Promo Merchandise Top Ten

Although I tend to operate a bit outside the box when it comes to merchandise selected for my clients, there are some traditional "can't miss" items that folks tend to incorporate on a consistent basis. Check the list and see if you're a fan of any of these:
1. Pens: ubiquitous, uninspiring perhaps? But hey...they're inexpensive, used by everyone, and I bet you prefer one that actually writes well. Your clients do, too. Here's your chance to wow them.
2. Mugs & Cups: you have one on your desk or in your car cup-holder right now. It might very be a little "brown" from constant use. Wouldn't you like someone to give you a shiny new mug, or one of those cool travel tumblers?
3. Polo Shirts: perfect for many applications- trade show wear, client gifting, employee uniforms. Good embroidery pushes up the perceived value. See my old blogs...you can go econo or top shelf.
4. T-Shirts: the gold standard for giveaways. Low cost, great billboard for branding, appealing to all, etc.
5. Caps and Hats: see #4 above...the perfect tag-along with a tee, but also great for higher end giveaways, golf and outdoor events, team building.
6. Calendars: your customers stare at them for 12 months. 'Nuf said.
7. Jackets: popular add-on/upgrade for polos, tees.
8. Key tags: universal appeal, until we're all driving bikes to work
9. Tote Bags: almost required for many events; they provide a great walking billboard, they are low cost and when done right, they are used well beyond the event.
10. Mouse Pads: this ranking might be a bit dated, but mousepads are still a great promo item. It never ceases to amaze me how many grungy Staples mousepads I see sitting next to sweet new iMacs on luxurious corporate desktops. It's time to help your clients replace those nasty cloth pads with a high-tech, hard surface, laser mouse-friendly pad with your brand all over it.

Santa Clause or Scrooge?

OK, it's Obama Time...let's see if the man can turn things around.

While we wait, I'd like to address the strange new strategy of throttling all advertising and promotion to wait for the economy to uptick. I think it's pretty amazing that brands and corporations are pulling back so immediately from their promotion activities. Yes, the economy sucks, budgets are tight, consumers are in a panic. Does that mean it's time to stop marketing? Are you kidding me?

Let's take promotional products (cause that's what this blog is about). I've recently been getting the strong vibe from my clients that now is a good time to stop using branded merchandise...because...um..."I don't have the budget and they're just trinkets and trash with logos on them anyway." Well, it follows that they were worthless T&T before the economy tanked, so you must have been nuts to spend your budget on them then, right? Of course not, they were working fine last year, and the year before...they provided awesome exposure and your customers/employees appreciated the effort. They loved getting your "free stuff", let's face it.

Well, call me crazy, but isn't now the perfect time to give your customers some cool free stuff? Won't they appreciate your efforts even more than last year? I think they will, and it doesn't take reams of research to prove it...just a few seconds of thought. Holiday is coming fast...will you be OK with it if you don't get any gifts, any bonus, any recognition for your efforts just because your company is pulling the budget reins in? I think not. I bet you'll be bummed out.

Don't bum out your customers. If you are promoting a consumer brand with premiums, don't bum out all the consumers who love getting your merchandise. If you were getting ready to reward or motivate your employees...don't bail on those plans. If you were planning on some nice gifts for your clients, by all means, do NOT shelve those plans! Find the budget at all costs. Guess what? You'll be the firm getting all the exposure and kudos when your competition is MIA.

Be Santa...not Scrooge.

Your call.

Item of the Week: Pocket Hand Sanitizer Spray

This may be the perfect promotional handout: convenient, colorful, fragrant, useful, consumable, low cost, safe, compact and popular with all demographics.
The barrel is large enough for most logos and taglines, and the label format allows for easy, low cost multi-color printing.
Available in non-alcohol or unscented versions with lots of color combos. Figure just under $2.00 per sprayer for jumbo 10 ml size.

Thoughts?

Luxury Polo Shirts

I get a lot of requests for top-end polo recommendations, the shirt that really makes a statement when presented as a client or employee gift. There are quite a few choices from lots of brands and your decision is going to come down to just a few points of difference: style, fabric, brand preference and price.

Style: what look are you going after...conservative Arnold Palmer, or dashing Sergio Garcia? Many of the brands serving the corporate marketplace are expanding their offerings to appeal to a younger, more active demographic with bold colors, stripes and patterns, and athletic silhouettes. Look first to Nike Golf TW Collection, adidas and Ahead. You'll certainly find plenty of conservative styles and solid tones in the lux tier, of course, with fabrics to match...try Tehama, Cutter & Buck, Greg Norman Collection, and Callaway.

