Every man and his dog is doing or has done notepads. A long standing promotional product, that continues to grow. Year on year the notepad holds a top 10 position in the most popular promotional products. People still love stationery; despite being constantly tied to our phones. The great thing about the notepad is that you can make it work for your brand and your customer. It comes down to the type of notepad, the accessories you team it up with (e.g. pen or pencil), and the design. How and where you position your logo. What message do you want to convey to the audience? Is it a message that inspires and motivations? A message that people want to Instagram?The target market is wide, so it’s just about finding the right style.
A number of large companies love to celebrate back to school, so there is a lot of noise around this time, which makes it even more important to be creative and stand out from the crowd if you want to cut-through. Your products and services may not be specifically targeted to school age students, however, imagine the exposure of your logo to mums, dads, teachers and the future generation. Consider the following questions and perhaps you too could run your own back to school campaign.
Who is your customer – Mums, Dads, Children, Teachers, School Suppliers?
Why would they want to hear from you?
How can your product make their life better?
What is your message?
What channel would you use to get your message across?
How can you reach them?
Who would you close the loop, so they continue their engagement with you?
What will the customer feel about your brand after this experience?
A promotional product is a great way to get your message out there, especially if you do it in
a way that’s unique to your brand and is purposeful for the user.
Tote bags are a dime a dozen. If your brand doesn’t have a tote bag, there’s a good chance you have had discussions about it, or it’s on the to do list. And for good reason – it stops us using plastic bags. Good for the shopping, good for carrying your laptop in, good for the beach, good to take to events.
A good idea made better when the design or the intended usage matches up well with your brand positioning.
What we are liking are clear tote bags. A nice opportunity for brands that want to target people at events, as clear bags have become mandatory at a lot of big venues for security reasons.
So why not tap into this opportunity and leverage your brand engagement in a meaningful and useful way for your audience.
Create impact at your next business event and ensure your organisation is remembered long after the conference or event has ended.
Events are the perfect opportunity to invest in branded apparel and promotional products for staff and customers. Promotional products are a necessity if you’re exhibiting at a conference or expo and you want to attract attention and also keep your company top of mind.
Over 37 million people attended more than 412,000 business events across Australia in 2013-14. These numbers have climbed in the years since, with meetings and conventions forming the largest component of the industry in terms of events, delegate numbers, expenditure and value add. With this in mind, it’s a good way to capitalise on your next business event, whether it be a conference or large scale trade show, with branded products and gifts that put you top of mind with potential clients and help develop strong business relationships and future opportunities.
5 things to consider before your event:
1. Have a clear objective or goal: What do you want to achieve with this event? Do you want to create exposure of a theme or simply your brand with attendees? Whatever your objective, consider having promotional items such as tote bags as they act as billboards with repeated exposure of your logo throughout the event and after.
2. Timing and Budget: A lot of the time you know exactly what you want, however, may settle for less as you run out of time. Once you have confirmation of the event date, use your promotional product consultant or let us know; what you want to achieve, your budget and you’ll be provided with a range of concepts to help you achieve your goals. We have worked with a number of clients that have finalised everything for the event and when asked by management ‘What are we giving out?’ only have a week or two to turn around the perfect promotional product for the event … with limited and uninspiring options available in short lead times.
3. Remember Before, During and After: Don’t only think about handing out promotional products during an event. For an even better impact, you could consider promotions before and after the event as well. Some ideas before the event might be an invitation with a creative product or a teaser to encourage the attendee to visit your stand and receive another gift. You could reward those that attended your event with another item to remind them of your organisation and keep the enthusiasm going.
4. Target Audience: The key to getting your branded products kept and taken back to the office or home, is to provide useful products that suit the target audience! It shows you have done your research and will ensure you stand out in an already crowded advertising arena with give-aways that make guests want to visit your stand to get the item.
5. Size Matters: If attendees have travelled interstate or internationally for the event ensure the product is suitable for travel. In this situation, sometimes smaller more thoughtful items can have more impact than larger items like water bottles that can take up too much space in carry-on luggage or breakable items such as glassware or coffee mugs.
For creative ideas to help you with your next meeting, conference, trade show or business event, we’re here to help.
Enjoy,
Diana
Diana O’Cobhthaigh, is the owner of Turnkey Promotions, boutique agency specialising in promotional merchandise and product development. Turnkey Promotions provides a helpful and consultative experience that is tailored towards our clients’ Branding, Values and Vision. Diana and Turnkey Promotions are focused on a partnership that delivers precision in planning, quality products and timely delivery.
