Blog on Promotional Items | Reviews, trends and product ideas

Australians love coffee. It is a fact that is evidenced by the multitude of cafes and coffee shops in every corner, ready to serve your favourite Macchiato or Café Latte. With the easy access to delicious coffee, it is thus not surprising that there is also an increasing number of plastic or paper cups disposed. This is certainly not good for the environment and you can help reduce consumption of these disposable cups by bringing a Travel Mug.

Use Promotional Travel Mugs

In an arid region such as Australia, it will take 50 years for disposable cups to decompose. Certainly something to think about, right? So, for businesses, you can promote your brand and at the same time, join the advocacy of encouraging people to reduce their use of disposable cups by handing out Promotional Travel Mugs personalised with your corporate logo or artwork.

In addition to brand visibility, you also create a “greener” image, which more and more consumers appreciate. You can even make an entire marketing campaign around these promotional travel mugs and the return on your investment will surely be great.

Branding is an integral part of any business as it brings you closer to your market and defines you as a whole. Without branding, consumers will find it hard to associate your products and services or worse, do not remember you when the time comes to make a purchase. But it is also not enough that you have a brand. You also need to launch marketing campaigns which will introduce your brand to consumers.

Of course, such campaigns will require a budget and at this point, a lot of businesses think that they will need to spend a lot to meet their marketing objectives. This cannot be farther from the truth. In fact, time and again, it has been proven that there are marketing tools which are not effective but also very much cost efficient. We are talking about promotional products

Making Promo Merchandise Work for You

As an old time favourite, branded items have always been the go-to advertising tool of many companies for the simple reason that these products engage consumers in a level that print and television will never offer. But then again, the choice of products is important as well. Here are some of the things to keep in mind:

1. Opt for products which will set you apart from competitors. Think original and never be afraid to stand out. This means choosing items which will make a positive impact to customer and will be talked about.

2. Practical trumps aesthetics. Always choose merchandise which customers will find useful. Be sure to consider factors such as season, event or occasion and preferences of your target market.

3. Avoid giving out junk. Take time to check the quality of the item and make sure you would want it associated with your brand. But make sure you do not overspend as well just to impress clients and end up reaching a small percentage of your target market.

Most importantly ensure your brand name or logo along with contact details such as websute are highly visible as the items can last for many years especially if you made the right product choice. There is a huge chance that these products will be seen by a lot of people aside from the recipient and you have the power to influence their first impression.

Probably one of the greatest inventions of the modern times, the USB flash drives have never been so popular. These small devices are now capable of storing up to 1TB of information including files, photos, videos and music. A lot of us use these USB sticks for the convenience they offer and peace of mind they provide especially since we use them to back up all our important digital files.

Considering their importance and valuable contribution to day to day life, you may wonder how this little thing actually work? It may probably make us appreciate them to a whole new level.

USB Flash Memory

Why are they called flash drives? Well such name can be attributed to the fact that these devices run on flash memory. It is actually a type of electronic memory which allows for easy and quick transfer of information. This memory is not typically used as a RAM (Random Access Memory) but more of a hard drive meaning a much more solid state with all the parts electronic vs mechanical. In fact they consist of grid of columns and rows with a cell and two transistors located at the grid's intersection. Transistors work as gates and are capable of holding electric charge.

Flash memory also operates on low power and does not require batteries to work. In addition to USB sticks, they can also be found in digital cameras, video game consoles and your PC's BIOS chip.

How it Works

For starters, flash drive is connected to your computer via USB port. Most computers are capable of detecting the flash drive's operating systems and proceed with device installation. Once installed, it will be treated by your computer like a typical hard drive. But compared to hard drives, flash memory does not consist of moving parts rendering it virtually noiseless. Access is also faster and it cannot be denied their smaller sizes and lighter wights offer much more convenience.

Without getting too much technical, the entire process goes through several steps including Tunneling and Erasing.

The USB connector acts like an interface while the flash memory chip performs the actual data storage. There is a tiny RISC processor which handles the storage control and a crystal oscillator that produces clocks signals and manages the device’s data output. Most USB flash drives come with LED indicator lights and write-protect switches. As their popularity grows, USB flash drives have become favourite promo merchandise. Now, they are available in fun novelty custom shapes which make them even more eye catching.

