Dona Blunt recognized by Kaeser & Blair

Dona Blunt, MAS recently attended the Kaeser & Blair (K & B) convention in Hebron, KY.  At the Saturday awards event, Dona was recognized as being in Kaeser's top 1% of all of its dealers.  The photo shows Kurt Kaeser, president of Kaeser & Blair presenting Dona with a Waterford crystal bowl award for her sales achievement in the 2011-2012 sales year. 

Dona became a K & B dealer in July 2010; this the second consecutive year that she has received this prestigious sales award.

Planning a Meeting or Convention?

Planning a meeting, large or small can be stressful.  There are so many details and things to check on.  Below is a A -Z (almost) checklist that may assist you in making sure that you include all the items that enhance a meeting and make it memorable. 















--Attendee Gifts

--Binders & Index Tabs

--Board of Director Gifts

--Booth Displays

--Buttons, Lapel Pins

--Flags, Banners & Signs

--Flash Drives for storing meeting notes and proceedings

--Golf Outing Gifts & Awards

--Hospitality Suite Items: Napkins, Glasses, Stirrers, etc.

--Invitations

--Name Badges, Neck Lanyards

--Pens, Pencils, Markers

--Plaques, Awards

--Portfolios, Presentation Folders, Tote Bags

--Ribbons

--Room Gifts

--Scratch Pads

---Speaker Gifts

--Table Favors

--Uniforms and imprinted garments

--VIP Passes

--Volunteer Gifts

--Wristbands for admission to events

Promotional Idea that Went Very Wrong

Exerpted from PromoMarketing.com:
" A promotional product may have made the wrong kind of impact at a Northeastern (Massachusets) high school this week.  The bomb squad was called to investigate a "hissing" device found outside of Austin Prep School in Reading, Mass., on Wednesday. A teacher found the item and reported it to the authorities as a pipe bomb,  Police evacuated the school and brought in the bomb squad, which x-rayed the canister before determining that it was not dangerous. Inside the cylindrical package were flyers for a school supply company and a promotional, light-activated noisemaker. The aim of the promotion and the name (of the ) supply company were not identified, although Patch.com reports that it was sent by a marketing company in Minnesota."

The photo above shows the bomb squad outside of the school, working on "defusing" the package.

So, how does this apply to your promotions??  Should you attempt to use unusual or novel promotions?  Is humor a good thing in promotions?

The answer is "sometimes".  Utilizing an unique or humorous type of mailer is often the best way to break through the clutter' of the volume of marketing campaigns that your customers and prospects receive. 

But working with a promotional company who will provide a more impartial look at your intended promotion can help prevent marketing disasters.  Any "out of the box" type of promotion should first be cleared by the post office and tested on a small scale to determine if there will be any unintended consequences.   Another safe manuever is to adapt a proven campaign done previously by a company in a different industry from yours; they have already worked out the bugs and you will still have an unusual promotion that has been proven to be effective.

Do you have a direct mail campaign in your future?  Contact me today to receive case histories of other campaigns that you can modify to achieve your marketing needs.


Dona Blunt, MAS (PromoDona)
847-398-5500
dona.blunt@newportpros.com

New tee shirt record

Andy Coyne of Greenville, South Carolina, reclaimed the Guinness World Record for number the of T-shirts worn by an individual on Jan. 5th at the PPAI Expo 2012 in Las Vegas . Coyne, who originally set the record in June 2009, established the new record by wearing 249 Hanes T-shirts.

For 2012 look for the continued expansion of organic cotton and other eco-friendly types of tee shirts as well as more emphasis on moisture-wicking blends, rather than the traditional 100% cotton tees.

The 2012 color charts have been published and there are many more color options being offered.  One tee shirt manufacturer now has 98 colors from which to choose!  Which color(s) are predicted to be best sellers?  When promotional product distributors throughout the country were polled for their prediction for the best selling tee shirt colors in 2012, the results were as follows--
Black-39%; White--26%, Red--11%,Blue--9%,Yellow-8% and Green--7%.

Don't wear more than one shirt at a time or have a preference for a new fashion color?  I can help you select the most appropriate shirt for your needs.  Be sure to ask me about the variety of decorating techniques, such as discharge printing, sequins as well as the traditional screen printing or embroidery.

Dona Blunt, MAS (PromoDona)
847-398-5500
dona.blunt@newportpros.com 

2011 Best-Selling Product Categories

http://www.ppai.org/inside-ppai/research/documents/2011%20salesvolume%20sheet.pdf



The survey results are in and have been tallied.   Promotional Products Associational International (PPAI), the trade association for the promotional products industry (www.ppai.org) has posted results from their recent survey of vendors and distributors of promotional products. Each year PPAI creates a pie-chart showing the sales by product category with the most recent year's ranking of market share by category plus the previous year's rankings listed in parenthesis.

In case you every wondered what the best-seller categories were for promotional products, this chart gives the visual answer.  Wearables (hats, tee shirts, polos, jackets, etc.) has retained the number one postion since 1993.  Writing instruments (pens, pencils, markers and highlighters) , Bags, Calendars and Drinkware complete the top five and account for almost 60% of the total of all categories.

The order of the categories have been relatively static from one year to another although this year has several changes in the ranking order.  For example,  the Bag category moved up two places in to number three, which dropped calendars down to the fourth position.  In a reflection of people's lifestyles and interests, the Computer Products and Accessories category saw a significant increase in 2011 from 1.97% market share to 3.76% market share and moved up several slots on the chart.

For further information, contact PromoDona or access the information on the PPAI website.

Dona Blunt, MAS (PromoDona)
847-398-5500
dona.blunt@newportpros.com

Add more Plush to your Marketing Mix

You may call them stuffed animals, but the trade name is plush, attributed to their soft fabric construction. Plush animals can convey your message in friendly and effective way. 

Here are just six of several reasons to consider plush as part of your marketing mix:
1.)  Broad Appeal: this product reaches across all ages, deomographics and industries
2.) Interactive and connects on a an emotional level.
3.) Creative: selecting a specific animal or slogan (i.e., You can re-Lion on our great service.) add playfulness to your company image.
4.) High perceived value.
5.) Small product with a big impact.
6.) A custom plush character sets your company apart from its competitors. 

How have companies used plush animals?
>A university hid a hawk mascot throughout the campus for students to find as a way to promote safety on the campus.
> One of the national hotel chains uses a plush bear as a welcome gift for guests
>A Human Resources department in Florida gave a sea-related character as a way to say thank you to employees for their hard work.
>An elephant mascot was given as a reward to children when they completed an after-school program.
> An auto dealership puts a plush bear in the front passenger seat in every car that they sell.

Are plush animals appropriate for your business?  Contact me to learn more about how plush animals are can add some fun and profit to your company's bottom line.


Dona Blunt, MAS (PromoDona)
847-398-5500
dona.blunt@newportpros.com

Need summer-related ideas to promote your brand?  Check out 24 ideas from the link below.  Stay cool and enjoy the warm days of summer!

http://www.newportpros.com/GotoURL/?http:%2F%2Fwww.promoplace.com%2Fws%2Fws.dll%2FSigStore%3FUN=6587%26Theme=7



Dona Blunt, MAS (PromoDona)
847-398-5500
dona.blunt@newportpros.com