All Things Promotional Marketing
Distributer Profits Up 5.9% in Second Quarter
Aug 8th
In the flagging business environment, at least one industry is seeing gains. Distributor revenues have increased 5.9% in Q2 of 2011. This is the sixth consecutive gain for the sector, making it one of the most reliable growing niches in the United States. According to the data recently released by the ASI, distribution industry growth totalled $4.6 billion in the last quarter. 
This continued growth shows that while traditional print promotional materials may be a shrinking business, companies and individuals looking to increase their brand awareness are increasingly turning to distributors. An increased emphasis on creativity has led to customers paying distbutor’s a little extra for more memorable branding opportunities.
A look at a top promotional outlet, rushIMPIRINT (found online at http://www.rushimprint.com) will show that brand building buyers can move beyond marketing their brands and events on pens, t-shirts, and magnets. Rubber duckies, sports bottles, USB drives, beach balls, flower vases, and other unique items are all top sellers. As one of the top distributors in the promotions industry, their commitment to exciting, diverse products shows why the distribution sector is thriving.
Promotional marketing is big business and the larger the company, the more opportunities customers have for unique branded promo items. Businesses that earned more than $1 million in revenue per year saw a higher than average growth of 8.7%. But even smaller companies focused on brand building can expect to see significant increases in the short term. The majority of distribution companies surveyed all forecast financial growth in the coming year.
For businesses interested in promotional marketing, now is the time to take advantage of distribution companies specializing in branded promo items. Featuring highly creative inventories that are sure to please customers, the continued success of this specialized industry is a testament to customer’s continued sanctification with the results they have seen.
As the economy slowly but surely sees growth, distribution firms are seeing more orders with an emphasis on high returns. “…(clients) are demanding more value. In our case, they are demanding more creative value versus demanding lower pricing.” explains Mark Graham, president of Right Sleeve Marketing.
Marketing Budgets Rise in 2011
Aug 5th
The Chief Marketing Officer Council, a global network of 6,000 chief marketers, recently released the results of a global survey conducted on 600-plus marketers. The report indicates that approximately 60% of the participants intend to shell out more for marketing initiatives, including brand building, promotional items, and promo products. A significant 26% of those surveyed intend to increase spending by 1%-5% in 2011 alone.
Another report, the 2011 State of Marketing: Outlook, Intentions and Investments, found that marketers are now beginning to focus, and thus, spend more, on digital media and online marketing. Comparative research by the CMO Council revealed that of the marketers surveyed, a majority of them planned to increase their social media budgets by more than 5%. This budget increase could also be allotted to other forms of online marketing; such as search engine optimization, mobile initiatives and online videos and banners, and brand building and promo products.
Marketing Budgets On the Rise
Another report, the 2011 State of Marketing: Outlook, Intentions and Investments, found that marketers are now beginning to focus, and thus, spend more, on digital media and online marketing. Comparative research by the CMO Council revealed that of the marketers surveyed, a majority of them planned to increase their social media budgets by more than 5%. This budget increase could also be allotted to other forms of online marketing; such as search engine optimization, mobile initiatives and online videos and banners, and brand building and promo products.
Despite these increases, the report states that increased spending on digital media will still depict only a maximum of 10% of marketing expenditure. According to the CMO Council, it is of absolute importance that marketers implement an approach that takes advantage of both digital and online marketing tactics. With both of them, and their effects for that matter, being measurable, it is no wonder the use of these approaches are becoming ever more popular for brand building and increased sales. This was reinforced by CMO Council’s Executive Director, Donovan Neale-May: “Today’s successful marketing organization is unifying its extended ecosystem, aligning more effectively with business and sales groups and integrating campaign components to drive efficiency and more measurable outcomes”.
In addition to the enhanced brand building tactics and increased use of promotional items, the report also revealed the participants’ plans to enhance customer segmentation and targeting. The CMO Council concluded by saying that marketing, as such, has since evolved from simply branding and now impacts many more aspects of business operations, including, strategic planning and forecasting, business development, pricing, channel management and even product design.
Swag Up Your Company Picnics
Aug 3rd
Are you tired of the boring, typical company picnic? There’s an easy way to spice things up, and really leave a lasting impression on your employees. There are several products from rushIMPRINT that can really add some much needed excitement, and enjoyment, to the mundane picnic. These can be used to just liven up the atmosphere, or even to promote a little competitive spirit, by raffling some of these quality products off. Friendly competition through raffle, or even giving swag away as a gift to your employees, is an effective way to boost morale. These exciting products are imprinted with your company logo, which can be a valuable method of marketing your company to friends and family of your employees.
