How Custom Products Could Get You on omg! Insider

Stop the mistreatment of word "promotional products". What??

Yes, you heard it right, imprinting a logo on any random product for the sake of it, won’t ease your brand in close to future. 

So, I won’t say promotional products. I’d prefer it as custom merchandise or custom products.

We all know one of the most preferred strategy to drive brand awareness is the use of custom merchandise.

Even large companies see custom created merchandise as key to their marketing mix – here’s why:

Custom products have for quite a while been outstanding amongst other advertising techniques and by and large, an

exhibiting method that is under-assessed and ignored by companies which is, a marketing mistake. 

To kick us off, let’s look at some custom merchandise stats:

• The average household in the U.S. owns 30 custom promo items. 
• 85% of worldwide consumers remember the business that gave them branded apparel.
• The average length of your time a client keeps a promo product is about one year.

Source: ASI Report 

Now we know the facts, here’s just some reasons why you should be investing in custom merchandise:

 Brand Awareness

Probably one of the most preferred brand awareness tool is custom merchandise. During events, we've experienced some

type of merchandise display and giveaways. We get these items, put them in our bag and take them home. 

Once in the home, these custom products are creating nonstop brand awareness.

Conducting an event, fundraising, supporting a cause or running a Social media campaign. Custom merchandise fits on all occasions.

Here I present two situations:

Situation 1 - Conducting an event or social media contest use coffee mugs with your brand logo as a giveaway. Now

whenever consumers sip tea or coffee, your brand recognition will happen

Situation 2 - Fundraising or Supporting a cause use a personalized t-shirt. Print slogan and branded hashtag on t-shirts, it will spread the message to the viewers in a great way.

Did You Know: 53% of the time, custom products create a more favorable impression of the brand.

Customer Loyalty

Everyone loves a freebie and promotional items are not an exception to that rule. Normally, if an organization
gives away free merchandise, individuals are a lot more inclined to use the business (psychologically, they feel like they
owe you one!). 

Custom products will help prospects feel already valued – though they’re not an existing customer.

Did You Know: Custom products draw as many as 500% more referrals from satisfied customers than an appeal letter  
alone.

Custom Merchandise will act as a business card

Over the years we've seen sharing of Business cards with prospects that itself could be a different method of promoting
your business, but custom merchandise appears to pack extra of a punch as a business card instead of an actual
business card. 

Company logo and slogan depicting your business message on the merchandise will give an instant boost to Brand
Recognition. Like we can immediately recognize Apple (computer manufacturer) business on seeing its bitten apple logo.

Data indicates customers admit to throwing away business cards within the first month of receiving them – so custom merchandise is a sure shot win here.

Did You Know: 89% of consumers can recall the advertiser of a promotional product they’d received in the last 2 years. 

Greatest return with Least Cost

In case you're a small and medium enterprise, marketing is everything and most private companies dream for a multi-
dimensional advertising approach that will make a clamor about their products and services.

Custom merchandise allows small businesses to adequately advertise their business while minimizing expenses.
There are many low-cost custom merchandise for new businesses. Most of the manufacturers keep the costs extremely
low for mass distribution. Costs of the merchandise are low however the effect is high on the recipients.

There are entire plenty of various custom product options are available that organizations can decide to promote on – including coffee cups, t-shirts, writing instruments and various other promo items.

Mugs and t-shirts are among the most well-known and being able to recall the advertiser found on their mug.

Did You Know: In the USA, outerwear (for ex: polo t-shirts) generates most impressions (6,100) because it’s often
worn in public places.

Promotional merchandise simply works

In totality, custom merchandise simply works as an amazing thanks to market your business regardless of but massive or tiny. 

So, get in touch with a custom product company and turn your imagination into reality – you’ll inevitably see successes if your branding is on point.

Did You Know: Before receiving a custom product, 55 % of individuals had done business with the advertiser. when receiving a custom product, 85 % of individuals did business with the advertiser.

Important Tip: It's imperative to decide on the correct custom merchandise for your audience and the way to try and do that may cover in my next blog.

Till then keep connected, you'll write your thoughts and ideas at vikash@y-not.com

Happy Reading!

About the Author:

.

Vikash Singh is the Digital Marketing - Lead at Y-Not Design & Mfg, and was before the Head of Search Engine

Optimization at Sociosquares - A digital marketing agency located in the USA & India.