Fabric: the standard bearer in lux fabrics is double mercerized 100% cotton, but we are seeing more and more blends creeping into the SKU's due to the popularity of easy-care fabrics (and disdain for dry cleaning). Look for Pima cotton 60/40 blends, Silk/cotton, and eco fabrics like Bamboo (incredibly soft) and Cocona (naturally antimicrobial coconut fibers).

Brands: you probably already have a preference either way for top names like Fairway & Greene, Bobby Jones, Tehama, Nike Golf, Como Sport, Page & Tuttle, Tommy Bahama 18, Callaway, and Cutter & Buck. They are all fine brands with great styles and selection.

Price point...well, you get what you pay for (and that includes the prestige of wearing a particular brand) and I would put these at the pinnacle of corporate polo shirts (in no particular order): Fairway & Greene, Tehama, Bobby Jones, and Como Sport. Expect to drop between $65 and $145 for a top style from one of these brands, but at least you know you're really making a statement!

Keep in mind that these brands have made a commitment to support corporate apparel needs, namely, keeping inventory in-stock year round. Many pro-shop brands (aka, green grass lines) push out their selections in January timed to the PGA merchandise show, and stock levels in any one style are not designed to support a single large order in the middle of the year. In addition, corporate requirements demand many solid colorways and sizes to support different logo imprints and body styles. I support the brands that make a commitment to this industry so I can provide my clients with product any time they need it.

I'll focus on each brand in upcoming blogs...

Jim

Comments? Where they at??

OK,

I'll give the first person to comment on one of my posts (for real) a shiny, new premium item...I'm thinking an LCD TV.

Of course, I reserve the right to substitute any item of any value for said TV at any time...typical Sweeps fine print, peeps.

Let 'em rip...

Jimmyray

The Holiday Season is upon us...no kidding

So my test worked...I didn't publish any new posts for weeks just to see who was reading the blog, and I actually got some comments wondering when new stuff would go up! Either that, or I got lazy/busy in the dog days of summer. Your choice...which is a great segue to my latest post, the holiday buying season.

The holiday season in the promotional merchandise industry, accoding to some sources, accounts for between 30% and 45% of the annual volume across the board. Yikes. I'm eager to see how this dog economy will impact corporate spending on holiday client gifts and employee incentives, but I have a feeling folks will dig deep to make sure they don't get tagged as scrooges. OK, I'm hoping they dig deep. But the reality is...they should dig deep.

Specialty advertising pays long term dividends when done right. I'm not talking about slapping your logo onto the next fad that comes along (nylon string backpack anyone?) and hoping folks see it. I'm talking about taking the time to strategize about how you want your brand to be incorporated into a merchandise program. Think about logo placement, color scheme, packaging, delivery. How can you make this unique? What did you do last year? Was it received well by your recipients? Did you take the time to find out? Are you shooting in the dark this year?

Budget plays a role in your decisions, of course, but I've worked with some savvy marketers who are smart enough to see the big picture...maybe that $50 item is actually more efficient (read: cheaper and easier) than sourcing 3 other items and consolidating them into a package. You may want to leverage a brand item to raise the perceived value of the gift, and perhaps not even logo the item at all (hint...just the packaging).

Last thought on the holiday season kicking off. It has already kicked off. You cannot start thinking about your programs in November. Remember...this is a crazy time for everyone, including our factories. Don't get caught flat footed. Tip: back out the production & delivery time from your event date. For domestic manufacturing and in-stock merchandise, figure 4 weeks plus a week delivery to be safe. For an event in the 2nd week of December (typical), you need to ORDER your program items by November 3rd. That's just 10 weeks from today, people.

You have been warned!

Summertime and the Living is Easy...

Summer promotions are here, so I figured I would throw out a quick list of merchandise for your thoughts...some tried and true, some that might be new, but all worth a look:

Bottle Opener ball caps

Beach towels: full color sublimation reproduces photo quality images

Cooler bags: new designs from BuiltNY and Thermos, tote bag coolers, backpack coolers

Sunscreen packs from AloeUp!

Lip Balm: organic, beeswax

Beach Totes

Frisbees

Beach chairs

Sports Bottles

Flip Flops: custom die-cut soles with logos left in the sand, bottle opener soles

Neoprene Koozies

Custom shaped pool/beach inflatables

Beach umbrellas

Beach games

Golf balls

Tervis Tumbler drinkware

Performance fabric DryFit golf shirts from Nike golf

Tommy Bahama silk camp shirts

Sublimated 4-color process office refrigerator (holds a 12-pack of...soda)

BBQ tools gift set with apron

Have a great 4th of July and look for more ideas this summer...

