer a lunch staple.

12. Stuffed Animals: These are companions that can sit on an office shelf or near the computer if your customers are in a child oriented field. Children have always loved stuffed animals--& some "big" children too. All kinds of animals & sizes to choose from with personalized t-shirts.

These are not in the order of what I favor most. I think they are all good ideas that will make a hit with your clients. Think carefully of who your customers are & what industry your business is in, for these may not all fit in your field or be appropriate to your target audience.

The main thing is that whatever you give should not be the promotional imprinted products you've been giving out all year. Giving your customers the same pen or note pad as a gift will not earn you points or his business next year. You don't have to go over your budget, but his is not where you should cut corners.

This is the season of giving & please remember those who need a hot meal or a toy for their child. No, it won't have your company name or logo, but these gifts, too, go a long way.

Happy Holidays!
IT'S YOUR COMPANY........SHOW IT OFF!!!
Ronni Sherman

How Much Do You Know About Thanksgiving

I can't believe how fast this year flew by--in two days it will be Thanksgiving. It's my favorite holiday & I think it's safe to say it's a majority of American's favorite. Most people claim they cherish it because of the food. I won't dispute that, but I love it for the warmth & gaiety it brings......being with family & friends starting in mid-afternooon & celebrating long into the night. Somehow we all feel a little closer to each other on this day as we treasure what is around us & how lucky we are to have one another.

This week in schools across the United States, children are wearing the same black Pilgrim hats or colorful feathers, if they choose to be Indians--all made the week before from construction paper as an art project. They will sit down to a feast of turkey, stuffing, cranberries & pumpkin pie believing they are recreating the original Plymouth, MA Thanksgiving.

We were all raised thinking this was a fairly accurate picture of the meal the Indians shared with the Pilgrims & we passed this lore down to our children as it was told to us. The only fact that is correct is the 1st Thanksgiving was celebrated in the fall of 1621. This rest is all myth......read on for some interesting truths about their holiday.

First, how many of these questions about Thanksgiving can you answer correctly (scroll down to the bottom for the answers):
1. How long have turkeys been in North America?
2. What character has been in the Macy's Thanksgiving parade the most often?
3. What president thought Thanksgiving was a "ridiculous holiday"?
4. What two teams played the first football game in 1934 on Thanksgiving?
5. What famous person wanted the turkey to be our national bird?
6. What state has the most wild turkeys than any other?
7. What state consumes the most turkeys?

As we all know, the Plymouth Pilgrims were the first to celebrate Thanksgiving a year after sailing across the Atlantic on the Mayflower. But here are some facts that are not known or have been misconceived about the early Thanksgivings:

1. The average age of a Mayflower passenger was 32 & the oldest was 64. There were 102 people who originally boarded the ship along with 2 dogs. Two women were pregnant & one gave birth on the voyage to America. The most popular man's name was John.

2. The Pilgrim leader, Governor William Bradford, had organized the first Thanksgiving feast in 1621. He invited the neighboring Wampanoag Indians to the feast which lasted three days.

3. The Indian men & the Pilgrim men competed against each other in various sporting games. The Pilgrim women who survived the year & their teenage daughters prepared the meal--some historians say it was 4 women & 2 girls.

4. The native Americans wore deerskins & furs, not blankets.

5. Pilgrims are shown as wearing only black & white clothing, but actually they only wore that for Sundays & formal occasions. Women dressed in red, earthy green, brown, blue, violet & gray; while men wore clothing in white, beige, earthy green & brown.

6. Potatoes, pumpkin pies, milk & cranberries were not foods present on the 1st Thanksgiving feast table. There was no sugar to make pies & cranberry sauce. Pumpkins were stewed & cranberries were used to dye fabrics & for medicinal purposes by the Indians. No potatoes were grown in North America at that time.

7. Lobster, eel, cod, wild turkey, duck, rabbit, chicken, squash, beans, chestnuts, hickory nuts, walnuts, onions, leeks, parsnips, currants, dried fruit, maple syrup & honey, radishes, corn, cabbage, carrots & eggs are thought to make up the Pilgrim's feast. The wild fowl they ate was very lean with little meat, not at all like the plump poultry we have today. It's been recorded the Indians arrived bringing five deer as their contribution to the meal.

