Promotional Items Branding Blog

Vodafone and W Hotels Recognize the Functional Value of Promotional Umbrellas

Daniel — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 19:24:53 +0000

One of the most useful promotional items that a company can distribute is promotional umbrellas. With the fall and winter coming up, there is going to be plenty of precipitation falling from the skies. As a result, the demand for umbrellas like these is going to increase. Any time you can solve a problem in the daily life of your customers, you are on your way to executing a successful promotion.

Established companies do their research in order to make the distinction of what the most appropriate promotional products are to distribute at a given time. In this case, both Vodafone (a British telecommunications company) and W Hotels (Starwood Hotels) have decided that promotional umbrellas would be a very effective item to offer their clients.

Promotional umbrellas are so valuable because they can be used by a universal demographic in any outdoor venue. Just think, rain falls everywhere and doesn’t discriminate who gets wet. So it does not matter what type of business you own or who your target market is; the value of the promotion stays the same.

When choosing the right promotional umbrella, you can take into consideration several factors. First, you want to note the size of the arc that the umbrella has. The larger the arc, the more space you have to imprint your logo - not to mention the more people you can keep dry. A good umbrella will have anywhere from a 48″ - 60″ arc.

Once you know the canopy size, you can select the color and pattern of the umbrella. Promotional umbrellas offer all different types of designs, so it is all dependent on which one will look best with your imprinted logo. The umbrellas above feature a solid color that perfectly compliments a simple white logo. Some other umbrellas will have rainbow panels, polka dots, and special prints on them. This will definitely create loads of attention, but might take away from the impact of your logo. Try to find a happy medium between modest and gaudy.

You will also want to consider the type of handle or grip that the umbrella comes with. Some people won’t mind the standard wood or plastic hook handle, but others will prefer a padded foam grip. The more comfortable the grip, the easier the umbrella will be to hold for long periods of time under difficult winds and weather conditions.

Finally, there are other features that some umbrellas have. Of course, these are at the high end of the price spectrum, but the added cost will be made up for when the recipient is very impressed by the quality of your item. For instance, some umbrellas have special windproof frames while others have special vent technology that allows the wind to be funneled through the canopy.

One of the most versatile promotional umbrellas that we offer is this custom tour golf umbrella 62″ arc seen below. This umbrella has a little bit of everything to help you promote your brand. The 62″ arc is more than big enough to keep the recipient from getting wet in the rainy weather. The umbrella also has a rubber grip which makes it a pleasure to hold while standing on the golf course or walking down a city street.

This umbrella has a two-tone pattern, which is a great choice for style. This will definitely get the attention of people who are standing around the recipient, but it is not too ostentatious to make them lose focus on your logo. You can distribute this umbrella in any venue including company picnics, parks and beaches, or sporting events.

Make sure to follow in the footsteps of established companies like Vodafone and W Hotels when it comes to generating a buzz for your brand.

Companies Use Promotional Stress Balls To Maintain Brand Recognition

Daniel — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 20:42:29 +0000

Sometimes companies need a promotional item that really attracts the attention of their target market. They need something that is both functional and entertaining, as well as theme-oriented. In these cases, promotional apparel or drinkware might not be the thing to do the trick. Instead, these companies choose to use promotional stress balls.

These stress relievers make an excellent promotional giveaway, simply because of their universal appeal and relevance. People of all ages will appreciate receiving one of these items, and squeezing it for fun or to relieve stress. They come in all different types of shapes and sizes, and many of them can be catered to apply to your business.

Featured below are the promotional stress relievers used by three very successful companies to keep their brand name significant in competitive marketplaces. Universal Pictures and H&R Block are two very recognizable names that use promotional stress balls. They both went for the sports theme with these items, and that is a good choice.

These custom sports stress balls can really grab the attention of people across the country, as Americans are so interested in sports. You can distribute these items at any sports game at the professional or amateur level. They work equally well at outdoor events including company picnics and barbecues. The key is to relate to your demographic in an appealing way that helps potential customers remember the name of your company.

