All Things Promotional Marketing
Posts tagged promotional products
Promo Items Make Lasting Memories
Sep 1st
Three words, The Pittsburgh Pirates. I love going to their games and getting score updates on my phone. I’ve been to about four games this year and hope to go to more next year.
What is your favorite thing to do? You should take a few hours or a day to remind yourself why life is so precious. What do I love? I love putting on my favorite hat and standing in the crowd cheering for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Why you may ask? Because I love the everything about it like the food, stadium, sport, and just getting out for the night.
Everyone loves free things!
In April, when I went to a game with my boyfriend Chris, we had awesome seats and a very memorable day. It happened to be really cold that day which is why I’m wearing a jacket in the picture. Before the game started, we walked past this free game called Spin-A-Wheel. All you had to do was show the workers your ID card and spin the wheel to win a prize. I ended up getting an Eco friendly Pirate’s tote bag, and Chris won a Pirate’s T-shirt.
I always try to get close seats between home plate and third base. Although, the Pirates probably aren’t your favorite team like they are mine, those seats are surely ta
ken fast. Well that night, we had awesome seats which may be why Chris caught two foul baseballs from Andrew McCutchen without a glove! A few people sitting near us weren’t very happy and called us greedy. This is my favorite memory, we had so much fun that night and he even gave me both baseballs. That’s the first and only game we ever caught a baseball at. We are still looking to get them signed.
After the amazing fireworks for the Pirate’s win we left in my car with my Pirate floor mats, license plate frame, and clear stickers on my windows that still makes me think of that day when I look at it.
You can find any of those types of promo products at rushIMPRINT. Having the products we won still has us thinking about this night. Now I buy all of my fan gear from them.
Well as much as I don’t like many other sports, like he loves hockey, I guess I’ll have to repay him by going to a game.
♥ Brandi
Races can be Great Opportunities for Promotional Items
Aug 24th
I first began running in 2008 when I got the news about registration opening for the 2009 Pittsburgh Marathon. The race was coming back to our city for the first time since being canceled in 2004. The marathon was always such a big event in our city. Thousands of runners would participate in the event from all over the world. I remember as a kid going to the Southside with my family to cheer on the runners as they passed by. I thought that it was amazing that those runners could go such a distance (26.2 miles). How can that be possible? I would soon find out for myself.
After running the half marathon in 2009, I decided that 2010 was going to be my year to test my endurance and register for the full marathon. I began my 18 week training program in the winter and followed it consistently. 
Sometimes it was not easy going out in the cold and snow, but I was determined. I kept track of my miles in a weekly planner. By increasing my miles each week I finally ended up with 42 miles on the 16th week. It was enough to get me to the finish line. Race day came and I am proud to report that I accomplished the marathon successfully, and actually much faster than I anticipated. This was one of my greatest accomplishments. I enjoyed the race, scenery, people, entertainment along the course, and the enthusiastic crowd support. I can not wait to do it again.
Preparing for the race
Some of the necessary things I used in training that I never left home without are:
- Moisture Wick Apparel
-In the winter this is very important because you are running outside, and are at a great risk for Hypothermia.
-Moisture wick apparel keeps the moisture away from your body.
-This was definitely a necessity in the cold winter months and in warm weather as well.
-I downloaded some of my favorite music to keep me motivated.
- Staying hydrated is very important even in the winter. I would use it for Gatorade & water.
- Drawstring Backpack
- On weekends, I would go out for long runs between 12 and 17 miles.
The drawstring back pack was light weight and easy to carry snacks I would need to take along to stay fueled.
Whether you sponsor your favorite Charity that is racing, volunteer, or even run with a team, it is a great way to promote your company.
Simple ways to get organized for vacation
Aug 19th
Almost everyone has taken a vacation. Whether it’s a short or a long one, it helps to plan ahead. Knowing where you’re going and what you’ll be doing will be the reasoning for what you pack.
Step #1 Buy a planner
Like me, if you always feel like you’re forgetting to pack something, you can start off with writing everything in a pocket planner or a journal. I would start by writing down the most important items that you can first think of, then write anything else that comes to mind. Always double check the items on the list against the items you are packing.
Step #2 Pack to your own needs
If you usually carry a wallet, it would probably be best not to pack that into the travel bag so you have all of your most important information with you. While you’re on vacation you may need something a bit smaller to carry around with you and keep your personal items together. How about a tote bag, they are big enough to fit many things into but small enough to not get in the way. Don’t forget to take your sunscreen! I hate going on vacations and turning red.
