Scott Boyages Promotions Blog

Some Trade Show Marketing Tips

2011-10-03T00:11:00.006-04:00

Trade Show Tips

Trade Shows are a big market for promotional products. Shows provide a great opportunity for companies to present their products/services to potential clients and even existing clients in an atmosphere that's a little more relaxed than an office or meeting room.

Promotional products, of course, are important for keeping your brand and marketing message in front of the people you meet at a show long after the show has ended.

Here are some tips for getting the most out of your next show.

If your show display table does not include a tablecloth, be sure to get one that complements your display and represents your company’s image and color scheme. Even if a tablecloth is supplied, bring your own or at least something to add some depth to your table (i.e. a table runner). Try to make your space stand out.

Trade show hand outs work. Most people who attend shows are expecting to take home some goodies. The key with these items is to first determine the objective behind them – i.e. do you want to deliver a verbal ‘pitch’ to make a strong first impression on visitors who aren’t yet clients or keep your name in front of prospects in the days following the show? Or do you have a new marketing slogan and want to hand out items that play off of it? There are strategies (and products) for all scenarios.

Consider a drawing for a prize – and have it be a good prize that people really want and that complements your business in some way, if possible. Have visitors and entrants sign a guest book, fill in a ticket, or drop their business cards into a fish bowl or gift bag. The great thing about this type of technique is that you can then use this information at a later date to make a follow up contact.

Have a portfolio of your work available as part of your trade show display. Print off some of your best projects, put them into plastic sheet protectors, and arrange them in a binder. Then lay out the binder where visitors can flip through the pages.

Don’t Forget the Follow Up- Companies that get the best results will market continuously to the qualified contacts they meet at a show until the start of the next show the following year. There are several techniques for doing this and I’d be happy to share my views on this subject if you’re interested. Promotional products can be very helpful in this area, but they are not the only method of staying in touch. And some of those methods don’t cost anything.

New Child Product Safety Regs Impact the Promotional Products Industry

2011-08-28T18:17:00.007-04:00

It didn’t receive much fanfare, but earlier this month, President Obama signed into law legislation that further tightens the restrictions placed on lead in toys and other items (like promotional products) primarily aimed at children. The amended law also clarifies several ambiguities that have existed since the original Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) was passed in 2008.

What got tightened (even further) is the amount of lead allowable in children's products. It dropped from 300 parts per million (ppm) to 100 ppm on August 14. Products produced before this date are grandfathered –so only products that are manufactured AFTER August 14 will have to adhere to the stricter limits.

The Background

It’s interesting. Back in 2007, Nissan bought 100,000 ceramic coffee mugs directly from a factory in China and distributed them in Japan to anyone who took a test drive in one of their cars. The mugs contained excessive lead to the tune of 100 times the legal limit (Japan’s) and a lot of people got sick.*

Later that year, The California State School Board forced a recall on 50,000 lunch bags after testing found excessive lead in the lining of the bags. Then came the Mattel toy recalls that made headlines worldwide. And by the end of that year a total of 448 product recalls had taken place – 52% of which involved children’s products – and 100 of which involved excessive lead in paint on the products. The vast majority of these products were manufactured in China.

The Bush administration, Food and Drug Administration and the Congress reacted to all this by quickly passing the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA) which placed sharp limits on the amount of lead allowable in products aimed primarily at children ('children' being defined as anyone age 12 or younger).

About Lead

It’s cheap, it’s everywhere and in industry, it has many uses. At the time of the events I’ve just detailed, China was dealing with some major economic challenges – among them rising salaries, skyrocketing gas prices, high material costs and the margin pressures associated with doing business with some of the big American retailers. Frankly, some manufacturers cut corners and no one noticed till it was too late.

What it Means

The potential for liability, negative publicity and brand erosion. Where the antennae need to be raised is when a promotion is intended PRIMARILY for children ages 12 or under.

Bottom line is products intended for kids in this age group cannot contain lead.

And as for what defines whether a product is "primarily intended for children ages 12 and under" - that unfortunately is a bit of a gray area. There are numerous factors, like functionality of the item, what the imprint looks like (i.e. does it have a cartoon-like caricature), how it’s being distributed etc. In total, there are about 30 different factors, so the best suggestion, we've been told by experts on this, is to simply use common sense.

Our Concern

In an industry with 3500 to 4000 suppliers, we’re concerned that the number of suppliers that will to pay attention to the tougher CPSIA may be a lot lower than one would expect. And given the pricing pressures that exist right now, we expect that many will totally ignore them – which exposes buyers (and sellers) of these products to the negatives that I’ve noted above.

However......

While the events of 2007/2008 caught the entire industry by surprise, there are some who realize the seriousness of this issue and are now trying galvanize the rest of the industry to embrace this issue.

Here's a link to an interview with Geiger CEO, Gene Geiger and and Rick Brenner, the CEO of industry supplier, Prime Line highlighting a recent summit that the two of them chaired to raise awareness about these recent developments.

Where this is headed is anyone's guess, but my biggest fear is that latest round of regs will sour some people to promotional products and the benefits that they provide. At a time when new jobs are not exactly plentiful, making it more difficult for companies to brand themselves to users of their product or service isn't good for anyone.

Four Factors of Successful Promotions

2011-07-25T22:20:00.002-04:00

Promotional products, when utilized effectively are an extremely powerful and cost effective tool for building or enhancing any brand. While just about any use of a branded giveaway will generate a degree of value for an advertiser, there are some factors that should be considered to maximize the chances of any campaign involving promotional products succeeding.

1. Audience Appropriate Product- The most compelling marketing message in the world will be missed by the recipient if the item that bears that message is not appropriate for the person receiving it.

2. Effective Marketing Message- Too often it seems, promotional products convey only company names or logos without any strong benefit statement, positioning statement or call to action. A simple tag line beneath the logo usually doesn’t cost anything extra but it can have a dramatic effect on an entire campaign. Consider using one.

3. Targeted, Qualified Product Recipients- One of the big advantages of promotional products vs. other advertising mediums is that the marketer controls the distribution. By capitalizing on this, organizations can limit waste and make sure that every recipient of their message is a qualified prospect or customer. Therefore each promotion should be geared toward the individuals most likely to generate positive results.

4. The Right Time- They say timing is everything in life. That’s certainly true with marketing. Deliver the right message to a receptive audience when they’re ready to make a buying decision and you will be successful. Deliver the message too soon or too late and you won’t be nearly as effective.

Let's Talk Polo Shirts

2011-05-27T09:38:00.003-04:00

Scott Boyages Promotions

Mid May marks the start of polo shirt season – or at least it seems that way. We have sold a lot of polo shirts over the years, and clients buy them year round. However I really notice a spike in client requests around the time that things warm up to the point that you can wear polo's outside – in other words, right about now.

With that in mind, here are some brand new polo styles that seem poised to be big hits this year.

Ash City EDry Silk Luster Jersey Polo-

This is a cotton/poly blended polo that combines EDry Moisture wicking technology with amazing comfort & feel. Available in men’s and women’s cuts – men’s sizes run to 5XL.

A favorite for travelers, this luxurious Silk Luster sport shirt keeps you cool and comfortable with moisture-wicking PimaCool technology. It's perfect for warmer climates and summer wear because it's easy to care for and feels great against your skin.

Great pricing too: $24 each in quantities of 12+

Red House Honeycomb Performance Pique Polo

I’m a big fan of Red House, a high quality line of shirts that's inspired by California’s wine region. In particular, this Honeycomb Performance polo is very impressive.

It's an awesome mix of technology and comfort because this 70/30 cotton/poly honeycomb pique combines easy-care cotton with moisture-wicking performance to keep you cool in any situation.

Flat knit collar, open hem sleeves, Red House engraved buttons and right sleeve Red House branded embroidery.

Cost: $30.00 each for quantities of 12+ - embroidered.

Greg Norman Play Dry Performance Pique Stripe Polo

The Greg Norman line is one of the better – albeit under-publicized polo name brands. The Norman name has always garnered great respect in golf circles and his line of apparel stacks up very well to the Ashworth’s, Nike’s and Cutter & Bucks.

The Norman line’s strength is its Play Dry moisture management technology which keeps moisture off the skin—and also keeps wind out. This striped polo is a terrific shirt. It's 97% polyester & 3 % spandex and is a terrific combination of style and comfort. It also carries the famous Norman ‘Shark’ branding on the back neck - subtly placed so as not to detract from your own logo.

Cost: $45.00 each for quantities of 12+

Men's Tipped Collar Dry-Mesh Hi-Performance Polo

Here’s a great lower priced Performance Polo…the 1575 from Edwards Garment is a lightweight, 100% polyester shirt with a mesh weave that wicks moisture.

