360 Promotions – let's brand together

I’ve been told that I don’t do a very good job of saying *No*… What can  I say? I’m just the type of person who likes to help others because the alternative  - that I have sucker written on my forehead – is just unacceptable!  So it will come as no surprise to you that I am treasurer, 25th Anniversary steward, chief blogger, newsletter schlep and a multitude of other titles for CAPPA (Corridor Area Promotional Products Association).  Part of being *25th Anniversary Steward* (sounds so fancy, ha!) is posting a collection of articles on the CAPPA blog, written by my peers, who have been in the industry for 25 years ++. 

Which brings me to my point… I got the 1st article today and let me tell you it was shocking (especially for somebody like me who will gladly volunteer to be the 1st human to have a Blackberry permanently implanted in my ear)! In 1984 the only way to view a catalog was via microfiche *gasp*, art had to be hand drawn on transparent film and imagine having no email or fax so everything was done via USPS- WOW! I am feeling a little unconnected just thinking about it!

Well, the good news is… 25 years later art is created in eps format with computer software, catalogs are available online and the post office has a $2.8 billion dollar deficit in 08′. You get the point! 

The era of 15-20 day production lead time is fading fast as manufacturing becomes much more streamlined. Even better news is that we have 1,000’s of products that can be ordered on Monday and ship on Tuesday at NO ADDITIONAL COST to you! I’m talking all kinds of products to choose from with multiple imprint methods available in every budget range possible. 

Need it now…Now, that is not a problem!

If you need ideas, you can search here or email me at jennifer@360promos.com and I will be happy to help you!

On April 18th the Lone Star Ladies presented *Shop Austin* and our client, IMT Residential was a sponsor. Check out some of the fun photos from the event!

Toni Guggenbickler from IMT Wells Branch said “Not only was the event fun but it was also a big success! At one point during the day everybody was carrying our bags- I was so excited! Thanks you so much for all of your help!”

If you have an event coming up and you need ideas search here or email us at PromoteYourself@360promos.com and we will be happy to help you!

I wanted to share this opportunity for you to help- please click here to support a great cause & my friend Katy! 

Sometimes I wonder how we ever managed without Blackberry phones, Twitter and facebook. Gone are the days of personalized snail mail – now when I want to say hi to a friend or colleague I either tweet them or write on there wall. With the technology we have available today, making smart marketing choices is even more important. One of the things we have to remember is that people are being constantly bombarded by advertising through television, radio, internet, billboards and the list goes on and on.

 So the question becomes how do you set yourself apart from your competitors? The answer is by building brand loyalty and one effective way to do that is through the use of promotional products. Studies show that 84% of people who receive promotional products can recall what company they came from and 62% of people have done business with that company after receiving the product. Those are powerful numbers!!

 When I meet with clients most people ask me “what’s new?” but the real question you want to know is “what works?” 81% of people keep a promotional product because it’s useful, so if you purchase 1,000 imprinted widgets that nobody knows how to use or what to do with and they end up getting sold in a garage sale…well, you get the picture! On the other hand if you pick an item that people like and use (i.e. tote bags, tee-shirts, hats and flash drives…just to name a few) your brand will get a lot of mileage from that one item. 

 Right now what’s working is quality over quantity. In a good promotional campaign you know what results you want to net, before you start and that sets the tone. A great example is a tennis club that was struggling to get new members. Previously they had been mailing postcards monthly to thousands of homes within a 200+ mile radius and there conversion rate was almost negative. They were very unhappy and about to give up when a new campaign was launched. Instead of mailing to 1,000+ homes monthly the criteria was redefined and the list was culled down to 300 people that lived within a 50 mile radius and had an income of at least $100,000. (Side note- you can buy these types of list from marketing companies) They decided to stop the postcard mailings all together and built a custom promotional product which consisted of a small box that has the tennis club imprint on the outside, when you opened the box on the top flap it listed the features of the tennis club and why you should become a member –w/contact information- and then sitting down in the box was a set a imprinted tennis balls, that said “The balls in your court!” The results were amazing…3 weeks after the mailing when out they had 11 new members. Bottom line: promotional product campaigns build brands, increase revenue and inspire loyalty in customers!

 Right now you’re probably considering how to leverage your marketing dollars effectively. I can tell you, based on experience, to keep marketing – it takes 12-18 months, of consistent marketing, for a potential customer to instantly recognize you and only one month of doing nothing for them to forget you.

