Posted by Jack Valentine on Wed, Jun 09, 2010 @ 08:59 PM
The printing revolution went edible years ago; We're all familiar with how our local supermarket bakeries can reproduce photographs on thin layers of sugar paper for cake decoration. But printing on pizza is a brand new phenomenon.
Who'd want a company logo slapped in the epicenter of their large extra-cheese, basil, tomato and garlic pie? Well, the NBA is betting that team-branded pizzas will be in huge demand at their concession stands, with fans eagerly coughing up an extra five bucks for a souvenir that will be inside their small instestines within minutes.
You know what advertising medium works far better than gimmicky pizza branding -- and also lasts a lot longer?
Customized desk pad calendars -- especially when they are tailored to your customers' specific industry and contain relevant job-related dates they won't want to forget.
Desk pad calendars, given away free to your most valuable clients, never get outdated. Well, they naturally do, at the end of the year (or 15 months, depending on what you choose). But when that last month is about to torn off, your customers hopefully will be expecting a replacement from you.
Featuring your logo and contact information, desk pad calendars allow you to be part of your next repeat customer's work environment 24/7. It's not annoying and aggressive advertising, like telemarketing. Desk pad calendars are patient: they say "Hey, I'm here whenever you need me."
Personally, I love to use a desk pad calendar. I'm a doodler and a scribbler and am always frantically searching for scrap paper to jot down a phone number. And at the end of the month -- WALLA! -- clean slate.
Check out some of these desk pad calendar designs for ideas on how to silently put them to work for you. There's no pressure to be sexy (these calendars by another printer are really over the top). You just need to come across as helpful.
And the best thing about desk pad calendars? Unlike printed pizza, these calendars won't burn the roof of your mouth! No calories, either.
Posted by Robert Higgins on Sat, May 29, 2010 @ 10:51 AM
Among the simplest, lowest cost,and most powerful brand promotion tools available is right in your hand: your business card. Simple, inexpensive, easy to carry, and expected in any encounter, the ubiquitous business card is your brand image in your pocket. It's probably the most common form of brand advertising, and your most common marketing opportunity. It's the staple in the stable of your business printing.
Business cards open doors. They serve as tangible reminders of those you've met, and they generate future business. Adding photos of your people to your company's business cards reinforces and cobrand your company's face with the human faces of your sales reps. Photos transform business cards from flat, two dimensional images into dynamic multimedia tools by tapping into the associated memories of your encounters with that person. They reinforce your pride in your people, and show your people's passion, and how your people love their work.
Print on demand has made full color business cards downright cheap. They're so simple to order now too. Companies can set up online business card programs where the cards can be ordered and proofed online in just a minute or two. Once ordered, the cards are delivered in just a few days.
Business cards must be at the heart of your marketing campaign and brand building. There's no better tool to get your marketing moneys worth.
Business cards are the face of your business, why not make it a human face by adding photos of your people on this powerful branding tool.
Posted by Jack Valentine on Fri, Mar 26, 2010 @ 05:09 PM
We freely admit we are biased.
If we were the judges in an Advertising Genre Beauty Pageant, it is safe to say we would vote for the print medium as the most beautiful form year after year.
To our knowledge, there is no such thing as an Advertising Genre Beauty Pageant. But ironically, we happened to recently stumble across all 53 Miss America contestants during a promotional fashion show a week before they competed for the crown.
The contestants were all seated for a traditional "meet-and-greet" with shoppers at a Las Vegas mall. All of them had gorgeous promotional postcards to autograph. But not all of their cards were designed to fully maximize the power of branding and to increase the chances of the beauty queens getting hired for future paid appearances.
Some of the postcards were simply one-sided photos with the contestant's name and home state. Others, such as the Miss Missouri souvenir above, used the back of the card to trumpet the Miss Missouri scholarship organization, the printing sponsors, Tara Osseck's personal charity and phone number contacts for hiring her.
There is no greater way for Miss Missouri to promote her career and the national pageant than with a smile and bat of the eyelashes in person. However, her photo postcard -- this one printed on a thick quality collectible stock -- extends the value of her promotional appearance for weeks, perhaps even months.
A postcard like this one likely winds up on the kitchen refrigerator, greeting everyone that comes into the house. It continually reminds people about visiting her Website or how to contact Miss Missouri to appear at a promotional event.
In short, give people a reason to want to keep your postcard or color brochure (coupons do wonders when you don't have a celebrity autograph to create value) and they will. And you will be on the short-list of phone calls when they need your goods or services.