Back to School & Back to Basics: 5 Ideas for Marketing to Students
Aug 10th
Summer is almost over and it’s time for the kids to start gearing up to go back to school! For business owners in college towns this can be a magical time of year for promoting your business and raising brand awareness. With so many young people mobilizing in preparation for fall classes, now is your perfect opportunity; the only real problem can be finding the right way to spread the good word of your business. Here are 5 great ideas for reaching out to the campus community.
Sponsor a club
Whether it’s a Greek Letter Organization, a sports team, a campus ministry club, or the AV club, they all need places to meet, t-shirts purchased, or donations to host events! A simple call to the campus life department should render you with some kind of organization that could use any amount of donation or sponsorship.
Logo Logic
Jul 28th
When you are creating a logo for your company, you want to be remembered. You want people to stop, glance, (hopefully) stay, and ultimately buy your products. While developing a logo as part of your brand, remember that brands should be:
Memorable
Remembering a logo is to remember a company and, ideally, what they stand for. Having a client or customer be able to point out your logo from the rest is, in many cases, the difference between you and your competition. When customers aren’t in a purchasing position, they should be able to remember you when they are.
Describable
Anything too complex or not understandable is easy to forget. When people describe Subaru’s logo, they describe their six star melodies in a simple circle. Or the Apple logo–an Apple with a bite taken out. All of the uber successfully branded companies in the world have one thing in common: a describable logo.
Relevant
Not straying too far from your sphere of business is truly important. If you sell meat, make your logo relevant to the butcher industry. If you sell paper, make your logo relevant to the stationary industry. Help your customers remember what you do within your logo, as well as remember the logo itself.
Effective with and without color
With color, your logo may be wondrous and magical, but without color your logo should still have a lasting impression. There are a number of instances where your company logo will not be in color; maybe in someone else’s publication, or even in a document within your own company. Make it work.
Scalable (works no matter what size)
Whether your logo is the size of a banner or a little spec on a document, you want it to be something that people will recognize no matter what. When creating your logo, be aware what it looks like in all sizes.
Promotional Products: Do it the Right Way
Jun 30th
When you think of the word ‘promotion’ what do you think of? Trade show? Contests? Slogan? Logo? Being Rememberable? All of these things are traits of a good promotional product–promotion is not limited to one venue. Get in the mix and get your company out there into the minds and mouths of the world. You don’t have to physically be somewhere to make an impact with your fantastic promotional items, you can penetrate the barrier online. Here are some things to consider:
Promote your company’s website on everything:
When at a meeting, a social network event or even just bumping into someone on the street, it seems to always end with, “do you have a website?” Well, make sure that you are sharing that information on everything that you give out. This way, people will have access to your homepage and can see what you do and how your company can benefit them.
Find items that fit you and your company:
Make sure that your promotional items are representative of what you do as a company. If you are a computer company, invest in USB drives with your logo/website on it. If you’re an outdoor recreation company, give out backpacks with your information on it, or if you’re a health care company, try branding thermometers or first aid kits.
Give out your stuff online:
Whether you are looking to increase your traffic, get more people to subscribe to your newsletter or just for plain promotional purposes, give your stuff away online! Keep them coming back to your website to sign up for a contest and make sure that you give something away that is worth giving their email address up for. Remember, by giving it away, you are adding value to the consumer’s life and they are promoting for you, carrying your brand and message with them where ever they go!
Rewards and thank you’s:
Loyalty is a strong word in life and especially in business. There’s nothing that says thank you more than gifting them a fantastic product that has function, quality and of course, your information on it.
‘Rememberable’ yourself.
By giving away promotional products you are giving yourself the competitive advantage. You are standing out amongst the rest by showering your customers with free promotional products that will go a long way in your ‘rememberable’ status in their world. There are so many companies doing so many things, make yours not just another company, but a unique establishment that provides quality.
Plan for Success: Outline Your Tradeshow Experience
Jun 17th
Planning for a tradeshow as a company can be a large feat. You need to make sure that you have all of your ducks in a row and that you, your staff and your soon to be clients are set up for success in the before and after moments of the tradeshow. Making sure that you have all the elements of successful time marketing and promoting your company is a very simple and straightforward way of doing business….with yourself.
Establish Event Objectives
This is good for both you and your team to define what your goals are for the trip. This way there is a clear straightforward understanding of what you need to accomplish and you and your team can work together to make a set of rock-stars. Define your objectives that you would like to accomplish in order to have a successful show. Things like product sales, leads generated, image defined and publicity.
Define a Realistic Budget
Define not only what you are willing to spend on the show, but also what kind of return you would like to have from the show. This way you can break down each day in accordance to what you need to make, or even by the hour.