Maui Jim Fitting Events...the Ultimate Client Gift??

Many of my clients put together employee and customer appreciation events several times per year, and every time these events roll around, they come to me for a unique, "high end" gift that will be immediately enjoyed by attendees and remembered for years. If you don't want to be left throwing a logo on the same tired gift item every year, it's time you looked into a Maui Jim Fitting Event.

Maui Jim sunglasses are one of the top selling premium sunglass brands in the world. They rigorously police the marketplace to maintain brand value (no discounting is allowed anywhere at retail) and constantly introduce new styles to stay current with trends and market conditions. The product alone is worth consideration as a client gift, given its reputation for quality, leading-edge technology (PolarizedPlus2 technology), high perceived value and appeal to all demographics. When you add a personal fitting session to the package, the value and excitement ratchets up tenfold.

Picture your clients or employees falling over themselves to try on a $300 pair of sunglasses that you are providing them as a gift. This is the environment at an MJ event. We fly in a trained MJ fitting rep to your event, anywhere in the world, where they will set up a fitting station and provide a full selection of styles to your attendees. At the event, your attendees receive the glasses they choose, a custom storage case, and a custom cleaning cloth. You don't have to touch, store, ship or inventory any products...I can hear the sighs of relief...you have enough to do with logistics at these events!

Why I love the MJ Fitting Event:

1. Everyone loves a killer pair of expensive shades

2. If they alreadyhave a pair...everyone loves a SECOND pair of expensive shades

3. We can address prescription issues for Rx attendees...no one is left out in the cold!

4. Incredible buzz-generator...the energy level is astounding

5. Talk about an ice-breaker...witness the interactivity between fitter and attendee and amongst attendees: "Sue, what do you think of this pair??" "Do these look good on me??"

6. Flat prices per attendee, so you can easily budget the gift for your event

7. Turn-key programs

If you're looking for a unique way to reward employees or clients, you owe Maui Jim a look...

T-Shirts 101 continued...

OK, so we're all set on white tees. Now let's talk a bit about colors and options.

Once you go beyond the white tee, your options open up. The basic mill brands have huge color selections, so you should be good to go in matching a brand or theme.

Other options include pigment-dyed/garment dyed tees, fashion tees (Alternative Apparel, American Apparel, Royal Apparel, Bella, et al) and performance tees (microfiber polyester).

Garment-dyed tees use very soft ringspun cotton and have a washed look, think "gift shop on the beach." They are very durable and look better with age.

Fashion tees include many styles for men and women with cutting edge fabrics and treatments like acid wash, sheer, burnout, and "destroyed". These target a youth demographic with a slim cut and super lightweight fabrics. Expect to pay a premium.

Performance tees include cotton/poly blends and 100% poly wicking fabrics. Riding the Underarmour/Nike DryFit trend, these tees are perfect for sports and fitness promotions. Full color imprints can be digitally sublimated into the fabric to retain the performance properties of the polyester.

PRICE considerations:

1. Within the same style and brand, dark tees (colors) cost more than white or neutral (ash grey) tees

2. Each imprint color increases the price.

3. Each additional imprint location increases the price.

4. In a typical screen print operation, each additional color adds another setup charge

5. Digital sublimation, where appropriate, is a great option for multi-color imprints as there are typically no setup charges.

Imprint Limitations

As you look at a tee shirt and wonder about how you can decorate it, keep in mind that most screen printers limit the size and location of possible imprints due to the constraints of the screen printing process. We (typically) CANNOT imprint across side seams, over shoulder seams, onto or up to the neck seam, or wrap around the body. As you dream up designs, you must keep that in mind. I know...you've seen these wild designs, and may own some...but those shirts were almost certainly imprinted BEFORE they were manufactured. There are specialty printers that have the equipment to print some allover designs, but they are hard to find and very pricey. Printing blank tees AFTER they are made and sitting on a shelf (95% of promotional orders) limits your imprint areas to these locations:

Large Imprints:

Full Chest

Full Front

Full Back

Upper Back

Lower Back

Small Imprints:

Left chest

Right chest

Center chest

Bottom left or right

Back Neck (aka Between Shoulder Blades: BSB)

Left sleeve

Right sleeve

Next week I'll discuss complex, retail imprint treatments.

Plain White Tees

No, not the band.

