All Things Promotional Marketing
Promo News
rushIMPRINT’s Commitment to Charity: VON Spotlight
Feb 25th
As part of our charity initiative, our promotional products arm in Canada has donated graciously to VON, the Victorian Order of Nurses. VON is Canada’s largest charitable homes and community care organization. The goal of VON is to address health care and social needs and to provide solutions to address them. VON provides prenatal education, baby clinics, school health services, visiting nursing, coordinated home care programs, home-based palliative care, adult day programs, foot care clinics, respite care, primary health care clinics, and health care in shelters for women, children, and at-risk youth — among other things too! There are over 75 programs at 52 local sites staffed by 4500 health care workers and over 9000 volunteers! That’s pretty impressive!
To thank VON for their contributions to the Canadian community, rushIMPRINT.ca donated water bottles to help their mission, which they accepted graciously:
Here’s what they had to say:
I have had the most amazing experience working with Dan Broudy at Rush Imprint. From the very start, Dan was helpful, respectful and diligent about providing VON with products we were happy with. We ordered a number of products from Rush Imprint including pens, magnets and the water bottles seen in the picture. Our products arrived at our door step less than 24 hours after we put our order through to our surprise and they look fantastic!! I would recommend Dan and the rest of Rush Imprint to anyone looking for promotional products any time! Thank you so much for being a leader in this business!
-Becky Ahrens, Coordinator of Hospice Volunteer Program, VON
Thank you VON for all that you do!
Keep Your New Year Resolution: Lose Weight
Feb 23rd
One of the most popular New Year resolutions is losing weight. In January, the gyms are packed, and everyone seems to be on a diet. Usually around six weeks later, people lose steam and mentally scratch that resolution off their lists. The hardest part about exercising is starting. People tend to start working out too hard and much from the beginning, so they quickly lose interest and start eating food that they shouldn’t. Here are some ways to continue working out and successfully completing your New Year resolution to lose weight.
A great way to continue plunging forward on your goal to fit into your skinny jeans is starting and maintaining a food diary. You can either buy a notebook or use an online web site, like MyFitnessPal, to keep track of your progress. The best method for keeping track of your food intake is writing down every time you eat something in this format: Type of Food, Servings, and a Note. If you use one of the online sites to track your food intake, then they will automatically calculate how many calories you have consumed. If you are forced to read what you are actually putting in your body, you will eventually stop overeating.
The best tactic to continue working out is attending group gym classes. There are so many to choose from, so mix it up. It’s good practice to start exercising by joining some of these classes because you are held accountable. If you start missing a day or two, your fitness instructor usually will come up to you to see where you have been. The more frequently you go, you will begin seeing the same people. If they start losing weight, then that will push you to want to do the same. Grab some workout gear and start getting physical.
Drink 8-10 glasses of water a day. Water is essential for losing weight. It replenishes your thirst and your body. One of the great things about water is that it fends of hunger. People mistake thirst for hunger. Not drinking enough water is one of the reasons that people overeat. If you are not much of a water drinker, then start with flavored water to get used to it. When you are at the point where you are drinking plenty of flavored water, then start switching to regular water.
Keep your New Year resolutions. There is no excuse not to do something that you have been wanting to do. Yes, life can sometimes get in the way, but if you eat right, drink plenty of water, and exercise (even if it’s only for ten minutes), you will be on your way in no time.
Marrow’s Sunshine Enema Album Now on USB Pill
Feb 18th
A few months ago, rushIMPRINT was tasked with one of the coolest projects for Marrow: to imprint promotional products for their their newest album, Sunshine Enema. Lovely Package summarized their vision:
We started brainstorming knowing two things – we wanted our music on a USB drive and we wanted the packaging to be humorous – a bright, glossy coating to the darker themes of the music. After about an hour, the plans for ‘Sunshine Enema’ were fully realized – we would have a USB drive shaped like a pill nestled inside a pill bottle. Cotton and child proof cap, of course. The bottle would be sold inside of our own Marrow prescription bag, along with a t-shirt if desired.