Ray-Ban went for the heart shaped stress ball which is another good pick. Heart shaped stress balls are good for Valentine’s Day or any other holiday. The heart will always be a relevant symbol for people to associate with, and you want as many people as possible to associate with your brand.

We carry a wide selection of custom stress relievers for you to choose from. There are all different subcategories of this item, and they will have different effects on the people who receive them. The custom Navy officer stress ball seen below is a good example of a stress reliever which makes an appropriate promotional gift.

This is great if your business has to do with the military. Obviously, most businesses aren’t involved with the Navy, but this is just a good example to show how specific these stress balls can get for your line of work.

Many Successful Companies Use Golf Balls To Promote Their Brand

Daniel — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 20:34:39 +0000

There are plenty of companies who use promotional golf balls to maintain their brand in competitive markets. With golf being such a popular sport in present day, these companies realize that they can reach a tremendous demographic with this item. Golf balls are in high demand at all types of venues like country clubs and picnic grounds. People appreciate the convenience that is added to their lives when they don’t have to go out to the store to buy the balls themselves.

As you can see below, some of these very recognizable companies include CNBC, Pizza Hut, Foster’s, Frosted Flakes, and Chevrolet. These companies were able to make a name for themselves by understanding the importance of good branding. All of these companies have a very memorable logo, and they were able to get this far by the use of successful promotions. Following in the footsteps of a profitable company is a good way to ensure the success of your company as well. So if Cadillac thinks promotional golf balls are the way to go, then take their advice.

Serious golfers take the quality of the ball that they use very seriously. That is why we pay close attention to the condition of the promotional golf balls that we offer. The custom Ultra Ultimate Distance golf balls pictured below will really take off when a golfer drives them off the tee.

Offering these golf balls to any golfer will really help to get your brand name remembered. If a recipient enjoys playing with these golf balls (and they will), then they will think, “Hey my game was really good today with those [your company name] golf balls.” This is the magic of a successful promotion in action.

Consider using promotional golf balls for your next trade show or company event. Not only will the item be appreciated by the person who receives it, but it will also be seen by all the other golfers at the course. A lot of business deals take place on the golf course, so make sure that your name gets thrown into the topic of conversation. It might be just the thing to take your brand to the next level.

The Pepsi Cola Promotional Tee

Daniel — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 21:04:16 +0000

Since we just recently took a look at the way the Coca Cola Company promotes its brand, this would be a good time to examine the advertising done by its biggest competitor. Pepsi has been one of the biggest names in soft drinks since the turn of the 20th century. Making it through bankruptcy during the Great Depression and enduring other difficult financial times, the Pepsi Cola Company knows exactly how to make their brand survive.

While the taste of the product speaks for itself, Pepsi had to figure out the best ways to promote their brand in order to continue to compete in one of the toughest markets in the world. While plenty of their advertising is done through the use of everything from TV and magazine ads to billboards, a large portion of Pepsi’s budget is allocated for promotional products. Whereas a television ad reaches people from the “top down”, Pepsi recognizes that using promotional items is a way to reinforce the positioning of their brand from the “bottom up”. They have executed this tactic perfectly with the promotional T-shirt pictured below.

Like other successful companies that we have recently examined on this blog, Pepsi is another corporation that proves you don’t have to go all-out in your choice of promotional products. Featured here is a simple gray T-shirt with the Pepsi imprinted logo on the center. There are several reasons why this T-shirt will bring the Pepsi Company positive results.

For one, they use a cotton tee which is designed to provide the recipient with maximum comfort. Whenever you are going to be purchasing custom t-shirts you want to make sure that they are comfortable. If the material irritates the skin, no one is going to wear it so your logo won’t be seen! This tee, on the other hand is especially comfortable, so recipients will naturally include it in their regular wardrobe.

