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New Product Ideas and Trends
Translucent colors are still very HOT! Conveying a high-tech image and grabbing everyone's attention, you have an unlimited supply of ideas including CD holders, calculators, personal fans, mugs, pocket knives, flashlights, radios and piggy banks. You name it and you can probably get it translucent. It's becoming a see through world.
Creative embroidery is setting a new trend. No longer do we just embroider left chest on shirts and dead center on fronts of caps. The trend is to add sleeve, collar, cuffs or back embroidery to shirts and reduce the size of logos when possible to give it an upscale look. Color on color is still very much the style.
Caps are all over the place with different approaches depending on how much lead time is available. If time allows and embroidery can be done before the cap is assembled (usually done overseas requiring higher minimums and longer production time) you can put your messages anywhere on the cap or bill. Even on rush jobs, try smaller logos placed on either the left or right center panels and a phrase, phone number or web site across the back to get a more current look. The "sandwich look" bills and flexfit styles are making their play for first choice.

Products and Processes
Product Uniqueness is our overview topic this month and will continue with updates to cover additional items and categories. Keep checking back so you don't miss anything. If you wish additional information on any of the items covered, please contact us. No two finished products can be exactly the same. Human hands and mechanical technology try to come close but the amount of variables that affect the production of each item will keep this from ever happening. Because of this, every product has "accepted industry tolerances" and/or "accepted process variables". Sometimes this is hard to keep in mind as we wish for the perfect world. Let's take a quick look at some categories.
Colors-Each batch or production run of products may result in a color variance. Colors and dye lots of material may be different so the first order might not be the exact shade of the re-order. This is very common in ceramics, denims and pigment-dyed cotton wearable products.
Crystal-Even in the finest of crystal, tiny air bubbles, flow lines and minor color variations can appear because of the hand-crafted way it is produced. Being cut and then polished by hand keeps the finished dimensions and edges from being consistent. Accepted industry tolerance is 1/4" on pieces over 8" and 1/8" on smaller items
Marble/Onyx-Don't mess with mother nature!. Marble and Onyx are beautiful stones formed naturally by minerals under heat and pressure. No two will have the same strains or color consistency. Even though the color may be black, you may have strains of color in it. White onyx may have different colors in it that may include gold and brown.

Case Study
Objective: To motivate employees to respond to a survey regarding company morale and to make improvement suggestions. Company had done the survey a year ago and got a 2.2% response rate. Client wanted to increase response rate to 5%.
Solution Strategy: Add a promotional product as an incentive as none were used in the previous survey. Offer a coffee mug with a "hidden message" in appreciation to those who answered the questionnaire. The message and graphics for "You Make Our Future!" appeared when hot liquid was poured into it.
Result: Client was totally shocked with a 62.3% response rate. We helped analyze results and responses and feel that in current times employees want to feel needed, They want to be heard. This may have also contributed to the response being so unbelievable.


Creativity Wins
We don't want clients to restrict new ideas because of old habits. Break those habits when it's a good idea to do so. Ideas that are completely opposite of what you normally do should not be discarded. Creatively brainstorming a new, outrageous, clever or daring idea and seeing what comes of it is what we do best. We start our sessions by asking "What's the worst idea we can come up with?" and "What's the worst reaction we could get?" The ideas we come up with might just make your company the next one remembered for Got Milk?, Just Do It! or the Snake in the Can.


Target Marketing and Recognition
5 Key Attributes of a Successful Program

  • Products Match Recipients
  • Products Reflect the Company Image
  • Program Generated Expected Results
  • Symbolic Value and Imprinted Messages were Tailored to Recipients
  • Distribution Method Got the Recipients Attention and Increased the Value

It always helps to add flare and be colorful. We're living in a world where a vivid visual improves the retention of the image and message. Increasing the "Bang for the Buck", so to speak, is an added benefit.

Events Not to Miss
August
1 World Wide Web Anniversary-The cyberspace medium was initially proposed in 1990 on this date by Robert Cailliau and Tim Berners-Lee at Switzerland's European laboratory for particle Physics. Bet this is a surprise to those of us here in Silicon Valley.
10 Candid Camera Anniversary-The popular TV show "catching people in the act of being themselves" first aired on this day in 1948.
Great day to boost morale. Employees can "catch fellow employees doing a good job" and give instant rewards. We have some very low cost items that would be fun.
13-17 Weird Contest Week- Think of the possibility for contests that can involve anything...Paper Clip Bending, Chair Balancing, Mousepad Collections...you get the idea! Have a little fun during a long lunch break or take a special break during the day. Add some laughter to the work week.
28-9/3 National Sobriety Checkpoint Week-Before the long holiday, emphasize the necessity of separating the enjoyment of a drink from driving a car. We had so many more deaths during the Memorial Day Weekend. Let's keep our employees safe with their minds focused on being sensible this weekend.


Industry Information
A research study showed that 39% of recipients of promotional products could recall the advertiser's name up to 6 months after they received it.

Promotional products used as dimensionals in direct mail to add "touch-feel" curiosity increased solicitation response rate up to 75% per a research study made by Baylor University.

Employees stated Lack of Recognition as the number 3 reason for leaving an employer.

Wearables, Writing Instruments and Drinkware are still tops in promotional product choices and Plaques still hold as first place choice for individual recognition.
 
Sizing Dilemmas? New Size Mix still favors the larger side when ordering in general instead of for specific individuals. We're now recommending a 1-2-3-1, M-XXL mix. This means you would order twice as many large and three times as many X-large as you would medium and XX-large. If possible, know your audience as we have orders placed using 2-4-4-2 and 1-3-5-3 mixes. If you don't have any idea, you may be safe with a 1-1-5-4-1 mix with sizes ranging from S-XXL.

Order Early to avoid paying extra for priority service and expedited shipping. These charges add nothing to the quality or perceived value of your products. You're throwing your money away. Give us the dates of your events and we'll follow up with you when it's time to make a choice and place your order. Normally, production takes 4-6 weeks.