Earth Day 2012

Earth Day is just one week from today, April 22nd.  According to the entry on Wikipedia, the US Senator from Wisconsin, Gaylord Nelson, called for an environmental Teach-In or Earth Day, to be held on April 22, 1970.  It is reported that over 20 million people participated that year, and Earth Day is now observed on April 22 each year in the US as well as in 175 countries by millions of people.

Some communities have an annual Clean-Up Day as part of the Earth Day celebrations but there are other year-round ways to help our Earth while advertising your company.


Eco-friendly garments are a growing trend in corporate apparel.  There are several options within this category and some fabrics can have more than one of these attributes.  ORGANIC fabrics use no pesticides, herbicides or insecticide during the growing process.  BIODEGRADABLE fabrics naturally break down and return to raw material or is absorb by the ear.  POST-CONSUMER fibers contain recycle materials that have been used in other products and have been discarded, such as post-consumer PET plastic bottles, discarded x-ray film, recycled cotton and even black food trays.  SUSTAINABLE materials come from crops that quickly replenish themselves without detriment to the earth, such as fabric made from bamboo and hemp.   GREEN DECORATING TECHNIQUES include using water-based digital system that prints directly from a computer file onto the garment without any screens or ink waste.


For years writing Instruments have been manufactured utilizing petroleum based material.  Instead you can choose pens that are made from sustainable bamboo, recycled plastics, recycled paper, recycled water bottles or biodegradable corn.  Are one of these the "write" choice for your business?

Several states had banned or limited the use of plastic bags; making reusable tote bags a valuable and useful item for your customers. Imprinted totes both eliminate the need to use store-supplied plastic and paper  bags and provide a large imprint area for your company's message.

 Post-Consumer waste can also be used in the manufacturing of plastic used to make fun flyers, yo-yos, memo holders, pails and many other items.  Some of item used for these materials include carpet fibers, recycled money, newspaper, sawdust, denim and electronics plastic.

Solar powered or hand-cranked products do not require the use of batteries and include flashlights, radios and electronics charging devices.

Increased awareness of our impact on the environment has sustained the original Earth Day awareness and goals for more than forty years.  Contact me if you need help to incorporate these environmental principles into your marketing campaigns.

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

PLAY BALL!

It won't be long now until the baseball season begins.   Whether it is the major leagues, minor leagues or park district teams, baseball brings thoughts of warm summer days and following your favorite team at the ballpark, on the tv or on radio.  
Baseball creates a fun theme to use for promoting your business.  Many of baseball's colorful expressions provide great tie in opportunities for your marketing message such as the examples listed below.

• Don't strike out, use our company for your ______ needs.
•  Hit one out of the park with _____________.
• Try our triple play of service, quality and price.

Some baseball-related items that can be imprinted with your logo include: mini baseballs, baseball bat pens, baseball caps, baseball banks, baseball clapper noisemakers, baseball cow bells and even a baseball rubber duck!  Another effective item is a magnet printed with your local team's schedule; this will be retained and referred to throughout the season.  

Contact PromoDona if you are looking for other winning sports-related promotional items that will score you increased visibility and sales prospects.


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

The Ballpoint Pen

Research shows that the most commonly-owned promotion product is writing instruments.  Only logoed garments outsell writing instruments (pens, pencils and highlighters), according to the Promotional Products Association International.   These useful items give up to 350 impressions per month--a great return for such a low cost item!

Pens are available in all price ranges and materials including plastic, recycled water bottles, paper or metal. They can be basic or include USB drives, highlighters, stylus points or magnifiers.  Novelty pens include those shaped like vegetables, fruits or hypodermic needles; some even emit a laughing sound when squeezed.  With all these options, there are writing instruments suitable for virtually every theme and budget.

Did you know that 2012 is the 25th anniversary of the BIC Clic Stic pen?  While its big brother the BIC Stic pen celebrated its 50th anniversary last year, the Clic Stic is a best seller in its own right.  There are 400 barrel and trim color combinations that allow almost every corporate color combination to be represented.  In 2010, over 100 million units of this style were sold in the U.S.   Best of all, unlike many pens styles, BIC pens are made and assembled in Florida.  This means the the product is always in stock in every color.   BIC is offering their Clic Stic pen on special promotion through December 2012.  Please contact me for more details.


