Being Memorable – A Holiday Idea

The right promotional gift can trigger sales

This time of year companies begin thinking about how to thank customers and provide them with a token of appreciation for their business that will keep the company in their clients’ minds throughout the coming year.  It’s promotional gift time. 

With so many different, customizable items available, companies have a vast array to choose from.  For executives, high-end pen and pencil sets, leather agendas and portfolios, and decorative desk items, such as precious stone globes and high-end thermometer/barometer/clock combos, are good bets.  For mid-level management, apparel, edible gift baskets and other reasonably priced gifts are but a few attractive options.  For the general staff, you can’t go wrong with stress balls and tins of cookies or popcorn.  Each choice can be emblazoned with company logos, URLs and 800 numbers. 

But, for that special gift that’s not only decorative, but also functional and guaranteed to be displayed throughout the year, consider the all-purpose, tried-and-true customizable calendar, which is generally displayed where it can be seen and read easily. It presents an opportunity for the companies who are gifting the calendars to remain in their clients’ consciousness 24/7/365. 

You may remember your parents getting a calendar in December from their bank, a local restaurant or even the dry-cleaner. They were pretty utilitarian, and the presentation was standard. The company name or a picture of its location or products, along with the address and phone number were clearly visible.  Over the years, the standard wall calendar was joined by pop-up desk calendars, monitor frames and even credit-card sized versions suitable for a wallet.  And all bore the name, address and phone number as well as URLs and, more recently, social media addresses. 

Today’s calendars hardly resemble what your parents received in the mail. The conventional standard promotional calendar has morphed into a more contemporary, sophisticated item.  Calendars now can have themes reflecting their business and location.  Depending on your target market, the images placed on the calendars might show people using the company’s products, or employees performing services.  The information on the days of each month can be embellished to provide reminders about re-ordering certain products, or notes about special events, such as trade shows or training classes.  Today’s calendars don’t simply hang on a wall, they’re multi-functional.  Lorraine Gregory Promotional is on the cutting edge in offering personalized calendars that go beyond a generic customer gift to where the calendar has the name of the recipient on the calendar as well dates relevant to the recipient.

While no promotional item is a guaranteed gateway to continued and increased sales, those with staying power – such as calendars -- will probably ensure that the company who provided it is the first one considered when a need is identified.  Lorraine Gregory Communication’s Promotional Product Lineoffers a wide variety of customizable calendars and other gift ideas for clientsand employees.  Contact us now and start solidifying your holiday gift plans.

5 Great Promotional Products Under $1

Think a promotional product campaign is expensive? Check out these 10 great promotional products all for under $1 a piece! These high quality items are what make promo products one of the most cost effective ways to create brand awareness and generate new business.

Drawstring Backpacks:

 

These versatile backpacks can be used for a variety of businesses and appeal to several audiences- From kids to adults. Plus at only $0.92 a piece it's an excellent giveaway.

 

 

Plastic Clipboard:

 

A great promotional giveaway for business people, teachers and other professionals who may need a clipboard. And even at only $.99 you can choose your color and customize each clipboard with an image and text.

 

Nylon Flying Disc

 

These are fun for just about every business. I would especially recommend these for businesses that are near public park, or to give to employees during the company picnic.

Translucent Piggy Bank

 



This translucent piggy bank will keep your money safe. The bottom of the bank opens so you can retrieve your cash. Made of plastic. 

 

 Flashlight with Keychain

 These convenient flashlight keychains are only $0.39 each and come in a variety of colors.



5 Must Have Back to School Promotional Items

Much to the delight of parents (and the chagrin of children) school will be back in session very soon. And it's just the type of event that your businesses marketing plans should capitalize upon with a well timed promotional product campaign. Whether your business focuses on adults or kids, there's a ton of fun ways you can earn new customers through a promotional item campaign. Here's our 7 favorite back to school promo products:

 

 

Even in the age of computers, a kid still needs a box of crayons for school. Hand these out to your customers and they'll remember you as you've helped them out with their children's back to school shopping.

 

Unlike crayons, a customized calculator can be useful to both kids and adults. Each calculator can be customized to feature your business logo and contact info.

 

  

 

Let's not beat around the bush- Kids can be messy. A little bit of hand sanitizer can be a real life saver.

 

 

Sure, crayons are great. But kids today also need a solid USB flash drive. Luckily we've got dozens in a variety of sizes and styles.

 

 

 

And how will you carry all these great promotional items? These high quality backpacks come in a variety of colors and can all feature your business name and info!



10 Reasons Why Promotional Products Offer the best Bang For your Buck

Promotional products have got so much more to offer than the traditional advertisement. Check out our list of ten great reasons why promotional products offer the best bang for your marketing dollar:

1. Repeat Exposure: Unlike a magazine ad that you'll see once, promotional products are used over an over again. Think about those tote bags you own- You use them every time you go to the grocery store, meaning each time you're seeing that company logo. All those impressions leads to brand awareness and can generate new customers.
2. Product Variety: You can put your logo on literally thousands of products. Regardless of your idea or your business, there is most likely a promotional product that can fit your needs.
3. Creates a Good Impression: Did you know that 52% of people surveyed said they had a favorable impression of a company after receiving a branded item from them. Most people are inclined to view a company favorably after recieving a promotional product.
4. Stay in Front of Your Audience: Certain products like a calendar or clock are kept for a long time and are usually in plain view. The more the recipient sees your gift, the more likely they are to turn in to a customer.
5. Low Costs: Since most promotional items are bought in bulk, you'll be able to keep costs low.
6. You Can Be Creative: Because of the large number of promotional products available, as well as the many different design options for the imprinting, you can be as creative as you want with promotional products.
7. Versatility: Promotional products aren't just about generating new customers. They can be used for retaining existing customers or for rewarding your employees.
8. Incorporates All the Senses: The fact that you can touch and feel the promotional products can go a long way. Promotional products are truly unique in how they deliver your message.
9. More Likely to Buy: One study finds that consumers are 20.9% more likely to place an order with a company after receiving a promotional item.
10. Promotional Products Are Timeless: In addition to many people keep promotional products for a long time, branded items are one of the oldest forms of marketing. Even as marketing and advertising advances, promotional products remain popular because they are effective.