Sales Message: Reel them in!
As you have probably seen, there is the person sitting in their booth saying nothing waiting for you to come to them and ask what they are about. Don’t be this booth! Make sure that you have a clear message (one sentence or statement) that is boiled down to what you do as a company. Convey this with banners, photos posted, and promotional products and of course, your staff.
Marketing Plan
You don’t only market while you’re at the show; you are marketing before, during and after the show. Before the show, look for radio shows, TV stations, websites or even just plain posting of your company’s information will do fabulous. At the show, you need to be doing your marketing by engaging, talking to and providing information to all potential clients and customers. After the show, make sure to follow up with potential prospects!
Create a Show Stopping Exhibit
This is what makes people stop. Do you have fun music playing that makes people dance and smile? Do you have a game that people can interact with? Or maybe you have killer promotional products that cause a line to form at your booth. Whatever your WOW element is, you need to define it and put it into action.
Travel Arrangements
The last thing you need is staff that won’t able to show up because of negligent travel mistakes. Assure that you, your staff and all of your belongings are going to arrive with ample time to rest, prepare and set up for a successful show.
Post Mortem
You and your staff should meet and assure that you met your objectives set for the show. Also, this is a great platform to formulate new ideas and changes needed to make for successful future show.
Tradeshow Dos and Don’ts
Jun 14th
For many companies, tradeshows are an incredibly important element that is a part of their marketing and trade. If you are one of the many companies that partake in the life of a tradeshow traveler and business maker, it is important to know what to and what not do when you are exhibiting your company face to face. Also, use the following to train personnel and representatives to assure that you have a consistent company image.
Tradeshow DOS
Tradeshow Reputation
Tradeshows are different according to the area, the type and the amount/type of people that you will be exposed to. Do your research and make sure that you will be in front of your perfect client, as tradeshows are a big expense.
Have a Killer Display
Well maybe not KILLER, but make sure that your booth is eyes catching, creative and fun. Nothing is worse than the person trying to sell their product sitting at a table with pamphlets and a chair. Get excited! Bust out your company colors, pictures, give them an idea of what your product would feel like to own.
Hand Outs to Read
Another important element is to give people a proper explanation of what you do. And if you are lucky, you will have a booth full of prospective clients. Make sure that you touch everyone by giving them an information sheet.
Promote your presence
Make sure people that you know and don’t know of you are aware of your presence at the show! Get people to come to the show specifically because of your advertising in advance. Get involved on your social media outlets and shout it from the rooftops!
Have a Giveaway Or Gimmick
Of course every booth has to give every client something that they can remember them by. Promotional items are incredibly important both in burning into your clients memories but also to give them something practical. A USB drive with your company name on it, a pen with your information, even a chip clip! The possibilities are endless. Check out the best promotional products on the market here: http://rushimprint.com
Take Notes
You will have conversations with dozens of people during a trade show. Many of them will give you their name or a business card. Make sure you remember what you talked about and why you saved their card by jotting a note about what you talked about on the back of their business card or on a note pad while you’re at the show.
Train Booth Personnel
Choose your booth staff carefully and be sure they know how to deal with the public. Among the faux pas to avoid (all seen at recent trade shows), are booth personnel who:
- Look unkempt and/or unwashed
- Bad-mouth competitors
- Talk to each other instead of to people passing by the booth
- Sit at the back of the booth and wait to be approached
Follow up!
Have a plan in place for following up on leads as soon as you get home from the show. Don’t wait a month or two to get around to sending information to those who stopped by your booth. By then, the hot prospects are likely to have become good customers for one of your competitors.
Think Green For Promotional Items
Jun 11th
These days everyone seems to be riding on the green train. Words like organic, sustainable, eco are beginning to be interwoven into the hearts, minds and mission statements of companies. As a company, it is important to show your dedication to the environment and your interest in keeping what you put into the world green. Now not all of us can always be green in everything that is business. But when it comes to buying promotional products for your company, thinking about the environment is not out of reach.
Sticking to environmental products can reduce your carbon footprint, or the amount of carbon that is emitted in order to keep your business running. It also can contribute to supporting sustainable materials, or renewable materials within the products that you are buying.
With rushIMPRINT, you can not only get the new swankiest and affordable promotional items for your company, but you can also make it eco friendly. Whether you are looking for a simple, yet practical reusable tote, or an elegant bamboo plant, you are destined to wow and last in your clients minds for a long time. Don’t forget to browse the entirety of the solar section featuring a variety of gadgets and gizmos that will not only last for a client much longer than the average promotional item but will bring a little bit of green to their lives too.