Pantone Color Of The Year

The Pantone color of the year is Emerald Green.  Pantone LLC, the global authority on color & provider of professional color standards for the design industry picks a new color every year.

The company is headquartered in Carlstadt, NJ & is best known for it's Pantone Matching System (PMS), a registered color system that standardizes colors in a variety of industries. PMS colors are used in the manufacturing of paint, fabrics, plastics & especially in the advertising specialty field.  It's the code of colors used imprinting promotional custom products.

They say emerald is lively, radiant & lush......a color of elegance that enhances a sense of well-being, balance & harmony. It's also the color of growth, renewal & prosperity.  No other color represents regeneration more than green.

Every year a new color is picked & they have reasons for that color, usually a reflection of the times. This year shows faith & hope in a growing economy.  Here are the colors chosen since 2000.

You will see emerald green in fashion, home decor, cosmetics, web design, graphic design, promotional imprinted products & as an accent to dress up accessories.

This color is easy to work with when it comes to customized promotional items whether you're using it as an imprint color or the actual item is emerald green. It's bright & rich & will make your logo pop & be noticed.  It's a fun color that shouts out "I'm here--don't ignore me."

Even if you don't use the exact PMS color, you can still get the feel of emerald green. Look at a real emerald & you will see different hues of green within the gem. That's what makes this color fun & easy to use......be creative, use your imagination.

Basically for branding purposes & company recognition, I feel it's best to stay with your corporate colors & not deviate from that. But, like in everything else, there are exceptions......one being if it's important for you to show you're a trendy business & up on all current events & fashions. If you're sponsoring a local sports team or school function you might use their colors with your logo & it would be a bonus if that color was Pantone's color of the year.

Whatever you do.........put your best foot--or color--forward when you promote your business.

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

Send Your Promotional Custom Products On A Trip

Do you want brand recognition beyond your community? To have your logo seen around the country without breaking the bank? How would you like to advertise your business nationwide--even worldwide--inexpensively......sometimes for under a dollar?

It can't be done, you say? Well, it can--simply by putting your logo on a promotional imprinted product that will be used while traveling. It doesn't matter if it's by plane, car, train or boat......you company name will be seen. Think of the exposure just one luggage tag or backpack can get.  Your logo will be going places where you won't be going.

Summer is here & it's one of the heaviest travel seasons. July & August are the busiest months. People are traveling more now than they did just a couple of years ago so take advantage of this time & hand out customized promotional items that the public will use while on vacation or a business trip. That students will use as they go to & from school. Wherever they go, they are taking your business right along with them!

Since almost everyone will be going someplace over the summer, whether a long week-end or several weeks, there's a broad spectrum of people who will welcome & use these products. You don't have to be in the travel industry to hand these out.

Here are some ideas for promotional custom products that are good for the traveler:

LUGGAGE TAGS: Yes, it's the obvious but you don't have to give out an ordinary plastic rectangular tag. They're now available in all shapes, including the shape of your logo & in bright colors that will make your company name pop. They come equipped with LED lights that are motion-sensored & light up when coming down the baggage carousel.  Some tags are 3-D & have brilliantly colored changing images--they become animated. How fun is that! Or the tag that says "Take This Bag. It's Dirty Laundry" is perfect for the college student.

TOTE BAGS, DUFFEL BAGS & BACKPACKS:  Everyone is schlepping a bag on the plane now. If they're going by car, bags of all kinds are being used to stuff extra items & then crammed into the trunk or back seat. There's not too much I can add that you don't already know. The large area will advertise your company spectacularly. Shapes, colors, sizes, price ranges......there's no end to the options you have.  Think of the places they'll go & the people who will see them.



SLEEP MASKS: While your clients snooze at 50,000 feet, this item will advertise your business to everyone who strolls down the aisle. The imprint space is large enough to vividly show of your logo & company & name.