Each year, billions of plastic bottles end up in landfills which generally do not bode well for the environment. Aside from the fact that they are not biodegradable and can consume so much space, they also pose a threat in terms of the chemicals that can possibly leach and contaminate groundwater. Add to the fact that manufacturers involve the use of fossil fuels; it is not surprising why plastic has earned such a bad reputation.

But this reputation is actually unwarranted as long as these plastic are disposed of properly and water companies choose re-usable, biodegradable or chemical-free plastic bottles. Also, consumer education is important which is why you should consider these following facts:

• The most common plastic used for bottled water is crude-oil derived polyethylene terephthalate. 1.5 million barrels of this crude oil is used each year to meet the demand of a country as big as USA.
• Bottled waters are popular because of their purity, taste and healthiness. At present, there are different types of bottled water including Spring water, Sparkling Water and Mineral water.
• A lot of water companies have made concerted efforts in the reduction of the negative effects of bottled water in the environment. Some have shifted to the use of corn-based plastic bottles which could be naturally degraded in 80 days while there are companies, such as PepsiCo and Coca Cola, which have cut their plastic use by producing thinner bottles.

Reusable Drink Bottles

Consumers obviously, have a lot of say on the impact of bottled water on the environment. If you would like to help reduce such impact, consider these suggestions:

• Re-usable water bottles such as glass or aluminium bottles are great alternative for bottled water.
• Invest in a water filter so you can consume filtered tap water instead and refill your personal water bottles. Better yet, invest in a distillation or reverse osmosis home system.
• Buy 5-gallon refillable water containers, if you prefer to buy mineral or distilled water, instead of small water bottles for use of home.
• Spread the word and increase awareness. For businesses, it would be a good idea to hand out promotional products such as reusable water bottles and jugs. You can include a message along with your corporate name or logo for more impact.

There is no denying the fact that, even in this day and age when a lot of brand marketing is done via the internet, promotional product still remain to be reliable advertising tools. Businesses love them because customers want them. In fact a lot of studies have proven this statement to be very much true. A survey said that 83% of consumers like receiving promotional merchandise while 48% would want to get them more often. What is more interesting is that 58% of the respondents said they keep the items from one year to as long as five years.

So you want to know why consumers love these promo products? Here are the top three reasons:

• Promotional items are much more interactive.
You have to understand that for consumers the items you choose to give away are not merely marketing tools but useful products. At the very least, there is appreciation of the item’s function and consumers love it when the items they use on a daily basis are from companies they patronize. It engages all of your customers’ five senses and certainly helps in boosting brand visibility whenever the items are used. away.
• Promotional products are essentially gifts
Time and again, we have mentioned it before, that everyone wants to feel special. As a business, you can show your appreciation by showering your customers with these promotional gifts. It is a two-pronged approach if you think about it as you are also promoting your brand. Customers are actually easy to please as long as you keep their preferences in mind and gift them with appropriate products, you can depend on brand loyalty.
• This is also perhaps why many companies take the time to think about the products they want their brand name or logo branded onto as they know such things will be their brand’s ambassadors. Promo products deliver your brand message in a direct way and certainly have more impact than other media. A classic example would be the wearing of promotional shirts where your customers make the conscious decision to promote your brand because they find it reliable and would want others to try them out as well. Nothing else can be more personal than that.

Tough times actually call for smart measures and your business can rely on a marketing strategy which is not only effective but designed to fit any budget. We are actually talking about promotional merchandise marketing. It is not a new strategy. In fact, it has been around for many years and has made a lot of brands household names.

Brand advertising using custom branded products has proven to be practical for business start ups looking to spread the word about their products or services but can only allow a small budget and for large companies that need to reinforce their ad campaigns with something more engaging and interactive. Hence the popularity of these personalised promo items.

To make sure you maximise the impressive marketing potential that these products offer, consider these simple guidelines:

• DO make sure you choose a product which can be easily associated to your brand
• DO consider the functionality of the items, keeping in mind the preferences and needs of your target market
• DO invest in high quality products, so they will be able to serve you and your brand well for a long time
• DO consider the event, occasion and other factors to determine the suitability of your promotional products.