Take advantage of branding opportunities in wet weather! The Rain in Spain SYDNEY falls mainly on the plain… If you’re in Sydney, you are probably absolutely over the month of non-stop rain we’ve had. The commute to work is slower, kids’ sport has been cancelled, and you’ve watched Netflix’s entire library. It’s been dreary, however people don’t stop their entire lives because of the weather. All the rain we’ve had makes it easier to raise the profile of various gifts and branded gear your organisation can provide for use in the wet, or even if it’s just cold and damp.
There’s no such thing as bad weather …
Despite the rain, life goes on! The game of golf scheduled still goes ahead, most outdoor winter sports play in drizzling rain, and outdoor training sessions go ahead unless it’s bucketing – three reasons why branded wet weather gear is a solid investment. A quality rain garment is treasured in every household, while umbrellas and outdoor pop-up marquees are all useful practical items that will ensure your branding and message receives multiple impressions. Give your staff, clients, and customers an opportunity to be outside with the appropriate clothing and they will feel special and rewarded whilst wearing it.
If you are looking at the apparel market, you’re in good company. In 2013, the Australasian Promotional Products Association (APPA) noted that of the $1.55B of sales to end users, apparel is by far the biggest category, accounting for a third of sales. What’s also important to note is that 89% of consumers recall the name of the advertiser on a promotional product they received in the past 24 months according to Innovative Marketing Consultants. Imagine having brand recall up two years after you’ve given a promotional product!
Promo Gift Tip: Customise and personalise as much as possible! The thought and effort into selecting a gift pays big dividends. If you can personalise a gift as much as possible, it gives the recipient a greater emotional connection.
Wet weather rain jackets – What to look for:
Tsunami Rain Shell Jacket
A lot of time and innovation is invested these days in making technical apparel to perform appropriately in all types of weather conditions and outdoor activities. For the wet weather, the higher the waterproof rating, the more precipitation the fabric can block from crossing into the barrier, thus keeping you drier for longer, as well as featuring sealed seams, waterproof zippers and articulated hoods to provide you with maximum weather protection so you can remain warm, dry and comfortable all day long.
Some jackets available have been field-tested for performance in a wide range of climates and weather conditions. For the wet weather jackets have 3 water resistance levels; basic water resistance jackets are showerproof and suitable for light rain /drizzle situations. High resistance is the next waterproof level and then extreme resistance, which will keep out heavy rain if outdoors for a long time and still allowing the garments to remain breathable and keep sweat away from your body. If an outdoor activity will get your heart pumping faster, this is what you want.
Non breathable waterproof garments include the promotional style ponchos. Although they don’t breathe they will keep wearers dry if they are out in the rain. There’s a variety of different quality ponchos available to showcase your branding and they are a great for outdoor events to allow you to show guests you’re keeping them in mind when menacing clouds arrive.
Umbrellas
Walk down any city street on a rainy day and you will notice that half of the umbrellas popping up are branded with a logo, while the other half are plain black! There’s nothing like an umbrella with your logo on it to reinforce your brand. Whether it’s for a golf game, going to the footy, or walking from the station to work, umbrellas are a tried and trusted means of getting your logo seen. Colours and logos can add some enthusiasm to an otherwise dreary day, so think about how you can use your logo against something other than a black background. It’s not just golf umbrellas that do the trick either, branded café and market umbrellas grab people’s attention at various outdoor locations, while marquees for that outdoor event will draw guests to you and are an absolute lifesaver when the heavens open.
Keep your gear safe and dry
You’ve managed to keep yourself dry underneath your umbrella wearing a waterproof jacket, but there’s nothing worse than realising your bag is completely soaked through … as are all the documents, electronics, contents contained within. Rather than needing to pack the valuables into plastic bags before you venture outside, you can use a branded waterproof bag you received as a gift recently, to save the day.
There are a great range of waterproof bags that can keep your bag contents safe and dry. Choose from different sized backpacks, duffle bags, tote bags and even protective laptop bags.
Enjoy,
Diana
Diana O’Cobhthaigh, is the owner of Turnkey Promotions, boutique agency specialising in promotional merchandise and product development. Turnkey Promotions provides a helpful and consultative experience that is tailored towards our clients’ Branding, Values and Vision. Diana and Turnkey Promotions are focused on a partnership that delivers precision in planning, quality products and timely delivery.
