Monday, November 19, 2012

Proudly Promote Your Business with Promotional Products Made in the USA

 
 

Feel good giving these promotional products at your next trade show or event. Why? They are all made in the U.S.A! So, while you use the products to help promote YOUR business, you’re also helping promote a company that manufactures here using U.S. workers. Here are five of our favorites but we have plenty more so give me a call at 847-398-5500 or email me at dona.blunt@newportpros.com to see more client gift or promotional marketing options.  

1.) Mag-Lites (above): available in original and new LED bulb styles in a variety of sizes and colors. Excellent quality and high-perceived value.

 
 
2.) Beach  Towels: not just for tropical settings, these towels can be use for health club or home showers as well as for pool or beach activities.
 
 
3.) Fisher Space Pens; These pens are so good, that the astronauts bring them into space!  They write underwater, in extreme temperatures, over grease and at any angle.  The pens write three times longer than the average pen and are unconditionally guaranteed.
 
4.) The Mini Messenger is perfect to carry your notebooks, folders, magazines, tablet, and e-reader. The bag features three-sided set-in gusset and a front flap with a Velcro closure. The sewn-in adjustable strap is designed to wear cross-body, throw over your shoulder, or hold in your hand. Choice of fabrics and trim colors/patterns.
 
5.) Duffel bag: This American-made classic is a hands-down favorite known for its unisex appeal, practical utility, and versatility for school sports to incorporate brand identity programs. Pick your own multi-color combination. Mix and match the duffel body, ends, poly web handles/trim, and zipper colors for ultimate customization!
 

5 Last-Minute Corporate Holiday Gifts

http://bulletmedia.bulletline.com/ms/?/large/SM-3261BK_A/en
There is still time to order imprinted gifts to give to customers, referral sources, vendors and employees.  Here are five top sellers that are in stock for quick delivery and appropriate for all audiences.  Although these are five of our favorites, we have plenty more options, so give me a call at 847-398-5500 or email me at dona.blunt@newportpros.com to see more client gift or promotional marketing products.













1.) Sticky Note Organizer:  A high perceived value and useful gift for customers, employees, or prospects.  Made of black Ultrahyde vinyl, this organizer contains four 50-page sticky note pads (1-1/2" x 1") sticky note flags in 8 colors and a two-sided four-year removable calendar.





2.) Aluminum Sports Bottles: made of BPA-free aluminum with single-wall construction, twist-on lid and rubberized grip. Lots of funs colors!



3.) Brite Mite LED Flashlight: Small but mighty! This aluminum 9 LED light flashlight has a push-button on/off power switch; wrist strap and in individual gift box.  Who can't use one of these?  Available in silver, blue or black.  AAA batteries are included, not inserted.



4.) Weekender Duffel Bag:  Travel in style with the 600D poly-canvas bag. Zippered main compartment; front-zippered media pocket with earbud port.  Front mesh pocket plus front pouch with adjustable drawstring and squeeze-top water bottle.  Side-zippered shoe compartment durable button feet on bottom, velcro closure grip on handles, double 20-1/2" reinforced handles and detachable, adjustable padded 1-1/2" wide shoulder strap.  Available in black plus red and royal blue. 


 

5.) English Butter Toffee: For over 25 years, people have raved about this English Butter Toffee! We begin with a crunchy toffee center, then we enrobe each piece of candy in rich chocolate. Finally, we cover it with toasted almonds. With nearly three-dozen pieces of candy in this one-pound box, there's plenty to share with friends and family. We'll package this great tasting toffee in our useful wooden collector's box bearing your imprint.

If you would like more information about these hot new products or to receive a quote, please give me a call at 847-398-5500 or shoot me an email at dona@newportpros.com.


You Might Also Like:


Most Unique, New Technology Promotional Products for 2016

3 Ways to Choose a Branded Promotional Product People Will Love

Promotional Products that Personalize your Office and Promote your Brand
 

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

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.

Thursday, September 13, 2012

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

Monday, September 3, 2012

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
 

Monday, July 23, 2012

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