It got an AP-360™+ Antimicrobial Fabric Shield that blocks bacteria, Prevents odors and ensures freshness. It’s also fade, shrink and wrinkle resistant. Comes in Men's and Women’s styles.

These start at $21.00 for a dozen (embroidered) and go down from there.

Or a Proven Winner....

The new stuff is always interesting…..but how about something – new or otherwise – that’s simply one of the top selling polo shirts in our industry?

I'm referring to the K500 Port Authority® - Silk Touch™ Sport Shirt. This one has it all:

Comfort? Yes

Wrinkle/Shrink Resistance? Yes

Huge Size Range? Yes

Tons of Color Choices? Yes

Men's, Women's & Long Sleeve versions? Absolutely!

This is a great 'uniforming' shirt for any type of business. One of the top sellers in the industry – it comes at a great price - $16.14 each - and delivers great value at the same time.

The Ongoing Challenge to Teach the Value of Promotional Products

2011-02-25T00:40:00.006-05:00

The following article first appeared on the blog site Technorati under the title: California Bans State Agencies From Buying Promotional Products.

I wrote it because stories like this one seem to be coming down the pipeline far too often these days. There is a sentiment out there among some that promotional products are about 'trinkets and trash' or 'swag'. With all due respect, my response to that is that those who feel that way really don't have much of a concept of what marketing is really all about.

Anyway....here it is.....

You know the expression 'penny-wise and pound foolish'? That's California Governor Jerry Brown. Governor Brown this week banned state agencies from purchasing promotional products — a move that figures to save the state in the neighborhood of 7 to 8 million dollars over the next 3 years.

For those unfamiliar with the term, a promotional product is a useful everyday item that carries an ad message — be it an imprinted pen, a t-shirt or something a bit more elaborate like a computer flash drive with a logo printed on the casing.

Promotional Product Trends - Feb., 2011

2011-02-20T12:11:00.008-05:00

In the most recent edition of my newsletter I focused on current trends in the promotional product industry. January & February mark the onset of the trade show season, the time when our suppliers introduce most of their new products for the coming year. It’s also a good time to assess where the industry is headed in terms of product trends and also to gauge the general feeling of the kind of year that lies ahead.

You can access the full article here:

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No One Wants to Talk Any More

2011-01-30T12:36:00.009-05:00

One of my 'extra curricular' activities is occasionally contributing to the online blog site, Technorati.

Lately it's become more and more obvious that some of the companies that I've routinely dealt with for years have no interest in talking (vs. emailing, IM etc) with you anymore when you have a question to ask.

I'm also seeing this trend develop within the promotional products industry given the rise of online distributorships. For many - and I'm really seeing this with buyers just out of college - it seems like its just easier to deal with a website as it doesn't take long to complete a transaction and we're all so pressed for time.

Believe me, I can relate....and it's a great model -- until something goes wrong or....you have a question - even a simple one. Seems pretty basic right...have a question, call someone who can give you a quick answer. Used to be common sense...now it's become a business opportunity.

Anyway, here's an excerpt....and a link to the full article. Enjoy....

Every day I’m more and more convinced that Corporate America thinks it’s a great idea to put up walls between themselves and their customers. Internet commerce provides a great excuse to either outsource customer service, turn much of it over to some very advanced customer relationship software or pretty much drop it altogether.

Watching the onset of this – and the way it seems to be spreading like an epidemic among our largest corporations — the only conclusion I can reach is that many of these companies simply have no interest in talking to their customers.

Article first published as Customer Service Is So....Old School

on Technorati.

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The Benefits of 'Name' Branded Apparel

2011-01-12T11:40:00.005-05:00

Wearables comprise a large chunk of our overall business - approximately 40% - and it’s a business that has changed quite a bit over the past two decades. Probably the biggest change has been the influx of popular ‘name’ brands into our industry over the past few years. Back in the 90’s this wasn’t the case. But along came Corporate Casual and with it, a customer driven demand for name brands that shows no signs of slowing down.

Of our clothing vendors, the Sanmar company seemed to recognize this before anyone else when they brought Nike into our industry. Nike Golf's products, in turn, not only helped vault Sanmar to the number one position among wearable wholesalers, they also opened the flood gates to an onslaught of retail and work wear brands as these companies realized the advantages of selling their products in the corporate marketplace.

The ones that have succeeded, to date, are the brands that understand the unique needs and challenges that the promotional products industry presents. Specifically having enough inventory on hand to meet client demands and the ability to get the product shipped out quickly given the constant deadline pressures that exist in the corporate marketplace.

The list of name brands available for purchase through Geiger is both large and growing. In addition to Nike, it includes Carhartt, The North Face, Reebok, Champion, Columbia Sportswear, Cutter & Buck, Ashworth, Tommy Bahama, Independent Trading Co, Weatherproof and many more.

With brands like these you’re going to pay a little more, but you’ll also realize the benefits that the so called promise of these brands entails. You get the quality of the garment itself plus the value of tying your own brand into the prestige associated with a Carhartt, Reebok etc. If you give someone a Reebok shirt or Carhartt jacket that's co-branded with your own logo, you’ll be making a powerful statement about what your own company stands for.

There is One Exception

The North Face is an interesting exception. They will NOT allow their garments to carry any logo but their own. In fact, if your company purchases their products, they’ll make us (you and Geiger) sign waivers promising not to decorate them.

Their feeling is that any embellishment of their garments weakens The North Face brand. They have chosen, to this point anyway, to pretty much ignore the corporate marketplace. However you can still, under the right circumstances, make a statement by giving these out and you'll find our prices for The North Face Products extremely competitive.

I would just recommend that if you go with these it be a situation where the recipients will always remember who gave them the jacket -- though granted that's not easy without a co-branded logo on the garment. However you could add a zipper tag, packaging or another item that includes your logo.

Geiger's Advantage

We have one in that we have direct distribution relationships with many of these brands. For example, Carhartt distributes through other industry suppliers, meaning you’ll pay more from our competitors who are forced to go through those vendors. Geiger on the other hand buys directly from Carhartt, so you’ll pay less for their products through us and we’ll also have the most up to date information about their constantly changing inventory situation.

Thanks to our buying power, we have similar direct relationships with several other retail brands.

Some Points to Keep in Mind

Stock is often an issue- It’s the nature of the beast with popular brands, so you should be prepared for the possibility that certain sizes or colors may have to be back ordered. It happens much more often with name brands than private label or other industry oriented brands.

Frequent Changeover- Styles get added and dropped much more frequently than with industry specific brands. This is due, I think, to the retail mindset of always having to stay fresh. Some lines – Ashworth immediately comes to mind – seem to always be changing their styles up.

You Can Get Similar Quality for Less- There’s a company called Zorrel which actually supplies Nike Golf with a lot of its shirts. We carry Zorrel’s full catalog and on average their products cost 30% less than Nike’s. So you get Nike quality, but not at Nike prices. Tommy Bahama products are offered to the industry via supplier Eagle Dry Goods. Eagle has a tight relationship with Tommy Bahama and in fact, also offers some private label ‘Tommy Bahama-like’ shirts, which are made by the same folks. Same quality, different label – and a lower price.

There are actually quite a few so called 'Industry Brands' which are made just as well as their counterparts with the famous labels - some are even made in the same facilities. If you would like more information about branded wearable items, please contact me.

Time for Some Optimism....

2011-01-05T09:13:00.009-05:00

Say what you want about CNBC's Jim Cramer...and there's been plenty said about him. Personally I like him...but his style can give you a headache if you watch him too often....anyway, the other night he predicted the Dow to rise 15% this year to the 13,300 level...reason being that companies are starting to make money again...are as lean as they can get...and will start hiring again - in a big way.

Full story (complete with typical Cramer routine) is here if you're interested.

What I like about Cramer is he's not afraid to walk out on a limb...and he'll own up to his mistakes. That, plus the fact that he's been right often enough to have a long running show and legion of devotees to me make him someone worth paying attention to.

If his prediction is on target, now is the time for companies to make their voices (i.e. their brands) heard loud and clear amid the projected roar of another growing economy....kind of like Cramer does......

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Great Fleece Ideas for Winter

2010-12-21T11:42:00.004-05:00

This week marks the official start of winter and that means it’s the peak season for branded polyester fleece products. Fleece jackets, pullovers and vests make great promotional gifts for the simple reason that they get worn – regularly – by the people who receive them. Fleece has many of the same properties of wool, but at a much lighter weight making it great for layering when heading outside, or for taking away the chill of a cold indoor environment such as an office or warehouse.

This fabric was created in 1979 by Malden Mills and called Polarfleece®, but didn’t really hit mainstream until the early 90’s. Once the Asian market jumped into it, prices dropped and the fabric soared in popularity in the promotional products industry.