If you need more ideas, you can search here or email us atPromoteYourself@360promos.com and we will be happy to search for you.

Q: What do these three items have in common? 

A: Each of these items can be used as a recognition gift! 

Traditionally we tend to think of recognition gifts as brass plaques, desk clocks, crystal awards and so on. While those are very nice recognition pieces for sales awards, managers, safety programs, etc… you don’t have to limit your choices to traditional items. In fact, I suggest you go with something different like one of the items above. Even the watch (which can be branded) is an updated *hip* version of the 1970’s era gold wrist watch your grandad got for retirement! 

One final thought to consider…right now many people are concerned about jobs and what better way to reassure your team, of the value they add to the company, than by giving them a token of your appreciation!

If you need more ideas, you can search here or email us atPromoteYourself@360promos.com and we will be happy to search for you.

We hope everyone has a Happy Easter and enjoys the 3 day weekend !! Our offices will be closed on Friday but we will be back, bright & early,  Monday morning! 

On a funnier note…Andrea told me a couple of days ago that she heard cake balls were the new trend to replace cupcakes. As you can see we attempted to make these *culinary delights* tonight and while they might not win any awards for best of show, they sure are tasty! 

Cake Ball Recipe: Bake any cake of your choice in a 9 x 13 dish according to the directions on the back of the box. Remove the cake and let it cool completly. Crumble the cake into a bowl and add 1/2 to 1 jar of icing (chef’s choice). Mix the cake and icing with a hand mixer until is all mixed together. Meanwhile, melt your choice of white or milk chocolate bars in the microwave and remove – do not let it cool or it will get hard (we learned the hard way . Take your cake mix and pinch off 1/2″ size pieces, roll into a ball and dip in chocolate. Spread them out on wax paper to dry. You can decorate with sprinkles, icing, etc… just be sure that if you use food coloring to dye your chocolate that it is oil based (oh, and let us know where you find it because searched all over Austin with no luck). Enjoy!

We see a lot of promotional products everyday and while many are great, some stand out as awesome!  One of the products that recently wowed us is the Pop Brush –

200-799 Pieces

1.25

It is a toothbrush that is pre-filled with toothpaste!  By pushing down on both ends toothpaste is dispensed onto the bristles and is ready to brush, brush, brush!  The toothpaste is formulated and Made in the USA to ensure the highest quality product. 

It is an ideal handout at Tradeshows and Conventions – I guarantee that everyone will want to come by and see you to get their hands on this super-nifty giveaway!  It is a great item for hotels, bars, anyone in the dental profession, schools, dorms, airlines….I could go on and on! 

If you need more ideas, you can search here or email us atPromoteYourself@360promos.com and we will be happy to search for you.

I remember the first time I really thought about Promotional Products as a piece of the puzzle, most often called “The Marketing Plan”.  It was my first job out of college in the Marketing Department of a Foodservice Company.  One of the first things my new boss showed me when I started was the Promo Closet and to say that I was completely blown away might be a bit of an understatement.  There were imprinted box cutters, tape measures, pens, post-it notes, coffee cups, balloons and embroidered polos and denim shirts in neat stacks on the floor to the ceiling shelves.  Every item that they had chosen was brilliant for their particular industry and I would come to learn exactly how much ROI there was to be had with well-thought out promotional products.  The customers loved it when the delivery drivers handed them a pen to sign for their order, a box cutter to easily open their shipments and a tape measure to use for stacking their goodies in their storage areas!  They really appreciated it when their sales reps dropped off a coffee cup with a sample of the new coffee we were bringing in!  They were downright giddy when they received the gift of a really nice polo or denim shirt!  I loved the feeling of being the key holder to that closet and knowing that if was full of things that were so useful that they were coveted and appreciated by all of our clients. 

I guess I didn’t need a crystal ball to know that I would one day be in the Promotional Products industry.  Even though it has been 14 years since I walked into that “Closet”, my love for promotional products and how they can complete a Marketing Plan has not diminished one iota!  Need something with an awesome ROI or have some things you want to tie together in your marketing plan?…Give us a ring and we will share the love!

By: Andrea O’Daniel

If you need more ideas, you can search here or email us atPromoteYourself@360promos.com and we will be happy to search for you.