Winter is coming: Prepare now for a winter sport promotional product campaign
Autumn is upon us and that means the winter sport season is just around the corner – exciting Rugby League, Rugby Union, AFL and Soccer games are starting to grace our screens – which means now is the perfect time to prepare a winter sports promotional campaign.
Over 75% of people keep a promotional product because it is useful, therefore, tying your brand and logo with a suitable product for the upcoming winter season is ideal because sports apparel and equipment is highly sought after and very useful.
Footballs, netballs, basketballs – if it’s a sport played with a ball, then you can get your branding on it. Kids (and big kids) love a new footy or netball and will use it for years to come, thereby providing your brand with maximum exposure. Whether it’s for having a game of backyard footy, or passing a ball around the office on a Friday afternoon, custom sports balls will be used again and again and more importantly, seen.
Branded sports apparel is also very popular, not only for those participating in sport but also those supporting their favourite teams or cheering their kids on from the sideline every weekend.
Winter sports apparel = versatility
In the USA due to intense winter weather, suitable winter apparel is in the top five of favourite promotional products and 50% of people own promotional winter wear! Despite our more temperate climate, Australia has a large range of winter promotional clothing items as it is very versatile, is worn outside where it’s visible to more people and a good quality jacket or coat will be kept for a long time.
You may not be a part-owner of the South Sydney Rabbitohs like Russell Crowe, but you can certainly use produce apparel from the same brand he did to produce a custom jacket for the Bunnies. Canadian based Stormtech’s range of apparel is available in Australia and they specialise in the latest technology in the apparel to suit all sorts of activities and climates.
Snow sport gear and apparel
The Australian snow season is also on the horizon and there are a number of different options that can make a big impact. Snowboards and ski gear are prized by frequent visitors to the snow – with the cost of such items just one reason why. A corporate gift targeting avid skiiers and snowboarders will ensure the branded gear gets used and your organisation is top of mind.
Enjoy,
Diana
Diana O’Cobhthaigh, is the owner of Turnkey Promotions, boutique agency specialising in promotional merchandise and product development. Turnkey Promotions provides a helpful and consultative experience that is tailored towards our clients’ Branding, Values and Vision. Diana and Turnkey Promotions are focused on a partnership that delivers precision in planning, quality products and timely delivery.
Promotional products and Social Media: Valuable touch points for your business.
Combine Promotional products and social media platforms to create valuable touch points for your business. Ask any business and they will state that social media is an important component of their communication with current and potential customers, as well as being valuable in increasing their brand awareness.
When social media was first considered a useful medium for business, it was all about having a LinkedIn profile and a presence on Facebook. According to the 2016 Sensis Social Media Report business on social media has grown with nearly half (48%) of small to medium business (up from 31% last year) and over three quarters (79%) of large businesses (up from 56% last year) now having a presence on social.
Social media is not going to go away and those businesses that can stay ahead of the game by finding new ways to increase engagement with customers will be the ones that will reap the rewards.
Like social media, promotional products are a cost effective way to remind people about the benefit of doing business with your organisation. They also build brand recognition, reach a wide audience and establish a positive reputation.
From a recent survey conducted by APPA 52% of people who have received a promotional product will do business with the company after receiving it and their impression of the company is more positive! Team this up with the Sensis Social Media Report findings that 52% of consumers are more likely to trust a brand if it interacts in a positive way with its customers on social media and you have two advertising mediums that can clearly work together.
With nearly 50% of recipients using a promotional product every day, a company logo will be seen by others regularly, thereby creating more impressions over time without additional expenditure. These people will then engage with your customer to find out more about your brand, what you do and how you can help them. This word of mouth referral is valuable and key to people discovering new brands, products, services and experiences. Sharing a brands content on social media is the word of mouth function online and continues a person’s engagement and trust with a brand.
Boost your brand awareness by bringing Corporate Gifts and Social Media together
Mount Franklin invited social media fans to tag who they would love to share their Lightly Sparkling Fashion Collection watch series with.
Now more than ever, in our fast paced environments with pressure to achieve targets, marketers need to reward and build brand loyalty, create content that maximises the customer journey and experience through multiple platforms. This can be achieved by running a campaign using promotional products and a planned social media strategy.
The visual nature of Instagram and Facebook make these platforms ideal for a corporate gift/social media crossover. Instagram is growing continuously with more than 600 million people using the platform and 100 million users who joined in the previous six months of 2016 … a desirable audience worth tapping into.