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

 

 

Back from Las Vegas

Just returned from Las Vegas where our industry's largest trade show took place.  The show had hundreds of exhibitors with thousands of products on display.  Many were old stand-bys and some were brand new.  The majority of the new products were accessories for phones and iPad/tablet devices--stands for desk and cars, chargers for use in automobiles and computers, screen cleaners and many others.  See album of new items posted on Newport's Facebook page--www.facebook.com/newportpros


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

It happens every year at this time...

On January 1st each year, there is one universal event that happens to all of us--our previous year's printed calendar has become obsolete!

In case you think that all printed calendars are a thing of the past, see below for the results of a 2010 survey, entitled "A Study of Calendar Usage in U.S. Households" conducted by MarketToools Inc on behalf of the Promotional Products Association International. This was an e-mail survey to a panel of 1052 households in the U.S.

• 50% of the respondents have never used the calendar on their cell phones
• 41% prefer to use a physical calendar at home
• 37% reported never using a calendar on a computer     

What does this mean to you for advertising your company's information and brand on a calendar?

• 92% of respondents would keep an advertising calendar
• 82% enjoy receiving calendars as complimentary gifts
• 78% of those who have a printed calendar at home, had at least one advertising calendar.
• 74% of the respondents could remember the name of the company that gave them the calendar.
• 70% plan to do business wiht the company that gave them the calendar.
• 61% looked at a calendar between 2 and 10 times a day.
• 48% had a more favorable impression of the advertisier after having received the calendar.
• 41% had referred somebody else to the companythat fave themt the calendar.

Thus calendar advertising should be in your 2012 marketing budget!  I am starting to take reservations for 2013 calendars now and if you order before July 1st, you will receive Early Order Pricing.  With a wide variety of sizes and styles to choose, your company name can be on display for 365 days in your customers' and prospects' home or place of business.  Contact me to view the 2013 styles.
           


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

Promotional Ideas for January 2012

The new year will be upon us soon; see the list below for some events that could be a good promotional tie-in for your brand/marketing message.  Contact me for related items for these events.

National Skating Month (http://www.usfsa.org/)
National Volunteer Blood Donor Month (http://www.organdonor.gov/)
Self-Help Group Awareness Month (mentalhelp.net/selfhelp)
January 9: National Clean Off Your Desk Day
January 24: Belly Laugh Day (http://www.bellylaughday.com/)
January 15-21: Hunt for Happiness Week: sponsored by the Secret Society of Happy People (http://www.sohp.com/)



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

How to get your promotional item to stand out at a golf tournament

To read golf ball article:Gofers are consistent in scrutinizing the contents of a golf goodie bag.  They may be participating to help out a charity or their local chamber, but they will always ask “what’s in the bag?”  If you have been solicited to contribute an item for such a bag, what is an appropriate and affordable item to use?

Many golf events do not allow non-golf items to be submitted for the bag, so always inquire before ordering or contributing a product.  Although typical items are ball markers, ditty bags, towels, sun block and lip balm, that doesn’t mean the golfer will not appreciate receiving or using these items.  A few non-traditional ideas are shoe horns, the new taller golf tees, divot tools that clip onto a hat brim, mister bottles and golf towel holders.  If your budget allows a more expensive items, consider umbrellas, golf bag covers, embroidered caps and golf shoe bags.

There is often a quandary as to which brand golf balls should be provided.  Golf balls can be lost quickly and your advertisement goes with it, but golf balls are much needed and appreciated for that same reason.  If you are uncertain as to which brand of golf balls you should use (the hottest brand or a more affordable brand), then you should review the article in The Wall Street Journal that compared the properties of several golf balls (see link below).

Still stumped for golfer-related ideas?  Then give PromoDona a call!

To read golf ball article:

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