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

Turn Up The Heat This Summer With These Promotional Imprinted Products

Summer is less than a month away. Can you believe that! How many of you are making plans for vacations, camp for the kids, family reunions or signing up for Little League, soccer or swim teams? School is almost out & in most families plans are made for the three months ahead.

Let me ask you this......how many of you have given the same consideration to your summer marketing plans? Are you satisfied giving out the same pens, sticky notes or mouse pads?

I'm sure you've heard the saying, "variety is the spice of life". That goes for your business too. So spice up your advertising campaign with these summer promotional custom products.

1. BEACH BALLS: They're fun & used over & over. How many people can walk by a beach ball without kicking or tossing it? They have a large advertising space for your name to be seen at a distance. Your logo will bounce along the coast or in a backyard around the pool. Take them on family vacations, camping trips or a day at the beach. They take up little space before they're blown up so it's a perfect customized promotional item to give out a trade show.



2. SPORTS BOTTLES: These are great because wherever they go, so does your company name & they are taken everywhere. They're available in a wide variety of shapes, sizes & colors. These are not the water bottles of the past that used to be forgotten & discarded in the trunk of your car. This new plastic doesn't retain odors or taste, is shatter resistant & comes in bright translucent colors that will make your business stand out. Sport bottles now come in aluminum & stainless steel for something different. Look around you......at the store, in the mall, at the park or at the gym......people are carrying water bottles wherever they go. Let them take your logo along for the ride.

3. KOOZIES: These are fun promotional custom products that will keep beverages cold, prevent the can from sweating & keep your logo in the hands of your target audience. They are perfect for the beach, a Sunday outside get-together, family bar-b-ques, sporting events, conventions give-aways & fund raisers. They come in many sizes that will fit cans, bottles & even wine. There's also a large assortment of colors.  No more warm beverages in a sweaty can or bottle. Use them inside to prevent rings on a desk or table. And when an outside event is not so casual, you can get them in leather.

 4. SEED PACKETS: Promote effectively by giving out a gift that blooms & will keep on living. Customized promotional seed packs are hot, new marketing tools that provide an interactive experience & a lasting impression. They are available in a variety of types: organic vegetables, fruits, herbs, wildflowers, garden flowers & more. You can even get a money tree......how's that for an idea to promote your business! In some cases, they come with imprinted planters that can sit on a desk or windowsill. These packets will have such a positive impact on everyone who receives them.

5. FLYING DISCS: Frisbees have become a popular sport & can be seen in parks, at beaches--almost anywhere that people gather during the summer months. It's become a popular pastime on university campuses so hand them out this summer & your company may go to college in the fall. And don't forget your customers who are dog owners. Flying discs make a better game of Fetch than a ball. Let your logo fly through the air & be noticed on these bright colored discs.

6. GOLF ITEMS: Whether at a private club or a public course, your company name will be seen. Your options are endless......tees, balls, markers, divot tools, towels, gloves & yes, go for it--put your logo on an umbrella. Show you care about what is going on in your community & give them out at a golf tournament for charity. Your clients & prospective customers who are golfers will appreciate anything you give them that has to do with the sport. Your logo can be seen rolling around a golf course & you will be remembered.

7. T-SHIRTS: The weather is warmer & people are wearing lighter weight clothing & short sleeves. T-shirts are walking billboards & they are taking your company name to places where you haven't been. Just look around you & notice all the t-shirts. Most of them are imprinted & many of them advertising a business. These t-shirts are a sign of the times & should be inserted in a time capsule.  Some people collect them & to others they are a fashion statement. They boldly show a logo & what the company is all about. It's all prominently displayed. They are worn, they are read & they are noticed.

8. COOLERS: Customized promotional coolers run the gamut when it comes to size & uses. From the traditional square ones that hold a 2-pack or lunch to the large ones on wheels, these are indispensable. I can't begin to name all the ways they are used or all the places they are taken......camping, the beach or lake, boating, fishing, sporting events, movies in the park, schlepping frozen groceries home from the store, potluck dinners. Many day camps don't offer lunches & using coolers as lunch bags, you can pack more than a peanut butter & jelly sandwich.

Offering custom promotional products during the summer months is effective because the days are longer, people are active & they are spending more time outdoors. No matter how big or small your business is or what industry you be in, summertime promotions are a fun & wise way to boost your brand.  Just make sure you had out quality items that people will use repeatedly.

You may take a vacation this summer, but your company name won't as long as it's on products that will be seen & used by the public.

I hope this will help give your business a new & sizzling boost. Good luck!
IT'S YOUR COMPANY........SHOW IT OFF!!!
Ronni Sherman

Customized Promotional Items For Safety

My heart goes out to the people in Oklahoma who lost their homes & everything they own & especially to those who lost their loved ones. I can't even imagine the grief.