7 ways to boost your Promotional Products through Social Media
There are a variety of ways to incorporate promotional products into a social media marketing campaign to fire up your brand awareness.
Create Desire … a desirable promotional product gives the impression that the company is Quality! Every year the promotional product industry releases a large range products in the latest trends suitable to showcase a corporate logo. Images on Instagram and Facebook can generate desire with your target audience and encourage brand reach. An idea could be to produce a small quantity of fashionable watches with a custom pattern printed on the watch face with your company logo. Post the image of the watch on Facebook and generate activity. The company could then reward those that were active by requesting a PM with their details and send them a watch, thereby positively impacting your brand and rewarding users.
Invite your social media followers to incorporate your branded products in their social media posts (User Generated Content) by offering a prize for their involvement. You get the best of both worlds: Promotional products being used and social media visibility. Getting followers to create social media content about your brand is ideal!
Use a hashtag to drive a conversation on Instagram around an event your brand is involved in. Encourage participation by offering a branded gift as a prize to one or more participants.
Create content about your company’s products and services that feature you, your staff or your customers wearing and using branded apparel. Your staff will feel rewarded and your customers will feel appreciated.
Usability is a key criteria. Statistics show that over 90% of people received a promotional product in the last 24 months, so it makes sense that the product be useful so it will still be around for years to come. With the popularity of video content, showing how to use products is another way of getting brand visibility and engagement.
Combine branded merchandise and social with wearable technology. Touch Screen Smart Watches come in all shapes and sizes and some of the latest styles look like a fashion watch but perform like a computer … your customers can stay in touch by receiving social notification via their watch with your brand on the go!
Every industry has social media influencers. Identify who they are and approach them about how they could incorporate your branded products into their social media content.
Enjoy,
Diana
Diana O’Cobhthaigh, is the owner of Turnkey Promotions, boutique agency specialising in promotional merchandise and product development. Turnkey Promotions provides a helpful and consultative experience that is tailored towards our clients’ Branding, Values and Vision. Diana and Turnkey Promotions are focused on a partnership that delivers precision in planning, quality products and timely delivery.
Your logo says a lot about your business. This post isn’t about creating your logo, as there’s plenty already published about design and colours on the web. Instead, let’s focus on where your logo appears on promotional products as the placement can make the difference between a remembered brand and one that’s forgotten quickly.
Understand your clients
Bigger is not always better, and the size of your logo on promotional products depends on the type of product you’ve chosen and the intended recipient. A corporate gift intended for executive level clients would only require a small or subtle logo so that it’s used more often and doesn’t detract from an individual’s personal style. Corporate gifts such as glassware, and office use gifts benefit from smaller, well-placed logos that catch the eye, but don’t detract from its use. Understanding your clients will make this decision much easier. Promotional products for outdoor use can obviously have a bigger logo so that they’re seen easily. Pop-up shade tents, tote bags, umbrellas and water bottles all benefit from larger logos.
Subtle and discreet
Discreet logos also add a touch of class and surprise to users when they’re found. A discreet logo on promotional products can also ensure your product is used more often, depending on the style of the user. Discreet or hidden logos work best on regularly used products as they reveal a brand when a product is in use. A logo on the inside or bottom of a coffee mug that can only be seen by the coffee drinker is one such example. Because of the extra thought you’ve put into where your logo appears, brand recall can be higher. Also consider placing logos internally, where only the user sees them – products that are regularly opened such as travel wallets and compendiums benefit from discreet branding.
Earlier this year, logos on active wear worn by Olympic teams in Rio competed for attention. A perfect example of good logo placement is the uniform worn by members of the US Gymnastics team. The Under Armour logo was expertly placed to capture viewer’s attention when medalists raised their arms in triumph. Even if your logo won’t be appearing on an Olympian (yet) choosing the best place for a logo on promotional gear can make a huge difference.
Of course, it’s a good idea to have your logo ready to go in a variety of different file formats to expedite the product design and ordering process (and we can also help you with this). We’ve shared some tips on which graphics work best . Your logo featured on promotional products is another touchpoint with staff and clients that extends from your office, website and social media accounts.
Enjoy,
Diana
Diana O’Cobhthaigh, is the owner of Turnkey Promotions, boutique agency specialising in promotional merchandise and product development. Turnkey Promotions provides a helpful and consultative experience that is tailored towards our clients’ Branding, Values and Vision. Diana and Turnkey Promotions are focused on a partnership that delivers precision in planning, quality products and timely delivery.
