Promotional Items Just got Awesomer

I know awesomer isn't a real word, but it should be... Anyway, Tim's Blog just posted some info that relates to my previous post about CPI or Cost Per Impression. Actually, you can find all kinds of nice tidbits of information about promotional Products in these articles. There is one from Adweek, one from B2B online, one from Brandweek, one from Mediaweek, one from Newsday, and one from PROMO magazine.

If you want to view the complete study, you can find it here.

Here is a hint... The answer to my trivia question from the CPI post I mentioned above can easily be found in the above links. ...

Green Promotions (not just Pantone 354)

Lots of people are talking about getting "green" Promotional Products. At United, we offer a slew of recycled promotional items, many re-usable bags and shopping totes, and of course the recycled pen and blotter (you might remember them from our holiday showcase). These are the typical 'green' promotions, and everyone of them is great.

Recently, we were asked to do another 'green' promotion for a large company. This company wanted to get people excited about their green-initiative. Instead of giving a shirt made from recycled and organic materials, we suggested that they encourage their end users to be pro-active about being green too. So now, they've decided to give out something like this:


Why not provide a home for some birds? Create some clean air and help prevent erosion? Along with the promoting the company's green initiative, this uber-green (I just coined that) promotional product encourages the end users to share their enthusiasm about being green with the advertiser.

Keep yours eyes peeled, New York, because in about 10 years, you might be seeing a bunch of Douglas Fir saplings all over the place.

Cost Per Impression (Plus Trivia!)

I was fortunate enough this week to have one of my fans come up with a great topic for me to write about. It is based on his own life experience. He likes my blog so much that his daily life is consumed by it! I think the rest of you should be just as devoted!

I'll share his email with you:

"I went to a ski movie premier last night in Portsmouth. corona was
there amongst other vendors giving away free things and like all the
college aged kids, adults were scurrying around snatching up swag. I
was astonished when I returned home and dumped my trickortreat bag out
onto the floor. I got lots of cool ski stuff and was not
disappointed, but take a look at what I found.
(Bottle openers!)
What do you think people will think about corona when they compare
their bottle opener to the thick, snowboard shaped one of
significantly smaller company Putnam Sports. Seriously, it's
ridiculous. I think it's to their advantage that the print on the
corona opener is so small you can't really tell what it says.

Aren't you impressed THAT is what I was thinking when I first saw those?!
Yay UPG!"


He attached this picture.

In this example, my buddy has touched upon a couple of very important factors.

1. Promotional products are just one aspect of a marketing campaign. Putnam Sports knows, and demonstrated this by appealing to winter-sportists with an item shaped like a snowboard.

2. The Cost per impression for promotional products is one of the lowest possible. In other words, if you divide the total cost of something by the number of people who see your name/logo/message, the cost will drop to below 1 cent per impression. But if the item is trumped by a better marketing campaign, you can loose a lot of of impressions. My fan's point was that; with so little effort demonstrated by Corona, it gave him a bad impression of the company.



Here is a Question, answer in the comment section or send me an email and you will be featured on the blog and we will send you a gift!

According to ASI, what is the average cost per impression for Promotional products?

Unique Mascots and the Promotional Opportunities They Present

So, one of my favorite blogs told us all about Japanese Blood donation mascots today. I know I'm going back to Japanese culture, like in my previous post, but I was so inspired by these mascots! I mean, they are so cute and cuddly, and really make me want to donate blood (if that makes any sense)! All that I could think about were the promotional opportunities that these creative creations represent. Here are some of my fave's:




This one's name is Kenketsu-chan, her blood-drop ears grow and shrink depending on how much blood she has or doesn't have. She even has her own website! How sweet would it be getting a promotional key chain of this cute character with red liquid in her ears. I think that is so cool! Not to mention it would bring people back to donate the next time.

And check out Blood-Kun (sounds creepy, but he looks so cute!):





This guy has a backpack full of blood and his hat turns into a flashing red siren in case of "emergency". I think anyone who receives a plushy of this guy with a backpack full of red liquid that sloshed around when you moved him would be encouraged to donate everytime. Not only that, but someone's friends who saw such a promotional product would probably be inspired to donate too.

Contest Winner!

Congratulations to Andy 'Rusty' K. of Boston Ma. For nailing last weeks question regarding the art on my business card holder.

Due to your extensive pop-culture knowledge, you will be receiving HubDude:



He is one of our friendliest high-quality USB hubs.

Thanks for participating, keep your eyes here for more contests and more prizes!

Card Holders Can Make an Impression

I love receiving promotional products, I mean, doesn't everyone? Not only because it gives me something to write about in my blog, but because when they are effective, I can find a way to fit them into my life. And when they are not effective I get to pick apart the faults and decide how they could have been done better.

I attended a CBS event recently and received a really nice leather business card holder:


You can see that the leather was debossed (just like embossing only backwards so the words or image is below the surface instead of above it) with the CBS logo. What you can not see, is the line of text below it. Debossing leather with type that is too small can clutter the space and make your message hard to read.

I compare it with the business card holder that I use currently:

My card holder is a little smaller, made of tin, and is silk-screened. I tend to prefer it because it is less bulky, lighter, and I'm also a huge fan of the art. We have both kinds of holders, and card holders make a really nice gift.

If anyone can tell me where the art on my case is from, you will get a prize and instantly earn my friendship! Leave a comment!

Apparel for Every Season

Here in NY, the seasons are taking their sweet time to change. The internet tells me that today's high will be 61 F.

I'm not complaining, in fact, the longer it stays warm, the more opportunities I get to play Ultimate Frisbee with the local impromptu pick up team. But this slow change does not mean that you should not be prepared for cooler weather ahead.

One way to prepare; how about thinking about your logo'd hoodies, jackets, and long sleeved T's now instead of after it gets too cold. Depending on the use of your apparel, look into the quality of the piece and make sure that the durability matches the intended use. For exampe; Windbreakers are nice, but may not be appropriate for out door work in heavy elements. Or, if someone is constantly in side and out side, a nice zip up hoodie could be the perfect thing to keep one comfortable in variable conditions.

The intended use of your branded apparel is probably the most important factor in making sure that you get the most bang for your buck and that people will actually wear the pieces, giving your brand the exposure that you desire.

Now that I know the cooler weather is coming, I just might get some branded Long sleeve's for my Disc Golf team.