The imprinted Pepsi logo is also somewhat faded on this promotional T-shirt, giving it a vintage appeal. This is a more difficult effect to achieve in a regular printing press, but it provides a valuable lesson: if you can make the shirt look cool, people are going to be more interested in wearing it. So, you want to make sure that your custom T-shirts aren’t over-the-top in their gimmick or design. This can all be easily done by following the example of profitable companies like Pepsi who have completed successful promotions in the past.

We offer promotional T-shirts which are very similar in their fabric and design options as the Pepsi one seen above. This custom adult UltraCotton tee is even better that the Pepsi shirt in the sense of comfort. The 100% cotton material will feel like the recipient is wrapping their body in a cloud. Of course, this is the effect you want your promotional items to have on the people you distribute them to, as this creates a higher chance that the person will wear your T-shirt in public.The entire span of the front of the shirt has ample room for your imprinted logo to be seen. Just like Pepsi does, try to develop a recognizable brand for your company and then stick to it. The Pepsi symbol is understood the globe. The more frills and animation that appear on the shirt, the more difficult it will be for any spectators to focus in on your brand name.

Follow along with the same promotional advertising method that thriving companies have proven in the past, so that you can follow in their footsteps along a path of success for your brand.

Red Bull Advertises Their Company With Promotional Beanies

Daniel — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 20:48:49 +0000

Red Bull is one of the most successful companies in history when it comes to advertising and marketing. They use a strategy of “viral marketing” to reach out to as many demographics as possible, and so far it has worked wonders for their brand. Red Bull understands the value of a good promotion, and it shows through in their marketing plans. You will see Red Bull everywhere from billboards and apparel, to sporting events on television and in person.

In this instance, Red Bull used a promotional beanie to spread the image of their logo. The importance of this item is not the extravagant appearance of the cap. Red Bull is showing that you can use a simply designed promotional item, and still be successful in attracting attention to your company. The real important things here are that you need an appealing logo. The Red Bull logo has become a symbol recognized all over the world. Once your company generates a cool logo, you can have it imprinted on an item like this beanie, and your company will be off to the races.

In comparison to the promotional beanie used by Red Bull, we offer a very similar item that is pictured below. This custom striped beanie is a bit more exciting in its texture and design. While Red Bull has proved that minimalism in their promotional beanie design is completely respectable, they are also a well established company that has their logo to rely on. If you’re a new company, this beanie should help you grab some more attention and attract new customers.
The ribbed feel of this beanie will increase the comfort of the person who is wearing it, while the bright color makes the recipient stand out. The strip on the bottom also separates the cap into two tones, which makes it more pleasing to the eye. Make sure that your imprinted logo appears on the front of the beanie, so that people take notice of the design while the recipient is wearing it.

Coca-Cola Uses Various Promotional Products To Advertise Their Brand

Daniel — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 18:26:19 +0000

As you can see in this photo featured below, the Cola-Cola Company uses a ton of different promotional items to maintain their brand recognition in a competitive market. Let’s examine some of the common features in these items and then see how well we can match these products up to ours.

From water bottles and pens, to Frisbees and candy, Coca-Cola sure knows how to run a successful promotion. Of course, they have the budget to purchase whatever products they want but any small business owner can learn a lot from what Coke has done. To start, you will notice that every promotional item seen here maintains the same characteristics and focus. Coca-Cola is great at extracting the most recognizable features of its brand, and the most obvious one is the color. Red is the color of every Coca-Cola can, and people remember it as such. Coca-Cola capitalizes this in their promotional items by making them all red. You won’t see a purple or green water bottle with the Coca-Cola logo on it - it wouldn’t make sense.

Coca-Cola also maintains a simple strategy for their custom imprinting. The same familiar logo can be seen on every item, and the company will never stray from this in their promotions. There is nothing fancy or clever, just what the viewer is most likely to identify with. Some products have the “Life Tastes Good” slogan above the logo, but that is pretty much as far as they will go. Less is clearly more in a Coca-Cola promotional ad campaign.

Finally, Coca-Cola chooses the promotional items which are relevant for all demographics, and therefore most likely to resonate in a universal market. There are no niche-y items seen in the picture. Promotional drinkware, foods, and toys are appreciated by men and woman of all ages.