Today there are all kinds of polyester fleece products to choose from and the fabric is even incorporated into winter outerwear jackets to provide insulation and wind resistance.

Read on for some specific polyester fleece products that provide great value for dollars spent.

Columbia Sportswear Fleece

This brand has undergone a bit of a restructuring within our industry as they’ve changed distribution partners and also swapped out some styles. The fact that they’ve affiliated with Sanmar – in my mind our industry’s strongest clothing wholesaler -- to me is a very positive development. Columbia is known for its outstanding quality and I think that with Sanmar’s assistance, we’re going to see lots of fresh and innovative Columbia products available for co-branding going forward.

Case in point:

Columbia Western Trek Pullover

Brand new this year, this lightweight pullover is made with 270 gram, microfleece. It features a zippered chest pocket, zippered hand warmer pockets and an open hem and cuffs. It also has the embroidered Columbia logo located on the right chest for maximum branding reinforcement, while your organization’s logo goes on the left chest. In my opinion, no organization can ever go wrong by associating themselves with Columbia Sportswear.

Cost for the Western Trek (embroidered): $47.38 (12 pc. price)

Columbia Women's Fern Creek Vest

The perfect layering piece for extra warmth. It’s made with 360 gram MTR fleece for maximum thermal retention. This item has been in the Columbia line for a long time, which means it’s a proven top seller. The men's version that's pictured pictured to the left is the Cathedral Peak Vest.

Cost (embroidered): $34.72

Evolution Bonded Microfleece Jacket

(Charles River Apparel)

This item is a personal favorite as I’ve received great feedback from clients who have ordered them in the past. Available in men’s and women’s styles, these jackets are made from two layers of microfleece bonded together. This creates added warmth without bulk and also knocks down icy winter winds.

The outer layer of this fleece is very smooth making for a stylish look. These also feature open cuffs and hem with zippered pockets and even a hidden inside pocket to store valuables.

Cost: $44.77

Viking Fleece Pullover

(Tri Mountain Apparel)

This is a typical good quality mass market fleece, a core industry item that’s been around for close to 20 years. But what makes it stand out, in my mind, is the range of sizes that it comes in. Got someone in your organization who’s really big? You can order these in

size 6XL. They also have a full range of Tall sizes as well as lots of color choices. The Viking is made of 10.5 oz panda fleece and provides plenty of warmth, plus it holds up over the long haul
Cost: $33.47

If you would like to check out samples of any of these items, just drop me an email.

Promotional Product Industry Headaches - China & Cotton

2010-08-24T09:34:00.004-04:00

It’s been a rocky past couple of years for the promotional products industry in more ways than one. The good news is that business has picked up quite a bit over the past 8 months according to the industry press. And to me personally, it certainly seems a lot more like a normal year, especially compared to the debacle that was 2009.

However there are serious issues worldwide and especially in China right now that pretty much ensure that we’re not out of the woods yet and the prevailing opinion among many industry leaders is that more rocky times lie ahead. The situation has already had a direct effect on some of my clients and there’s a better than good chance that it will affect more of you in the coming weeks and months.

The Issues-

Rising Prices for Suppliers
Lack of Inventory
The Cotton Problem

Let’s take ‘em one by one:

Rising Prices- Lots of factors at work here. The economic collapse of 2008 put the lid on ordering and the Chinese factories responded by trimming operations and payroll. However, when demand ramped up again earlier this year, manufacturers had to contend with a couple of challenges that they hadn’t planned on. One was and is a labor shortage. It wasn’t publicized in this country, but coinciding with the Obama Stimulus Package, China enacted its own stimulus package – creating a ton of new jobs related to the rebuilding of China’s infrastructure – jobs that paid a lot better than the factories did.

And many of those workers, who happen to be under the age of 40, have only known an expanding Chinese economy with plentiful jobs. They’ve become much pickier about wages, benefits, social status and working conditions than their parents were. Combine that with tax incentives that make it more attractive to work close to home and the byproducts of China’s one-child per household policy and all of a sudden factories can’t find enough help. And the workers they do hire won’t work for paltry salaries anymore.

Bottom line, China’s much celebrated pool of cheap labor no longer exists and manufacturers need to spend more on compensation to maintain a work force. But the problem isn’t just labor, it’s also…..

Lack of Inventory- Demand for products here is way up and factories – even the ones that are sufficiently staffed- are struggling to get products to market. And a big reason is it’s harder to transport the products here.

The freight companies, which are already a quasi-cartel, got caught by the demand rebound as well. They cut capacity like everyone else in early ’09 and have struggled to respond. They also set their own rates which manufacturers have no choice but to pay. So the situation now is like heading to rush hour with not enough vehicles available to get everyone home. Space on the existing vehicles - i.e. boats that get the stuff here - is scarce and a lot more expensive.

This creates issues for industry suppliers with diversified product lines because when things are tight, core products come first and secondary offerings get kicked to the back burner. Product shortages right now are the worst I’ve seen them in 20 years of doing his.

The Cotton Problem- not a China specific problem – this one is worldwide. There’s a shortage, manufacturers cannot buy yarn, so we're seeing inventory problems and price increases since the Spring of close to 20% on cotton products. Further, lots of wearable suppliers now put out their new catalogs in August vs. January, so they’re faced with having to project where prices will go over the next several months, and their guess is as good as anyone else’s. It’s not a great way to have to run a business with high overhead.

So what does this mean to you, the buyer?

Production lead times are increasing.
Your first choice for products may not be available – which creates even more difficulty if you’re in a rush or deadline situation.
Prices are heading in the wrong direction
Your duties for ordering products for client events may be getting a whole lot harder.

What can we do about it?

This is just a personal opinion, but in a situation like this, Geiger’s buying power and industry contacts are more valuable than ever right now. Due to the regular communication that we require of our Gold and Silver level production partners, we’ve got our finger on the pulse of inventory levels and production times from the best suppliers in our industry. Take advantage of our advantage.
Consider ordering earlier or if there’s an ongoing need for particular products. Also think about ordering extra. That purple bag that’s available today may not be in stock 3 months from now.
When planning, include 2nd, 3rd and even 4th options in case products are out of stock.
If you can give me a heads up into what you’re considering, I can help with planning by checking into item availability and projected inventory levels right now.
be very careful when ordering products from smaller manufacturers (this applies to me as well). The big suppliers have a major advantage right now because they can order from Chinese factories in higher volume which will demand the factories attention well ahead of suppliers ordering smaller volumes of items.

Bottom line, our industry's reliance on China forces it to ride out this storm because that country's ability to manufacture promotional items cheaper, faster, and with much better quality than countries like Vietnam, Cambodia etc still makes them the desired long range partner of industry suppliers. For the time being, no one sees that changing and ultimately the situation will improve. The question of course is when?

Also, it's good to keep in mind that American suppliers don’t have to deal with these issues (except the cotton one) so for items where these vendors are price competitive – like Frisbee-style flyers, cups and bottles and of course calendars, they’re the way to go.

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Geiger Galleria Report

2010-08-09T11:35:00.003-04:00

Cool Stuff from Galleria

Recently, I traveled to Arizona to attend the Geiger Galleria, an annual gathering of the Geiger organization, its sales partners and key suppliers. It’s a pretty intense 3 days of education, creativity and socializing among Geiger’s vast network of sales and production partners, not to mention the many head office staff people who actually make the event happen. And whenever I attend one of these, I always find some pretty interesting new products - this year’s Galleria being no exception.

Here are some of the best ones that I found:

e.Ssential Collection Ceramic Tumbler-

A terrific 'Green' item that looks like a paper cup, but its much better for the environment.
This porcelain cup has double walled construction that keeps drinks hot or cold longer. Also has a silicon lid that both insulates and prevents seepage. The tumbler that's pictured has a sublimation imprint which allows you to print unlimited colors.

Cost- $7.00 - $8.00

Solar Powered Pedometer-

Another green product as it's powered by the sun, and also a very useful one for anyone who walks or jogs. This is a quality promotional pedometer that any organization would be happy to put their name on. It’s great for any program that promotes wellness or physical fitness, green marketing or any theme that can incorporate words like ‘walk’, ‘stroll’, 'steps' etc.

Cost: $4.00

Travel Soft -

I grabbed one of these for myself. It’s a 3-in-1 multi use product that functions as a screen cleaner for a laptop or Ipad, a screen protector for when a laptop or Ipad is being transported and finally a non-slip mouse pad. It also has anti-microbial properties that protect it from odors and stains and it has a huge imprint area and can be printed digitally or via direct screen.

Cost:$2.75

If you would like to see a sample of any of these items, just drop me an email.