8. The Pilgrims didn't use forks. They ate with spoons, knives & their fingers. The main beverage was beer that they had brought with them on the Mayflower.

9. Sarah Josepha Hale, an American magazine editor, campaigned for 20 years to get Thanksgiving to be a national holiday. Her campaign spanned five presidents. It was Abraham Lincoln who was finally convinced & in 1863, he declared Thanksgiving to be celebrated the last Thursday in November as a national holiday.  She is also the author of the popular nursery rhyme, "Mary Had A Little Lamb".
 



10. In 1939, Franklin Roosevelt changed Thanksgiving to a week earlier than usual so the Christmas holiday shopping season would last longer. There was a tremendous outpouring of public disapproval over the next two years so, in 1941, he admitted his mistake & officially declared the fourth Thursday in November a national holiday for Thanksgiving.

As President Roosevelt had the foresight to see--this is the season of shopping. Not just for family & friends, but for your loyal customers as well.

Keep in mind that even though you should have plenty of promotional imprinted products on hand to give out, these should not be given out as holiday gifts. Your clients won't jump up & down with the .50 pen they've been writing with all year or the letter opener they've used everyday. Customized promotional items should definitely be used as holiday gifts, but they need to be special & more unique than what is usually distributed among the public for company recognition.

It's not what you spend, but what you give. Whether it's a $1 candy bar boldly displaying your logo or a $50 computer laptop case discreetly showing your company name, your customized promotional gift should be something you haven't handed out during the year. Choose a gift that will make your clients feel their business means something to you.

Now, for the answers to the questions in the beginning:
1. 2000 years
2. Snoopy
3. Thomas Jefferson
4. Detroit Lions & the Chicago Bears
5. Benjamin Franklin
6. Minnesota
7. California
How many did you correctly answer?

Comparing the Pilgrim's menu to ours, I'm glad to be celebrating Thanksgiving in the 21st century--although I wouldn't mind lobster as an option.  Wishing you all a very

IT'S YOUR COMPANY........SHOW IT OFF!!!
Ronni Sherman

The Power Of Promotional Imprinted Products

Promotional custom products work!!! When someone tells me he can't afford them, I tell him he can't afford not to invest in them. They are effective & reach out to a vast audience. They are also the most economical way to gain company recognition.  Sometimes it's the missing piece between you & your future customer. Customized promotional items are definitely a bridge between your business & the public.

Customer retention is one of the most important aspects of business. Making sure clients are happy with a brand is a key part to succeeding in a very competitive marketplace. The likelihood of business retention increases by 18 percent through the use of promotional imprinted products. Give out something with your name boldly displayed & your company will be visible day in & day out.

People want to feel appreciated & may be likely to return if they feel that the business cares. Using customized promotional items as an incentive is a great way to build relationships. The public appreciates a personal touch instead of being treated like faceless consumers on one end of transactions. Businesses can go the extra mile with these products & create a lasting bond with the people that come through their doors.

Here are the results of a survey conducted by the Advertising Specialties Institute (ASI) on the effectiveness of promotional imprinted products:

• 92% of the people questioned believe branded promotional merchandise increases company identity.
• 76% say they can name a brand or company/organization featured on a promotional product that's on their desk without having to look for confirmation.
• 52% purchased from companies that gave them branded promotional merchandise--that's over half.
• 83% would keep an item they were given rather than give it away.

Within the 92% of respondents who said promotional merchandise increases awareness:

• 83% would keep the items for themselves.
• 14% would pass it on to a collegue.
• 3% would give it to a family member.

As they say, the proof is in the pudding.

Interestingly, the survey also shows that more women than men are able to recall company names of promotional custom products that were given to them.

Top 3 reasons why people keep promotional items:

• Usefulness
• Value of the product--how valuable it is to them.
• Need for reference.

The survey also listed the top 10 items that people keep (in order of importance):

1. Apparel
2. Pens
3. Coffee Mugs
4. Post-It Notes
5. Note Pads
6. Drinkware (other than coffee mugs)
7. Shopping Bags
8. Mouse Pads
9. Calendar Desk Pads/ Calendars
10. Key Tags

With a few slight adjustments, this follows pretty close to what my customer ask for & purchase. I find pens are #1 while apparel is further down on the list. Insulated drinkware & sport bottles are more popular with my customers than coffee mugs. The key tags--that's surprising........those are not on my top 10 & haven't been for several years.