If you want to take after the Coca-Cola company in running a successful promotion, consider some of our items which are most like the ones seen above. To start, consider some custom stadium cups as a way to get the word out about your brand.

These cups are reasonably priced and come in many different colors. You have a good chance of finding the cup that best contrasts the color of your imprinted logo, and there is ample space for it to be seen on the body. You will appeal to every market with this cup, since everyone could always use more of these in their home or business.

Next, try entertaining your clients the same way that Cola-Cola does using custom Frisbees. There are plenty to choose from, but the key is to find the one that best suits the recognizable features of your brand.

If people know your company by a specific color, make sure to choose a disc that has that same shade. Don’t overdo it with the design that you imprint. The same way Coca-Cola is subtle about their logo, you can be too. The point of Frisbees is to create fun for the recipient - they are going to internalize that most when they think about your company later on.

Finally, let’s take a look at some promotional candies. You can see the chocolate box that Coca-Cola has in the front center of the photo above. A lot of the art of custom food products goes into the presentation. Their chocolate box shines with a glimmering foil box that has an aesthetically-pleasing shape with their imprinted logo able to be clearly seen on the top of and side.

The custom Matisse gift boxed chocolate seen here has some great similarities to the Coca-Cola one. The shiny box will definitely catch the eye of the person who receives it, and people are always attracted to gold. The presentation of this chocolate box is great with its large cover that has plenty of room for custom imprinting. The best part about this gift is that your brand name can be cut into the chocolate bar itself.

Following in the footsteps of successful companies when it comes to planning your promotional campaigns is a great way to get your business to take a step in the right direction.

Cingular and EarthLink Use the Same Promotional Pen

Daniel — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 19:49:36 +0000

Using promotional pens is one of the most successful ways to establish a good position for your brand. A good company will focus on an item with the best promotional value in order to capitalize on marketing potential - promotional pens happen to have it all.

To start, everyone needs pens. You don’t need to target a specific market or demographic in order to generate a good response. No matter what your job is, or what your home lifestyle is like, you are going to need a pen at some point to write a check or jot down a reminder. This necessity for a writing instrument leads to the next point of why promotional pens are so valuable.

When you offer someone a promotional pen, you are fulfilling that necessity for them to have one. This leads to the creation of a convenience in their lives. When your product solves a problem, fulfills a need, or creates convenience for the recipient, it has a great chance of becoming a successful promotion.

Not only do promotional pens fulfill a universal need, but the life of the advertising campaign that they carry is an extended one. Pens last a very long time, so the recipient is going to notice your imprinted logo on the pen every time they pull it out of their purse or pocket to use. If they keep the pen in their bag or car, it’s going to travel with them everywhere they go as well. Now, everyone that comes into contact with the person will see the pen when they use it. This creates an exponential response for the spreading of your brand name throughout the community.

Now, when deciding on which promotional pen to choose there are many options. This pen listed below is a perfect example of a good pen to choose from.

Any time that you see successful companies like Cingular and EarthLink using the same pen to promote their brand, you can take it as a good sign. There are a few things that jump out about this pen which make it successful. First, it has a large, thick barrel. This is great because it gives you the most amount of room for your imprinted logo to appear on the pen. Both these companies were able to get their brand name and logo on this pen with plenty of room to spare.

Next, it has a nice rubber grip. People love the rubber grip as it allows the recipient to write more comfortably. Prolonged use of this pen won’t create any abrasions or calluses like another pen might. The pen also features a classic click action which will open and close the ink tip. This works best because the owner of the pen won’t have to worry about losing the cap.

The color scheme is a simple black and white, which is OK. A more colorful scheme might be more optically pleasing for those who see it, but Cingular and EarthLink have both done a good job of contrasting the color of the barrel with the rest of the pen.

In comparison to their pen, we offer this custom imprinted Bic XXL Retractable ballpoint pen. It has everything that the pen above offers and more. The giant barrel will blow people away at your next trade show. It offers ample space for your imprinted logo to be seen in bright colors. The super comfy rubber grip will make the pen a breeze to write with, and definitely increase the promotional value of the item.