For example, the Koozie Picnic Kooler is a stylish way to cool off those sodas, or other types of beverages. It can really provide a professional look and feel due to the very intriguing style of the bags. It can hold 18 different beverages to cool off even the hottest of picnics. Plus there are several colors to choose from. It has a well insulated front compartment in addition to the watertight main compartment to hold even more things for the picnic. There are several promotional coolers to make a selection from.
You may also want to consider the very sleek custom picnic basket cooler. It has a very distinctive design which allows storage for up to 24 12 oz. cans at a time. These baskets would certainly liven up any picnic, all while maintaining a professional look. You also have external pockets for easy storage of accessories, and a dual snap enclosure providing a tight seal for those beverages.
Let your employees sit in style!
How many company picnics have you been to where there just wasn’t enough seating for everybody? A fun, yet professional looking way to remedy this problem would be with a branded folding chair. These chairs are made of a high quality tubular steel for support, and nylon for the seating. There are over 10 different colors to choose from, meaning you can pick which is best for your company’s picnic. These chairs also include a pair of mesh cupholders, as well as a carrying bag equipped with a drawstring.
The sun is often the enemy of the typical picnic during the hotter months. What better way to combat the sun’s brightness than with a pair of custom aviator sunglasses? They maintain a look of professionalism while still providing a unique style. They’re also lightweight and comfortable to wear. You can also choose from 3 different frame colors.
Custom Imprinted Back to School Gear
Aug 1st
Everyone knows that back to school is a huge selling season, with the right tools it can also be the season for cheap and effective marketing. Students of all ages are returning to school, and they need school supplies. With imprinted promotional items suited to the season, you can ensure lasting brand awareness by getting your logo seen. If you want to take advantage of this incredible opportunity, visit rushIMPRINT, where numerous promotional items are offered specifically with this purpose in mind.
Great back-to-school lunch caddies!
Parents are not going to miss out on the opportunity for free supplies for their students, and you should not miss out on this incredible opportunity for a free and effective marketing campaign. At rushIMPRINT, you can find just about everything that students need. To ensure maximum product placement, try consulting a checklist for items parents are on the lookout for. A good checklist can be found here. On rushIMPRINT you can find most of these items, including promotional backpacks, imprinted notebooks, lunch caddies, Ipad sleeves & promo pens.
These products will be seen in every domain of school life. Your logo will be seen on backpacks in the hall (and many students even use them as their travel bags), on lunch caddies every day in the cafeteria where they will be the envy of the students stuck eating cafeteria food, on ipads, and on the pens and notebooks used daily in virtually every class. All of this means maximum exposure for you and your business, with little to no effort or expenditure on your part. These products will help to generate revenue and to foster lasting brand awareness for you and your company.
These Back to School Promos get an A+! With their help, your marketing can too, so don’t miss out on this wonderful opportunity for enormous exposure.
Swag Done Right
Jul 29th
Corporate Swag refers to the trade show giveaways a person receives for walking aisle after aisle in a conference center looking at the wares and services of the vendors. What makes for good Corporate Swag? Does item functionality reign supreme, or can a creative, unique design transform an otherwise regular item into marketing gold? Personally, I think that both functionality and design can make Promotional Products that will be spared the trash bin.
Foldout USB Flash Drive 1GB
Let’s look at what functional means when it comes to Promotional Stuff. Functional is something I can incorporate into my day regardless of the logo or corporate saying. However, if the trade show giveaways are an article of clothing, the artwork really needs to grab my attention, or be odd or quirky. A double meaning for a saying is fun on a promotional company t-shirt. Uninspired artwork is not.
When a company takes the time and effort to design artwork that represents the industry and the featured event well, I could argue that whatever the Promotional Stuff is, the company will be positively remembered. Even inconsequential artwork can have a big advertising impact.
Promotional company backpacks and custom duffel bags often are Custom Promotional Items given away at a trade show. I really like to receive these types of Promotional Stuff, especially when it is well made. One of the worst mistakes a company can make is to hand out badly made items. I would equate the cheapness of the product with bad quality control of the company whose name is on the gift.
Another bane of Corporate Swag is handing out old technology. If the Promotional Products that are given out are company logo USB and promotional thumb drives, make sure they are made with the latest technology. If I put the drive into my USB and it can’t be read, or there is little storage capacity, I again will look with question on the company whose logo is stamped on the casing.
