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Desk pad calendars, given away free to your most valuable clients, never get outdated.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 Jack Valentine on Mon, May 10, 2010 @ 09:59 PM
When you've been in the promotional printing business, you think you've seen it all.
Apparently, we haven't.
At first glance, using fashion models in leather dresses and catsuits to sell one of life's most unglamorous products -- the coffin -- seems like an odd marketing approach. But the Italian premium casket manufacturer, Cofani Funebri, has been promoting its product line with eye catching calendars since 2003.
Their slogan: "Death has never been so sexy."
These unusual fashion calendars are obviously meant for decorative purposes more than business planning. But the world of novelty wall calendars is filled with marketing lessons for any industry.
The goal of any promotional calendar is to put your brand in front of your clients' eyeballs and keep it there ALL the time. You want your brand to seamlessly become part of their office, a subconscious reminder of who to call when they need your product or service.
In order to do that, you obviously can't force product placement upon your customers! They have to WANT to keep your calendar around. The good news is that this does not require you to hire any scantily clad models or ask your employees to squeeze into costumes they may feel uncomfortable with. In all likelihood, you may not want to project that kind of image anyhow.
So, how do you make a promotional desk pad calendar as desirable as possible?
Take a look at a few examples of how various title insurance and real estate companies distribute engaging free desk pad calendars to their loyal customers and prospects. Whether it be the dates for courtroom filing deadlines, closing cost rates or important phone numbers, these calendars provide one-stop shopping for the target audience's informational needs.
A great desk pad calendaris inviting and roomy, with plenty of space for scrawling down appointments, phone numbers and even doodles. For all the BlackBerries, iPads and PDAs out there, many people still prefer to have their "To Do" list spread out in front of them all the time. No battery issues. And if you drop the calendar, it still works!
Right now is the ideal time to order customized desk pad calendars for the fall. Early order discounts are often available and the sooner you have the calendars in hand the sooner they can start promoting your brand .
Drop us a line to brainstorm how you can take full advantage of being in your client's workspace without being the least bit intrusive. Of course, there's not room on most desks for two huge desk pad calendars, so make sure you're there first.
Posted by Jack Valentine on Thu, Apr 08, 2010 @ 05:27 AM
Imagine that your favorite clients, the ones who keep giving you repeat business, gave you permission to put a giant promotional billboard in their offices -- reminding them to call you.
Well, in many cases, you not only have permission, but your advertising will be wholeheartedly welcomed. Amazingly, you only have to pay for the billboard and not the advertising space itself!
Despite the popularity of BlackBerries and computer calendar programs, nothing keeps employees more focused than a desk pad calendar. It's more personal than a computer screen, won't crash if the power or Internet goes down, and gives you a quick visual overview of everything on your plate.
Plus, it's a giant doodle pad, giving employees a place to jot down phone numbers and password reminders (encrypted, of course) they always want to be in front of them.
This Oregon title company went one step further and gave its real estate clients a handy directory of municipal phone numbers and zip codes that are used every day. Give away a useful promotional item to your clients and they honestly won't even see it as intrusive advertising.
Handsome desk pad calendars are mounted on thick, heavy cardboard and reinforced with durable plastic corners to keep everything neat and tidy. You can customize them with 4 color printing for much less than you might think, photographs and vibrant colors will really make your desk pad calendar stand out.
So what do you want your theme to be? This same title company's California office opted to combine American patriotism with a handy chart of their rates. First American's bald eagle logo seems to be a logical fit with the Stars & Stripes.
Customizing your promotional calendar offers a wide range of creative opportunities for layout. Check out how this title company utilized the empty calendar boxes to showcase vibrant photographs.
If you are a real estate agent who specializes in luxury homes, why not fill these boxes with some of the properties you have sold over the past year? If you sell life insurance policies, these spots are perfect for family photos of grandparents and grandchildren, weddings, birthday parties and life cycle events.
Savvy marketers seize every opportunity to put their brand in front of their customers. In addition to reminding clients who their service rep is, Stewart Title also gives them a solid reason to want to keep this calendar on the desk over any other. It has convenient reminders for when the courthouses are closed and monthly deadlines for refinancing.
Customers appreciate when you cater to their specific needs and don't treat them as a generic revenue source. Customizing desk pad calendars by industry makes a lot of marketing sense.
Embracing its Florida location, this agency chose to embrace a cheery disposition. But it also good-naturedly acknowledges the disadvantages of living in the Sunshine State -- especially from an insurance perspective.
The rainy months of April, May and June include reminders to check up on flood insurance coverage and tips on preparing for Hurricane Season!
Right now is actually Calendar Buying Season as many sales staffs like to hand out brand new desk pad calendars in the fall. Often you can find early order discounts for promotional calendars, which offer a phenomenal return on investment considering they provide nonstop -- but subtle and unobtrusive -- advertising for your business.
Put desk pad calendars on customers and clients desk's today and generate business and inquiries all year long.
Posted by Jack Valentine on Thu, Feb 04, 2010 @ 05:02 PM
Fame isn't cheap.
According to the Advertising Age trade journal, celebrities such as Britney Spears pay $25,000 to the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce for the privilege of having their name emblazoned on the heralded Walk of Fame.
Now, in an effort to raise fast money during these crummy economic times, the Walk of Fame is offering a limited five stars to companies at a whopping $1,000,000 fee. L'Oreal cosmetics and Absolut Vodka bought the first two spots.
Imagine, a million bucks for the opportunity for millions of people to drag their muddy feet across your company logo. Marketers figure that they are not only getting seen by tons of tourists, but their product names are physically associated with consumers' favorite movie, television and music stars.
If you had a million dollars for a marketing campaign, you could buy the measley sidewalk star, or you could impress the heck out your clients with a promotional gift they will want to keep and will inevitably remind them of you.
Look what one million bucks will buy you in customized printed items or promotional products:
Of course, you don't need to spend anywhere near that amount of money if you are targeting only a few hundred or even a few thousand employees or clients.
The other advantage over a Hollywood star (not that you are thinking about buying one) is that with promotional items, you get to strategically decide who gets the gift. Who do you want staring at your Website URL all year long when they look at their desk calendar or take a sip from their custom coffee mug?
You slap your logo on a sidewalk and likely 90 percent or more of the pedestrians just want to walk on you and aren't in the frame of mind for purchasing goods or services.
But if you are into the Hollywood lifestyle, we can print a gold star (with your name, too) on virtually any promotional product you wish!