Cool Summer Promo Items

2010-06-27T11:37:00.002-04:00

With summer time now officially upon us, it's probably an appropriate time to offer up some great summer related promotional product ideas. Whether you're trying to reach people at the beach, the pool, at cookouts or at the ballpark, there are lots of ways to effectively showcase your branding message once the heat and humidity hit.

Here are some examples:

Summer Stuff

Beach Towels are one of the staple items of summer. However one of the challenges with these is that creating something with a really dynamic design is often costly, especially if you're not looking to order a lot of towels at once. With a design incorporating 4 or more imprint colors, those $120.00 screen charges really start to add up.

Here's a solution. The Westmoreland Collection of designer beach towels. These are a series of creations by artist Scott Westmoreland who's work is sold in galleries nationwide. Choose from a series of 'stock' designs (standard sized or over sized) add your logo and you've got the type of towel that will get plenty of use -- meaning lots of exposure for your brand. You can order as few as 36 at once starting at $18 each with no set up charge.

Seaside Beach Tote-

Anyone heading to the beach needs to take a tote bag and here's a pretty cool option. This fashionable sling tote with cinch closure is perfect for carrying towels, books, and accessories—And if it's a rainy day you can use it for shopping in town. Also features removable translucent PVC bag with Velcro closure keep to keep contents dry and secure, and has a front zippered pocket and mesh side plus metal grommets help keep sand out Available in four dynamic colors and is on a supplier special right now: 50+ @ $8.48 ea.

Email me for more details.

Collapsible Party Cooler-

Here's a great idea for an employee thank you or recognition gift -- Collapsible for easy storage when not in use, even comes with a retractable metal bottle opener attached to it. Top grab handles, heat sealed and has a 28 can capacity. Whether you're storing soda, wine coolers or beer, the cooler will keep it cold. And it's also easily storable.

Cost: 50 @$19.55 ea

Flip Flops-

This is a great item for making a statement at the beach....or actually ON the beach. Your logo can be die cut into the bottom and before long your 'talking footprints' are all over the sand. Imprint can also go on the strap. Price range is $10 to $16

Sunscreen-

Can't have a summer promotion without this! 1/2 oz. capacity carabiner bottle with SPF30. Water and Sweat Resistant. Starts at $2.39 each with standard production.

Autograph Book-

Lots of organizations do summer outings at the ballparks of the hundreds of major and minor league teams nationwide. What better item to give out at an event like this than an autograph book? Imprint the name and date of your event on the cover along with your logo and you'll go a long way towards creating a lasting memory for all who attend. Autograph books start at $3.20 each

And don't forget a Sharpie -- and this one is perfect for the task. It's even called the 'Autograph Sharpie'. These start at $1.24 each for 200

The Supplier Inventory Challenge - Part 2

2010-04-28T10:41:00.002-04:00

A short time ago I blogged about inventory shortages that I personally had encountered with our suppliers - a trend that, to me, seemed to be occurring a lot more frequently than normal in recent weeks. Turns out I was definitely on to something. This past week, the President of Polyconcept, one of the larger suppliers in our industry (owner of Bullet Line) advised all its affiliated distributors that it has been having major issues with its supply chain and product inventory. He also said the situation will not be immediately rectified.

He alluded to reasons that I had cited in my previous post, but also noted a few more that I'm going to pass along, as I'm sure this will be affecting all industry suppliers if it hasn't already.

I had previous blogged about my belief that the continued tight credit market and the downturn caused by the Fall 2008 economic meltdown had forced suppliers to make hard decisions on inventory. Now factor in news that China's own domestic economy has recovered far more quickly than the U.S. and Europe -- in fact it's booming right now --and that recovery has caused a labor shortage in their factories. As a result, production timelines are longer and the costs of doing business over there are increasing. And since at present, 80 to 90% of all promo items are manufactured in China, this is all a recipe for inventory trouble.

My own view is that near term, I see prices increasing and more product shortages. However I also see an advantage here for the deeper pocketed suppliers because they'll be in a position to allocate more money to grab as much inventory as they can to meet their distributors ever increasing needs. Bullet announced that they're responding by pouring more dollars into inventory and adjusting their Substitute Item policy to one where they'll always offer either items of higher value or generous discounts on similar priced items for anything that's out of stock long term.

However, small supplier operations that rely on Chinese made product are in for a very rough go of it in the near term because they lack the resources to react the same way a Bullet Line would.

We at Geiger will continue to monitor this situation and will utilize our own resources to the fullest to help steer our clients through the rocky 'inventory road' that lies ahead.

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Promotional Pens - A Very Effective Advertising Vehicle

2010-04-18T23:03:00.009-04:00

In this edition, I'd like to champion the cause of promotional pens. And when I say 'promotional', I'm referring to the classic plastic pen that costs less than $.50. Sure, some will say 'People get a million of those' or 'You give out a pen and it goes right in the drawer'.....And while there may be some validity to those concerns, the ‘upside’ of promotional pens is too valuable to dismiss.

Cost Per Ad Impression- The Advertising Specialty Institute recently completed a study on actual cost per ad impression of the most popular promotional products...and it found that plastic pens actually have the LOWEST cost per ad impression of any promo item at $.002 per view. That's $.001 lower than even calendars.

And There’s More - Consider that the average plastic pen has 8 different owners in its lifetime. Pens are also the most remembered promo item (54% of owners, according to the study recall owning a specific pen and a whopping 84% recall the advertiser on the pen they currently own. And the study adds that the average pen gets used at least twice a day.

People Still Write- Yes, we’re in the age of Laptops, PC's, I-Phones and now I-Pad’s, but we all still need pens. Whether you’re jotting down notes, taking a message from someone calling the house or making out a grocery list, we all still use a ton of pens.

Puts logo in places other media can't reach- Do newspapers, the internet or billboards put your ad literally at a person's fingertips? Pens do. Branding Advantage- The pen itself can deliver a subtle message about your brand - i.e. is your company or product edgy, reliable, consistent, inexpensive, etc.....? Whatever your major selling point, here's usually a promotional pen available to match it.

3 of My Favorites-

Javalina- This pen from industry supplier, Hub Pen, burst on the scene a couple of years ago and has been so popular that it's spawned several different varieties, and tons of knock offs that frankly aren't as good. The real Javalina features a unique compressed ink delivery system that allows it to write far more smoothly than most pens - including many that cost a lot more than the Javalina. This year Hub introduced new 'Splash' color trims: Lime Green, Orange, Pink, Purple and Sky Blue. Cost with Geiger through June 30 - 250 @ $.40 each.

Rita Writer- This under the radar stick pen features the same compressed ink system as the Javalina, so it writes just as well. It also has a much larger imprint area than the Javalina or most other pens in the category. Available in white with a choice of 4 trim colors, the best feature of the Rite Writer is its $.25 cost.

Bic Clic Stic- This old standby makes the list because Bic’s graphic capability is the best in the industry. The vast majority of low end pens can still only be imprinted with one color – Javalina and Rita Writer included. Not so with the Clic Stic. Multiple imprint colors, tight registration – no problem. They also have a bunch of barrel and trim colors to choose from and there's even room for a web address or phone number on the clip (for additional cost). Bic has also introduced a new Easy Glide ink technology that’s similar to Hub’s compressed ink.

Cost @ minimum qty: $.48 ea.

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The Supplier Inventory Challenge

2010-03-31T00:18:00.010-04:00

I've noticed a little problem with supplier inventories recently. I actually blogged about this situation back in September. And it's been occurring a little too frequently as of late.

Yesterday I placed an order for some dress shirts only to find out that some tall sizes are out of stock for the next 3 months. Got a pen order this week -- no stock in any colors till late May. Jacket order last week -- no stock in my client's desired color till end of JUNE. Notice a trend here...?

My take is we're slowly but steadily emerging from the economic meltdown of the Fall of 2008. Clients have ramped up their marketing considerably vs. a year ago and suppliers are busy once again. That's the good news.

Unfortunately, the slowdown of 08/09 coupled with the subsequent tight credit market forced suppliers to make some tough decisions -- like limiting inventories. They tried to project -- as they've always done -- which products would sell the best and they ordered from Asia accordingly. But business has picked up and some suppliers have been caught short -- and maybe weren't in the best financial condition to begin with thanks to the recession.

So what we're dealing with now is an environment where many promotional items -- a lot more than usual -- aren't available. And we as distributors have to make a lot more phone calls checking stock because (and trust me when I say this) people in my business absolutely HATE having to call clients back after an order is placed and be forced to say 'you know those _ _ _ _ _ you ordered yesterday? No stock till _ _ _ _ _.' Ugh.

