UK Promotional Gifts

UK city considers plastic bag ban - what are the alternatives?

2012-02-14T12:12:00.000Z

Local press have reported recently that councillors in the city of Cheltenham are considering stopping new businesses from using plastic bags, a move that a local shopping centre manager could put traders off of locating there.

Printed Canvas Bag

The borough council have been in discussions about how to reduce the number of plastic bags being used, but whatever the decision I believe there are still some options.

Bag for Life

Many businesses already use the ‘bag for life’ idea and this is basically how it works. Consumers make a purchase at your store and pay a token amount for a ‘bag for life’. The carrier is normally a heavy duty printed bag that can be re-used for time to come. If the bag breaks, the consumer brings it back for recycling and a new one is given free of charge. The principal advantage of this is that your promotional message can be seen over and over again as the bag is re-used. However, careful consideration would need to be given to the price point and what style of bag is suitable for the business.

Recyclable or eco bags

Using a bag that is easy to recycle is another option – these are normally made of card or cotton and pose less threat to the environment than plastic.

Purchased Bags

If you are interested in making your product more of a fashion item then you could charge for it in full. Cotton Jute bags are a popular choice here and are very trendy, with some small businesses selling personalised versions of these for a few pounds per bag.

I’m sure there are other councils and associations who are considering the same issue, but with careful consideration there is no reason why businesses can’t find an alternative bag or bag offer that will meet everyone’s needs.

Printed products for 2012 marketing

2011-12-27T13:36:00.000Z

Printed pens remain one of the most popular promotional products available on the market today, and despite the new and inventive products that have become available for personalisation over the years, I predict this is a trend that will continue well into 2012.

With new and inventive ideas available there are lots of ways to create a personalised pen that is suited to your business needs as well as matching your brand identity and logo.

Ideas that I predict will become more popular in 2012 include:

Promotional Pens for B2C Mail Order

Many companies offer mail order services and with the January sales imminent there has never been a better time to promote your company with effective marketing materials within the parcels sent.

Items such as balloons, printed pens, tins of sweets or just “special offer vouchers” are a great way of keeping your brand name in front of customers long after they have purchased from you.

Eco Friendly Products

Whether it is bags, pens or other gifts there are lots of choices available that come in recycled or recyclable materials to help companies achieve a better carbon footprint for 2012.

Printed USB Products

Looking at the high street shelves during the festive season it is clear that USB powered products are a popular choice as stocking fillers, so creating a personalised product that works in this way is surely a good idea.

USB products come in several shapes and sizes, but some of the best ideas include multi-function items such as memory sticks, desktop lamps and battery chargers, all of which are directly connected to the PC or laptop of the user.

Some unusual options are available here when it comes to personalisation – some companies even choose to have the case of a USB memory stick created using a plastic mould. This certainly makes the item more memorable but obviously comes at a price!

As my previous posts mentioned, some of the products are available in super fast time, so why not kick off the new year with some a new promotional marketing strategy that your customers are sure to enjoy!

Are promotional products something we should be cutting?

2011-12-02T14:05:00.000Z

It’s a difficult choice, but we all know that the current economic climate causes us to think carefully not just about money coming in, but also about money going out.

In many cases, marketing budgets always seem to be hit amongst the first when a company is looking to tighten it’s belt and for those looking after the spending the these departments it can be difficult to choose which product should face the chop.

Don’t feel alone if you are in this position, President Obama recently requested a cut in the promotional gifts and products being produced by the White House as part of the $4 billion saving strategy. Items the American President has asked to reduce include printed mugs, t-shirts and personal smart phones and tablet computers for staff.

So how do you decide? Should some products go and other stay? Should you lose them all together and spend the money on an alternative marketing strategy. Maybe looking at alternative or more cost effective products is a solution.

Look at purchasing promotional products in bulk

It’s something that everyone knows, but it never hurts to remind people of the advantages of buying in bulk. I made the mistake of ordering printed pens in a quantity too small some years ago and ended up purchasing a second bundle. If I had ordered a large quantity in the first place I would have saved both time and money on carriage and overall cost per pen (normally higher based on a smaller number).

Monitor the stock of Promotional Products carefully

As they are often used as giveaways, many people don’t understand that there is a cost and therefore value to them and as a result products often go missing or are handed out too freely. Providing a smaller quantity of products for events can help with this as well as monitoring who takes what where and how taking an inventory of what comes back.