Wearables, aka apparel, are the largest category of promotional products...and the ubiquitous T-shirt leads the way as far as being the #1 item launched into promotional programs. It's relatively cheap, it appeals to all demographics, it has a well defined perceived value and a long shelf life, and it's a great canvas for creative graphic design and branding. When in doubt...give 'em a T-shirt.

That said, there are some things you should know about T-shirt fabric, styles, imprint techniques, etc. Gone are the days when a white XL Beefy-T would do the trick for all your needs. Now the influence is from retail (Abercrombie, Hollister, et al) showcasing slim, fashion cuts with ultra lightweight cotton fabrics and cutting-edge imprint treatments.

Today's post dishes on the basic white T-shirt only. We'll get into other styles and issues at a later date.

The basic white cotton T is as close to a true commodity item that you will see in the industry. Prices fluctuate wildly in domestic markets, but most mills provide nearly identical styles within weight categories, so my advice is to choose a weight/quality level and just pick a shirt. For the record, my top 4 mills are Gildan, Anvil, Fruit of the Loom and Hanes. All provide specific women's styles as well.

1. The entry-level fabric is 100% cotton in a 5.0 to 5.5 oz. weight. These tees work well for large quantity promotions.
2. Next up is a "6 ounce" shirt (depending on mill, 6.0 to 6.1 oz fabric)... a little more heft, less shrinkage perhaps, better for holding complex imprints, slight increase in price. My pick for most applications, it does the job without going overboard.
3. At a premium price are the "ringspun" cotton shirts; most of you are familiar with the Hanes Beefy-T which set the mark years ago, but there are other very good selections in the category. Typically offered in a 6 oz. weight, this fabric offers a much softer hand than standard tees, and is worth the extra cost if you are looking for a premium luxury fabric for your promotion.
4. Cotton/poly blends: the 50/50 tee is a good choice if you are concerned about shrinkage and durability. There are perceptions that blends hold imprints better than pure cotton fabric, but I personally haven't seen any discernable difference.
5. Fashion tees from American Apparel, Alternative Apparel and the like are very hot right now. The fabric is very lightweight (under 5 oz.), typically soft ringspun cotton, and there are many styles to choose from. Yes, they are relatively pricey, but if you are targeting a tough-to-please youth demographic, they are the way to go.

Next week...colors, imprints, and pricing issues!

Jim

"Eco" water bottles...the real deal

OK, this is a hot topic...BPA (Bisphenol A) leaching into our water from the polycarbonate plastic in our beloved "Nalgene" bottles.

We were just getting used to the fact that you could kick the crap out of polycarbonate and it wouldn't break, plus it doesn't retain odors or tastes. So is BPA a real health risk? The jury is still out, but IMHO it doesn't really matter, because the market is demanding alternatives to polycarbonate, so we need to be ready. Luckily, the promotional products industry is already responding with several BPA-free water bottle materials. These are very popular items for summer promotions, gyms, walk-a-thons and all sports events, so as long as you know about the alternatives out there, you'll be fine. You also need to get a primer on PLASTICS:

All plastics that can be recycled have that little triangle on the bottom, and there is a number inside that designates the type of plastic. Here are the ones you should be looking for in your new sport bottle:
1: PET (Polyethylene Teraphthalate), the plastic that retail water bottles (Poland Spring) are made of. Although originally designed for single use, there are some great rigid sport bottle designs coming out that use PET.
2: HDPE (high density polyethylene), think "milk jugs" and detergent bottles, you'll be seeing this plastic in some of the new rigid water bottles.
4. LDPE (low density polyethylene), very popular as a squeezable material, think "bike bottle".
5. PP (polypropylene), used in medicine bottles and drinking straws, will be more prevalent.

AVOID:
(3) PVC, Polyvinyl chloride (although some 2008 styles are FDA approved)
(6) PS, Polystyrene
(7) PC, Polycarbonate

In addition to the new plastics, we're seeing more sport bottles in aluminum and stainless steel, which were pretty much limited to the hiking and mountain climbing arena until the BPA issue came up. These are great alternatives...very durable and high perceived value, plus stainless does not retain odors.

I hope this helps, please contact me if you have any other questions or need some specific styles to evaluate.

Jim

Welcome to Event Swag's Blog

Hello all!

My name is Jim Lynch and have launched this blog to introduce new promotional merchandise ideas to my friends and clients. As I come across anything new and noteworthy, I will endeavor to quickly put it on this blog for all to see. In addition, I will periodically write some educational articles for those tasked with sourcing innovative promotional merchandise, so you may want to check back often to learn about apparel imprinting techniques, overseas manufacturing tricks, etc.

Thanks for your support and I look forward to helping you with your marketing needs!

Jim