The top 10 that my customers want the most:

1. Pens
2. Note Pads/ Sticky Notes
3. Shopping & Tote Bags (all sizes & styles)
4. Drinkware (other than mugs)
5. Hand Sanitizers 
6. Lip Balm
7. Ceramic Coffee Mugs
8. Stress Items
9. Mouse Pads

And there's a tie for 10th:
          Desk Top Cell Phone Holders & Apparel

So the main question shouldn't be "why?", but "what". What promotional items should you buy that will benefit your customers & your company as well?  Good luck!

IT'S YOUR COMPANY........SHOW IT OFF!!!
Ronni Sherman

Electronic Accessories As Customized Promotional Gifts

Today electronics & accessories for the products are number 1 on people's wish lists. These are the gifts that are the most sought after. Looking for a gift that will make an impact......something that will make you stand out? If you choose an item for electronics then that's exactly what you'll do. Forget the gift card (do you really want your customer to know what you spent on him?), box of candy or the paper weight--leave those for your competition.

Wow your customers with one of these suggestions below. There's something for every budget & yet you can bet these won't be stashed away & forgotten by the new year.

Stylus pens are designed to be used on touch screens & paper. The delicate round, rubber tip will not scratch or harm the screen. The tips are different than the old stylus pens that were too sharp for today's touch screen devices. And, good news, the cost has come down.

The pens are activated by twist-action or cap-action & all stylus tips are safe to use with a smart phone, tablets & other touch screen devices.


Sleeves for laptops, iPads, Kindle Fires & other tablets are vital. It seems everyone has a laptop or a tablet, but not everybody has a cover to protect them. After the major investment, a lot of people overlook the alll-important sleeves thinking it's not necessary or it can wait until a later date.

It's so important to protect & store these investments.  What a perfect gift for the holidays & what an ideal way to show off your company name & logo at the same time.

USB car chargers with dual ports are my new favorite promotional imprinted product. Stay in touch while you're on the go. You no longer will have to decide which devices gets charged first.

It's compatible with all USB charging cables including cell phones, MP players, tablets, GPS & digital cameras. A red, blue or forest green LED ring illuminates your logo in the dark.


Flash drives area as much a necessity as computers yet so many people don't have them. You can advertise in a flash by adding your logo to one of these.  It's up to you if you want to store your corporate information (a personal greeting from your staff, showing next years catalog, giving a virtual tour of your company's services) or if you want to leave it blank for your clients' data.

Save, store or share files on this easy to use device. It's a must for everyone. And if they already have one......it's one of those things where you can always use a second.

A portable mouse is something that most people won't buy for themselves but would like to receive. Are you unhappy with the mouse on your laptop? You're not the only one--a lot of people are. This fun mouse lights up when in use......your logo & outside trim will glow.

The mouse comes with a retractable cord that extends up to 30". It's slim profile & pouch make it easy to transport & store. Also great for travel.

 
Cell phone holders will make it easier to find your phone. Have you ever picked up a stack of papers from your desk, not realizing your mobile phone was right there & it goes flying across the room? Or you hear it ring, but can't find it? This desk top cell phone holder is the perfect solution.

This colorful phone holder has a gripper surface & if folds for easy storage or shipping. If you have customers out of your area, then this is an easy gift to get to them.

A travel case for cords & chargers is perfect for anyone who has plans for business trips or family vacations......whether they're going just a short distance or traveling abroad. This neoprene, lightweight case keeps all cords & chargers in one place & organized. It's compact & will fit in a carry-on or computer case.

Make it easier for your customer to stay connected while away with this ideal gift.

These customized promotional gifts are great in themselves & soemting that will be appreciated & used well after the holiday season. Want to make even a bigger impact? A mouse, flashdrives, USB car chargers, pens with a stylus or flashdrives & mouse pads are all available with LED lights that light up when the item is in use.  Your company name & logo will literally glow.