Create promotional items that are not time critical

Think carefully before you add dates or special offers to items you are having printed as this will shorten their shelf life and make it difficult to use them after the date has passed.

For more information on bespoke promotional products for the festive season, speak to your printer or promotional product supplier, who will be able to advise on the products available.

Promotional Bags will see an upturn for Christmas

2011-10-10T12:22:00.000+01:00

Promotional Bags are still one of my top 5 promotional items, and with such a massive array of styles available there will be something to suit every style and budget available.

With the months ticking on it is clear thet many Marketing professionals are now considering their promotional purchases for Christmas this year as well as the 2012 exhibition and events period. I am here to tell you that whatever your budget there is a suitable promotional bag for you to have printed.

Plastic Promotional Bags

Plastic Promotional Bag

Probably the most cost effective style available, this strong handled carrier is one of my favourites in the plastic range. Large print area on the front allows plenty of space for an image or logo and the heavy duty plastic makes it better suited for handing out heavier items or purchases from your store.

Paper Promotional Bags

We have come a long way since the brown paper bag was the most popular type of carrier. Paper bags are now created for the most luxurious upmarket boutiques with many celebs being seen leaving Londons fashionable stores with rope handled paper and card bags. Again, like the plastic bag, there is a large print area available and most companies opt to have the personalised all over including a large image on both sides.

Printed Document Bags

If you are handing out brochures and paperwork with some smaller promotional gifts then maybe a document wallet rather than a carrier is more appropriate for you. Document wallets are normally A4 in size and often have a white frosted cover that can be personalised.

Personalised cotton bags

For those with eco friendly decisions to consider, maybe a cotton carrier or jute would be suitable. You often see these in high street stores where many people charge for their use. Often there are long and short handled options available, so depending on what you intend to put in them there will be a suitable style.

Lots of other designs are out there such as Conference Folders, Conference Bags, Exhibition Bags and so on – speak to your promotional product or printing specialist for assistance in finding something appropriate for you.

The fastest Printed Pen available?

2011-09-12T13:57:00.000+01:00

How quickly do you need your Printed Pens?

I was recently looking into some ideas for an event we were attending, but the invitation was agreed at such short notice I had only a few days to get my ideas together and delivered, but I did manage for find several promotional items (including pens) that could be printed and shipped within just a couple of days.

Well if it’s fast you are looking for then why not investigate some of the styles available below?

Printed Pen in 48 hours

Velocity Printed Pen

The velocity pen (pictured) is actually a very nice pen and is one of the most popular personalised pens available on the market today. The rubber grip makes them comfortable, but also comes in a variety of colours which can be chosen to suit both the barrel of the ball pen and your own company logo.
Personalisation is completed on the barrel and is in colour and these pens can be turned around in as little as 48 hours!

Personalised Eco Bag within 1 week

This Eco friendly canvas bag makes an excellent corporate gift for a client or employee to use. The large print area on the front makes it easy and clear when adding your logo and the bag can be used for transporting paperwork and other business essentials whilst on the move.

Printed Lanyards

These personalised neck lanyards are also very useful and quick to order from some specialists. Printing is repeatedly completed around the necklace in colour which will help with your brand recognition.
The lanyards themselves are often used by event organisers, but I have specifically purchased these in the past when I am the person issuing name badges to clients or visitors as having something to hang your badge or id from can be very handy at an event and many people keep them for the same purpose at future meetings.

For more information on fast turnaround times for promotional products, speak with a specialist supplier and get their advice on the right product to suit your timescales.

A5 Conference Folders - a useful Mini Promotional Gift

2011-08-15T11:10:00.000+01:00

Reading through my blog recently I realised that I have not yet mentioned my journey into the world of Branded Conference Folders - an item that I think is one of the best personalised corporate gifts available.

I was asked to look into purchasing a professional corporate gift of around 100 units with a budget of around £5 per piece and having looked at various options I decided a Conference folder was the best way to go. They were specifically being used as a handout at a business event and would contain a company brochure so something professional that would be used by visitors seemed an obvious way to go.