We will however, get through this. And it's my job to either find alternative sources for out of stock products or show you ideas - to begin with - utilizing items that ARE available right now. That's where my experience and the great support we get through Geiger come into play. We WILL make it happen for you.

However on the supplier side of our industry I think we're in a shake out phase -- one that to me and many others -- was an inevitable byproduct of the 08 economic collapse and resulting recession. There's a reset going on in our industry that's going to cause some weaker vendors to reevaluate their long term strategies and some stronger ones to gain market share. We've seen it with the recent Bic/Norwood merger and the Corvest collapse and sale.

And I think there's more to come..... But be assured that given our collective experience and Geiger's position of leadership in our industry, we'll make sure your business rests in the proper stable hands.

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Ad Spending Improving

2010-03-20T10:37:00.005-04:00

A little bit of encouraging news on ad spending - according to data released by Kantar Media, the advertising recession began to ease in the final two months of 2009 and preliminary figures from the first quarter of 2010, indicate many sectors are experiencing growth when compared against the same period of a year ago.

According to Knantar, total advertising expenditures fell 12.3% in 2009 to $125.3 billion as compared to 2008. Fourth quarter 2009 ad spending was off 6.0% against the same period a year ago, with nearly all media improving upon their January-September performance.

Given the restraint in consumer spending, it appears marketers have more confidence right now than their customers. As we get deeper into 2010, the pace of consumer activity will be a key determinant of the strength and durability of the advertising recovery.

Internet display advertising expenditures increased 7.3% in 2009, aided by sharply higher spending from the telecom, factory auto and travel categories. Free Standing Inserts achieved growth as well, up 3.0% as marketers targeted value-conscious shoppers with couponing programs.

National TV media continued to outperform the overall ad market. Cable TV expenditures dropped just 1.4%, helped by an expanding amount of commercial time. Network TV (-7.6%) and Spanish Language TV (-8.9%) each saw year-end improvement in key categories that lifted their results.

Print media were hit by large reductions across a broad range of advertisers. Measured ad spending in the Newspaper sector plunged by 19.7% in 2009. Sunday Magazine expenditures declined 11.0% and Consumer Magazines were down 16.6%.

Promotional product sales figures are not compiled on a quarterly basis -- just yearly -- and total sales for 09 were down about 25% industry wide. However, what I am hearing from suppliers - and my fellow sales reps - is that things appear to be on the upswing based on number of orders placed, requests for quotes etc.

So far, so good, but I'm curious about the impact of the health care issue, should Congress pass a reform bill this weekend.

Marketing Trend - Freebies are In

2010-03-14T12:36:00.010-04:00

It's been awhile since my last post and I apologize for that. Business has really picked up for me over the past 4 weeks, plus I've had some personal commitments that have prevented me from posting to this blog. I hesitate to say that this is part of a trend, but the business end of things is definitely a welcome sign following a year that could charitably be described as 'challenging'.

Here's article on MSNBC's website about a current marketing trend that ties right in to the power of promotional products. And the trend itself is probably a direct result of last year's downturn:

Weak Economy Means it's a Freebie Nation

Using a valued promotional product as a gift with purchase is certainly a great use of the medium to boost sales. In fact offering a promo item that isn't directly related to the retail product(s) being sold is probably a better approach vs giving away 'free goods'. I agree with the sentiment expressed in the article that giving product away in the hopes of boosting sales of that same product can backfire - especially if the product in question is an established one.

On the other hand, giving away a gift that's indirectly related -- says a gym that offers a free gym bag with a new membership -- can be a very effective technique. The key to making it work however is the product being good enough that someone would actually want it. That person who's been thinking of joining a gym may finally commit if they can get a nice gym bag as part of the deal.

One of the core values of promotional products is their ability to motivate someone to take action. A gift with purchase is a great way to make that happen - and it has an added value -- you can easily calculate Return On Investment (ROI) by simply looking at the number of bags given out and comparing current and past sales numbers.

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New Product Videos - 3

2010-02-15T01:21:00.007-05:00

Seville Gear is the best value line in our industry right now. They have some nice quality bags and portfolios at very reasonable prices. And as business partners, they are exceptional. They are one of the easiest suppliers to work with and the support they give Geiger is top notch. Here's the new Weekender bag that they just unveiled.

Here's a different category of bags altogether - Non Woven Polypropylene- which is great for any 'green' program. These come from the supplier Bag Makers, and as you can see they have some cool items. I would expect most of these to be big sellers in the coming weeks & months.

Some nice golf items from Towel Specialties - plus some towels with a cool new imprint technique.

More videos soon!

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Branding and Toyota

2010-02-14T12:08:00.010-05:00

Not that it has anything to do with promotional products per se, but just a quick thought on branding as it pertains the Toyota story now in the news. Look at what's happened to the Toyota brand over the couple of weeks that this story has been in the headlines. All the great work that's been done over the years to build that particular brand -- the one that could be described in one word -- Quality.

All out the window now.

Plus you've got an Administration in Washington that is now heavily invested in a couple of its competitors, GM and Chrysler,

This is going to be a fascinating story to follow over the next several months.

Right now, the Toyota brand is in serious trouble.

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2010 New Product Videos - Pt. 2

2010-02-07T11:50:00.010-05:00

A few more items that have recently been introduced.....

First, a great knit/polo shirt for uniforming purposes - reason being that it holds up. The price they mention ($13.90) is retail for the shirt with no decoration. This shirt can be embroidered or even screen printed:

Here's a great way for an organization to say 'Thank You' to its donors or contributors:

And finally, a gift item for any company with people who travel - and wear things that need to be dry cleaned. It's also a terrific 'Green' item:

2010 New Product Videos - 1

2010-01-24T23:53:00.021-05:00

This is always a fun time of year for me because it's when the majority of promotional product suppliers introduce their new items for the current year.

Geiger traditionally assembles a research team and turns them loose on a couple of the major industry shows in January and they publish a report for all the reps to use. However this year, they went in armed with video cameras.

Here are a couple of videos showcasing several new product ideas.

Some cool cases for electronic devices from Built line:

Some really unique 'Green' products from Green Gear line:

For additional information on any of these products, email me at sboyages@promoresource.com.

More to come......

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Cotton Prices Going Up - Details

2010-01-11T01:18:00.007-05:00

More on my post from December 29 about rising cotton prices. The details of this come from an online article put out by the Advertising Specialty Institute (ASI) last week.

Higher demand and recent poor weather in Asia have driven up the price of cotton, an increase that industry experts say will be felt by consumers within three to four months. Additionally, world cotton production is now expected to fall short of demand in the current crop year, which runs through July 31. "It's not something anyone can run from and there's no place to hide," says Rainer Friedrich, vice president of production at industry supplier, Charles River Apparel. "There won't be a price change until there's a leveling off and the demand evens out. That could be six to eight months from now."

According to Friedrich, in just the last two months the price of cotton produced in Pakistan has jumped by 40%. Overall, the cost of cotton has increased roughly 15% globally. "In general, consumers will pay more at some point," says Friedrich. "By March or April, the effect will be there. Manufacturers will try to spread out the increase, so there may not be a large difference at first. Distributors will probably have to charge more."

Because a larger number of apparel items, like polo's, are now commonly offered in synthetic fabrics, the greatest price volatility is expected to occur among suppliers that produce T-shirts. "In our industry, it probably affects the wholesalers more," said Chris Clark, vice president of sales at Ash City, another industry supplier. "When we use cotton, our pricing stays fairly consistent since we buy on the futures market."

Despite the surge in the cost of cotton, Friedrich believes there is a twist of good news to consider. "It means the economy is coming back," he says. "Demand for product is going up and you have to stock the shelves."

My take: It looks like we will see prices on T-Shirts and probably wearables in general creeping up a bit come the spring. T-Shirt prices tend to fluctuate week to week, much like commodities, so those figure to be a bit more 'fluid'. Not so however with polo's, jackets and other forms of apparel. The prices for those generally are set the previous fall and won't change midstream unless the suppliers are forced into it.

So if T-Shirts are in your budget for 2010, you may save some money by ordering them 1st quarter and holding onto them till needed. How much is difficult to project but if I had to guess, possibly 10-20%, at least for the short term, may not be out of the question. But this of course is subject to change and sometimes without notice. I will continue to monitor and post updates on this blog if there's anything new to report.

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Green Movement Sets Sights on Shopping Bags

2010-01-04T08:58:00.009-05:00

As of this week, supermarket shoppers in Washington DC will be taxed 5 cents per bag on
plastic and paper shopping bags. The reason is environmental and its the latest chapter in the Green movement -- a trend that first emerged in corporate America a couple of years ago and continues to gather momentum. The tax covers paper and plastic -- both of which negatively impact the environment, though for different reasons.