So whether you put your business name in lights or your logo on a gift that will last months--years, do it with style this season.  Good luck to you.

IT'S YOUR COMPANY........SHOW IT OFF!!!
Ronni Sherman

Customized Promotional Food Gifts For The Holidays

The holiday season is upon us. It comes earlier & earlier each year. In the past, it used to be the Friday after Thanksgiving that marked the season; but no longer........ads are on TV showing holiday bargains. Last week the HomeGoods store looked like it was December, not the week before Halloween. Christmas decorations were already replacing pumpkins & witches.

Big business is also getting on the holiday bandwagon & trying to up their sales by adding to what they already are marketing. Sometimes it works & sometimes it doesn't, as in the case of Pringles.

It's never good to stay stationery. Customers will move away from your product & gravitate to a competitor if you don't offer something new or give a new twist to the old. It will also expand your customer base if you expand your product line. Good examples of this are Colgate & Crest--they don't only sell fluoride toothpaste; but they have a wide variety of toothpastes & gels, whiteners & tooth brushes--something for everyone.  Pepsi doesn't just have regular Pepsi, but the shelves are filled with diet & flavored drinks. Johnson & Johnson used to be known for bandaids but now they've infiltrated the market with health & beauty products as well as food items.

And this is good as long as your new product has been tested, tested & retested before you market it. Oreo cookies has always had hits with their flavored fillings, especially their latest--Halloween themed candy corn. That produced one rave after another.

Pringles, on the other hand, hasn't been so lucky with their new seasonal flavors: Pumpkin Pie Spice, Chocolate Peppermint & Cinnamon & Sugar.  So far the reviews have not been great. One example is the Huffington Post which wrote that "all the flavors are a little weird with some venturing into downright disgusting."  Ouch!

Still food products are the number 1 gift item for the holidays.  So while it's not my favorite--only because it's expendable & your company name could soon be forgotten--I suggest you don't give the ordinary stale tin of popcorn or generic tin of Danish butter cookies.  Stand out from everyone else & customize your food gifts. You don't have to reinvent the wheel & come up with a new flavor........just make sure your logo & company name are prominently displayed either on the container or the food item, itself. This will make you stand out.  You can give a promotional imprinted product as a gift as long as it's not what you've been handing out all year long.


In fact, you could have the best of both worlds by putting your food items in containers that will last & be used throughout the year; such as ceramic coffee mugs, novel desktop candy dispensers or candy jars. The important thing to remember when giving customized promotional food gifts is that your logo should be easily seen.  You will wow them with your originality & hopefully they'll remember you in the new year when your products or services will be needed.

When giving a food product as a gift, keep the flavor simple so it will appeal to all tastes. Stay away from pumpkin spice potato chips & stick with the regular & proven flavors--those that are still tasty & popular.  Impress them, instead, with your presentation. Creatively wrap it & make sure your logo is on the container or the chocolate bar.  Do it with pizzazz......that's impressive.

Looks like the door is open for the holiday season to begin & the frantic race is on! Wishing you a successful season.  Good luck to all of you!

IT'S YOUR COMPANY........SHOW IT OFF!!!
Ronni Sherman

Maximize The Effectiveness Of Promotional Custom Products

Offering custom corporate gifts & promotional imprinted products are great ways to build a relationship with your existing customers while also spreading word of your business to potential clients. After all everyone, everywhere loves getting something for free, so it's guaranteed to help your company grow, right? Well, not so fast. People may like customized promotional tote bags & custom coffee mugs, but those don't necessarily translate into instant sales. While these items are great selling & marketing tools, they need to stand out from the rest to be noticed & for you to be remembered when your services or products are needed.

Not surprisingly, your business isn't the first one to realize the marketing potential of advertising specialties, so you can bet that for every stress ball you hand out, there are a half dozen similar ones crowding that person's desk drawer. You need to show creativity to make sure that your products stand out from your competitors. To help you along the way, here are a few tips to maximize the effectiveness of your promotional custom products.

Bigger Is Better
While it might not be true in all cases, bigger is certainly better when it comes to marketing gifts. Why is this? Let's use personalized pens as an example. Sure, your logo & company name is right there on the side, but chances are that pen is surrounded by many more like it in a desk top coffee mug. You need to encourage that person to reach for YOUR pen. It will be easier to that if it's the fatter & taller one poking out of the group. Believe it or not, these 8" pens are as easy & comfortable to write with as their smaller cousins.