Marrow is happy with the product, and so are we. Below, check out pictures of the USB drive and the bags that we made for them:
Essential Items to Keep Warm This Winter
Feb 16th
In many areas, this has been the coldest and longest winter that people have seen in years. There have been feet of snow piling up on the streets; chilly, windy days that make you run inside as fast as possible; and neighbors coming together to shovel and clean their streets and cars. Therefore, you have to be prepared to handle all the cold, snowy days that makes you realize that summer isn’t coming fast enough.
An insulated coat is essential to keep warm. They also have a way of keeping out the wind and water that can sometimes accompany a winter day. Dressing in layers underneath is something essential when dealing with the cold. Depending on what you are doing, you can easily become warmer or colder in no time. Layers are a great way to remove or add clothing to fit your needs.
Chapped lips are something that usually happens to the best of us in the cold, especially when the wind is kicking it up a notch. Therefore, you should always carry around some lip balm to smooth over your lips when they start feeling a little dry. Something people tend to forget is that sun can actually be stronger during the winter months than summer ones. If you can get lip balm with SPF protection, then that is the best way to go.
You’re probably going to spend a few hours shoveling snow to get your car out, so you want to ensure that your head, neck, and hands stay warm. When you go out, always bundle up by wearing a hat, scarf, and gloves. If you can find insulated ones, then go for those because you will not even realize that you are in 30 degrees (or less) weather.
While your waiting for your car to warm up, you want to have something that does the same for you. Make some coffee, tea, or hot chocolate that you can put in a travel mug. In this way, while you are seeing your own breath, you can quickly get your insides warm while you wait for the rest of you to catch up.
Warm blankets are a great way to cuddle up while you watch the snow falling outside. Fleece is always essential for cold weather. It doesn’t just keep you warm, but feels amazing on your skin.
You might be tired of seeing snow, but there is no excuse not to keep warm this winter.
Valentine’s Day is a Time to Reflect on Your Love for Others
Feb 9th
February 14th, also knows as Valentine’s Day, is almost upon us. This is the day to celebrate the love you have for others. It’s usually thought of as a day for couples, but it doesn’t have to be. It can also be a way to show your family and friends how much you care for them.
There are various ways to show your love. One of the most popular ways is by sending your loved one flowers. People usually send a dozen roses. However, make it unique by sending a different kind of flower other than roses. Maybe, the person has a favorite flower, or you want to send them something exotic, like tiger lilies.
Another popular gift is chocolates and candy. These will be a hit for people with a sweet tooth and children. Maybe you can surprise them with a heart-shaped chocolate with the words “I Love You” written on it. Or you could also personalize it even more and write a message that only the two of you will understand.
Go to a nice dinner where you can end the night by toasting your love with a glass of champagne. A nice way to show your love is by staying in and cooking together. Food is always a great way to bring people together, and by making delicious food together, you will feel more connected.
If you can get away, take a long, relaxing weekend where you won’t have any interruptions. A spa getaway is always a great way to enjoy your time together. If you have children, then why not take them on a fun-filled excursion, like a camping trip, that will make your time together exciting and happy.
If you are planning on giving someone a gift, make sure that you put some thought into it. Nothing is worse than something that looked like it was put together last minute. Think about the person’s interests and things he/she loves. Don’t buy canned Valentine’s Day gifts, like a teddy bear, flower, chocolates, unless you added a personal touch to it. Be thoughtful.
Of all the things to do for Valentine’s Day, the best gift you can give is being there. If you can’t be there in person, then a heartfelt letter is the next best thing. Taking the time to write something is always something people cherish.
Have a happy Valentine’s Day, and celebrate the love you have for your loved ones, family, and friends.
Rhett and Link: T-Shirt War
Feb 8th
Our promo tees site, rushTSHIRTS.com, was recently featured in an AMAZING video by Rhett & Link. If you don’t know these guys, they are hilarious YouTube rockstars. Check out the video below and let us know your thoughts in the comments!
