Promo products: Do they really drive brand recognition?

It's time to drive new revenue to your company, so you've put together a fantabulous marketing plan that will bring your company to the next level.  You have your T.V. spots, your advertising placements, billboards and your website is all SEO'd with amazing online ads dialed in.  You are ready for some explosive growth - or are you?

Did you forget an important marketing medium in your mix?  What, you don't think a promotional product is worth it?  Not so fast my friend...

Those trinkets and trash work man!  Surveys show that 70% of consumers remember receiving a promo item, and 88% of them REMEMBER who gave it to them!  How's that for brand recognition or ROI?  So that little lip balm, promo sunglasses, or custom t-shirt might not be a bad investment after all.

Read More of the power of Promo products in you marketing mix!

Promo Sunglasses: Keeping your Brand cool for the Summer!

Everybody wants to look cool during the summer, so find some promo sunglasses for your next event!  With all of the summer events going on, these make great giveaways to showcase your brand to new - and younger - audiences.

Great color selections, and fantastic pricing make these an affordable solution to any promotion.

Promo Sunglasses

These stock sunglasses are available in several colors that will fit your brand identity.  However, if you are looking for a completely custom look, try these on for size.  These promo sunglasses are completely designed to fit your needs - from color matching, to all-over printing, these will fit the bill

Custom Sunglasses

Or if you are looking for a low cost alternative as a quick giveaway, these Rubberized Sunglasses fit the bill as well, and for as low as $.79 each, they hit any budget point.

Custom Rubberized Sunglasses

At Whiteboard Promotions, we'll keep your Brand cool in the heat of Summer!

Tervis Tumblers: A fundraising dynamo!

I'm a big fan of the Tervis Tumbler in general - that sucker won't break, holds hot and cold beverages, and doesn't leave the dreaded sweat stain on your furniture.  Plus, the added bonus of it being made right here in the USA, make it the ideal product for promotions.

What my clients have been using these for currently are as fundraising items, specifically because the tumblers will undoubtedly be used in the household - have you been to an SEC tailgate these days, Tervis Tumblers are ALL OVER the place!  Perfect to hold, um, sweet tea...

Anyway, Tervis has now partnered with us to offer special pricing to Whiteboard Promotions clients, so come on by and take a look at the 16 oz. Custom Tervis Tumbler with the Embroidered Patch for your next project.  I especially recommend this logo treatment as it won't rub off and has an upscale look.

16 oz. Custom Tervis Tumbler

Event Swag - the Good, the Bad, and The UGLY!

There is always that one person who goes to the trade shows and is not there to learn about new products or services - they are there for the free stuff.  You know who I'm talking, the person with the pull cart that shovels giveaways in at every booth like it's the buffet line at Denny's - that guy!

The challenge that event planners have is providing Swag that works not only for their brand, but provides something useful to the end user - yes even to the shovelers.  Some things have definitely lost their shelf life in the promo products world - mousepads, keychains, and yes to some extent - the USB drive.  Some items have been relegated to the "oh no they didn't" category such as the round stress ball or the clic pen - how many pens can one have!

However, there are some tried and true items that have stayed the course - drinkware, umbrellas (yes, I said it), and journals - and some new-school products such as mobile items and stylus pens that are great trade show giveaways.  Companies have also put out the low-priced items on the tables to satisfy the shovelers, but have used mid-priced items for qualifiers or prize options.

Here is a great article on some good and bad ideas to think of for your next event!

Read more

How NOT to have your Brand represented

So, Abercrombie & Fitch's CEO went public with its policies of hiring only good looking people, and not catering to a clientele that isn't "cool".  I understand the need for a company to focus on its perceived target audience, and to exploit a niche in the marketplace.  However, broadcasting that mantra is definitely a no-no, and causes backlash such as this:

Not the image that a retail brand wants, and yes sometimes publicity is not good - see Lindsay Lohan and Kim Kardashian for what it's done for their image...

Whiteboard Promotions at the Atlanta Silverbacks Game!

We are proud to announce that we are an official partner of the Atlanta Silverbacks NASL soccer team this season!  We will be providing branded merchandise to the team, and assisting in its marketing efforts throughout the season.

Here are some pictures of a few of the items we provided at the game day opener, which was a big W for the home team!

The modern Storyteller - YouTube!

Storytelling.  We all do it, heck we've all heard a tall tale or two hundred - and in my family that is one holiday meal!  So, what does that mean in the times of instant gratification and social media?

Our Facebook and Twitter feeds - along with every other social outlet - are full of videos that our friends, family, co-workers, etc. have posted at one point or another.  The bottom line is that people post videos and pictures for three core reasons:

1.  To amaze and entertain our friends
2.  To reveal aspects of our true selves to our network in order to build stronger relationships
3.  To help people by providing meaningful information and insight

Now think about it, who hasn't posted some crazy video of some person doing a stunt gone horribly wrong?  I am a consistent poster of articles and videos that relate to organ donation, or of positive affirmations.  And, who didn't receive some sort of political video/joke/picture during last years elections?

Great, you've nailed exactly why I post something on a personal level, so what does that mean for my brand?  It goes back to the first word in this post - Storytelling.  We are social creatures, and social media, particularly YouTube and Facebook, allow us to share the stories that Uncle Jack told us from back in the day, but utilizing visuals and acoustics to enhance the social experience.

Brands have been making TV ads for years, which is great for the Super Bowl, but otherwise you end up taking a shotgun to an archery contest.  Social Media allows a Brand to fine-tune its message on a personal level - by bonding with the recipient through those core reasons.  Creating a Brand Story that relates your product/service/mission/values to the individual promotes not only the Brand, but the social aspect that we all have to share.  You may have 100,000 twitter followers, but release a YouTube video that grabs your audience on a personal level, and that tweet may explode to Millions of people - and potential customers.

Read more on how to create a Storytelling experience with your Brand videos