Product Review

Perhaps one of the least expensive advertising tools these days is the use of custom wristbands and or dogtags to promote sporting events/concerts/ university activities/church projects, to raise funds, raise awareness, run for class president, introduce a new band and most everything else. In many countries, these two marketing tools have often been used as campaign tools, worn by candidates and given out to supporters to create a party identity.

Colour

Awareness ribbons come in many different colours, each representing its particular cause. Remember the pink ribbon? The colour pink in general represents breast cancer awareness. Green is the colour of environmentally-friendly endeavors. When events related to these causes are held, all those who attend show support by donning the official colour. Wristbands or awareness bracelets have become an integral part of “the look” as well. They somehow complete the look of belonging, of sympathizing with the cause and all they stand for.

Logo/Buzz Word

Apart from the colour of the wristband or dogtag, it can be imprinted with any particular event’s catch phrase, buzz word or slogan, whatever they might want to call it. If it’s a sporting event, it could be the name of their team. If it’s a beauty pageant contestant, the bands and tags will bear her name.

Material

• Dogtags are typically made of inexpensive aluminum, tin or stainless steel but depending on the event and the budget they can be made from sterling silver, gold and even platinum. The most popular shape is oval.

  

• Wristbands on the other hand can be silicone, braided fabric, plastic, cash tag, vinyl or Tyvek®. Whatever the material, they are easy to wear and take off, often with enough flexibility to fit all wrist sizes.

If you haven’t already done it, the next time you are planning a big event, include wristbands and dogtags in your promotional budget. Instead of giving away stuff that delegates will simply throw away, give them something that will double as a cherished souvenir of the event. These products are keepers.

With the existing range of promotional giveaways these days, it does seem like they have already thought of everything. However, in all my years planning and attending corporate functions, I have never seen any of these items being used.

Ceramic Essential Oil Burner

Upon entering a spa, you immediately feel pleasantly relaxed with the scent that seems to envelop you in its embrace. It sets the mood, so to speak. A lot of people want to achieve that same effect in their own homes. I know of a few tricks but my method of choice would be to use essential oil. It would be a nice welcome gift to real estate clients or to medical/dental practitioners for use in their offices. Give them away at property, medical or dental trade shows and they will surely be appreciated.

LED Flashlight/Whistle Combo

We believe carrying emergency signaling gadgets is a really smart idea. Emergency situation can happen to anybody at any time. Product that may be used by any ages – children, adults and elderly makes a great gifting idea. A whistle that doubles as a flashlight is even better. They should be used more widely as promotional gifts. For example, community-oriented companies can promote emergency precautions and get their brand wide recognition at the same time by donating emergency gadgets to schools. School officials can distribute them on orientation day when they discuss the school’s emergency procedures.

Portable Neck Massager

Instantly light up those conference delegates’ eyes by presenting them with their personal neck massager, portable enough to be used while on short coffee breaks at work. They will probably try them on right away after sitting through several conference sessions. Many promotional giveaways end up being thrown away. Event planners should spend their marketing budget wisely by picking items that will be kept, used and appreciated by the recipients enough to remember the name of the company that gave it to them.

In the corporate circles we belong to, almost everyone has some item that everybody else does. It’s no wonder because we all go to the same product launchings, the same trade shows, the same seminars and conferences etc. It’s all fine really…. It just means we belong.

There are however a few things that I personally have never had the pleasure of getting as a gift in any of the numerous corporate events I've been to, that women would find very useful

Handbag holder / purse hanger

These little accessories are just the most convenient item every women need. They keep your handbag nicely next to your table wherever you are so you don’t have to leave it on floor collecting dirt and bacteria. They will also keep your bag safe within your sight most importantly as you don’t have to worry about having it stolen.

Survival Kit

Emergencies happen. It’s a good thing to have small emergency kit for With the recent spate of both natural and man-made disasters, I have contracted a very mild case of what some people might call “prepper syndrome”. I actually encouraged our HR Department to hold small emergency seminars for employees and distribute survival kits of emergency provisions including those cool gadget combos that contain a signal whistle, LED light, compass etc. We never know when something like that can come in handy. Emergency preparedness is a must these days, so instead of giving away stuff that would only be thrown away we might as well give something that the receivers will thank us for.