 
UMBRELLAS: Your customer may be traveling, but the sun may be on vacation too. These are necessary to any traveler who is not going to a tropical island. Because customized promotional umbrellas are compact & collapsible, they are easy to pack & take up no room. Your company name can imprinted on one panel or all panels. Another plus about these are they are not stowed away with the luggage upon return, since in most regions they can be used year around. Your logo can shine on the gloomiest of days.

GARMENT BAGS: The suitcases have gotten smaller & the check-in bag fees bigger. No one wants to pay extra to check a bag through, but some garments can't be packed in a carry-on. One logical solution is a garment bag that the flight attendant can hang for you & you retrieve it as you exit the plane. Your suit, cocktail dress, band uniform will be in perfect condition & will never need packing or unpacking. That's a time saver.  These come in all materials & price ranges. My favorite is a non-woven bag because it's light weight & shows off your logo.


BEACH TOWELS: These are huge colorful billboards for your business.  There's no limit to what you can put on towels & enhance your company's image. Not everyone who is going to a beach area will be staying in a hotel that supplies towels. And let's not forget about campers. Camping on the beach, lakeside or fiver front is very popular & then the towels will be in great demand. These can be used all summer, whether home or away.


COOLERS: Speaking of camping, everyone will need a cooler--whether it's a small one that holds 24 cans of soda or a large one on wheels. Again, there's ample room to display your logo & advertising message. These are useful & can be used over & over, even when not on vacation......a day at the beach, on the boat, at a local soccer or little league game, a family picnic or while attending a concert or movie in the park. No matter where they are used, your logo will be seen by a lot of people.

COLORING BOOKS: On a plane, waiting at the airport, riding in the car or being stuck in a cabin on a rainy day--kids need to be entertained. Full sized coloring books with a full color cover & area for your logo & company name is ideal for any customer with children or grandchildren. There are activity books, coloring books & sticker books for all ages & covering many subjects: safety (bike & car), recycling, going to the doctor, dentist or hospital, bullying, staying away from strangers, how to call 911 for a policeman or fireman.......& the list goes on.  They are entertaining & educational.


These are just a few ideas where you can display your company name while traveling. When they go on a trip, let your business go along for the ride.

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

Stone Paper--Amazing & Eco-Friendly Promotional Custom Product

I have a new favorite customized promotional item & it will be a long time before I find anything to top this......stone paper. In fact there are tons of pluses & not one thing negative about it. How many times can you that about something?

When I first heard about stone paper, I imagined writing on gritty, grainy, inferior paper. I though a pen would scratch it's way across the surface or skip in places while I dashed off a note.

I couldn't be further from the truth!

So what is this paper? Stone paper is made from stone, usually limestone. It's made from 80% stone & 20% from a non-toxic resin--HDPE plastic. The limestone is actually called Calcium Carbonate that is unused stone in the limestone quarries. It's ground down to a fine powder-like chalk & mixed with the resin. Together these materials create this magical, wonder paper!

It's as thin & flexible as a sheet of paper & writing on it is a breeze. Pens & pencils write evenly & smoothly. It's smudge proof so any kind of marker can easily be used.

 This is what I think is the best part......it's waterproof. Yes, waterproof paper. Sorry kids, you can't use the "I dropped my homework in a puddle" excuse for this paper.

If we still use checks in the future, I can see them being made out of this paper because it's also tear proof.

Stone paper has some other convenient properties too. It's free of chemicals & it's naturally anti-bacterial. Great for doctor's offices, schools & anywhere else lots of hand touch the same sheet of paper--especially during flu season.

Ok, it's tear proof, smudge resistant & waterproof.  Anything else? Yes!

As you may have guessed, no tress are harmed in the making of stone paper. In fact, less waste is generated in creating this paper than regular paper. Replace 1 ton of regular paper with 1 ton of stone paper & you will save:

• 6 million BTU of energy
• 20 trees
• 167 lbs of solid waste
• 236 lbs of atmospheric emissions
• 7480 gallons of waste water

It's eco-friendly--completely bio degradable. But can it be recycled?  Absolutely--just like any other paper.