Paper bags are tied to trees -- to produce them, trees get cut down. On the other hand, those thin plastic bags most supermarkets use don't decompose at all, so they're awful for landfills.

The idea is to discourage the continued use of these bags and instead move to reusable bags -- the cloth-like (actually polypropylene) bags that supermarkets began selling a couple of years ago and that are also available through our industry. Businesses will retain a percentage of the tax, depending on whether they offer a credit for reusable bags, with the rest of the revenue going to a special fund to clean up an area river.

How smoothly the law is implemented depends on the efforts of the District of Columbia to educate and prepare the public. The city's Department of Environment started its campaign in the fall, and the willingness of local businesses to help out is an encouraging sign. For example, CVS is partnering with the department to provide 100,000+ free reusable bags, and Giant, which had opposed the legislation, has agreed to provide a free reusable bag with every purchase during the first week of January -- estimated to total 250,000 bags.

It's probably a safe bet to assume that the Federal and many state governments will take a long hard look at this effort with an idea towards replicating it -- and it could well mean the days of 'plastic or paper' are numbered.

But for the near term, if you're looking for a hot promotional trend entering 2010, reusable shopping bags are it.

And here's a thought. Since these bags are becoming more and more commonplace, which ones would you think are more likely to get used -- the low end, bland blue or red ones most supermarkets are selling -- or something nice and colorful with an attractive design (like say a company logo) that's available through the promotional products industry?

To me, this is a tremendous marketing opportunity for any company that values brand exposure to the people who shop in supermarkets and drug stores. And with some of the imprint processes that are now available, you can create some pretty cool designs.

More more information, contact me at sboyages@promoresource.com.

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Cotton Prices Going Up

2009-12-29T10:08:00.006-05:00

Interesting link forwarded by one of my suppliers last night via Twitter. Chinese cotton prices will be rising:

Here's the link

Not sure what that's going to mean for the shirts, jackets etc that we sell, but I'm going to ask around. On a side note...this is an example of why I love Twitter.....

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Product Safety & Promotional Products - Again

2009-12-28T10:09:00.011-05:00

Product Safety in the promotional products industry is once again in the news....and frankly this issue is not going away. If anything, it's going to become even bigger as we move forward and and issue that I, as a seller of promotional product advertising, needs to consider every single day and with every single order that I process.

The latest case was made public on December 22 by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. 19,000 promotional knives were voluntarily recalled by distributor 5.11 Tactical because a number of them failed to lock in their 'open' position. The CPSC investigation is ongoing, and there has been, to date, one reported incident of an end user of the knife suffering an injury (a minor one) due to the issue. The knives were manufactured by a supplier in China, and the recall was voluntary.
When I heard about this, a couple of thoughts immediately came to mind. First, it's a real good thing that both the supplier and distributor of the knives stood behind the products they sold. In this industry, that's not always going to be the case. Ours is a very competitive business -- and often in the quest to win business, distributor companies will take risks -- for example, they'll be willing to roll the dice with a foreign manufacturer they haven't worked with before in order to be able to sell the product at a price a few cents below a competitor. Another thought is that not all overseas manufacturers have the commitment to product safety and quality that's expected here in the United States. With some of these entities, caveat emptor most definitely applies.

In some instances, when a problem like this occurs, the supplier won't always stand behind the products they sold. Maybe there's little or no prior relationship between the distributor and manufacturer. Maybe the manufacturer required a deposit of half down with the balance due before the order shipped -- or maybe even to be paid completely up front -- trust me this happens. Suppliers have been known to walk away from situations like this leaving the distributor holding the bag and on the hook big time in terms of liability. Smaller companies without the financial resources of say, a Geiger, are one situation like this away from being put out of business.

This is where the relationships between manufacturers and distributors are key. We at Geiger insist that our core suppliers (we call them our Gold and Silver level Production Partners) provide complete documentation on safety compliance for the products they sell. That's one little bit of peace of mind you're going to get when dealing with us that you won't necessarily receive from most other distributors in our industry.

And this is just the latest incidence. Are you familiar with Proposition 65? If any promotional products you're buying are going to be handed out in California, you had better be. And if promo items you're handing out are going to be primarily targeted at kids ages 12 and under, the guidelines for lead content in those items recently got tougher.

These are all examples of what's going on with the current regulatory climate both in Washington and at the state level. And its affecting the promotional products industry big time.

Know however, that Geiger is committed to ensuring that the products we recommend and that you purchase from us either will be fully compliant with the tighter product safety regulations that now exist - or if they're not, we're going to tell you that up front. We are continually working with our production partners in this area and its one of the value added benefits that we provide our clients.

My pledge for 2010 is to continue to monitor this issue so that should a situation with one of you arise where we need to consider safety and liability issues, Geiger and I will be able to steer you in the right direction.

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More on the Erosion of Brand Tiger

2009-12-16T09:20:00.003-05:00

Just this morning I noticed this article from Adweek on this subject.

Check it out.

The Demise of Brand Tiger

2009-12-15T23:25:00.007-05:00

Plenty has been written and said about Tiger Woods and his current challenges, but the one thing that I've been curious about throughout is whether his sponsors will stay with him.

Certainly there has been no better pitchman in sports or maybe in general since Michael Jordan retired from basketball. Tiger was identified by Corporate America while still a child and as he grew into adulthood, his name quickly equalled dollar signs for the likes of Nike, Titleist, Gillette, Electronic Arts, General Mills and Buick among many others.

The list of companies doing business with Tiger practically reads like a 'Who's Who' of corporate America. We at Geiger are even in on this act -- though in a very small way. Sanmar, our top wearables supplier, contracts with Tiger via Nike. We can sell you 'Tiger Woods' brand golf apparel because of that relationship -- not that I'll be recommending those items to any of you anytime soon.

Brand Tiger is in a heap of trouble and this past weekend one of those major sponsors, the global consulting firm, Accenture, officially cut ties with him. I would imagine that more may be following suit.

What I find really interesting is that Woods has not 'come clean' so to speak, in the manner that David Letterman did immediately following his recent transgression. Given that Tiger has world class handlers, it leads me to speculate that possibly there's too much there to come clean about. And if that's the case, then how long can these corporations afford to have their brands associated with him?

If I had to guess, the two companies likely stick with Tiger the longest will be Nike and Acushnet, the makers of Titleist golf balls. Nike because of what they have invested in him and because they've dealt with pro athletes for decades. Their brand may also be a bit more resistant to the bad stuff associated with an athlete's off the field activities. And Acushnet only because Tiger IS golf, and is arguably the greatest golfer of all time -- it's either Woods, Nicklaus, Hogan or Bobby Jones -- and personally I think it's Tiger.

But there are limits to the resiliency of any brand and I'm wondering whether this thing will eventually pass the point of no return for even those two companies.

It's fascinating, but not in a good way. The demise of Brand Tiger is very much in play and that's something I would never have thought possible.

Just think of what it took to create that brand....all the work Tiger put in to become the greatest golfer of his era, the incredible, off the charts performances that helped create the Tiger legend, the time and money that these major corporations all devoted to make Tiger's brand what had been up till mid November of this year. All of that could be flushed down the drain because of Tiger's alleged problems.

I guess it's proof that no brand is indestructible. And the marketing lesson that I take from all this is that a brand - any brand - has a certain degree of fragility, and needs to be fiercely protected at all times.

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Brand Building

2009-12-07T01:40:00.006-05:00

When people ask me what Geiger is all about, my response is 'we specialize in brand building via promotional products'. And a reply that I sometimes get a back is 'What do you mean by branding building?' It's a good question. So I'll answer it.

Definition of a brand- The emotional bond created between an individual and a company, product or service. It is created through the delivery of consistent messaging and actions around an easily identifiable consumer promise.

Or in the practical application:

I believe that Volvo builds safe cars.
I believe that when I'm playing with a Titleist golf ball, I'm using the best golf ball on the market.
I believe that Nike enhances my athletic achievement.

Volvo, Acushnet (makers of Titleist) and Nike all understand that every contact with a customer or prospect is an opportunity to build their brand. Accordingly, every time you interact with their brand - for example when you see a polo shirt embroidered with their logo -you will find that that the companies key brand messages are reinforced again and again. Example- you'll never see a screen printed Titleist logo on a cheap polo shirt.

If your company brand is something that has real value, think long and hard about how it appears in the market place. Not everyone in an organization is programmed to think in marketing terms. Yet it's everyone's responsibility to protect the brand.

If you're ordering anything that features the company logo -- whether is business cards or $100 jackets -- don't overlook basic stuff like the correct PMS colors or the correct type font for logotype. You could be wasting precious marketing dollars that have already been spent to develop what your company's brand defines in the minds of your customers.