Conference Folder Options

I was surprised by the number of folders available today and with a full A4 space on the front, there is plenty of room for printing your logo and brand message. Some of the various options I considered for the folder were:

Ring binders
Pads
Pen holders
Disc holders
Business card holders
Rulers
Pockets

A4 Conference Folder

And there were other options too, such as zipped or popper seals, various cover colours and materials as well as the size options. I particularly like the A5 conference folder as I find that many business people are already carrying a laptop bag or briefcase with them, so having a miniture filing solution whilst you are on the move has proved to be really handy.

In the end I found the A4 Conference folder (pictured) to be great value for money, whilst still being a good quality giveaway for the event. It also has a handy USB holder so you can take your electronic documents in it as well!

Goody Bags? Why not Mix n Match Promotional Items

2011-07-07T10:30:00.000+01:00

Its interesting too see the many ways businesses promote their products and services when you attend an exhibition.

I spent a day at a B2B event recently and was given everything you can imagine as a promotional gift, including:

Promotional Umbrellas
A Promotional Drawstring Bag
A Printed T-Shirt
A Stationary set

All the items were well branded and the vast majority had telephone numbers as well (good for my future reference).

Personalised Tote Bag

But the stationary set specifically got me thinking. In this case I had been given a pen and pencil that were in a presentation box, so these were likely created as one promotional item. But what if you were to brand your promotional items the same and use them in a goody pack? For example:

Stationary Pack would contain

Promotional Pens
Promotional Pencil
Promotional Mouse Mat
Promotional Desk Tidy
Personalised Erasers

Executive Pack would contain

Conference Folder
Promotional Umbrella
Promotional Pen set
Promtional USB key

The list of possibilities is endless, but most importantly you could mix and match the products to suit the show you are attending and therefore save cost on recreating packs every time. I.e. use the same promotional pens in each bag, but with different items added.

And giving the packs a finishing touch with a personalised bag to carry them all in could be done at the same time!

Have you “acquired” promotional pens like me?

2011-06-13T14:29:00.000+01:00

I am constantly away from my desk in meetings and discussing various things with clients and I like to think of myself a quite well organised. However, almost every time I return to my office I always seem to have acquired some pens either in my bag, in a folder or even in my hand.

More often than not these pens are promotional pens – given to staff members during client or supplier meeting as well as at promotional events such as exhibitions and conferences.

Personalised Vista Ball Pen

I find it interesting that these items are so easily “pass-on-able”, and I had never thought before that promotional items like this in many cases have a further reach than just the intended recipient.
When I have purchased promotional pens in the past I have always thought about the intended user and to be honest I think it is safe to say that the vast majority of gift pen sets that have been purchased by companies as gifts at Christmas and the like will remain with the recipients for many years to come.

But its the plastic pens that seem to get passed around the office all day. Most companies seem to opt for pens with a twisting or clicking action so no lid is required, meaning it doesn’t have to be kept with anything, and (once again) making it highly transportable from one desk to another.

But in spite of all these things it is always useful to know that if you are handing out free personalised pens (or any other stationary for that matter) that your name could be passed on to someone else who might also require your services in the future.

Tracking sales with a Promotional Gift

2011-05-24T08:48:00.000+01:00

By now it is commonplace for companies to be using various marketing materials such as promotional gifts, websites, leaflets and newsletters to promote products and services. However, keeping track of which marketing activity works best for you can be difficult and time consuming.

But with all of these items being fully customisable you can use special offer codes to track your new business enquiries on a daily basis and provide an overview of what really works for your business.

Promotional Conference Bag

For example, if you are handing out promotional bags at an exhibition or event, then why not print a special offer for new customers.

“Call us today for 20% off your first order and quote reference EXPOBAG2012”

It seems pretty simple, but when your telephone operators take a call if they take note of the code you will soon know how many people followed up on this offer.

I have also used company websites in the same way, with a banner on the home page saying
“Website customers receive 10% off their first order – call us today for more information quoting reference WEB05”

When you receive a phone call or email enquiry it is easy to ask how the customer got your details in this way and using something as simple as an excel spreadsheet the results of these promotions can be monitored, so you know where you money is best being spent.

Promotional Gifts by Mail Order!

2011-05-01T17:22:00.001+01:00

I receive a lot of mail order items both at home and in the office and I have recently noticed a new trend for mail order companies to try and retain customer loyalty.

On a couple of occasions over the last couple of months the products I have been sent included free gifts – so far I have received:

• Promotional Pens
• A Promotional Mug
• A Cotton personalised shopping bag

Personalised Latte Mug

I suppose to the companies themselves these items provide an opportunity for the purchaser to provide them with some free marketing through the use of the product at a small cost – personalised pens and mugs can be purchased in varying quantities and qualities and make a cost-effective corporate gift.