How Promotional Products can Turn Employees into Brand Ambassadors

Positive word of mouth is one of the strongest forms of marketing out there. All the print ads in the world are not as powerful as a sincere and thoughtful opinion. And your employees, not just your sales team, should be acting as brand ambassadors for your company. Employees that are engaged and fulfilled by their jobs will perform better, leading to a more successful company overall. You'll need to encourage employees to be excited about work and to set an example for them. Show to them how you're promoting the business through your genuine enthusiasm. The engaged ones will follow suit. Leading by example can mean several different things, depending on your business. It could mean that you and the other executives are acting as brand ambassadors through Twitter (and what your employees to do the same). Or it could simply be in how you interact with clients. The term "brand ambassador" will mean something different to everyone, just as long as you're representing the business in the right way, your employees will get the hint and do the same.

But beyond setting the example, you need to give your employees the means to promote your business. This is where promotional products come in. Loading each of your employees with a sampler pack of branded items (and for the sales team, make sure they've got branded items to give away before they meet with every client) is a great way to turn them in to brand ambassadors. Promotional products act as a great ice breaker. When you've got free products to give away, it gives your employees an opportunity chat with potential customers and talk about your business.

Promotional items can also be used to get your employees excited and talking about work themselves. Try giving away some of the premium items to your employees (perhaps as a giveaway or a reward) and encourage them to talk about it on social media. Heck, if the gift is good enough, they'll probably be talking about it on their own! Now they're hundreds of followers are seeing this great gift, and in their mind they're seeing that your company treats your employees well. Anyway you can help get the word out about the company is a good thing. And this is just scratching the surface. Don't be afraid to get creative. Talk with your employees and see if they've got ideas. Remember, happy employees are more productive and more likely to be brand ambassadors.

How to Motivate Your Sales Staff with Promotional Products

Selling isn't easy. The job can be tough on the ego and just plain exhausting. But as long as your marketing team is doing it's job, there will always be a fresh batch of leads, and your sales team needs to be ready to close the deal. So how do you motivate your staff? What can you do to keep them hungry and prepared to meet their goals?

Customizable gifts have long been a great reward for keeping your team happy and showing how much you appreciate their hard work. But what kind of promotional gift is best for a sales team? While things like branded t-shirts and mugs are great for generating new customers and creating brand awareness, what type of gifts will keep your team happy? Here's our 5 favorite picks for motivating your sales team:

Watch: An absolute classic motivational gift. A watch is a classy and sophisticated way to show your apprecation. Plus each of our watches can be engraved to commemorate the gift. Shop Customizable watches.

Computer Tablet: Who wouldn't love a brand new tablet? Try setting a lofty goal for your sales team and whoever is closest to reaching it will get the tablet (which, of course, can be custom branded to feature your company name). Shop Customizable Tablets.

Wine Accessories Set: This beautiful wine accessories kit features a wooden box that can be customized to feature your team member's name. Check the custom wine accessories set.

Trophy: Sometimes its better to go simple and reward your top sales person with a trophy. I would recommend keeping it in the office while the contest is going on, as a visual motivator for everyone to see. Browse custom trophies.

Golf Club: The game might not be for everyone, but if you've got a sales team that loves to hit the links, this gift is a no brainer. And if golf isn't there thing, we've got a wide variety of gifts for just about anyone. Shop custom gold clubs.

Promotional Items Sales Increase for 3rd Straight Year

A new report from Promotional Products Association International shows that in 2012 promotional
product sales volume has increased 4.38% over 2011. That's a total of 18 billion in sales volume for 2012. This is now the third year in a row that promo product sales volume has increased, and online sales of promotional gifts has increased by 20%. The biggest selling products are apparel (28.9%), followed by bags (8.7%), writing instruments (8.6%) and finally mugs and glasses (7.1%).

Despite the economic downturn and an increased reliance on digital marketing, promotional products are still going strong. It's funny, as it's one of the oldest marketing tactics around and yet, if sales volume over the past few years is any indication, promo products continue to be an effective way to increase brand awareness and earn new customers. The increasing number of online sales only further indicates that promotional products have been able to adapt to a new digital marketing world.

While just about every other tactic has been declared "dead" at some point (everything from print advertising to SEO and e-mail) promotional products seem to be immune to these claims thanks to the versatility of the products. When you have literally thousands of gifts to choose from and they can be customized in a wide variety of ways, there's always a way to create an effective promotional product campaign (plus, giving away gifts for free also helps!).

The categories of best selling products also delivers some interesting insights as well. Apparel is by far the most popular, which comes as no surprise. Think about your own collection of t-shirts and hats- How many of them are promotional giveaways? Customized t-shirts and hats are unique in that they can be used as both giveaways to create brand awareness or as uniforms for employees or team members. Tote bags comes in second, just barely beating out writing instruments by a fraction. Tote bags, apparel and writing instruments are popular as they all are used frequently, and are often times seen by many different people. That kind of exposure makes promotional products so unique. Of course, as I like to say, these numbers are encouraging but the only way to know if promotional products will work for your business is to try them yourself. Visit Our promo product catalog and see what we can do for you!