A fabulous way to beautify your real estate documents or legal paperwork is to dress them up in a snazzy, fashionable presentation folder or accordion folder. Instead of reaching for a drabby manila envelope, your clients will appreciate how neat and organized you've made a potential paperwork mess.
Our document folders might not be as sexy as the swimsuit or evening gown competition, but there is nothing more beautiful than someone staring at your company logo and later calling you or dropping you an email.
And just like the fashion show, our presentation folders come in a variety of dazzling styles and colors!
Posted by Jack Valentine on Wed, Mar 17, 2010 @ 04:57 PM
The Boston Globe just documented why the Boston Red Sox are not only talented on the field, but happen to be some of the savviest marketers in the sports and entertainment business.
If you happen to live in New England, you know that Red Sox tickets are nearly impossible to buy at face value. Unless you get lucky with occasional Website lotteries, you absolutely have to know somebody or know somebody who knows somebody to even have the opportunity to purchase overpriced box seats.
So if Fenway Park sells out every night, why are the Red Sox bothering to advertise at all -- let alone turn a mundane moving van into a marketing/branding billboard on wheels?
The reason is that you can't rest on your laurels. Every opportunity needs to be maximized as a marketing opportunity. The Red Sox, with scouts in Korea, Japan and throughout the Carribbean, are a global brand with a global fan base. Every motorist who lays eyes on that truck -- from Boston to Florida -- ia a potential customer of Sox hats, jerseys, sweatpants, etc.
The Red Sox, heavily pushing a sponsorship deal with Jet Blue, also went crazy with promotional giveaway items such as these foam sports fan #1 fingers:
If you want to give away a fun souvenir at your marketing event, context is everything. At a sports event, foam fingers make all the sense in the world. People will naturally be drawn to them and won't need any prodding to use them and get your branding message out there.
On the beach, opt for printing your logo and slogan on a personalized umbrella and watch the mobs scramble for shade under your marketing pitch. At a computer or biotech trade show, potential clients will gobble up promotional USB flash drives.
At a seminar where participants are being bombarded with documents and paperwork, perhaps a branded presentation folder or accordion folder will make you somewhat of an organizational hero.
Remember to brand yourself the Red Sox way. Even the most mundane events, such as a truck moving equipment from point A to point B, can present itself as a tremendous marketing opportunity!
**
Photo credits: The Boston Globe's "Red Sox Truck Day" Slideshow
Posted by Jack Valentine on Fri, Feb 26, 2010 @ 10:36 AM
Two months ago, many of you may not have ever heard of Scott Brown. Now the new U.S. Senator from Massachusetts has his own action figure, has been spoofed on Saturday Night Live (for his good looks and sex appeal), and is even making political appearances in Arizona to boost the re-election bid of Sen. John McCain.
Now, we're going to deftly stay out of politics on this blog. As long they are pro-America, we frankly don't care what ideology our customers subscribe to! But the recent Scott Brown election carries branding and advertising lessons that go way beyond the Democrat-Republican divide.
With the rare exception of the governor's office, Republicans seldom win in Massachusetts. The state Senate now only has FOUR Republicans. It likely is the most lopsided government body in America. Consequently, any Republican running for statewide or national office in the Bay State is not only an underdog, but a Rocky Balboa kind of of underdog.
Having front row seats for this past election, the most amazing thing about Brown's comeback against favorite Martha Coakley, was the heavy focus on printing to promote his brand, specifically his lawn signs. Talk radio was flooded with calls from people saying that the campaign had run out of signs. Official campaign bumper stickers were heavily sought-after merchandise, too.
As the Scott Brown campaign experienced the utopian feeling of having supporter demand outstrip their supply, Massachusetts voters made their own homemade signs with markers and posterboard. The media always uses political lawn signs and bumper stickers as a barometer of grassroots support, but in this election even more so. The pundits kept citing the dramatic imbalance of posted lawn signs and stickers as evidence that the Brown campaign was gaining momentum and might be much stronger than any of the "experts" gave them credit for.
For us, aside from regrets that we weren't one of the printing vendors for the Scott Brown campaign, this historic election was an exciting indicator that old-fashioned printing still wields massive branding power in the Internet Age. Before the Revolutionary War, patriot Thomas Paine relied on the printing press to challenge British tyranny with his "Common Sense" newspaper.