Towns are flattened as if they never existed--homes reduced to a pile of rubbish, trees stripped of branches & bark, cars landing miles from where they were parked.  The wrath of Mother Nature in just a matter of minutes......it's unbelievable.

I think we are all reeling from the devastation the tornadoes left in their wake in Oklahoma. The residents of Moore & Newcastle are in our thoughts & prayers & have the sympathy of their fellow Americans. And I'm sure many of us are thinking "all but for the grace of God" for none of us are immune from this kind of destruction. Tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, fires......we could all be victims at any given time.

While Oklahoma is still in our thoughts & the question "what if" may linger in our minds, this might be a good time to rethink what we are giving out for promotional imprinted products. No matter where you live or what your lifestyle is, everyone needs first aid kits & precautionary items like flashlights.

Customized promotional safety items may be the best products you can give out now, especially with summer approaching. These can include almost any target audience & your clients & prospective customers will be grateful that you were thinking of their well-being. I'm not talking about the large emergency kits a family could live on for a week--that's the individual's responsibility.

Here are some FIRST AID IDEAS that can fit compactly in a car, carry-on bag, desk drawer, a child's backpack, an overnight bag or a sport bag.

How is it whenever you need a bandaid there isn't one handy? This plastic case holds bandaids & is refillable. Perfect for the car, boat, purse, backpack or any kind of bag.

This hard cover first aid kit holds an assortment of bandaids, swabs, tape, cotton & scissors. There's also an inside compartment for pills.

 This canvass covered kit contains an assortment of bandages, gauze, cotton, scissors, tweezers, sewing kit & a bottle for pills.

FLASHLIGHTS are a definite must in any emergency situation & a person can never have enough. They should be tucked away in every room, on the boat & in the car.

This handy aluminum flashlight is only 3 1/2" long so it can fit anywhere. Yet it shines bright with 9 white LED lights.

 This flashlight has a dual setting. You can shine light from front to side with a push of a button.

A crank flashlight means you never have to worry about batteries. This 3" flashlight has three extra bright LED lights.

This flashlight can function as a flashlight, a strobe light or a lantern. It has a bright white LED light & a convenient hook for easy hanging.

We all need to take precautions whether it's only a scraped knee or a real emergency. These custom promotional products are a good way to reach out to your customers & show you care.

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

Color & Your Brand

Color is extremely important in brand identity. The most prominent brands in the world are identified by their colors. McDonald's golden arches, UPS, Coca-Cola, Tiffany's--these companies, & many others, strategically use color in their logo, website & product for instant recognition & to appeal to customers.

Learn from these huge conglomerates & pick a color or colors & use them ALL the time--in your written communication, on your website, your promotional imprinted products & your packaging.  But don't pick just any color or a color because it happens to be your favorite.  Colors relay messages & choosing the wrong color could extend the wrong impression of your business.

Why should you care about your colors?

• Studies have shown that a product color influences 600 - 80% of a customer's purchasing decision. Color can make or break a product.
• Color is the 1st thing a customer will notice about your logo.
• It costs your company next to nothing to choose a color, but making the wrong decision could cost your business in the long run.

 So you see, color matters........your brand colors will make a huge statement about your company!

Colors have an impact on people's emotional state & on their ability to learn & concentrate. The effect of color are physiological, psychological & socialogical.

Research has found that different color provoke different reactions. Here are some examples:

• Non primary colors are more calming than primary colors.
• Children prefer primary colors. Children's books & toys use these colors.
• Blue is the most calming of primary colors. Test takers score higher & weight lifters lift more in blue rooms. Blue text increases reading retention.
• Blue & black suppresses appetites.
• Yellow evokes cheerfulness. Houses with yellow trim & yellow flowers in the garden sell faster.
• Reds & oranges encourage diners to eat quickly & leave. Red also makes food more appealing & encourages people to eat more. Fast food restaurants always use these colors.
• Red trim is used in casinos & bars because it causes people to lose track of time.
• Orange is often used to make an expensive item look less expensive.
• Pink enhances appetites & has been seen to calm prison inmates.

Companies use colors to express who they are & what they want you to think of them.  How many companies can you recognize just by the color they use?

After reading what emotion each color elicits, scroll down  & see if your list matched mine.  Did you add to it? 

Brands use red when they want to be seen as powerful, passionate companies.

Brands use green to show youthfulness, financial savings or gain, love of nature & the environment.

Brands use yellow to show they're fun & friendly.

Brands use orange to signify playfulness & physical comfort, enjoying social interaction & you get your money's worth from the product or service.