Promotional products are a key branding tool and we at Geiger have the expertise to help you build, protect and/or enhance your brand.

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Calendar Inventories Dwindling

2009-11-19T10:39:00.004-05:00

Looks like the calendar suppliers are having a better year than anticipated. Have been running into inventory problems with certain styles already selling out -- and others with very low remaining inventory.

One solution comes from Norwood, the industry's largest calendar manufacturer. They've got guaranteed inventory on 90 different styles from now through the end of the year. This encompasses the full range of calendars out there -- appointment, commercial, desk - you name it. And they also have 7 day production on all 90 of those.

Also By Geiger, our own in house dated product manufacturing operation is still running 8-10 working days on most items -- plus it's only one day transit to any New England state.

If you need calendars, we can still get them. Just contact me at sboyages@promoresource.com and I'm happy to walk you through the process.

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Hand Sanitizer Market Exploding

2009-11-13T10:05:00.004-05:00

I know I've written about this before....but I had to post this.... All you need to do for a great promotional product idea is look in the newspaper... This was in this morning's Boston Globe:

Flu and fears create one feverish market
Duo’s all-natural product the latest big splash among hand sanitizers

If you’re looking to launch a business, here are two words any budding entrepreneur should know: hand sanitizer. In the age of swine flu, the market for this germ-killing goo is white hot. Sales skyrocketed more than 70 percent in the six months ending Oct. 3, compared with the same period a year ago, according to the Nielsen Co........

Read the Full Article

By the way, we have all-natural hand sanitizer available through one of our top suppliers....If you'd like me to send you a sample, just let me know.

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ASI Power 50 -- Part 2

2009-11-13T09:44:00.001-05:00

Each year, the Advertising Specialty Institute, the major media & marketing organization serving the promotional products industry, releases its Power 50. It's a list of who it considers to be the 50 most powerful people in our business. And as I noted last week, once again for 2009, the combination of Geiger's CEO, Gene Geiger and our Executive VP, Jo-anLantz, is ranked #5 on that list.

As ASI describes it, the Power 50 all have significant influence on our industry. They are listened to, followed and respected to the point that many of their industry colleagues emulate their strategies and business beliefs.

If you're a regular reader of Counselor Magazine - the major monthly 'What's Happenin' periodical for the promo products industry, chances are you've seen Gene and Jo-an quoted regularly. Part of that is due to Geiger's prominence -- we're the only company that's remained in the industry's Top 10 largest distributor firms for each of the past 30 years. But more than that, both of them are leaders who have guided Geiger through quite a bit in the 19 years that I've been with them.

Over that time we've experienced the technology revolution, major booms and busts in the US economy, the soaring influence of China and lots more. And Geiger has emerged from all of this stronger than ever. Our sales volume has grown consistently, we've become an industry leader in Company Store programs, have made several acquisitions and have become a company that's poised for continued future growth.

The folks at ASI have certainly taken note, as has the rest of our industry, so Gene and Jo-an remain ensconced at #5, even as the names and rankings of others on the list have fluctuated.

For me personally, it reinforces something I've always felt and that is that I'm affiliated with the BEST business partner in our industry. We have a marketing slogan that says 'Geiger Gets It' and they really do. Gene and Jo-an communicate with our sales force regularly and keeping us up to date on the key issues impacting our industry as well as insights on where they think we're headed and what to be on guard for. A lot of the topics that I write about on this blog result from information that I've obtained from them.

Speaking for just myself personally, I've understood Geiger's prominence within our industry for a very long time. But every so often its nice to be reminded about what they're all about. And once again the folks atASI have done that with the release of their Power 50. Congrats to both Gene and Jo-an.

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The 50 Most Powerful People in Promotional Products

2009-11-06T00:43:00.001-05:00

The Advertising Specialty Institute this week unveiled its annual list of the 50 most powerful people in the promotional products industry and Geiger is once again prominently featured on that list. The combination of our CEO Gene Geiger and Executive VP Jo-An Lantz together are ranked 5th -- same as a year ago.

This says plenty about Geiger's standing in our industry and reinforces my feeling that I play for the right team. I'll have more on this next week.

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The Geiger Advantage Part 3 --Exclusive Client Shows

2009-11-03T00:59:00.001-05:00

One of the added value benefits that we at Geiger deliver to our clients is our exclusive annual client shows.

In the Greater Boston area, our recent Geiger Expo took place October 20 at the Sheraton Dedham/Boston. The event was a great success. Over 200 Geiger clients attended and they got to see literally hundreds of promotional product ideas. The Expo features our top production partners and because we hold it in the fall, it always features lots of great ideas for end of year holiday gifts.

The Sheraton was a new venue for us, and the feedback from clients and production partners alike was that we picked the right place.

Traffic was steady throughout the half day show, many stayed for lunch and all in all it was time well spent for all involved.

If you couldn't make it, I hope that you can get to next year's event. And if you're not located in the Boston area, Geiger puts on similar shows at various locations around the country throughout the year. Contact me for details on the one in your area.

Thanks to all who were able to get there this year.

The Power of Promotional Products II

2009-10-25T23:44:00.000-04:00

Want more proof of the power of promotional products? Last football season, the Tennessee Titans were one of the top teams in the NFL. In the 2nd to last game of the regular season, the Titans beat their arch rival Pittsburgh Steelers handily to run their record to 13-2 and clinch the best record in their conference.

Several Titan players celebrated by unceremoniously stomping on a couple of the Steelers' famed 'Terrible Towels'.

Recently I posted about the Minnesota Twins Homer Hankie. The Terrible Towel actually predates the Hankie. It was the symbol of the Steelers' Steel Curtain Dynasty of the 1970's -- and like the Hankie, is still going strong even today. In fact the Towel is as synonymous with the Steelers as Mean Joe Greene, Terry Bradshaw and the black and gold uniforms.

Needless to say the proud Steeler fans weren't too pleased with that little stunt.

Well, what do you think has happened since?

The Steelers recovered, and tapping in to the karma of a now sufficiently motivated Terrible Towel came together as a team and went on to win the Super Bowl. As for the Titans....they haven't won a game since!

Tennessee lost their last regular season game, got upset in their only playoff game and have started the current football season 0-6, with the exclamation point being their recent 59-0 drubbing at the hands of the New England Patriots.

Yet another illustration of the unique power of promotional products!

XX

A Few Tips on Calendar Advertising....

2009-10-19T20:41:00.001-04:00

Following up on my last post, here are some ways you can maximize the promotional value that you receive from calendar advertising:

1. Distribution is Key

This is the one aspect of calendar advertising that most often gets overlooked and unfortunately it's the most important. Those calendars you bought won't do you any good if they don't leave the box. In fact, you shouldn't even commit to a calendar advertising program unless you've determined what kind of distribution plan will go along with it.

Will you mail them? Deliver them in person? Send them out with your drivers? Have people pick them up in your store? Some savvy marketers will go so far as to hang the calender in their client's office themselves (with their client's permission of course). What better way to guarantee proper placement of your ad?

2. Who's going to receive them?

Clients...prospects....high traffic places like your local convenience store or the post office? Think about where you're going to get the most eyeballs of people who will spend money with you or the most eyeballs in general if that's more appropriate.

3. Think about WHERE you want people to see your message.

This certainly ties into calendar selection. Where do your clients or prospective clients make their buying decisions? In the kitchen? If so consider a food themed appointment calendar. At their desk? Commercial or Year at A Glance calendars are prefect for this purpose, as is the much smaller desk calendar.

4. Remember it's not necessarily about which calendar YOU like......

It's which calendar best appeals to your target audience -- and most importantly which one is most likely to get hung on a wall. You may hate muscle cars and like Norman Rockwell, but if your client base is mechanics, which calendar is more likely to actually get used?

5. Think about the message you're sending about your company.

If you're a Mercedes dealer, chances are your customer base isn't going to be too eager to hang up your $1.30 wall calendar. By the same token if your plumbing company serves a working class area and you're handing out $10 calendars personalized with your customers names, some customers may decide that you'd be better served giving out a less expensive calendar and lowering your prices.

6. Don't order them too late in the year.

Ideally you want to get the calendars in your clients hands at some point in December, so don't wait until mid November to order them. As we move into November, production backs up and inventories of the more popular calendars can disappear. Remembering that distribution is key, handing out calendars in January is generally too late. So get them ordered early enough in the fall to allow plenty of time for proper distribution.

These are just some of the concepts that will help maximize the effectiveness of a calendar program. If you'd like to discuss these a little more in depth, just drop me an email at sboyages@promoresource.com.

