Desktop items have always been hot promotional products, because of the value associated with having your brand sit on your client’s desk all day. This year at the show, we found a bunch of fun, innovative items that are sure to grab that valuable desk space. Two of our favorites were the BuzzBrush and the Sticky Note Slinky.

The BuzzBrush is a unique 2 in 1 computer-cleaning tool designed to easily clean in-between the keys of a keyboard, and wipe fingerprints off of your LCD screen or touch-screen device. The BuzzBrush has great desk appeal, which helps earn your brand that prominent desk spot, and its unique shape is sure to draw attention and evoke conversation.

The Sticky Note Slinky is a great spin off of the standard sticky note pad. By reversing the adhesive on each sheet, the pad takes a slinky-like form. The extra fun factor of these sticky notes often lands your brand in a prime desktop location.

Stay tuned for more new ideas from the 2011 new product expo, and contact us for the complete 2011 New Product PDF.

As predicted in our last post, this is going to be a big year for cell phone gadget and accessories, especially related to smart phones. We found a bunch of new cell phone gadgets, including the Tiny Car Charger and the Solar Smart Phone Charger.

The Tiny Car Charger is exactly what it sounds like, a small cigarette lighter charger for your car. Ditch the old clunky chargers that block a cup holder, this tiny device allows you to charge any device that accepts USB output.

The Solar Smart Phone Charger is another hot new product to the market, that is very handy when your smartphone runs out of juice on the run. Just plug this device into your phone, and put it in the sun to charge. Best of all, it is natively compatible with the iPhone, Droid, Blackberry, etc. You can also power up the charger through your computer, and have it ready for a cloudy day.

Stay tuned for more new ideas from the 2011 new product expo, and contact us for a complete New Product PDF.

Some trends to look for in 2011:

• Social Media Incorporation- Given the social media boom, many new products will have a social media tie-in to encourage users to engage brands on Facebook, Twitter, etc.
• Technology- With smart phones flooding into the market, many new accessories will emerge to enhance the user experience.
• Safety- Companies are looking to increase safety measures in 2011, and we expect that to be reflected in the new products.

If there is something that you are looking for, or if you want to get a copy of the presentation when we return, leave us a message in the comments!

We look forward to hearing from you in the comments. Happy new year!

Effective November 1st,

Gildan, Hanes, and Jerzees have all alerted us that their prices will be increasing due to cotton sourcing constraints, which has sent cotton prices to their highest point since the civil war. We will continue to update you on the situation, but we suggest making apparel purchases as early as possible in order to avoid future price jumps.

Many of our customers don’t know that we also provide just-in-time production for apparel, at as low as one piece at a time. Clients have been utilizing this in the form of online stores (which we can create for you), where employees and customers can purchase branded shirts, sweatshirts, bags etc. This model allows our clients to build brand through apparel, without the risks or costs associated with carrying inventory.

If you believe this is an opportunity that could benefit your brand, please contact us for more information.

Susan Singer, senior vice president of sales for The Corcoran Group and a self-proclaimed “eco-broker,” has branded herself “The Green Queen.” She promotes the sustainability of the properties she’s offering, and drives potential clients to her website with an eco-friendly self-promo product.

“Years ago, I used refrigerator magnets and a mouse pad, and they both got me a lot of mileage,” Singer says. “But I wanted to do something that was eco-friendly this time and that could be used in an eco-friendly way.”

To help spread the word about her business, she ordered plenty of imprinted tote bags made of recycled plastic material. The bags feature a stenciled image of the historic London Terrace apartment building, for which she’s a broker, as well as her contact information and branding for Corcoran Group Real Estate. She decided not to include the name of the London Terrace building so that the bag would have wider appeal – she wanted it to be “just about living in New York and having an eco-friendly bag … that way people will want to use them and it’s just free advertising,” she says.

Singer sent the totes to her neighbors, clients and potential clients – and gave one to every unit in London Terrace. She also distributes them at events when the opportunity arises. For example, she recently offered the bags after she spoke at an Earth Day seminar at Baruch College in Manhattan.

The totes direct people to Singer’s website, www.susansingerspaces.com. On this informational and self-promotional site, they’ll find information about her properties ranging from Brooklyn to Uptown Manhattan, as well as Tales of the Green Queen, a regular comic strip in which a cartoon version of Singer tours the city, helping people save on energy costs.

Singer’s totes get an enthusiastic response. “I’ve had people call me or e-mail me saying, ‘I’m so grateful for this tote. It’s so sweet and reminds me of the building,’ and people from the building have just stopped me on the street,” she says. “It’s really been very good for me.”

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Courtesy of ASI

First, is the Awareness Bracelet featuring a pink breast cancer awareness ribbon on a heart charm. This bracelet makes a great gift for donors. It has a very high perceived value and encourages more people to support the cause. Also, portions of the proceeds from the sales of this item will be donated to various breast cancer awareness organizations.

Second is the compressed ribbon t-shirt. This shirt makes a great uniform for volunteers and workers. It comes compressed in a ribbon wrap. The shirt inside is fully customizable for your logo, message, etc.

Last, this 1 oz pink candy bag makes a great general giveaway. These bags can be filled with a variety of edibles from nuts to candies. Pass these out at the office, at an event, or at a fundraiser to raise awareness and drive more people to donate!

Contact us for more unique ideas for Breast Cancer Awareness Month!

Most college students are tech-savvy, they have a laptop, iPod, and a smartphone. They’ll appreciate a new gadget or accessory for these devices. The micro spot (pictured to the left) is a great example. This is a micro-fiber screen cleaner with an adhesive on the back. Students then use the cleaner on their gadget and stick it to the back of their phone until next time. This gives your brand prime real estate right on the back of their beloved device!

Students are also very active. They’ll hang on to anything that can be used at the gym or on a run. The retractable earbuds (pictured to the right) make a great giveaway. When students are out for a run, they dont want the headphone cords dangling around. With these, the cord can be taut tightly to avoid the annoying dangling. It also provides a great imprint area for your brand.

Last, students have become very eco-friendly. A product that can be promoted as eco-friendly adds huge value to the giveaway. The seeded card (pictured left) is a great eco-friendly alternative to plastic giftcards. After the student redeems the giftcard, they can plant it in a pot and grow wildflowers. A unique idea that stands out very well.

So remember, when looking for on campus giveaways, think like a student!

QCA protects your brand through:

• Quality Assurance to verify a product will work properly, meeting or exceeding expectations.
• Environmental Stewardship to help businesses comply with “green” standards in the United States and worldwide.
• Product Safety to adhere to rules and regulations as set fourth by the Consumer Product Safety Commission and like agencies. This includes product testing.
• Social Compliance to protect the health and well being of employees and factory workers with a fair and safe workplace.

Protect your brand image by using QCA certified products for your next order.

If a client knows that they will be reordering a product multiple times in the future, we can often setup a program for that client. For this program, the client gives us an idea of frequency and quantity of future orders and from there we can setup special “program pricing” to save that client money.

Program pricing allows our clients to take advantage of volume discounts, without having to inventory the products or shell out the cash upfront.

Programs work well for items that need to be frequently replenished such as pens, highlighters, etc. Contact us to check if you could benefit from program pricing.