Make sure to take after successful like Cingular and EarthLink when choosing your promotional items. They were able to get their brands to the top of very competitive markets using promotional products just like these - so you can too!

Sony Uses Promotional Mugs to Advertise Their Brand

Daniel — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 16:52:24 +0000

If you want to take a look at how a successful company gets the word out about their brand, Sony is a great example. Sony has been a worldwide leader in electronics for over six decades. Sure they had a fantastic product to offer to the public, their first one being the transistor radio in the early 1950’s. But soon other companies were developing their own radios, and Sony wanted to branch out into the manufacturing and sales of many other electronic items. As technology evolved and more companies were able to develop their own devices, the marketplace became much tougher to compete in.

How did Sony maintain their relevance in a much more competitive market? With promotional products, of course. Sony realized that they had established a brand which was a household name in the United States. They were able to capitalize on this by promoting that brand to as many people as possible. From the use of promotions, they were able to establish a position for themselves in a market where people go to an electronics store looking to buy Sony before they even check out competitive brands.

A great example of a Sony promotional item is this wide coffee mug featured below. This mug is great for several reasons. First, the design of the mug is especially interesting to the eye. It has a short, wide shape with an aesthetically pleasing handle. This is the type of mug you would find in a café or coffeehouse. The mug is also a shade of royal blue, which adds to the visual appeal. Most coffee mugs are plain white - this has been done plenty of times before. Sony recognizes the necessity to be different in order to appeal to their customer base. The Sony label is imprinted clearly in a sharp font that contrasts well with the background color of the mug.

So which promotional mug do we have that most resembles the one that Sony uses? The custom color latte cup pictured below is almost exactly the same. The ceramic 16 oz. mug is big enough to hold plenty of coffee or tea for you to enjoy every morning. You can take the mug outside to your porch so you can sip from it while you read the newspaper on a Sunday morning. The design gives the recipient a cozy feeling which will make them feel secure and comfortable. These are the types of characteristics that you want to represent your brand. We offer the mug in several warm colors which invite the recipient to relax and enjoy. It is the perfect mug to offer to people at trade shows, or to send your clients as a gift. Just look at Sony as the perfect example - they used the same mug and it got them pretty far!

Yoplait Yogurt Got Some Drawstring Backpacks

Daniel — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 18:56:11 +0000

Who’s Got Promotional Products?

Yoplait

What They’ve Got?The Yoplait company uses this drawstring backpack to promote their delicious yogurts that are available in supermarkets throughout the country. The bag is the perfect carry-on item to take with you to the beach. It will comfortably hold all of your personal belongings including beach towel, sunscreen, bathing suit, and a change of clothes.

What We’ve Got?

Custom Non Woven Hot Sports Pack

Our custom imprinted drawstring backpack is similar to the Yoplait one in both size and shape. This bag is great to offer to all your customers, simply because it is so versatile. If you are an athlete, you can use this bag to bring your cleats and shorts to the field. For a day at the public pool, pack a towel and bathing suit in here. If you’re going on a day hike, this bag will probably be sufficient. It is also perfect for children who need a light bag to take with them to school or summer camp.

Adidas: They Got Sport Bottles

Daniel — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 18:57:01 +0000

Who’s Got Promotional Products?

Adidas.

What They’ve Got?

This sleek-looking sport bottle will be your best friend while you’re hiking, biking, or playing some sports. It holds a generous amount of fluid so

you can quench your thirst after you exercise.

What We’ve Got?

Custom Transparent Colors Bike Bottle

Our water bottle is quite similar to the Adidas bottle is both size and shape. This is one of our bestselling water containers, so you know this sport bottle is doing its job. This bottle has a large mouth so you can easily fit some ice cubes, and it should mount perfectly on your bike water bottle holder or the cup holder in your car. Offered with a variety of lid colors to choose from, this custom water bottle should suit the needs of anyone who receives it.