Brands use blue to seem calm & logical. It also conveys trust, integrity, & communication.  But if the wrong tone of blue is used, the company can seem cold & unapproachable.

Brands use pink to show femininity, love, nurturing & sexiness.

Brands use purple to seem luxurious, whimsical, highly intelligent & to convey a sense of royalty.

Brands use browns to show warmth, dependability, safety & earthiness.

Brands use black to signify exclusivity, glamor, luxury, sophistication & sometimes mystery.

Brands use white to be associated with coolness, cleanliness & freshness.

RED: The Virgin Group, Coca-Cola, Target & Macy's. The French shoemaker, Christian Louboutin won the right to trademark his shoes' distinctive red soles after suing Yves Saint Laurent.

GREEN: Garner Fructis, National Car Rental, Land Rover & Starbucks. And of course, the recycle icon is green.

YELLOW: McDonald's, Best Buy & Disney. IKEA uses yellow in their stores to emphasise a feeling of fun & happiness while shopping, inducing customers to buy more.

ORANGE: Nickelodeon, Blogger & Office Depot. The financial institution, ING, uses orange in their branding to show you'll get your money's worth; but they also use blue to show logic & trust.

BLUE: Facebook, LinkedIn, AT&T, GAP & Pillsbury.  Tiffany is immediately recognized by it's distinctive teal blue, which they had trademarked.

PINK: Victoria's Secret & Barbie. Different charities related to breast cancer have branded themselves pink.

PURPLE: Cadbury Chocolates, Yahoo!, Harrahs & various academic institutions. The pop singer, Prince, is known for only wearing purple & that has become his own brand.

BROWN: UPS, Luis Vuitton & Hershey's. The original M&Ms come in the easily identifiable brown package.

BLACK: Chanel, Nike & the car maker Lamborghini. Very few companies are known for just black--that color is usually combined with other hues.

WHITE: I can't think of any that uses white as their only color or as the main color.  Can you? But laundry products that use no additives--only natural & pure ingredients have solid white containers.

What are your colors?  How did you pick them? Because they were your favorites or because of the emotion behind them? After reading this post, do you feel they fairly represent your company?

I'd like to hear from you.
IT'S YOUR BUSINESS........SHOW IT OFF!!!
Ronni Sherman
 

Customized Promotional Items Are A Sure Bet For Success!

What's the first word that comes to mind when I mention pop-up internet ads & TV commercials? If you're like most of us, it would be "annoying", "frustrating" or "interruption" or something along those lines.  Promotional custom products can advertise for you & reach a vast audience without being so annoying & so expensive.

What's more--promotional products stay with the consumer much longer than a TV ad; therefore, your company will be remembered for a longer period of time.  And they're not nearly as expensive as an advertisement on television or any other media.

How effective are promotional imprinted products? In a word: VERY. They are a proven, cost-effective way to attract new customers, increase sales, heighten brand awareness & inform current clients.

National & international companies continually use customized promotional items: airlines, hotels, car rental agencies, banks, escrow companies, realtors, colleges & universities, retail & grocery stores, trucking companies, construction, the medical & health field, television networks, auto makers & dealerships--you see them in all walks of life.

How about politicians & political parties during campaign seasons? How many times have you gotten a hot pad holder in the mail with a politician's name on it? While campaigning, swag is constantly being handed out......political candidates run the gamut from pens & buttons to bags & t-shirts, leaving nothing out in between.

So the proof should be in the pudding if Fortune 500 companies & political campaigns use promotional imprinted products.  If it wasn't a successful way of advertising, they wouldn't be doing it. This is the one time you can do the same as these huge conglomerates--maybe not on the same scale, but there is something for every budget.

Advertising Specialties Institute (ASI) interviewed professionals in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago & Philadelphia regarding promotional products they have received.  The purpose of this study was to understand how promotional items influence the consumer.

Summary of Conclusions:

• INSTANT RECALL: More than 8 out of 10 (84%) respondents remembered the advertisers of the  promotional products they received.
• VERY IMPRESSIONABLE: 42% of the respondents had a more favorable impression of an advertiser after receiving the item. And 24% said they are more likely to do business with the advertiser on the items they received.
• IT'S ALL BUSINESS:  Most respondents (62%) have done business with the advertiser on a promotional product after receiving the item.
• PENS ARE IN: Writing instruments are the most recalled advertising specialty item (54% of the respondents recalled owning them), followed by shirts, caps & bags.
• USER-FRIENDLY: The majority (81%) of the promotional products were kept they considered useful.
• STAYING POWER: More than three-quarters of respondents have had their items for an average of 7 months.
• BAG IT!: Among wearables, bags were reported to be used most frequently with respondents indicating that they used their bags an average of 9 times per month.  They also delivered the most impressions: each bag averages 1,038 impressions per month.
• MOST IMPRESSIVE: The average CPI of an advertising specialty item is $0.004. As a result, marketers get a more favorable return on investment from advertising specialties than nearly any other popular advertising media.

