Archive for the ‘giveaway’ Tag
Major brands, including Starbucks, Disney and Wegmans, are using Earth Day to promote logoed eco-friendly items, like reusable drinkware and totes. Here’s a list, with media links, of some notable company promotions and giveaways in honor of Mother Earth.
What other companies do you know of that offer freebies for earth day?
A belated Happy New Year from Gaslight Promotions! You haven’t heard from us for awhile (which I’m sure has truly disappointed some of you, though perhaps others didn’t even notice) and there’s a reason for that. We’ve been feverishly working on some new and exciting things here at Gaslight that we hope will make working with us easier and more rewarding to you.
– Website enhancements
- We’ve added a mobile version of our website, so if you look us up on your smartphone, you will notice a cleaner appearance to our site than before.
- We’ve replaced our Favorite Suppliers tab with a more streamlined Product Search feature that still showcases our Favorite Suppliers. For example, if you are looking for coffee mugs, the search will offer you several hundred options instead of the several thousand that you would get using other sites. Using our new Product Search feature will help assure that you get the quality product and timely delivery that is so critical to your projects.
- Our Home Page features a montage showing some of our work. And we like the opportunity to show off our clients products.
– Rewards Program
- Gaslight Rewards is a new program we’re instituting that will offer you rewards for being our client. This innovative program will allow you to accrue points for your purchases and referrals and then redeem them for merchandise or make a charitable contribution.
Here’s hoping the New Year brings good health, happiness and prosperity to all of our clients and friends.
Sincerely,
Terry Powers
By: Bill Fellows
Promotional products are the Rodney Dangerfield of branding. You know, “They get no respect!”. Often thought of as the inexpensive tchotchkes given away at events or trade show booths, they have gotten a bad rep. But when given some thought, they can be valuable in reinforcing your branding efforts.
So how do you use promotional products as part of your company branding? First, you need to select products that support your core message. Here are some real-life examples:
- A broker who handles hard-to-place reinsurance risks sent key buyers a throwaway cell phone in packaging with a “use in case of emergency” message. This reinforced the company’s focus on placing risks others couldn’t. (A word of caution: Try to keep your items under $25 each as many companies have restrictions on the value of gifts employees can accept).
- An ad agency sent sets of four leather-covered juggling balls to marketing executives. The message: The agency could help the executive keep all the balls (responsibilities) in the air.
- The Bermuda Insurance Institute has given out canvas tote bags at industry conferences since the mid-1980s. Each year they use a different bright color (aqua, coral, yellow, etc.) connected with the island. By the second day of the conference all you see is attendees carrying the totes. The bags reinforce Bermuda’s island location and have a utilitarian function as well. I still have a bunch I use to carry around stuff.
Effective use of promotional products for branding assumes you have thought through your core brand message. Without the work involved in creating a value proposition and distilling how you want your company to be known, selecting promotional products becomes an exercise in what someone thinks is cute/funny/useful/inexpensive/interesting/flashy/(fill in the adjective). If you start by answering the question “What do we want to be known for?”, it will be much easier to focus on promotional products that deliver that message. For example:
- If you promise fast delivery, give customers and prospects a stopwatch with your logo and phone number/web site address.
- If you provide business solutions, give customers and prospects a jigsaw puzzle of your logo or a custom Rubik’s cube with your logo.
- If you help improve customers’ health, give away pedometers with your logo.
And don’t forget your employees. Giving them promotional products reminds them of the core brand message. At one company, we gave employees mouse pads with the company’s new ad campaign printed on them. Employees could select the ad they wanted.
While promotional products will probably not be the centerpiece of your branding efforts, they can be an effective addition to communicating your value proposition to prospects and to reinforcing it with your current customers.
When choosing promotional items for your business it’s just as important to keep in mind your own branding needs as it is the likes of your target market. There should be an equal balance in items that reflect your industry, but that will also interest your customers—both current and prospective—to find out more about you. We all know that the power of the word free is undeniable, but it’s still wise to select promotional items that will have an impact and get attention. It’s one thing to have someone take a promotional item because it’s free, but what’s more powerful is when it’s used. Your company will be remembered by, and associated with, that item.
First things first—it’s critical to select your company’s promotional products based on the value it has to your target market—not necessarily by the latest trend or the lowest price. Once you have the right ideas and goals in mind, think about your company logo and how it is suited for promotional items. If redesigning your logo is important to increasing the value of the item, it will pay off. Don’t rush the designing and planning of your promotional strategy.