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Inside The Industry: Latest Trends In The Promotional World

We need to keep up with the latest trends in the Promotional Gift Industry. Good thing we have collated the updates from the industry leaders and would like to share them with you. Here's what's happening in the promotional world for this month.

Seasonal Promotional Items to Make the Most of the Holidays

This used to be a pastime reserved mostly for children. Now, opening a page in a colouring book has quickly become a go-to hobby for adults. Add promotional adult colouring books to your next campaign to help customers (or your team) find their happiness. Whether you are planning a team-building event or an advertising campaign, promotional colouring books make a great addition. Or, if your organization has a waiting room or areas where people like to unwind, put a few copies out on a table. Personalized colouring books (with your logo) make great additions to offices, hospital waiting rooms, senior centres, coffee shops and more.

A.T Cross Appoints Owen Keating

A T Cross is delighted to announce the appointment of Owen Keating as Global Director of Sales for Business Gifts. As a part of our push to significantly develop the Business Gift channel, Owen Keating has returned to fill the new role of Global Business Gift Director of Sales for Cross and Sheaffer.

Owen brings years of experience with the Cross and Sheaffer brands, not only in the Business Gift division but also in managing our global distributor partners in the EMEA and APAC region.

Eco-friendly Straws: Will This Edible Promotion Help Save The Planet?

Trying to stand out with a promotional product isn’t easy. With everything, we here in the news, eco-friendly straws as an on-pack promotional campaign are becoming more popular. What’s more, it’s a great way to increase brand awareness. One of the examples that caught our attention was Bacardi and Sorbos. The rum company decided to give its customers fresh breath with the edible straws as an on-pack promotion. Each bottle comes with 8 straws with two eco-friendly straw flavours lemon and lime. This free ad definitely differs from other alcoholic product marketing campaigns.

Interesting Promotional Products In The Drinks Industry

It's not a secret that the competition within the drinks industry is getting tougher every day. Good thing our product designers listed a few interesting promotional products that your brand may use for your next promotional campaign.

Top Things to Consider Before Designing Your Logo

Designing a business logo is one of the first steps when starting a new business or non-profit – and one of the most important. Your logo will introduce your brand to potential customers or donors on a visceral, subconscious level, making a positive or negative impression typically in 50 milliseconds.

Packing as many details about your business as possible into a logo is a stressful endeavour. To sift through the seemingly endless possibilities and settle on a professional logo for your company, find out how to make a business logo that sticks out. 

5 Giveaway Ideas For National Tailgating Day

America’s love for tailgate parties has been rewarded with a memorable observance – National Tailgating Day! Ensure that your brand joins in the festivities by hosting tailgating events. Pick a popular team and gather outside the stadium with fans for top-notch socializing! Ensure that quality food and beverages are enjoyed by attendees.

Your branding should appear prominently at the venue, ensuring that your business takes full marketing leverage of the tailgate party. National Tailgating Day will be observed on Saturday, September 7th, 2019. The first Saturday of September has been observed as National Tailgating Day since 2016. So, here are some exciting and popular tailgating promotional products that will help you connect with your target audience. 

5 Tips to Connect Coworking Employees to Your Brand

This all sounds pretty exciting for the creative team as well as the head of the company. But while coworking spaces do have undeniable advantages, they also come with a few drawbacks. If you think outside the box, you can find many solutions to help make your coworking employees feel part of the team. Keep them connected to your company and your brand with these five tips:

Trade Show Booth Staffing Guide

If you think outside the box, you can find many solutions to help make your coworking employees feel part of the team. Keep them connected to your company and your brand with these five tips.

Simba Custom Towels For 2020

Summer merchandise is by far one of the most popular and frequently used promotional items. Everyone loves to go to the beach so promotional towels are everywhere to be seen. Check out our Simba Towels which are of high quality, whilst still competitively priced. Custom Towels are the perfect inclusion for a summer range of promotional merchandise or branded gifts.

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The Latest Trends In The Promotional Gift Industry

As marketers, we need to know the latest trend in the promotional gift industry so we know what's in and what's out. We have listed a few excerpts from various industry giants.

Budget Giveaways To Maximize Your Marketing Dollar

No matter the size of your marketing budget, getting the most out of every penny is a top priority. These low-cost tips and budget giveaways get your brand in front customers while allowing you to stretch your promotional dollars.

Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Trade Shows

When it comes to face-to-face marketing, few events can rival the ROI potential of a trade show. With the right marketing strategies and careful planning, a quality trade show can put your brand smack dab in front of a targeted audience who is searching for a product or service just like yours.

But what is a trade show, exactly? While you’ve likely walked through a crowded exhibit or convention at some point in your life, being on the other end of the display booth is a much different experience than being an attendee.

Score Higher Sales With Branded Marketing Products As Contest Rewards

Lucky draws and contests are just some of the interesting ways to stimulate brand engagement. The idea of receiving high-quality branded marketing gifts from you makes customers more eager to show support. To make your lucky draw promotions a hit, use branded marketing products as contest rewards!

13 Summer Promotional Items To Highlight Your Brand

Summer is just around the corner! It’s time to ensure that your brand’s voice is heard with our wide range of summer promotional items. It’s important to understand the avenues where our summer giveaways can serve your brand well; some of them are listed below.

• Company picnics provide you with the perfect opportunity to showcase our camping chairs, sunglasses, tees, umbrellas, and coolers. You can also opt for our fun giveaways such as flyers, yo-yos and toy planes.
• Beach outings call for our totes, towels, lip balms, sunscreens, and beach balls.
• BBQ parties serve as the perfect avenue for our BBQ Kits and other cooking accessories.

Winter Is Fun With Custom Branded Snow Sports Equipment

Gather the team and acknowledge high achievers with a reward they will love instead of the usual plastic trophy. Custom Branded Snow Equipment will be used and appreciated and has additional brand exposure associated with a popular product. Winter Sports is a highlight of many people’s year, including corporate companies and organisations. 

Color Ribbons Guide for Cause Awareness Campaigns

If you are planning to launch an awareness campaign to raise funds for a charitable cause, you must understand the foundation of any awareness campaign — a cause ribbon. At HALO Branded Solutions, we understand these items hold monumental importance for all promotional awareness marketing. We work with you to place your charity, cause, or organization at the heart of your campaign.

The Power of Portable Chargers During Festival Season

With more festivals taking place in the UK than ever before, and the UK festival market said to be worth £4 billion to the UK economy, festivals are a great place to increase your brand visibility and take advantage of a massive audience of over 30 million attendees.

One of the best ways to do this is via giveaways, especially for products that are not just useful, but nigh on essential at the average music festival.

With the rise of the smart phone came the need for more regular charging, as battery technology struggled to keep up with the astonishing rate of development for mobile phones. Festivals provide perhaps the trickiest environment for this, with thousands of younger people, who traditionally use their phone more than most, all without access to mains electricity for sometimes up to five consecutive days.

How to Create a Green Marketing Campaign

What issue is more relevant than environmental sustainability? Creating a green marketing campaign is an excellent way to not only make a positive impact on the environment, but also promote your business. Going green is feasible for businesses in any industry and can help you attract potential employees and customers who want to help the planet. Consumers want to feel good about the purchases they make and the companies they support, and by adding environmentally-conscious practices to your business, you can increase brand loyalty.

On The Go: Using Custom Power Banks To Promote Your Business

Here’s a creative and unique tip: provide custom power banks as your corporate gifts.

Did you know that it takes 1kWh to power your mobile phone for a year? In 2013, that amount of electricity would’ve cost you only 12 cents. It’s not much, but phone usage in 2013 wasn’t as bad as it was now.

Now, we need power banks to keep our phones going throughout the day. This is one reason why they are the perfect promo gifts at company events.

Want to know the other reasons? Read on below for more on why giving away custom power banks will do your business good.

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Guest Interview: George Kepnick of Custom Comet

We recently had the pleasure of interviewing George Kepnick of Custom Comet and finding out his extensive experiences in the promotional products sector.

What were your 3-5 best selling products last year? (Bags, shirts, pens, drinkware etc.)

Custom air fresheners, coffee sleeves, and drink coasters.

What are faster-growing market segments in your region? (banks, automotive, Pharma, Food etc...)

We have seen a pickup in political candidate air fresheners the last few months. They seem to be a nice alternative to the traditional bumper sticker. We've also seen an uptick over the last year with car washes and detailing shops.

Do you visit trade shows? If so, which ones are your favourite and why?

I have been to a variety of ASI shows as well as to the recent NWPMA show. You cannot beat the variety of products at one of the large ASI shows though. Fortunately when I lived in Chicago I was able to attend it a few times. Those were typically some of the larger ones. My first ASI show was in Florida and I was awestruck with all of the products. I had no idea there were so many options. It was great for finding new products ideas.