Other Custom Promotional Items that are common novelty items are blinking noise making balls or yo-yos. While neither of these items are very useful, they are fun. My dog loves the balls; my cats hate them. A custom yo-yo is fun if you know how to run one. My dogs love them if they are thrown, and my cats love the string.
Bottom-line, quality swag is made up of two parts; useful, quality products and creative design. It’s important to always order from a quality manufacturer. Remember that your promotional swag is a reflection on your company, and in the mind of the consumer, a poorly made item is usually associated with poor business. But just as important is the use of quality artwork. A promotional backpack with a poor design can be outdone by something as simple as a company shirt with a unique, creative look. So, always try to achieve a balance of the two.
QR Codes as a Marketing Tool
Jul 27th
Quick response codes (QR) are flat little squares of black and white dots that are cropping up across the mobile marketing field. Smartphone users simply snap a photo of these dots and a QR code reader app connects to an Internet landing page, revealing a world of useful information. For those who market with promotional products, QR codes could be the most prescient, agile and robust way to appeal to the burgeoning mobile market.
Try it, it works!
The growing trend toward QR codes for marketing is already well established in Japan, where 25% of shopping takes place on mobile devices. The US market has been slower to catch on to the QR trend, but forward-thinking marketers are beginning to sit up and take notice. Promotional products are the perfect platform for quick response technology. A QR code reader app can make a product perform all sorts of Internet tricks that can keep consumers entertained and engaged for years to come.
The ways advertisers are able to use QR codes for marketing is limited only by imagination. These little black and white dynamos are more than just two-dimensional barcodes, they can really pack a marketing wallop. They can be stamped on almost any flat surface or digital location, and linked to all sorts of Internet destinations, from functional to frivolous. Landing pages can include product information, reviews, discount coupons, online shopping pages, social media platforms, music, videos, games, surveys, polls, and much more.
One really innovative way to use QR on promotional products is to embellish the code itself with a graphic or message. The codes are made up of black and white patterns that can only be read by a QR code reader app, but unused areas in the code’s design may be crafted into a simple picture or words. This is even more reason to put QR codes on promotional products.
Clearly the trend toward consumer use of QR technology is growing quickly and the mobile movement shows no sign of slowing anytime soon. Using QR codes to market promotional products is simply a smart business move. Advertisers can start by learning more ways for marketers to use QR codes creatively.
Hit a Hole-In-One with Promotional Golf Products!
Jul 25th
For several decades, business professionals spanning a wide range of industries have chosen the links over the conference room. Golf courses afford a place where professionals can build the trust and understanding it takes to forge some of the most important business deals of their careers. There is a real art to doing business on the golf course and the use of promotional golf products brings your business to where business is done.
Titleist Pro V1
All golfers need a bag for carrying their clubs and other essentials, so why not consider promotional golf bags to provide for this need while also promoting your business? rushIMPRINT offers promotional golf bags by Slazenger featuring multiple pockets and dual straps for comfort. Each bag is imprinted with your company logo and/or additional text.
As golf balls are either in hand or in front of the club during every round of golf, why not also use custom logo golf balls to promote your business? rushIMPRINT offers Titleist NXT Tour custom logo golf balls customized with a one or two-color logo and additional imprint text. As your customers are going to need to clean either a club or a ball at some point, why not provide them with custom golf towels to promote your business? rushIMPRINT offers custom golf towels in several colors with a one-color imprint of your company’s logo. Ensure they also stay dry with a custom two-tone golf umbrella from rushIMPRINT, customized with a one color imprint of your company logo and optional text.
Golf accessories see a lot of use out on the golf course – why not provide your customers with custom golf ball markers as well? rushIMPRINT offers a diverse selection of custom golf ball markers and tools. Hat clips with magnetic ball markers are available in gold or silver and engraved with your company logo. rushIMPRINT also offers golf stress balls imprinted with your company logo and optional text. They fit easily into a customer’s golf bag and are great for relieving stress while also improving concentration.
When you consider all of the areas of the game where you can make a substantial impact promoting your business, your choice to use promotional golf products makes sense. Customers’ golf bags, towels, ball markers, stress relievers and the balls themselves aren’t just necessary to playing the game; These are items that provide you with great opportunities to promote your business.
Get Cooking With Our Top Four Grilling Gifts
Jul 22nd
A truly great promotional item is one that works well and will be used often, building goodwill with every use. With summer grilling season in full swing, now is the perfect time to distribute promotional grilling items imprinted with your company’s logo. Customers will be excited to receive high-quality custom grilling kits or custom spatulas for free, far more so than if they received a pen or a magnet. The positive associations with your company will then be reinforced every time they fire up the grill for summer fun.