Five Items to Make Superbowl XLIV One to Remember
Feb 2nd
Everyone is revving up for this Sunday, February 7th for Superbowl XLIV where the New Orleans Saints and the Indianapolis Colts will face-to-face to be 2010 football champions. With the Superbowl, comes all the fun and exciting parties that people to have to bring their family and friends together to watch the game (and commercials). Here are five items that will ensure that your party is one that your guests will never forget:
1. Popcorn with Team Emblem – The Superbowl is like a movie where the two starring players, the Saints and the Colts, battle to be the ultimate champion. Popcorn is a great snack to have at a Superbowl party. Have popcorn with your favorite team’s emblem or the Superbowl XLIV logo, so your guests can enjoy the popcorn while having cans to reuse for other events.
2. T-Shirts that Talk Smack – Why not have your t-shirt do the smack talking for you? You can have a shirt calling your team victorious, saying the other team are losers, or just a regular shirt representing the Superbowl. A t-shirt can say a 1,000 words, so say all you want to say by creating your own.
3. Use a Cap to Represent Your Team – If you prefer to use your head, then personalize a baseball cap. You can combine your t-shirt with it, so that you are screaming loud who you want to win. You can sway your cap in the air when your team win the Superbowl, and your favorite player makes Most Valuable Player (MVP).
4. A Team Tankard to Hold Your Beer – Everyone knows that Superbowl and beer go hand-in-hand. Personalize some tankards with your team’s emblem, and pass them out to guess. When your team makes a touchdown, rejoice by clanking your tankards together.
5. Keep a Cooler Next to Your Chair – Have a cooler next to your chair, so that you don’t have to get up to refill your tankard during an exciting play. You don’t have to waste time screaming for anyone to throw you a beer and interrupt the game.
Enjoy Superbowl XLIV with your family and friends this Sunday. It will be exciting game between the New Orleans Saints and the Indianapolis Colts, regardless of who comes out victorious.
rushIMPRINT Pays it Forward to Open Source
Feb 1st
rushIMPRINT’s web foundation was built on the generosities of the open source community. We’re a LAMP (Linux, Apache, PHP, MySQL) shop and we even use WordPress as our blog. In paying it forward, we’re offering 20% off all promotional products, be them writing instruments, USB memory sticks, desk toys, and whatever else we have in stock to the Open Source community.
The discount code is OPEN20. This offer is valid through February 28, 2010, so act quickly. Please put the URL and name of your open source project in the comments section upon checkout in order for the offer to be valid.
rushIMPRINT Donates Highlighters to the Canada Youth Cafe
Jan 28th
rushIMPRINT has a new commitment to helping out a non-profit organization every month. Our first initiative involved the Youth Cafe of South Simcoe, Ontario in Canada. Youth Cafe is an organization that is dedicated to helping 14-29 year-olds. Youth Cafe connects youth with volunteering positions, housing opportunities, healthy eating, and employment opportunities.
We donated $500 CAD of highlighters — that’s 300 highlighters total!
We’re happy to announce that Youth Cafe loved them. In fact, they graciously wrote the following in their letter back to us:
rushIMPRINT Canada very generously donated pens to assist our organization in promoting a new youth website. We were thrilled to have been offered this support as every contribution to a not-for-profit truly makes a difference, particularly in a struggling economy. rushIMPRINT managed our order with professionalism, efficiency and patience. Our pens were ordered and delivered in an extremely timely manner, and they are exactly what we were hoping for. The staff at rushIMPRINT are knowledgeable, polite, and worked hard to meet our specific requirements. If you are interested in great products at affordable prices with a superior quality of service, I highly recommend rushIMPRINT for your promotion needs.
They also sent us pictures of the items in use:
And here are a few members of the organization getting ready to volunteer:
Thank you, Youth Cafe, for such kind words and for sharing your excitement with us!