Once you are ready to select promotional items, it’s important to keep in mind those industries that you wish to target. If you are in an industry that is numerically or visually aligned, like engineering, architecture or accounting, promotional items such as calculators and rulers are valuable. A company that deals with financial products, insurance or other office-related services would likely find value from office supplies like pads of paper, pens, paper clip holders, etc… On the other hand, if you are in marketing, design or any other computer-based company, a flash drive is a great idea. Most anyone can get use out of a flash drive, and it is likely that that drive will be passed onto another person before it’s returned to the original recipient, which leads to double exposure.
The main idea when choosing a promotional item is to consider the needs of the recipient, as well as the message and impression that you are trying to convey about your company. How do you anticipate your promotional items will be used? What is the connection between that use and your company’s services or products? There is nothing worse than spending a chunk of money on items that you like, but that your target markets won’t find of value and will shove into a desk drawer or the trash can.
JSOnline
Sept. 7, 2012
Whether you’re a micro-business, a huge corporation or something in between, nothing beats the excitement of a trade show, especially when your company is involved. While your new products and services may “wow” the crowd, the trick is getting trade show attendees to convert into customers. That’s where promotional products can become your best friend.
While a business card can be great for conversation follow-ups and direct connections, promotional items enhance your brand awareness and remind the recipient of the terrific services your company provides. In fact, in a study done by Promotional Products Association International, 71.6 percent of trade show attendees that receive promos remember the name of the company that gave it to them. Here are the three promotional products that will effectively turn more of the trade show attendees into your customers.
T-shirts: What’s the absolute best thing someone can do when they take your promo item home? Show it around in public for their family, friends and the general public so they see your company name, recognize your logo and get a snapshot of what you do. Custom T-shirts give you just that. Think of them as free advertisements. When you add some imagery showing what your company does, it ends up being an ad for your brand. On an individual level, whenever the recipient wears your T-shirt, they’re more likely to think about how your company would fit into their life or business.
USB drives: While this option may be slightly more expensive than other promotional products, it will definitely get people interested in your company as it’s more useful than almost any other promo item. While many other promo items are flimsy and not useful, a sturdy USB drive provides the recipient with something that they’ll use for important tasks, time and time again. For software companies and technology businesses, flash drives, car chargers and other tech gadgets are perfect for reminding your recipients that you sell useful, high-tech products.
Tossable items: These aren’t items that you throw away; they’re items that you throw around. Anytime you hand out products that get people active, they’ll be more likely to use it, and therefore more apt to recognize and remember your company name. Products like mini-footballs, Frisbees and stress balls are perfect for people to toss around during their workday. After a trade show, you want people to continue to think about you. With these items, your company will literally be in the palm of their hand.
No matter the promo items you give out at your trade shows, it all comes down to your company’s products. Unless you have a fantastic product, service or program that people can’t do without, your promotional items will be for naught. But with the right products, the right marketing and the right promo products, your business can continue to do well and exceed your own expectations.
Each year, SandRidge Energy visits college campuses across Oklahoma and neighboring states in search of talent to keep the company competitive. ROBYN Promotions (asi/309656)has been doing business with SandRidge Energy for several years. “They were actually referred to us by one of our local vendors,” says Brian Blake, director of marketing for ROBYN.
Each spring and fall, SandRidge recruiters attend career fairs to talk with students majoring in engineering, IT, accounting and other business specialties about internships at SandRidge. In order to stand out amidst a crowded auditorium, SandRidge reps knew that they needed to give something away. “The students swarm to the cool items,” says Ashley McDaniel, a recruiter for SandRidge. “We’ve used water bottles the last couple of years, so I wanted to do something different this year … something we haven’t seen before.”
The SandRidge communications department worked with ROBYN Promotions to design a Tervis-inspired, double-walled tumbler that works for either hot or cold beverages. They selected a Triton 16-oz. tumbler. What really sets it apart is the custom woven patch with the SandRidge logo encapsulated inside the tumbler. “We used a woven patch to make a really sharp logo,” says Blake. This was the company’s first order of this particular product (over 1,000 units). “They love it though and we expect them to order more in the fall when they start attending career fairs again,” says Blake.
by Amy Swanson
The summer months bring people joy for a variety of reasons. Some enjoy not having to wake up for an 8 AM class anymore, others enjoy not having to layer up to brave the weather, and some enjoy the fact that the sun is up for longer than 8 hours during the day.