Touch screen display market is expected to reach nearly $24B globally by 2017. Tablet sales alone are expected to hit 360 million units by then! This does not include other devices that use touch screen technology like smart phones, car displays, cameras, eReaders, game consoles, navigation devices, medical equipment, all-in-one printers, etc.

Within the touch screen market, resistive screens led sales for many years and stylus pens enjoyed immense popularity even if they were mostly so tiny they kept getting lost. When the higher quality capacitive screens took the lead in 2010 it was thought that stylus pen sales will weaken along with the resistive screen share of the market because consumers didn’t need the pens anymore. They only needed their fingers…. Or so they thought.

Precision issues

After initial consumer response to "finger only"  touch screens, it soon became evident that fat fingers were getting in the way, hampering functionality especially on smart phones with their small screens.

It wasnt any better on tablets especially drawing apps because fingers obstruct the user's view for accurate drawing. People who like to take on their iPads also needed something to write with instead of using their stubby index finger all the time. This was a precision issue that only an appropriate capacitive stylus pen can address.

Smudged screens

Smudging and dirty prints on expensive touch screen devices also began to annoy many users and since these smart devices were marketed without a stylus pen, there werent many of them being offered in the market.

Personalisation

Now come in many colours and body styles. They are smart gift ideas, corporate giveaways and cool accessories. They can be customised with your logo

orporate giveaways only do their job if the recipients actually keep them long enough to give you sufficient brand exposure. Your marketing investment should go into something that will last months or even years. Embed your products into the ives not only of your customers but their families as well.

This is the reason why lifestyle gifts are sure hits with recipients, and at the top of the list are car accessories. They need not break your marketing budget, many promotional car items are reasonably priced to be used as promotional gifts

Tyre Pressure Gauge

Many trade show attendees throw away stuff that they receive almost as soon as the leave a booth, sometimes even in full view of the people who gave it to them. Use a tire pressure gauge as a clever marketing tool. You can be assured that your brand will be carried all the way home.

Car Sun Shade

If you want to maximise your marketing investment, put your money in good quality car sun shades. Your brand will be displayed long after the recipients have left trade show. Everytime they leave their car out in the sun, they wil do your advertising for you. It's a non traditional advertising at its best.

Choosing the most appropriate laptop bag is a matter of personal choice, dictated by your own personal circumstances. Are you always on the go? You will need something strong and reliable. What type of transportation do you use? If you have to walk or bike to school or work, you will need something strong, reliable and light-weight. Will you be carrying around plenty of other stuff in your laptop bag? You will need something strong, reliable, light-weight and with plenty of compartments.

Style

Do you prefer something classy and stylish? If you prefer carrying it around by hand there are many designs based on the classic case without the leather-heavy look, just like sleeve-shaped handbags with some thicker cushioning. Backpack laptop bag is a good option if you need more compartments for documents and other stuff . If however you like carrying your bag with the strap on one shoulder running across your body on to the other side, the messenger bag or satchel should do it.

Weight

Your laptop might be heavy enough that your bag should not add too much to the weight that you will carry around. Always check how much the bag weighs empty. There are plenty of laptop bags that are made from light-weight material. Try to choose simple designs, without too many pockets and metal trimmings that you won’t need.

Material

Consider exposure to the elements. Find something that’s made of water-resistant material if you work around water a lot. Stay away from leather, they are too heavy and they get moldy. Make sure all zippers and other metal fasteners are non-corrosive. Other materials to consider are cotton canvas, nylon, polyester, Cordura etc.

Features 

Look for (enough) separate compartments (inside and outside pockets) for all the electronic accessories that come with your laptop, plus some for your documents. All should be accessible to you without having to turn the bag inside out. Check out the manufacturer’s warranty. Good quality laptop bags can be pricey and if any of the parts break or tear within the warranty period, you would at least know what services you’re entitled to.