And three centuries later, we're still using printing to promote our ideas and challenge our competition.
The great thing is that you need not be a revolutionary to harness the power of printing. Maybe your big battle is to modestly become the most dominant real estate agent or insurance agent in your region. Branding your document folders and custom presentation folders with your logo and slogan serves the same purpose as a political lawn sign.
Everytime your prospective client glances at their documents, they'll think of you!
Oh, one more thing, it looks like Scott Brown is a huge fan of promotional merchandise. Everytime you sit on your tush, you'll think of him:
Posted by Jack Valentine on Wed, Dec 16, 2009 @ 08:45 PM
The above souvenir postcard is from the Classical Gardens of Suzhou, China, which is a United Nations World Heritage site. But take a closer look. It's not just a postcard.
The detachable yellow portion is an admission ticket.
The Chinese tourism bureau is a savvy marketing and branding machine.
Not only are they giving you a stylish souvenir for your vacation album, which will no doubt be shared with countless family and friends, but they are also making it easy for you -- tempting even -- to suggest this location to the next potential tourist.
Postcards are the ultimate promotional printing vehicle because people keep them FOREVER. Take a look at the collectible postcard listings on eBay. The most fascinating aspect is the desirability of advertising postcards -- ones that make no effort to camouflage themselves as collectible souvenirs.
Who would ever have imagined that a Texaco oil change postcard would last for almost 60 YEARS?!
A good advertising postcard only needs two elements:
1. An uncluttered, attractive image; and
2. A Call To Action.
The Chinese tourist postcard screams COME VISIT ME! And if it is sent from a friend, it has more word-of-mouth power than a billion brochures. The Texaco card, in a funny cartoon, reminds people they need to take care of their cars in the cold weather.
Using either a funny image or a gorgeous tourist picture (if your town or city has even a semi-famous attraction) can guarantee that your promotional postcard doesn't immediately wind up in the trash.
And using the Chinese garden model, if you attach a ticket/coupon, or include a discount offer printed on the back, you have your Call To Action.
These same principles apply to pocket folders and mini pocket folders used to give your customers information or their receipts. Give people a reason to keep your promotional business printing and they WILL keep it and they WILL think of you the next time they need your goods or services.
Now, back to the Texaco card, does anyone out there manufacture sweaters for cars? Seems like another golden business opportunity!
Posted by Jack Valentine on Thu, Dec 03, 2009 @ 06:01 PM
We're only human, so we feel no shame in admitting occasional jealousy.
We're a teeny bit jealous of 26-year-old Jason Sadler, who has pulled off the stunning career move of convincing businesses to PAY HIM to wear their t-shirts. If you pay his rate, Jason will pretty much wear pink Care Bears or ballerinas. His only rule is no profanity and nothing offensive or vulgar toward women or any ethnic/religious group.
He raked in $85,000 in salary and sponsorships this year -- just for wearing t-shirts and blogging, Twittering, YouTubing and Facebooking the heck out of the brands he promotes each day. You can read all about the clever insanity on his IWearYourShirt.com Web site.
Jason's success is a result of his personality and hard work, but it is also a testament to the value of promotional merchandise -- the power of the printed word. Jason is a human billboard. Everywhere he walks, even when he enters a public restroom, he is silently broadcasting his sponsor's message.
You can make this happen, too. On a rainy day, your bright-colored promotional umbrella will flash like a beacon in the fog. Your promotional coffee mug will serve as a constant reminder of your products or services, regardless if the mug is actually used for coffee or is repurposed as a pen and pencil holder. And your company's handsome document folders that package important papaers and documents will likely be kept for years to come.
Yes, printing is an expense. But even more so, it is a branding opportunity that may provide unexpected dividends. You never know who owns the set of eyeballs that cross paths with your logo and product slogan. Promotional merchandise is your opportunity to fill the world with Jason Sadlers -- all of them working for you!
Posted by Jack Valentine on Mon, Nov 16, 2009 @ 09:31 PM
The advertising giant BBDO West recently teamed up with Goodwill and Levi's to promote the message of recycling used clothing.
The suggestion to donate your jeans to Goodwill when you no longer want them (or maybe gain too much weight?!) appears just below the washing, drying and ironing instructions on the laundry tag.
Goodwill builds brand awareness while simultaneously aiming to reduce the estimated 23.8 billion pounds of clothing that annually gets tossed in the trash by Americans alone. By offering its tags for promotional advertising, Levis brands itself as a company that cares about the environment.