What are the biggest opportunities you see in your industry?

Short run with the new digital printing technology seems like it will continue improving quality wise over time. The other place I think there will always be opportunity is in customer service. People like to find the best price, but return customers need quality customer service. For us, our biggest opportunity likely lies within growing our product offerings and increasing the amount that customers spend with us over their lifetime vs just our initial sale.

Any examples of a good marketing campaign you like? Links or pictures appreciated.

KFC has insane campaigns. They put together this extremely creepy bear skin rug for Valentines Day:

https://www.reddit.com/user/ColSandersThrowaway/comments/amu3td/happy_valentines_day_reddit_we_made_you_colonel/ 

Nissin / Cup of Noodles put these fake headphones out on April fools day which people actually wanted to buy. They were pretty neat, and an elaborate prank.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BvtG1GbFZn0/ 

https://hypebeast.com/2019/4/nissin-x-hyperx-cup-noodle-headphhones 

https://nissinfanstore.com/products/hyperx-cup-mix-in 

Please tell us your full contact details for publishing. A Bio is most welcome.

Name: George Kepnick
Title: Owner
Location: Portland, OR (USA)
Company Website: https://customcomet.com
E-mail: hello@customcomet.com
Phone: 1(888)684-2933

George Kepnick is the owner of Custom Comet (https://customcomet.com). He has been in the promotional product industry for nearly a decade. Before this, he spent over a decade in digital marketing.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/customcomet
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/customcomet/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/customcometcom/

What's Going On In The Promotional Industry?

We have completed the first quarter of the year and the promotional industry has grown rapidly. So, we thought of updating you with the latest buzz from the big players in the promotional and marketing sector.

Biodegradable Ponchos By Sourcing City News

Here's an innovative biodegradable poncho is made from LDPE+EPI. This could be a great rainy promotion; marketing whilst protecting the environment.

The Perfect Polo By Promo Marketing

They could create the most versatile polo. Regardless of where it will be worn, they'll help you find a polo with the perfect style and features that are fit for your marketing needs.

Vivid LED Colours By JEM Promotional Products

These bright LED colours will be the centre of attraction in Sydney's Vivid Festival. Create your own Vivid Event and have fun with brightly coloured LEd promotional merchandise items

5 Useful Giveaways For National Nurses Week By Promo Direct

A lot of businesses use National Nurses Day to highlight their brand. They approach hospitals and provide nurses with freebies. Many hospitals, clinics and hospices also approach Promo Direct for useful promotional items. They've made things easier for you by featuring 5 desirable giveaways for this occasion

10 Good Swag Ideas to Promote Your Brand Offline By ePromos

While they’re certainly not a new concept, promo giveaways are still an important and strategic marketing route. ePromos has listed 10 of their favourite promotional swag giveaways ideas for your next offline gifting event.

Travel Adapters By USB2U

To ensure you are covered, you should look to offer a product from a well-known, reputable manufacturer of travel adaptors, such as Skross, who is one of the market leaders in innovative mobile tech. Their travel adapters all meet British Standards for safety, and whilst we currently only stock one model, more will be on the way very soon

Choose T-Shirt Sizes for Large Events By Halo

When you decide to host a big event, ordering promotional t-shirts for all of your attendees is a surefire way to generate goodwill for your brand and increase your visibility in the local community. Over 58% of consumers in America own promotional t-shirts, and in their lifespan, each t-shirt will generate an average of 2,500 impressions. This makes a t-shirt one of the best-value promos available.

Smart Stickers By Promocadeaux

These smart stickers will revolutionize the phone industry one sticker at a time. 

Five Great Giveaways for your Next Outdoor Event By RC Denver

The season for outdoor events is finally here, and RC Denver has got the swag to help you drive profits and make your outdoor event as memorable as possible!  Boost your brand with these five great branded products you can sell or give away at your event

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EverythingBranded Name New Head of Design

EverythingBranded is delighted to announce their new Head of Design, Pierce Robson. 

Robson takes on the role of Head of Design from his previous role as Graphic Designer, as a result of undeniable hard work and dedication. Since joining as a Graphic Designer in early 2017, Robson has gained full visibility of the structure, size and potential of the promotional product industry on a global scale, bringing with him this wealth of company knowledge and experience to the role.