Eliminate The Ordinary
The most useful & popular promotional products are ones that everyone gives out because they've been proven over time that they work. So if you can't make it bigger, how can you make it stand out & not blend in with the others? Wow them with bright colors, change the shape......do whatever it takes to be different than your competition. A good example is a sports bottle. You see them everywhere now. People carry them wherever they go. But you see round ones--look at this six-sided bottle in bright jewel tones. Ask yourself what you'd rather receive as a token of appreciation.

Keep It Practical

Promotional gifts like mini rubber basketballs & hand-clappers are fun......for about 10 minutes until the person forgets about them forever. The most effective advertising is going to come items that people need & use on a regular basis--ones that are useful to them, so stick with the practical products. Custom & colorful note pads, ceramic coffee mugs & even letter openers come into play almost everyday. These, along with pens, are some of the best products to imprint your logo. Reusable shopping bags are the number one marketing item right now & they not only keep your name in front of your client but it's in public for potential customers to see......day after day all year long.

Do It For The Kids

There is one instance when you should consider ditching the practical route for a more fun option--children's toys. After all, if there's one group that loves free stuff more than any other, it's kids.  And the parents in your target audience will appreciate that you thought of their children. In fact, it's a good way to win them over. Stuffed animals, beach balls, coloring books, crayons, sidewalk chalk, hacky sacks, yo-yos, slinkies (remember those?), banks & the list goes on. These are all great & inexpensive gifts that the little ones are sure to love & that's bound to get the message to their parents also.

Don't Be A Dinosaur

There are many marketing products that used be extremely effective in the promotional field, like key tags & magnets. They have outlived their use & if you continue to give these out, you can be sure that they will most likely end up in the waste paper basket. Keep up with the times & make sure what you hand out is useful & will be used on a regular basis. Just because it worked in the past doesn't mean it will work now. The whole point is for your company name & logo to be seen so you will be remembered. Mouse pads, cubicle pins, sticky note pads & cell phone holders are some items that keep up with the times.

So the next time you hand out your promotional custom products, think how yours can make an impact & stand out from the others. What can you do so your customers will want to use what they get from you over what they get elsewhere? Good luck!

IT'S YOUR COMPANY........SHOW IT OFF!!!
Ronni Sherman

Specialty Coffee Promotional Custom Products

It's fall......the leaves are already starting to turn, the weather is cooler, night time football games at high schools & universities. All this brings to mind piping hot drinks. There's nothing like a roaring fire, a soft afghan & a hot cup of coffee or tea to take the chill out of the early morning or late evening air.

Consider this: according to annual industry reports, 150 million people in the US (that's half the population) enjoy tea, coffee & specialty coffee drinks. What does this mean for you? Adding a jolt of joe to your promotional imprinted products could open new grounds for success.

Iced teas & iced coffee are being replaced by hot tea, coffee, cocoa & cider laced with cinnamon. Make sure when your client reaches for his favorite drink, your logo & company name are in front of him all the time.

Now is the time to consider gifts for your loyal customers & your employees. Coffee related customized promotional gifts are available to fit any budget.

They say a picture is worth 1000 words, so scroll down & see the wide array of options available to you.

Ceramic coffee mugs: make sure your mug doesn't blend in with all the others & ends up at the back of a shelf in a dark cupboard.

A modern chrome & ceramic mug.

Mug with eye-catching graphics like these paint drips.

Mug with a handy, removable spoon.

Stunning black gloss mug with a colored rim.

Insulated tumblers & mugs: take the ordinary out of the usual & wow your customers with shape & color.

Stainless steel with a leatherette accent for a rich look.

Italian design with stainless steel interior & acrylic outer shell.

Acrylic & stainless tumbler with a modern touch.

Acrylic travel tumbler with a black grip & a one of a kind design.

Individual drink packets: don't give an empty mug......load it with goodies. These can be purchased individually or with a mug. All are imprinted with your logo & name.

1.5 oz package of fresh roasted coffee brews one pot (10 -12 cups).