In the majority of cases, these are companies that I have spent several hundred pounds with, but it’s still nice to receive freebies – whatever they are!

I have arranged the printing and purchasing of corporate gifts myself in the past mostly for exhibitions and meetings, but had never considered using them in this way before, despite having also provided a mail order service.

Companies that specialise in corporate gifts will assist with finding a product to suit your needs and budget and can often help with the design of your print if needed.

Promotional Merchandise Ideas – Fitness Classes?

2011-03-27T13:04:00.001+01:00

Promotional Merchandise Ideas – Fitness Classes?

Whilst attending a fitness class recently I noticed more than 30 people all in one room and an obvious potential marketing opportunity.

All the people attending the class were members of the leisure club and received a membership pack upon joining. The pack included the usual paperwork, a pen, a keyring, a membership card and a towel with the leisure centre logo on it.

But have they considered the potential of giving members something that they will use outside of the centre (as well as inside it). After all, promotional merchandise should give the centre the opportunity to advertise their name outside of their own premises.

I thought of them arranging for the personalised printing of a water bottle – all the participants have a drink with them (in fact they are asked to ensure they have a drink whilst taking part) but they had all arrived with different drinks holders (some with old squash bottles or pre purchased bottled water!).

The Promosafe Sports Bottle could work really well for the centre – they can add their logo, telephone number, website address, location and information on their classes. This could be handed out with the membership and offers a dual solution – a good marketing opportunity for the centre and ongoing visually targeted marketing through hundreds (if not thousands) of their members.

After talking to the other participants, I found that many of them are involved in activities outside of the leisure centre such as running, cycling and other fitness classes – all of which involve people who are not currently members of this particular centre.

Personalised Drawstring Bag

Using a customised sports bottle at other events will promote the leisure centre and give other keep fit fanatics the chance to talk about what they do there, what facilities the centre has and potentially could promote new membership (especially when they realise that the bottle come free when you join). A personalised drawstring bag could also work in a similar way.

There are lots of other companies that don’t consider the many ways that promotional merchandise could be used. Small Cafes and Restaurants can use Mugs that are personally branded and even offer them for sale at the counter – a strategy already employed by some of the more well known chains.

Keyrings could be a cost effective solution for plumbers, electricians and other B 2 C companies – I can’t think of the number of times I couldn’t find the number of the plumber I used last time, but having it on my keyring would make it easy to find in an emergency.

With small and large companies looking to maximise on promotional opportunities through well thought out marketing products, it is a good idea to contact a specialist Business Gift supplier to get advice and assistance on the products that are best for you.

London 2012 merchandise as promotional gift?

2011-03-11T14:44:00.000Z

There is such a large amount of potential new gift material generated by the London Olympics 2012 and the Royal Wedding in a few months time.

The Olympic range includes the mascots, pin badges, t-shirts, toys, promotional bags, mugs and cups and a whole host of other collectables. There will be something for everyone as the prices vary from pennies to more expensive quality items.

There are various gifts that are more suitable for children, but others that will be fantastic promotional gifts for corporate clients here at home as well as abroad as the country gears up to celebrate its biggest sporting event of the centrury!

A Bag for Christmas

2010-12-02T16:55:00.004Z

With Christmas approaching we are in the season of giving. Corporate Christmas gifts are typically given out any time during December. So as we enter the 12 month of the year is may be worth considering some last minute gifts.Maybe you could consider giving a promotional bag.

Bags come with a variety of functions and at various price levels. We are not talking here of low price promotional bags. Rather we are focusing on the more expensive variety. A leather laptop bag for example.

The bag on the left is a ladies executive laptop bag. Made from leather it costs around £80 in the UK. The bag is fully functional as a laptop bag but could also have many other uses. It is of sufficient quality and design that it would make an excellent gift for a high-powered female executive.

Promotional Gifts for Lead Generation

2010-10-21T21:24:00.003+01:00

Promotional gifts are extremely useful when organising an event where your main objective is lead generation. You would also hope when you organise an event that you would have the opportunity to qualify all leads that you invite, however more often than not it reality, generally due to time constraints, this is not the case and your event is organised without the definitive knowledge that most people invited are going to be potential business leads or whether they are just hangers on.