One of the reasons I love summer is because it means my family and I go camping on the weekends to relax and hang out together. We’re not the only ones — chances are, you have clients or employees who love to camp, too! If you really want to get their attention, give them a promo item they can use while they’re out in the great outdoors. You’ll have a customer for life, because campers are notorious for their loyalty!
Check out which promo items this camper would recommend:
Unless you camp at an electric site (yes, they do exist), you aren’t going to have any light when the sun goes down. Your camping customers rely on flashlights, and these custom Camping and Safety Lanterns will be extremely useful! They can set them on a picnic table and light the area to avoid running into anything.
But, if they do get a minor scrape or cut…
These First Aid Kits will get them back to enjoying the campfire and s’mores in no time! Each promotional first aid kit includes: 2 snips, 1 small telfa pad, 1 insect sting wipe, 1 packet of antibiotic ointment, 4 bandages, 1 packet of aloe vera gel, 2 antiseptic towelettes, and 1 first aid guide.
They’ll be up and raring to go for that hike they planned the next morning with their Backpack. Whatever goodies they want to bring along on a hike, bike ride, or beach run, these screen-printed backpacks will keep the contents safe and within reach! Energy bars, water bottles, maps, compasses — all can come along for the adventure. Not to mention, it’s unisex in style so that men and women can carry it without any eye-rolling or sighs of exasperation.
Is hiking not your customers’ thing? Then they’re probably a fan of chilling out by the campfire instead.
Check out a folding camp chair for “campfire potato” customers. These custom chairs are great for larger budgets to give away to a select number of clients or for your top employees to have as a thank-you. Trust me, there’s nothing nicer than sitting by the campfire with a freshly made s’more under a full moon and a sky full of stars. Your logo is screen printed for a truly custom look that will have your competitors salivating at your awesomeness!
Your customers may feel a chill while they’re sitting under the stars. Which would mean that…
A Rollup blanket is a thoughtful idea! These promotional blankets are easy to roll up and pack without taking up much space in a car trunk. They’re great to bring along on picnics as well to keep dry while sitting on the grass. After the camping trip, they can be taken to sporting events when the sun goes down and the stars come out. If the stars aren’t shining because of rain clouds rolling in, then it’s a good thing to hand out a product to keep dry.
These Ponchos are perfect for when the rain drops start to fall. They’re great to keep in a glove compartment or in a backpack when you don’t feel like carrying around an umbrella! Your brand’s logo is on the front and center of the packaging so there won’t be any confusion in regards to who handed out these incredibly functional promo items.
Another promo item that will save your customers when the weather turns on them is…
The waterproof pouch, which I know first-hand, is smart to give out and even smarter to use. Last summer when my parents and I were camping, we had two days of straight rain. It wasn’t too bad, but in the process my dad’s cell phone got wet and no amount of rice could revive it. If only we had this customized waterproof pouch, his phone would have survived! These pouches are great to take to the beach as well and keep money, cell phones, car keys, whatever small knick-knacks you want dry and not fried. While you’re at the beach you may get a bit peckish and a salty snack and ice cold drink would really hit the spot.
When you get hungry and thirsty…
Just pull out the 6-pack cooler and silence your hunger! These promotional coolers are great to pack lunches, too, when you feel like venturing away from your campsite for the day. Your customers will love that they can do some exploring without having to worry about where or when they’ll get their next meal. Your imprint is featured front and center on these promotional coolers, so your brand’s name won’t be ignored.
While you’re enjoying the beach…
Don’t forget to bring along a Soap Sheet Dispenser to keep yourself healthy and germ-free! Lord only knows what’s in the sand below your feet, so before you bite into that delicious apple or peach, make sure your hands are clean. These custom soap sheets are easy to slide into a back pocket to always have on hand. After all, when you’re camping, you’re not always near running water and soap.
I’m the first to admit, camping is not for everyone. But, those who enjoy it will love any of these promo items as a thank you or as a quick giveaway. You’ll increase your brand’s awareness and make sure the maximum amount of people see your logo (campers are by nature a very close bunch, the whole having a campsite twenty feet from your neighbors helps quite a bit).
Do you have a favorite item that was left off this list? What do you love most about summer? Sound off below!