This last one, the CPI or cost per impression, is the most important because that determines how effective your advertising is & if you're getting a good return on it. The greater the frequency of exposure, the lower the cost per impression.

Just what is an impression? An impression is created when a person sees or hears your brand image/message in some sort of advertisement. Impressions are crucial in creating brand awareness. The more a person sees your brand message, the higher the chance that they will one day do business with you.

This study also proves customized promotional items aren't the "cheap give-aways" they were once considered to be & they don't go straight into the trash.  Think again......over 80% of the promotional products are kept because they are useful & they are kept for an average of 7 month.

What if there were no promotional products?

• The budgets assigned for advertising would be significantly higher even for a small business.
• The chief traffic driver to exhibitions, trade shows & seminars is the "free gift". This would not be available then. The result, less people attending the function & lesser visibility.
• All this accumulates into into lower sales, lower chances at brand building & in turn less business development.

So the next time you & your staff are discussing how to divide up your advertising budget & what works the best for you, don't forget to include promotional products.  Without using these marketing tools, your advertising campaign will be like a puzzle with some pieces missing.

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

Don't Let This Happen To You!

Don't let your next promotion embarrass you. Whether it's a sign advertising your company or a customized promotional item, it's important to not only think about the product being imprinted, but what kind of message are you sending.

When a business places any sort of message on a printed product, not only must the statement be politically correct, but the logo or an image you're using must not carry a secondary meaning. Even if it's an innocent or subconscious mistake, others may see it as intentional & view your company unfavorably.  Look at what you're printing as others would--people who know nothing about your business--how would they interpret your logo?

It might even be a good idea to put your mind in the gutter while you're studying a new logo or image. Here's some examples of what could go wrong:

The black & white images in this poster create an unintended optical illusion.

It even happened to Disney Pictures. Millions of video covers for The Little Mermaid were sold before a hidden phallic symbol was discovered in the castle.

Now I've got your attention........it's not just images that can give a wrong impression. Spelling errors can make your company look sloppy & give potential customers the idea that you don't care about the end result.  Spacing between words & letters & your selection of fonts is also very important.

When it comes to marketing & promotional custom products--sweat the small stuff. It's those minute details that can make or break your advertising campaign......or worse, make or break the public's image of your company.

Advertising is the main contact that you & your business have with the outside world. Therefore, you & your company must always make sure that your image professionally reflects your company & what it stands for. Above all, this must be consistent--don't waver because you have just one chance to make a first impression & once you make it, you have to keep it. Don't bank on your customers' loyalty.

We've all seen errors like these & we've all laughed at them. Jay Leno flashes them on The Tonight Show constantly. But they're far from being humorous when it happens to you. That's why it is so very important to be meticulously observant when you get a proof for the printed product you ordered.

What do you think a client could do after spending $600 on 1000 pens that read:

JON PETERS HAIR SALON & SPA

COME TO OUR SALOON & TREAT YOURSELF ROYALLY

That actually happened to one of my customers (before he became a customer of mine). He was terribly upset over the mistake, but owned up to the fact that was his error & eventually saw the humor in it. Very few people have his forgiving temperament.

Any message placed on a promotional imprinted product must be sure to follow good promotional marketing practices. For example, in 1998, an elementary school in New York received pencils with the imprinted message: Too Cool To Do Drugs.  The customized promotional pencils were a great idea to promote a positive lifestyle to children.  But unfortunately when the pencils were sharpened, the words would spell out "Cool To Do Drugs" & eventually "Do Drugs".  The pencils were recalled & altered by imprinting the beginning of the slogan at the erasure end of the pencil.

Here's an example of a bottle opener sending a wrong message. A national car rental agency used to purchase key tags with a bottle opener attached.  They claimed they were given out at non-alcoholic events they sponsored & not to customers renting cars.  But still, think of the message they're sending......giving out a bottle opener with their corporate logo on it when it's associated with driving?  It promoted drinking & driving in an indirect way. Someone must have rethought that strategy because that item was later replaced by others more conducive to the nature of their business.

So another thing to watch out for--while a promotional imprinted product may work for one field, it could be disastrous in another.

Reputations & lasting impressions can take a long time to build but can evaporate in  an instant!

I hope this helps you from an unforseen disaster. Think everything out beforehand.  Good luck!
IT'S YOUR COMPANY........SHOW IT OFF!!!
Ronni Sherman