Can we afford it? Yes, the notebooks, jotters & bags are price int he same neighborhood as regular paper.

Jotters

Desk Calendars & Blotters

Gift Bags & Shopping Totes

 So can you find anything you don't like about this?

Beat your competitors to the finish line & amaze your customers with this awesome paper next time you hand out promotional imprinted products.

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

Tips For Selecting Promotional Custom Products

Promotional imprinted products are useful & unique things that most people could definitely use & would probably buy anyway. What makes them more unique than an item bought at Target or an office supply store is they are imprinted with a corporate logo. This raises public awareness about your company & is essential in building your brand.

The benefits of customized promotional items are obvious:

• They constantly--& discreetly--remind your customer about your business.
• They make your brand visible among a wider public.
• They build employee morale.
• They promote customer service.
• They build the perception of quality for your company.
• They can give you an advantage over the competition.

 These benefits generate repeat customers & keep your brand at the forefront of people's minds. If someone, let's say "Amanda" has & uses a sports bottle with "Mountain View Yoga" on it & she sees it everyday when she uses the bottle, there is a great chance she will call them when she's ready to investigate yoga classes. Or if she received the bottle when she signed up, she will feel appreciated by Mountain View & will probably stay with the yoga studio........building ties & loyalty to the customer.

 Regardless of age, socio-economic background or gender, people love receiving free gifts (as long as it's not junk). Promotional products magnify the image of your company & build goodwill.

But how do you choose the right product from the thousands & thousands of promotional items available?

Here are five tips to consider when deciding on a promotional custom product for your business.

1. USEFUL: The more your promotional product is used, the more power your advertising message has.  This is not the time to settle on something "cheap" or irrelevant or to rummage through your storage closet for items you bought five years ago. The best way to ensure your brand's exposure is to choose something useful. A non-woven bag, a combination pen & stylus, a flash drive, a coffee mug or tumbler........these items have a good chance of making it into the recipient's daily routine because of their usefulness.  The more a person values the promotional item, the more they'll use it & the more you're logo will be seen.
2. LASTING: Edible promotional items like candy or popcorn are fun, clever & enjoyed; but they don't last. As soon as it's consumed, you'll be forgotten. They work better as a compliment to another, more lasting promotional imprinted product. It's much better to choose something that the recipient won't eat & then throw away the package with your logo. It's better to select an item that will be around for awhile so your branding can go to work for you.
3. VISIBLE: The goal is for your logo/brand to be seen so it's not a good idea to choose something that will be buried in a desk drawer or a shelf in the closet.  Choose something that will be used daily & find it's way to the recipients desk like a coffee mug, mouse pad or memo cube.  Or something that can be taken out & about & will be seen by the public........a non-woven shopping bag or a sports bottle.
4. REFLECT YOUR BRAND: Select something that shows your company's personality & is relevant to your field.  If you work in the geriatric industry, a pedometer is not a wise choice for promotional items; but a deck of cards with your logo will be appreciated. On the other hand, a pedometer would be perfect for a gym or a family doctor to hand out.  In the financial field? A calculator or letter opener.  A manicurist........nail files; a trendy clothing boutique........lip balms with your logo on a bright neon label; a body shop........a USB phone charger for the car.
5. QUALITY: It has to be an item of quality. Good quality doesn't mean the product has to cost a lot--it means something the recipient will want & use. Something of value to them. It also means that once you pick your item, you don't go with the cheapest knowing the quality is not up to par. You don't want to give out a pen that doesn't write or a bag that tears while being used. That will reflect your company & no one will say: "Wow, thanks for giving me this cheap piece of junk. I can't wait to do business with you."

It's so important to use customized promotional items in your marketing; but it's more important to distribute something that the public will remember you in favorable way.

Hope this helps you.
IT'S YOUR COMPANY........SHOW IT OFF!!!
Ronni Sherman