In a sweeping 5-4 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court has eliminated a well-established ban on political spending by corporations and unions, nullifying a series of campaign finance laws and overturning decades of legal precedent. Ruling that the campaign finance laws in question violate the First Amendment, the high court lifted both the corporate spending ban as well as the blackout period that stops groups from buying ads within 60 days of an election. Because the court’s action essentially reversed a prior case first argued in Michigan, the decision will likely be applied to federal and state elections. Obama has pledged to work closely with Congress to mitigate the effectiveness of the decision, possibly by backing efforts that would require shareholders to vote before a corporation could spend money in elections. The court’s split decision fell along political lines, with Justice Anthony Kennedy serving to break the tie and writing the majority opinion.

Many people are calling this a victory for big corporations and it will obviously have an effect on many industries, including promotional products, so…what say you about this landmark decision?

Last weekend I made a birthday cake for a very good friend of mine and i’m going to share the recipe with ya’ll. This cake is a Paula Deen recipe that I tweaked and if you like chocolate it will make you drool. Even though it’s from scratch, don’t let that deter you, it’s easy to make!

If you’re having a Labor Day party, this will be the big hit with the chocolate lovers on your guest list!

Cake: 1 stick of butter (softened), 1 cup sugar, 4 eggs, 1 cup white flour, 1 tsp. baking powder, 1/8 tsp. salt, 2 tsp. vanilla extract, 1/2 cup of buttermilk, and 16 oz. of Hershey’s chocolate syrup (you can either get the can or the jug).

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 and butter and flour (2) 8″ round pans. Using an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Sift flour, baking powder and salt together in another bowl (If you’re like me and don’t have a sifter, just dump it in the bowl and stir it up). Add dry mixture to the creamed mixture and continue to beat. Add vanilla, buttermilk, and chocolate syrup to the mixture and continue to beat. Pour into pans and bake for about 25 mins. or until a toothpick, inserted into the center, comes out clean. Once the cakes are done, let them cool completely before you frost the cakes.

Hot Fudge Frosting: 9 cups of powdered sugar (yes, a whole bag), 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 2 sticks of butter (softened), 2/3 cup boiling water (I have a glass measuring cup and heated it to boiling in the microwave), and 2 tsp. of vanilla. In a VERY large bowl combine powdered sugar and cocoa powder. Add butter, boiling water and vanilla. Beat on low until all combined and then turn up to medium and beat for 1 minute (personally I have never understood this but I do it anyway!). Once it’s all mixed you need to let it sit out for about 30 minutes or until it’s thick enough to spread as frosting. Tip: When I flipped out the bottom cake, I iced the middle layer and then added the top layer of cake. Next I poured the rest of the icing in the middle of the top cake and let it dribble down the sides and I came back with my knife and made it look pretty- worked like a charm!

If you make it be sure to leave a comment and let us know what you thought?

In addition to business hours that cater to me being a night owl, in my perfect world, companies would plan events, promotions and marketing campaigns at least one year in advance, budgets would not be an issue and yes…holiday gifts and calendars would be ordered in July *gasp*!

Well, now that we have that out of the way, I also understand that marketing is fluid. What’s hot this quarter might not be in the next, events change, budgets get revised and campaigns that made perfect sense at inception need to be constantly evaluated for overall success.

What does all this have to do with returning emails at 2am? Our business is not about selling products. It’s about building mutually beneficial relationships and understanding that as your needs change we will be there to support you… even at 2am!

]]> http://www.letsbrandtogether.com/2009/07/yes-i-will-answer-your-email-at-2am/feed/ 0 http://www.letsbrandtogether.com/2009/07/fun-ways-to-celebrate-in-august/ http://www.letsbrandtogether.com/2009/07/fun-ways-to-celebrate-in-august/#comments Wed, 15 Jul 2009 02:14:05 +0000 jenlbrown6 http://www.letsbrandtogether.com/?p=371 It’s time again for the super “Creative” list of things that you can use to market your business in a way that people will remember!

August 5^th – Work Like a Dog Day

Well, I thought this was everyday…but I guess some people need a reminder!  Actually this is a great way to appreciate your clients and/or employees for the ALL the days they work like a dog!

August 9^th – Book Lovers Day

Reading is an excellent hobby and makes us happy!  Millions enjoy it and employers look for this “hobby” on resumes!  Great time to give out a book as a promo item!  A book not in the budget…how about a bookmark?

August 10^th – S’mores Day

MMmmm…mmmmm…..mmmmmm – Everyday is a good day for S’mores!  How did a S’more get it’s name?  Legend has it that it’s because after eating them the kids would chant (loudly I am sure!) – “Give Me Some More!!!”  How about S’mores kits with your name proudly imprinted on ‘em?

August 15^th – National Relaxation Day

Ahhhhhhhh…..I can’t wait for this day!  So many of us don’t take enough time to do this, so making it a “National” day is an awesome reminder to stop and smell the roses every once and a while!  Fact is that we REALLY are more productive with a little relaxation under our belts!  Great ideas for this holiday are massagers, teas or candles!

We hope you remember to celebrate one of these fun and quirky holidays in August – Let us know all about it and we will post it as an upcoming feature!

I love companies that combine fun, creativity and branding into one amazing marketing concept! So, two thumbs-up to Chick-Fil-A for celebrating Cow Appreciation Day on July 10^th (see blog post from June 15^th)! How are they celebrating you ask???

· On July 10^th Chick-Fil-A will award a free combo meal (breakfast, lunch or dinner) to any customer who comes to any one of the chains restaurants dressed as a cow – There are over 1,300 locations across the country to test it out!

What does it take to qualify as “Dressed as a Cow”? According to www.chickfila.com –

· An effort has to be made to be dressed like a cow from head to toe to qualify for the free full combo meal

· For customers who want to join in partial cow attire, such as a cow headband, cow printed hat, vest or purse – a free entrée will be given

· Need some ideas on how to accomplish this for free “eats” ? How about taking a white t-shirt, white shorts and white socks and painting black spots on them? Head to toe right? They also have a lot of other ideas on their website

You can check out the full details at www.chickfila.com or on their facebook page by clicking here.

….and that’s no Bull! (couldn’t resist….again)

*Please note: 360 Promotions will be closed July 2nd & 3rd. If you have an emergency, please email jennifer@360promos.com. Thanks!

As we were going through the boxes, you will never believe what we stumbled upon…. a custom calendar and imprinted car trash bag from 1965! Yes, they are both 44 years old but are in mint condition! They are from the grocery store my Grandparents owned and my Granny kept them all this time.

I am so glad that I took the time to stroll down memory lane with my Granny and she gave me the calendar so that I can take it and have it framed. Now you know that even promotional products can make priceless family heirlooms!

Help us…Help you!

P.S.  The soapbox says “Thanks for your time” – see you soon, but not too soon!

·        Do you want to use your Promo Items as a Thank-You?  The qualifier here is that the recipient has done business with you –

·        Do you want to use them as a reward for people coming to see you or requesting information about your product or service?

·        Do you want to use your item as a way to reward your customers/potential customers for participating in some way?  Maybe in a demonstration, testing or a contest scenario?

·        Do you want to use it as an incentive for sales?  You can do this by including an “offer” or “coupon” with a redemption qualifier?

All of these are a great way to use your Promotional Products to “Qualify” your customers!