With Christmas just under two months away, NOW is the time to finalise your corporate gifts. The last months of the year fly by, so if you haven’t thought about Christmas gifts yet, don’t put it off any longer. Production times vary by product, so order sooner rather than later to ensure you have plenty of time to distribute them to staff, clients and customers. Ensuring your order is in soon safeguards against the silly season becoming manic.
Gifts to clients at Christmas time fulfills more than a feel-good festive function. Although that feeling of giving a gift that is equally well-received is great, there a few other reasons why giving a great branded corporate gift is more than good vibes!
Saying Thanks
The first and most obvious reason for gift giving is to say thanks to clients who are using your products and/or services and keeping your business humming along. It doesn’t take much to say “I appreciate your business” on top of what you regularly deliver.
Build strong relationships and retain business
Every business wants to nurture client relationships and have them continue to choose you as their partner. Gifts at Christmas help solidify these relationships and give greater meaning to just another transaction. If a business is completing 6 month budget reviews and are cutting costs and assessing service providers, now is the time to ensure that you make a great impression even if you’re in front of them every day. A well-thought gift is one that will make you stand out and come to mind regularly in the eyes of your client.
Stay top of mind in a slow season
Most businesses shut down for at least a week over Christmas and New Year. While your contact might disappear for a summer holiday for most of January, a meaningful gift given before that holiday will have your business top of mind in what is usually a frantic time of year. If a client or key contact is not returning to the organisation, that personalised, thoughtful gift will be a reminder of you at the person’s new company who may just need your services.
Diana’s Top Gift Tips
You’re the best at what you do, so give best-in-class gifts.
Send gifts that are visible, are used, and are a conversation starter that keeps you top of mind with the recipient.
Give gifts that serve a purpose, or solves a problem.
Chinese New Year: January 28, 2017.
Australia and China do so much trade and business with each other it’s important to keep an eye on Chinese New Year. As well as planning Christmas gifts, it is important to look at any upcoming events occurring in the early part of the year as factories often shut down for up to 4 weeks over this time with increases in demand occurring. So before China shuts down, get your large quantity custom indent orders for offshore production in by early November, so you can celebrate instead of stress!
Best wishes,
Diana
Diana O’Cobhthaigh, is the owner of Turnkey Promotions, boutique agency specialising in promotional merchandise and product development. Turnkey Promotions provides a helpful and consultative experience that is tailored towards our clients’ Branding, Values and Vision. Diana and Turnkey Promotions are focused on a partnership that delivers precision in planning, quality products and timely delivery.
Create impact at your next business event and ensure your organisation is remembered long after the conference or event has ended.
Walk down any city street on a rainy day and you will notice that half of the umbrellas popping up are branded with a logo, while the other half are plain black! There’s nothing like an umbrella with your logo on it to reinforce your brand. Whether it’s for a golf game, going to the footy, or walking from the station to work, umbrellas are a tried and trusted means of getting your logo seen. Colours and logos can add some enthusiasm to an otherwise dreary day, so think about how you can use your logo against something other than a black background. It’s not just golf umbrellas that do the trick either, branded café and market umbrellas grab people’s attention at various outdoor locations, while marquees for that outdoor event will draw guests to you and are an absolute lifesaver when the heavens open.
You’ve managed to keep yourself dry underneath your umbrella wearing a waterproof jacket, but there’s nothing worse than realising your bag is completely soaked through … as are all the documents, electronics, contents contained within. Rather than needing to pack the valuables into plastic bags before you venture outside, you can use a branded waterproof bag you received as a gift recently, to save the day.
Autumn is upon us and that means the winter sport season is just around the corner – exciting Rugby League, Rugby Union, AFL and Soccer games are starting to grace our screens – which means now is the perfect time to prepare a winter sports promotional campaign.
Combine Promotional products and social media platforms to create valuable touch points for your business. Ask any business and they will state that social media is an important component of their communication with current and potential customers, as well as being valuable in increasing their brand awareness.
Logo size and placement matters!
With Christmas just under two months away, NOW is the time to finalise your corporate gifts. The last months of the year fly by, so if you haven’t thought about Christmas gifts yet, don’t put it off any longer. Production times vary by product, so order sooner rather than later to ensure you have plenty of time to distribute them to staff, clients and customers. Ensuring your order is in soon safeguards against the silly season becoming manic.