Great Grilling Options!
The best promotional grilling items are ones that are going to be used frequently and kept close to hand at the grill. Items like digital grilling forks and lighted bamboo spatulas are perfect multipurpose grilling tools that can easily find a place in any home grill master’s toolbox. Custom spatulas with logos are unusual and distinctive, so you don’t need to worry about your promotion blending into the crowd. The lighted bamboo spatula is an especially clever promotional item because it is a conversation piece in itself. Many cooks won’t have seen a spatula that lights up for evening grilling before, making your item even more noticeable and unique. Digital grilling forks allow for quick temperature checks throughout the grilling process, and will keep your company’s logo right next to the grill on the handsome carrying case.
For a truly memorable promotional gift, custom grilling kits are unbeatable. With all the most essential grilling tools in a single sturdy case, this is an item that will not only be used at home, but for camping, tailgating, or any grilling opportunity. Your 8″x3″ logo on the case will be clearly visible to everyone who assists in the grilling process, and the rugged, professional grade kit is sure to stand up to season after season of use. No matter what items you choose, though, you can’t go wrong with promotional grilling gifts this summer.
Business Lessons Learned from Dr. Seuss
Mar 3rd
“Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind.”
(Oh, the Places You’ll Go!)Dr. Seuss
Whether you are starting your own business or you are working your way up the corporate ladder, it is important to remain focused on your goals. During our careers we are all sure to encounter many people that will enrich your experience in various ways. At times we are faced with difficulty and those acquaintances can challenge our goals and beliefs. Other times we meet extraordinary people who inspire us to better ourselves and remind us why we pursue each of our paths. Regardless of those you find yourself working amongst currently, Dr. Seuss reminds us here of an essential point. We must remain true to who we are and allow each new experience to enrich our lives and create a better future each day. Everyone you meet has a lesson to be shared and sometimes the real trick is discovering what it means for you.
“So be sure when you step, Step with care and great tact. And remember that life’s A Great Balancing Act. And will you succeed? Yes! You will, indeed! (98 and ¾ percent guaranteed) Kid, you’ll move mountains.”
(Oh, the Places You’ll Go!) Dr. Seuss
Balance may be one of the hardest areas of life to conquer, and personally speaking, I’m not sure one ever truly can. Learning where to step as you move along in life can prove to be considerably more challenging than we all expected. Whether we are juggling professional requirements, social obligations, and personal interests, we are constantly looking to achieve a level of balance that can adequately please all of these areas. It’s possible that this ‘great balancing act’ brings out the best within all of us. The pressure to accomplish each of these commitments in our lives forces us to remain focused, sharp, and determined. Maybe the true lesson here is that we should not be afraid of the pressure of commitment, but instead embrace them as opportunities to better ourselves.
‘‘The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”
(I Can Read With My Eyes Shut!) Dr. Seuss
This may be the most simple, yet most important of all lessons that a business professional could learn from the great Dr. Seuss. Life is in constant evolution and even more so within the marketplace. In today’s ever-changing landscape, it is never a bad idea to take a step in a different direction and learn something new and different, outside your typical daily routine. Spring is right around the corner, and as plants start to sprout, we encourage you to follow their lead and expand your repertoire.
What are your favorite lessons learned from Dr. Seuss?
Tweet your way to $25… Introducing tweetLIBS!
Jan 11th
Now is your chance to display your tweeting wit and be entered to win a $25 rushIMPRINT.com Gift Certificate every Tuesday at 3 p.m. EST. Be sure you follow us in order to play – twitter.com/rushIMPRINT!
Here’s how to play for a chance at a $25 Gift Certificate!
1. Check out our Twitter page every Tuesday at 3pm EST for our tweetLIB.
For example: “My favorite promo pen is the color ______!”
2. Reply to @rushIMPRINT with your answer to the blank in the tweet completing the tweetLIB! Submissions will be taken for one hour, ending at 4 p.m. EST.
3. One lucky follower will be randomly selected to win. Be creative (and appropriate) and your answer just might be randomly chosen!
Check Out of Twitter Page Now!
*Winners will be contacted through direct message via Twitter.
Rules:
• You must follow us on Twitter to play.
• Each person or company is eligible to win one “tweetLIBS Tuesdays” game every 30 days.
• Participants may tweet multiple times but will not increase your chances of winning. Twitter usernames are entered and chosen at random based on their submission.
• Entries suspected of coming from spam or fake accounts will not be considered for selection.