Robson states: “I’m grateful that I have been given the opportunity to become Head of Design in a company that continues to grow year on year, it’s a really exciting time to be part of this company.

It’s also a great feeling to work for a company who nurtures its staff and wants to see you progress with them. 

My focus within my new role is making the design process in general a lot easier for all parties involved, by altering and improving elements of our design process and how we deal with requested work, I believe we can make an even better customer experience.”

Paul Rowlett, CEO and Founder of EverythingBranded has said, “We’re thrilled to have Pierce as our Head of Design, a truly deserved internal promotion. His experience and knowledge of design will benefit EverythingBranded enormously. We can’t always promote from within, but we are dedicated to helping our employees grow and achieve their full potential within the company whenever we can, and with Pierce, this is a perfect example of that!

We look forward to seeing Pierce take the lead of our Design Team ahead of another amazing year for EverythingBranded”

EverythingBranded prides itself on its skilled and experienced in-house Design Team who work closely with clients to create and ensure the artwork provided is an excellent and print ready quality.

To learn more about EverythingBranded and their vast range of promotional products they offer, visit their website – https://www.everythingbranded.co.uk/. 

Branded Jute Produce Bags - 2019’s Eco Friendly Gift

Every year the demand for eco friendly merchandise continues to grow. As the need to preserve the environment grows and public concern becomes more widespread more and more business planning takes environmental impact into account. While many of the classes of eco-friendly products have questionable credentials, so far in the early weeks of 2019 jute produce bags are proving to be the real deal. Both made of naturally produced compostable jute fibre and having the functional advantage of saving produce from untimely disposal the expanding range of branded jute drawstring bags is proving to be an ideal way to get your logo noticed while reducing waste. These days many companies understand reputation on the market is partly dependent on their green credentials and because these perceptions are increasingly important skepticism amongst consumers as to whether these claims are genuine is also on the increase. The simple act of offering a product which has an irrefutable eco friendly heritage, like jute produce bags, is a sure fire way to win consumers over to your brand next time they are shopping for groceries and fresh produce.

Without looking too hard it seems a natural fit for custom jute produce bags is the fresh fruit and vegetable market, both at a retail and wholesale level. It makes a lot of sense for a grocery shop to hand these out to clients. Not only will it encourage people to buy more and remember their brand but of course when the produce is delivered to the table in premium condition the likelihood of consumers returning to purchase more is increased. But the opportunities are much greater as everyone buys fresh produce regularly and the natural connection between what is perceived as a healthy lifestyle choice and a greater concern for the environment.

Jute is a natural fibre which was popular prior to the second world war. In recent decades it’s been overshadowed by the ever increasing range of synthetic fibres but as people become more concerned about environmental issues jute has seen a resurgence. Jute is a natural fibre which comes from cultivation of corchorus capsularis, a long fibrous plant native to China, but now grown in many tropical and subtropical locations. Once you’ve finished with jute, unlike most artificial materials, it can be composted, so every stage of its production use and disposal is environmentally sustainable.

People are more concerned about the environment than ever and to some extent the obsession with healthy eating is part of the same change in focus. As people look for more natural options in both the products and the foods they consume it’s considered to be broadly true that the greater the level of processing and artificial ingredients in a foodstuff the less healthy it will be for those who eat it. Similarly, environmental concerns are largely driven by a focus on a similar desire for the whole planet.

The recent trend towards jute bags has seen a range of different sizes and styles available. The drawstring jute bag version is custom branded product option most popular because it is both practical and a simple style to handle and the flexibility of size and simplicity of closure makes it an all-round effective accessory. Once the fresh produce is placed inside the drawstring immediately closes the bags and keeps the contents safe. And of course there are uses for a drawstring bag beyond the kitchen. As a gift bag or a hand carry-all they can be used to store just about anything.

The other great advantage of branding an distributing jute produce bags is that people tend to take them with them on their shopping expeditions ensuring your logo and message get more widely noticed. If your company is looking to enhance its environmental credentials, as many are these days, take note of the utility and versatility of jute drawstring bags to get your message out there.

Author Bio - Bill McGrath is the founder and Managing Director of Fresh Promotions, one of Australia’s leading promotions agencies with dozens of the nation's top 100 companies as long-term clients. With many years experience in retail and trade promotions, clients have come to depend on Bill’s advice in sourcing promotional products in Australia which enhances the values of their brand.