• DO NOT spend too much hoping to impress a few clients with expensive merchandise. You can be both practical and successful in reaching more customers
• DO NOT overwhelm the customers with over decorated items. In most cases, simple and straightforward is best.
• DO NOT think like your competitors. There are so many products to choose from and all you need is some creativity and originality.
• DO NOT leave everything at the last minute. You can save more when you place your orders in advance and you will have time to think of ways to maximise the products potential.
• DO NOT be stingy in handling out your promo products. Show your appreciation especially to your most loyal customers by being generous with your business gifts.

Promoting your brand is actually as simple as offering customers both old and new with these customised products as business gifts or tokens. You will be surprised at how such a small gesture goes a long way in ensuring brand visibility

World famous brands all have stories behind their names. Some are matter of fact and straightforward whilst some are uniquely fun and have hidden messages. These company names enjoy high brand recall and practically synonymous with global corporate success

Story of Famous Brand Names and Logos

Found of Jeff Bezos wanted the company name to start with letter "A" because it would always appear on top of any search. He scoured a dictionary and picked "Amazon" because ts the biggest river in the world, exactly what he hoped his company would be. Judging from the unbelievable size of Amazon's warehouse, he got exactly what he hoped for!

As for the company logo, notice the yellow arrow below the word Amazon, how it connects A to Z? it means they sell everything from A to Z! It also resembles a smile to represent how the shopping experience on Amazon website makes their customers smile.

Is a sport apparel manufacturer from Germany. Did you know that people originally thought the name ADIDAS stood for "All Day I Dream About Soccer"? Many are still unaware that the company's name was actually take from the founder Adolf Dassler, nicknamed Adi, who is also the brother of Rudolf "Rudi" Dassler founder of another famous shoe brand Puma.

Adidas logo always incorporated the three stripes, currently depicted as three slanted stripes resembling a mountain. This symbolises the challenges that athletes must overcome to realise their goals.

"Starbucks" was taken from a character in the classic novel Moby Dick, set amidst the 19th century American whaling industry. Although it has no connection whatsoever with coffee, it was a romantic link to the seafaring traditions at the coffee traders of old Seattle. So now each time you sit back to enjoy a cup of Starbucks coffee, think of of this story and transport yourselvers into that romantic past.

But wait! Before you sink into another coffee-induced stupor (if that were possible considering it's supposed to pick you up), consider that beautiful two-tailed siren in the middle of Starbucks logo. She not only blends well with the nautical theme they wanted, she is also a siren from Greek mythology, put there to lure unsuspecting customers into buying and obsessing over expensive coffee! If you are a Starbucks addict, you probably wouldn't mind.

Successful Companies and Their Logos

A company's success may or may not be directly related to their choice of a name or even the design of their logo. Often it is the kind of product or service that they offer that makes or breaks them, and when success does come, it is the company that actually lends a different dimension to the name. The logo however evolves to reflect the times and to create a stronger brand identity for the company. Just like the brands described above, many company logos become famous in their own right.

More than a week ago, the Philippines was hit by what experts believed is the strongest typhoon for 2013, with international name "Haiyan". If you have been following the news, you will learn about the devastation that super typhoon caused, killing as may as 10,000 and displacing more than a million individuals.

The graphic story - telling by international media resulted to the outpouring of help from government of various countries including United States, Japan and Australia. People all over the world are making donations to non-government and humanitarian organisations such as the Red Cross, UNICEF and World Food Programme. Even a small cash donation goes a long way. For example, a $5 can buy as many as 10 bottled waters. If you have some cash to spare, you can simply go to the websites of these organisations to find out how you can donate.

Corporate Merchandise Donation

As Typhoon Haiyan ravaged the Phillipines, a UN meeting discussing climate change also held in Warsaw, Poland. Many believed that the super typhoon is the first of many strong typhoons that the Pacific Ocean will give birth to because of global warming.