Human nature means that if you have promotional gifts to giveaway, people will want one, however they can only get one if they talk to one of the event staff, giving the event staff a perfect opportunity to talk to them, and therefore qualify whether they are a good lead or not. Thankfully promotional gifts can match every budget and having a high volume of gifts on show is like attracting bees to a honey pot.

Qualifying the leads attending the event is the absolute priority and if the event has attracted the optimum number of attendees then the optimum number of promotional gifts needs to be available to giveaway, but not before all of their details have been taken down, name, job title, company address, email and web details, and of course most important of all what area of your business they are interested in, and if you are really lucky they will have their blackberry at the ready to put a date in the diary for one of your team to go in and present your products, the real point of the event.

Once all of this information has been duly gathered the event attendee, now fully qualified can be the proud recipient of the aspirational promotional gift; a promotional bag with a gift beautifully hidden inside, you know they are tempted to open the bag right there and then, but of course don’t want to seem too keen and remain professional. Thanking you most sincerely and saying how they are looking forward to hearing from you in due course, although you know right there and then that you will probably be call screened for weeks before they eventually give in and take the call, probably out of a small amount of guilt for willingly accepting your hospitality and promotional gift, there is of course no such thing as a free lunch – or free corporate hospitality!

So the promotional gift really does have a very serious purpose at your event and can yield great rewards if used properly to create great return on your investment. Especially if the pyramids of enticing gifts are guarded at your event by your most vigilant and tenacious sales people who will absolutely not give the gift away without getting the inside leg measurement of each and every potential lead that presents themselves in a 5 foot vicinity of the promotional gifts area.

Promotional Umbrellas - A Seasonal Reminder

2010-09-07T11:01:00.003+01:00

The end of the summer and the start of autumn has seen a change in the UK's weather. After a dry summer that has led to a hosepipe ban in some parts of the country, the end of August saw some heavy rainfall. The rainfall brings a timely reminder for the occasional but definite need for umbrellas.

Whether you are playing golf, attending a rugby or football match there is a need for umbrellas. Even a short shower provides a requirement, and an opportunity, for protection from the rain. The opportunity is a branding one. Promotional umbrellas are a fantastic product for displaying a corporate logo. Golf umbrellas in particular, with their bright colours provide an excellent platform for showing a corporate logo or marketing message.

Conference Supplies and Gifts

2010-08-04T20:02:00.003+01:00

The market for conference supplies is ever expanding. This despite the fact that recessionary conditions are having a huge impact on the overall level of conference, meeting and exhibition activity. The pressure is on the make sure every component of the marketing budget earns a return on investment.

In the new environment conferences are more closely targeted to specific marketing objectives. This has led to many big budget, showpiece conferences and exhibitions being scaled down or eliminated altogether. Individual market segments, distribution channels or market categories are focused on key distributors or other market intermediaries.

In some respects this closer targeting opens up new opportunities. A more focused approach to selecting conference delegates therefore makes each individual and interaction more valuable. Rather than purchasing a range of promotional giveaways a more expensive and personalised corporate gift may be more appropriate.

Work on Promotional Pens

2009-11-30T12:00:00.003Z

Promotional pens are one of the most cost effective ways of getting your brand or logo into the hands of customers or prospects. Promotional pens can be easily branded at low cost and distributed to customers or clients. They can be given away as gifts or used as promotional aids at conferences, exhibitions or corporate events.

Promotional pens are durable and long lasting and may serve as a constant reminder of your value to a customer.

Promotional Website Changes

2009-11-11T18:24:00.002Z

I have made some changes to the printed promotional gifts website. I have slightly amended the copy and more importantly started adding images to the website. The images include conference bags, personalised mugs and golf umbrellas.

Printed Promotional Gifts

2009-07-06T15:12:00.003+01:00

This is the first post of Printed Promotional Products. It is a website about all aspects of promotional merchandise that can be used as point of sale material, gifts, promotional items, give aways or for use at conferences and exhibitions. Promotional products are an integral part of the marketing mix for businesses both large and small.

The range of promotional merchandise is now vast and includes the following items:

Pens
Mugs
Umbrellas
Bags
Keyrings
Corporate Clothing
USB Sticks
Paper

Promotional merchandise can have a full range of values from the smallest, cheapest item, to expensive designer gifts. This blog will try to cover them all.