What's particularly brilliant about this advertising strategy is that it encounters the consumer at the point of his or her decision making. The message to recycle may even urge the jean owners to keep other materials out of the waste stream as well.
Promotional advertising is most effective when you have a captive audience, when your message is emblazoned across an item that your target audience uses in their everyday life.
Customized Business Envelopes aren't as sexy as Levi's jeans, but they are a golden opportunity to broadcast your brand when a consumer buys tickets to a concert or entertainment event. Mini pocket folders for gift certificates may include bonus coupons for a restaurant or any business.
And for real estate agents, attorneys and travel agents, snazzy-looking presentation folders that keep documents neat and orderly may just have a longer lifespan -- and advertising potential -- than the jeans you are wearing right now.
Posted by Chris Higgins on Sun, May 31, 2009 @ 01:23 PM
Product packaging is big business and an important way to keep your brand visible, mobile and in front of your target market. I sent flowers to my wife for mothers day and she was almost as impressed with the package as she was with the flowers.
I ordered from proflowers.com they were having a special and I heard about it on the radio. The flowers showed up in a very elaborate full color box with the proflowers logo emblazoned on the side. Inside there were compartments for the flowers, the vase, and the plant food, I remember thinking "man that box / package must have cost as much as the flowers". I heard my wife talking to a friend and she spent more time talking about the really nice box than she did about the flowers themselves, which when you think about it is exactly what proflowers wanted.
Proflowers uses their product packaging to create repeat customers and generate referrals, they want you to remember the flowers, but they really want you to remember where they came from. I noticed the same thing last night when we ordered pizza from The Upper Crust (great pizza by the way) the box had their logo, locations and contact information printed across the top. Just like proflowers they know the box is going into the trash, but they also know the value of creating multiple impressions of their brand and they're willing to spend more to make sure the client remembers where the product came from.
Today is the information age, how can you create a package that will be remembered if your product is information. Pocket folders are the solution; well designed colorfully printed custom pocket folders present your information in a professional manner that will be remembered. Insurance companies, consulting firms, financial services firms, lawyers, title companies, travel services firms, and real estate companies are just a few whose primary product is information, and pocket folders are a perfect way to package their product so their brand is remembered.
Pocket folders are not just presentation folders, they include portfolio folders, accordion folders, document holders, and even totes or boxes. Any of these products can be customized and printed to create a professional and memorable package for all kinds of information. Features such as business card holders, tab dividers, Velcro or bando closures, and special die cut pockets can be added to create a professional package that is functional, useful, and will promote the brand.
Pocket folders to package information have a real advantage over packaging for consumer products, they are less expensive and they don't get thrown away. As nice as the proflowers box is we threw it away right after we opened it. When your product is information such as an insurance policy, marketing information for partner companies, financial documentation, or real estate documents, the pocket folder becomes part of the information and is put away for future reference, not thrown away in the trash.
Product packaging is a great way to promote a brand and create referrals, custom pocket folders are a great way to package information. If your product is information take a lesson from successful consumer products companies and package your product in a pocket folder that will be remembered.
Posted by Chris Higgins on Wed, Apr 01, 2009 @ 02:13 PM
Promotional advertising and promotional products are all about putting your message on products that people use, and will see again and again. Usually it's targeted advertising, using specific products for a targeted market and maintaining control over who gets the promotion.
These days as advertisers struggle to find new ways to communicate their message some are getting really creative, particularly when it comes to mass marketing. I thought I'd seen promotional advertising in just about every place possible. There are advertising posters in the subway, city buses wrapped in full color advertisements, logos and messages on the boards at hockey games, and even advertisements at the toll booth as you drive through, but here's one I never thought of escalator advertising.
It makes sense, if the idea is to get your message in front of as many people as possible then put your promotional message where the people are. People ride escalators and when doing so they aren't engaged in much else, so chances are they'll notice the message and remember it. There's also the cool factor, particularly if you've never seen it before, that's one of the first things I thought when I saw this photo, "wow thats kind of cool".
For B2C marketing and advertising this is a great idea especially if the escalator is in a mall and the store doing the advertising is in the same mall, they can even change the advertisement on a regular basis. But what if you're a B2B company not interested in promotional advertising to the random masses but instead to companies and individuals that you know are likely to have an interest in your products and services.
If that's the case then useful promotional products with a high perceived value, especially those tied to a specific call to action are far more effective.
What to you think?