If part of your advocacy involves supporting campaigns to stop global warming and promote environmental awareness, then you might want to make your choice of product aligned with such advocacy. You can opt to send out eco friendly merchandise made of recycled material or sustainable products such as bamboo. Other branded merchandise which can be considered as good choices include the following:

First Aid Kits - these items will be very practical for both natural and man-made catastrophies especially during earthquakes and typhoons. They contain basic supplies for cuts and wounds and prevent injuries from getting infected and worsening.

Flashlights and Torches - will be very useful in any situation where power and electricity have been cut off. Choose flashlights with LED Lights as they tend to have longer lifespan than regular light bulbs

Pocket Knives and Tool Set - these come in handy as part of your emergency kit and be used for something simple as opening a canned food.

Make sure to include some instructions to use, contact details as well in case you run an awareness campaign under your corporate social responsibility program

An important emergency tool is the flashlight. We have them in our homes, offices, attached to our keys and even our vehicles in case we need a source of light. Their portability adds to their appeal and for the past decades, these flashlights have evolved and become even more powerful, thanks to LED light.

LED vs Standard or Incandescent Light Bulbs

The popularity of the LED flashlights can be attributed, of course, to the fact that they feature the LED lightbulbs. DEveloped in 1993 by the Japanese, the LED or Light Emitting Diode for the past decades, these flashlights have evolved and become even more powerful, thanks to the LED light.

Source of light: LED produce light electronically while standard bulbs depend on filaments which are heated to become incandescent

Product: LED produces mostly light and little heat while regular lights produce almost the same light with nearly twice the heat

Fragility: the filaments in regular lights are more prone to breakage caused by dropping, knocking against an object and other forms of shock. Meanwhile, LEDs are encased in shockproof epoxy and will not suffer from damage when dropped.

Life Expectancy: LEDs can last for as long as 100,000 hours while incandescent light bulbs can be expected to burn out after 6 hours.

Battery Comsumption: Regular lights can drain a battery in just few hours while LED in 60 hours

Colour: LEDs produce white light, regular bulbs do yellow light

Other Advantages Offered by LED Flashlights

LED torches come with several light levels, thanks to their use of electronics. You should not be surprised if your LED torch can go from dim to medium bright to very bright by simply choosing a switch. Such setting allows for the conversation of battery life and would really bode well in emergency power outages.

With their longer battery life. the need to bring along packets of batteries is eliminated, making the flashlights practical choice during work, camping, hiking, backpacking or simply emergency situation. LED lights are known to be chemical free and 100% recyclable.

Cooking has always been a passion of mine and for those of you who view cooking the same way as I do, you know how pleasurable it is to labour in front on the stove and happily create delicious meals from scratch.

With all the many kitchen tools and gadgets, there is only one accessory I cannot live without - the apron. Yes, this small piece of fabric, which is primarily designed to protect your street clothes, is an absolute essential. These aprons have actually come a long way. To understand what I mean, check out this brief history of aprons.

The Apron of the Old Times

When we talk about aprons, most of us have a clear image in our minds of aprons worn by housewives during the 1950's. You will be surprised to learn that they have actually been around for centuries. Craftsmen of the old days wore thick leather-made aprons to protect not only their clothes but also themselves from accidental piercing as they were handling all sorts of sharp instruments. The same is true for butchers, blacksmiths and welders. This habbit of wearing an apron is still being practiced today for the people in the said professions. 

The Rise of the Modern Aprons

Aprons have actually become a staple in a maid's clothing during the earlier centuries and a way to distinguish their status in the household. Most of the aprons then features pockets meant for the carrying of a lot of things from eggs to firewood.

In the 1950's, aprons became associated with homemakers. Wearing pearls and a frock dress and waiting for their husbands, the apron become yet another status symbol.

Culinary aprons, the aprons we know today, are designed for the same use - protection of clothes and for the absorption of the mess brought about by the performance of one's chores.

But aside from being practical, aprons have evolved into stylish garments and even lend a fun twist to cooking. There are plenty of designs and styles to choose from and instead of being status symbols, these aprons have become fashion statements.

A lot of businesses, especially those in the food and beverage industry; cafe, coffee shop, restaurants, take away food shop, etc, would benefit from the growing popularity of aprons. You can choose to have them customised with your brand logo or artwork for your daily promotional aprons staff wear or company gift