Packet of rich hot chocolate fills 1 mug--just add water.

Each packet contains 4 flavors of individually wrapped tea

Yummy apple cider packet fills one mug.

Other fun items: go for the unusual & put your logo on these accessories.

No more cold coffee or tea. This mug warmer plugs into your computer or any USB outlet.

Genuine leather coaster with white stitiching.

Lid with a coffee bean decor to keep beverages hot or to keep from spilling.

As you can see, there are a lot of options. Promotional custom products are important for your image whether you're handing them out on a daily basis or using them as gifts. A word of caution: if you're giving these as gifts, do not give the same promotional items you use all year for marketing. You won't get the response you were expecting.

Hope these pictures give you some new ideas for your next marketing campaign or as gifts for your customers.
IT'S YOUR COMPANY......SHOW IT OFF!!!
Ronni Sherman

Promotional Halloween Bags Promote Your Business & Safety

It's always a great thing when your business can promote both child safety & your company at the same time.  It's easy to do with customized promotional Halloween trick or treat bags. Many trick or treat bags have safety tips printed on stock designs. Add your custom logo & you'll help promote Halloween safety to both kids & parents while promoting your business. You can choose from a variety of bags & a wide range of colors. They're available in plastic, non-woven & a reflective metallic plastic--which adds even more safety because of the reflectiveness of the bag material.

Safety is such a huge issue on Halloween, I'm listing some tips to keep your kids safe while trick or treating:

1. An adult should be with your child at all times.
2. Only trick or treat in neighborhoods you deem safe--neighborhoods you know.
3. Plan a trick or treat route in advance.
4. Go in a larger group--for both safety & visibility.
5. Have each child wear or carry something lit such as a glow stick, flashlight or reflective clothing.
6. Don't carry dangerous props such as metal knives or swords.  Use plastic or flexible props.
7. Keep your dog at home if he is nervous around crowds, a barker or biter.
8. Trick or treat during the times when most people are out trick or treating.
9. Check your child's candy before letting them eat it.
10. Don't let your children wear masks or costumes that obstruct their vision.
11. Use crosswalks when crossing streets & major intersections.
12. Make sure your child's costume isn't too long so they don't trip  & fall.
13. Don't go inside people's houses to get the treats.  Stay on the porches.
14. Only trick or treat at houses that are well lit & have a porch light on.

All parents of trick or treating age children look for Halloween bags or other containers for their kids' candy. With the expense of costumes (they now cost as much as an outfit or more) & the accessories, most parents will appreciate receiving these as a gift. These bags are inexpensive & are great to give out in mass quantities for branding & marketing exposure. They are the perfect promotional imprinted product. The bags you give to your clients & prospective customers will end up in the hands of their children or the children of their friends.

In light of Halloween coming up at the end of this month, I have listed some ideas to use trick or treat bags to help market your business.  All ideas won't apply to your company, but many of them will.

1. Use Halloween bags as a retail shopping bag when your customers purchase small merchandise.
2. If you have a medical practice with children as patients, make sure they get the bags--maybe with some stickers inside.
3. Realtors can hang them on neighborhood doors in place of the usual door hangers.
4. If you provide written quotes or estimates to your clients, insert the printed quote in the Halloween bag when you deliver the estimate to them.
5. For photographers, deliver your client's printed photos in a trick or treat bag.
6. Give out quantities of your bags printed with your logo to businesses to pass out to kids that come in.
7. Give out the bags to non-profit organizations that deal with children.
8. Give out your bags at conventions that take place in October.
9. If your company provides samples of products, put them in the trick or treat bags & hand them out.
10. Have a display at your place of business with a sign saying FREE--TAKE ONE--& give out to your customers who have children.
11. Insert brochures, business cards & other literature about your business in the bags & pass out around neighborhoods or businesses.
12. Pass out enough Halloween bags to schools to give out to each student. The child will bring the bag home & that will market your business to parents.

Customized promotional Halloween bags are an inexpensive way to be noticed & remembered.

Keeping the kids (& adults) safe while trick or treating on Halloween should be a top priority for everyone.  Have a happy & safe Halloween.

IT'S YOUR COMPANY........SHOW IT OFF!!!
Ronni Sherman