What is a lanyard?

A lanyard is a length of cord or rope worn around neck or wrist typically used to carry things around that would otherwise be easy to lose or misplace. Lanyards can be traced to as far back as 15th century France when they were originally used to lash and tighten ship riggings. Sailors would wear lanyards around their necks to carry their tools around while on board.

Types

Modern lanyards are of 4 basic types - tube, cord, beaded and flat. They range in material from cotton to polyester, satin, nylon, silk, braided leather or polyethylene terephthalate (PET). The choice of material depends largely upon the lanyard’s intended use.

Styles

When worn, lanyards typically go around the neck like in ID holders or worn around the wrist whilst attached to a small digital camera or mobile phone so that it isn’t accidentally dropped. Others are used much like key chains and tied around the belt or a purse.

Attachments

There are a large number of attachments that can go with custom made lanyards, one for every possible function most users can think of.

A few examples:

• J-swivel / alligator clip / executive swivel – the most common attachments for a variety of ID accessories like badge holders/pouches
• Safety breakaway – a simple mechanism that allows the release of the clip as a safety precaution against accidental strangulation. It is ideal for machine operators, security staff and most sporting activities involving ropes. It is designed with a pre-determined breakaway weight or equivalent tug-force.
• Mobile phone buckle (detachable) – allows the convenient removal of the mobile phone whilst keeping the lanyard on.
• Split ring – preferred attachment for connecting keys
• Bottle holder – frees up the wearer’s hands especially during outdoor events where bottled water are distributed. Contemporary Uses Lanyards are cheap and functional. They are popular marketing and fundraising tools.

Businesses use lanyards as promotional giveaways during corporate events to create brand recall. Many designs are available to cater to specific needs. Some double as pen or bottle holders. Still others come with steel and aluminum carabiners for activities that involve climbing, rope rescue, construction etc.

With the year halfway over, you can choose to reward your most hardworking employees with incentives in the form of promotional merchandise. Promo items are always a huge hit in the workplace especially if you put some thought into the selection of products.

Make your employees feel even more special by choosing functional and unique items. Not only will these customised corporate gifts become a prize for their dedication, they can also work in further motivating and inspiring everyone to work even harder.

It cannot be denied that the market is overflowing with promotional products and making a choice can be challenging. To help you get started, consider these suggestions:

• Branded Mugs – add a twist to this all-time favourite corporate gift by including a bag of excellent coffee beans or tea bags.
• Printed Wine – make it an even more special day by gifting your productive employees with something they can relax with once they get home after a long day at work
• Personalised Candy – show your sweet and fun side with this business gift.
• Custom Smart Phone cases – these days, it is all about mobility and anyone simply does not leave home without their smart phones.
• Personalised Travel Bags and Accessories– if travel is part of your company incentive, you can complement it with travel bags or other accessories.

Do you know that Australians love to recycle and use recycled products?

In fact, 2.5 million tonnes of the 5.5 million tonnes of paper and cardboard used by both businesses and households in 2006 to 2007 was recycled. Of course, such figure is still relatively low as the Australian government would like to increase awareness about recycling by implementing the laws and regulations listed on its National Waste Policy. The government actually hopes to attain its waste management and resource recovery goals by 2020.

You can do your share by promoting your brand using recycled promo merchandise. A lot of consumers will appreciate your effort and such strategy will impact your brand in a positive way. Plus, you are also helping in the conservation of our natural resources by choosing recycled products. Reducing our waste products also help in fighting global warming. Landfills, which are where our garbage is deposited, are known to produce methane, a greenhouse gas.

At Promo Planet, we offer a bevy of personalised recycled items including pens, note sets and notebooks. They are fully customisable and brandable, allowing you to boost brand visibility effectively and efficiently. Our Bamboo Ballpens are among our best sellers as they are unique and certainly useful. You can hand them out during conferences and tradeshows and see your brand’s popularity soar.

For more details, call our sales team and enquire about our eco-friendly promotional items.