##

The Value of Calendar Advertising

2009-10-08T00:46:00.000-04:00

Calendars are one of the most cost effective - and underrated - advertising vehicles out there. To touch on the old 'we practice what we preach' theme for a moment, I have used calendars for each of the 19 years that I've been in business, and if I were forced to only choose one promotional item to market my own business, I would pick calendars.

They are the oldest promotional product in our industry and with good reason - calendars are the way we mark time -- both its passage and to see what lies ahead. They're standard equipment in any office and necessary in all homes.

Some think that technology has rendered them obsolete. To that I say - nonsense! If you're in business, try operating without a wall calendar. You need to be able to see the current month, the next one and the previous one...which is the basic information that your typical Commercial Calendar (see above) provides. At home it's the same thing, only for aesthetic purposes and due to the generally limited wall space available, the smaller Appointment Calendar is usually the product of choice.

And if you want to promote your business, there is no more cost effective way to do it than to place your company's name on an advertising calendar.

Think about it. Statistics show that the average person working in an office looks at a calendar 12 times a day. Multiply that by 5 business days a week and then by 50 weeks a year. That's 3000 ad impressions a year!

What would it be worth to have your company's sales message viewed by a client or prospect 3000 times over the course of a year?

In the home, maybe that 12 times a day figure drops to 5 or 6, but also figure 7 days a week and all 365 days of the year. What's that type of ad space worth to you? The answer is a whole lot more than the nominal cost of purchasing the calendars.

But here are a couple of other numbers to consider: Statistics by the Calendar Marketing Association show that 83% of customers purchase products or services from the company that gave them their calendar. And 94% of calendar recipients can recall the advertising message on their calendar.

Finally, think of the waste involved with newspaper, magazine or direct mail advertising. You're paying for lots of impressions that lots of non-customers and prospects will see. Calendars allow you to control distribution and thus cost -- the only people getting them are people who you want to get them.

A calendar marketing program offers great value to any business, especially those with limited advertising dollars. The reason being that they provide lots of ad impressions each day at a very nominal price.

Of course, there are also some tricks for maximizing the value of the dollars you allocate to such a program. I'll cover those in my next post. Until then however if I can answer any questions about calendar advertising, please contact me at sboyages@promoresource.com.

XX

The Power of Promotional Products

2009-10-04T21:47:00.001-04:00

More proof of the power of promotional products.....one of the most famous promo items in recent history, the Minnesota Twins Homer Hankie....which became famous during the Twins march to the World Series title in 1987....has made a reappearance.

It's being credited with the karma that's resulted in the Twins improbable 16-4 late season run that enabled them to tie the Detroit Tigers for first place in American League Central Division. The two teams will settle things Tuesday in a winner take all one game playoff in Minnesota's Metrodome with 50,000 Hankie wielding Twins fans trying to will their team to victory.

Can the Twins pull it off? With the Homer Hankies involved, why wouldn't they?

XX

Credit Crunch Impacting our Industry

2009-09-24T23:02:00.000-04:00

Here's a little industry scuttlebutt I picked up this week while visiting with some decision makers on the supplier side of the promotional products industry. As we move toward the last quarter of 2009, we're now seeing the after effects of the credit crunch that has crippled so many companies over the course of this year. Suppliers have seen their credit lines reduced -- in some cases dramatically -- and where this affects us right now is with product inventory.

As America finally emerges from this awful recession, business is (finally) starting to pick up and products are now starting to sell out. A lot of these mugs, pens, hats etc have been sitting in supplier warehouses since last fall and because nothing had been moving, the suppliers stopped buying.

These products are finally selling, but now that credit has dried up, suppliers are finding their financial resources reduced and it's forcing them to make some hard decisions about which products they're going to restock -- at least for the short term. So this means some products which are now out of stock -- aren't going to be replaced anytime soon.

Over the past few days, I've been calling around to try to obtain the best pricing that I can for my clients on certain items, and what I've been hearing is certain colors - or in some cases all colors of some products - are out of stock with no replacement inventory due in at least until the end of the year. And based on what I've heard, expect this situation to continue for some time.

What does this all mean?

For me, it means I'm not placing an order until I check inventory levels first to make sure there's enough available to fill it. And if you're a buyer of promotional products, whether you work with me or someone else, get a confirmation that stock is available before committing to a project -- especially one with a deadline. Or at least have a plan B in mind if your top choice falls through.

Like the economy in general, this situation will correct itself over the long term. But from now through the end of 2009 be advised that stock on many items may well become an issue.

Raymond Geiger School Dedicated

2009-09-20T23:58:00.000-04:00

Congratulations got out to the Geiger family for the recent dedication of the brand new Raymond A. Geiger Elementary School in Lewiston, ME. Ray Geiger, a legendary figure in the promotional product industry was the Grand Poobah of Geiger (then called Geiger Brothers) for 60 years. In addition to serving as editor of the Farmer's Almanac for all of that period, Ray moved the company from its original New Jersey location to Lewiston in 1955. He passed away in 1994.

Ray was a huge supporter of public education in his community and his company has continued that legacy with son Peter leading the way. However many Geiger Associates have donated their free time in support of this cause over the years and those efforts were duly noted at the dedication ceremony which took place September 9.

Some Cool Trade Show Giveaways

2009-09-13T12:44:00.000-04:00

These come courtesy of MSNBC. A recent edition of the network's Your Business with host J.J. Ramberg covered the topic of unique Trade Show hand outs. The guest was Rich Fairfield, VP and Publisher of ASI (Advertising Specialty Institute), the largest media and marketing organization serving the promotional products industry.

Obviously lots of factors need to be considered in assessing whether any promotional product will be the right fit - things like target audience, intended message, budget etc. - but there are some pretty cool items shown in this clip which may give you an idea or two for your next event.

If you would like additional information on any of the items shown, just drop me an email at sboyages@promoresource.com. Geiger, incidentally, is ASI's biggest customer.

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More Farmers' Almanac Links

2009-09-13T12:10:00.000-04:00

The Almanac has received some terrific exposure on a number of media outlets in recent days - including CBS Late Night TV.

Here's a sampling:

Craig Ferguson 2 (starts at about the 2:50 mark)

Craig Ferguson 2

WPRI TV Providence, RI

WBZ Radio, Boston, MA

Peter Geiger on New England Cable News (NECN), Boston, MA

2010 Farmers' Almanac Unveiled

2009-08-30T23:44:00.000-04:00

The 2010 Farmer's Almanac is out and the prediction for New England is average to normal temperatures -- that's the good news. But it's also calling for plenty of snow -- the bad (or good) news...depending on your point of view. The Midwest, meanwhile is going to get walloped.

Geiger, in addition to being one of the largest promotional product companies in the country, is also the publisher of the world famous Farmer's Almanac - the oldest continually published Almanac in the United States. It's been out every year since 1818, has been in the Geiger family since the mid 1930's, and the latest edition of America's most beloved publication was officially rolled out to the general public this week.

Peter Geiger, Philom, is the editor of the Almanac and over the next few days he, along with Managing Editor Sandi Duncan, will make the rounds to various media outlets, including network TV, to promote this year's edition.

Why am I mentioning this? Because the Almanac, in addition to being fun to read, is a great promotional item. People enjoy getting it. It tends to hang around because of both the forecasts and the great information inside. You get the front cover and the entire back cover for your ad - a ton of space -- and associating with the Farmers' Almanac ties your organization's name to a time tested brand with a national reputation for reliability and traditional values. It's also a great 'green' product because it focuses on sustainable living.

The retail version of the Almanac is available in places like Barnes & Noble and Walgreen's. And the promotional product version (basically the same thing but your ad is the only one in it) is available only through your organization.

The Almanac's annual publicity campaign promotes the Almanac itself, but it's also done to help our clients who use it promote their businesses.

If you would like a sample of the Farmers' Almanac or more information about how it can help your branding efforts, please contact me at sboyages@promoresource.com. If you have a few minutes, check out the links below.

Boston Herald Story

Video on the History of the Farmers' Almanac

www.farmersalmanac.com

AOL Story

End

Child Product Safety Part 2 - Case History

2009-08-24T09:06:00.000-04:00

The new Child Safety guidelines that I detailed in my previous post went into effect August 14 and last week we at Geiger experienced our first case history. One of our reps in California has a client who runs a program where they hand out promotional items for children. One could easily conclude that the primary target audience was kids under age 13.

They had already committed to ordering imprinted kites and in fact had placed the order prior to the 14th. When our representative became aware of the new guidelines (thanks to the recent heads up Geiger management sent our way), she checked with the supplier and found that they could not produce documentation verifying the safety of the product.

So she did some research and came up with this item as a suggested replacement: Click Here .

Notice the CSPC certificate link in the lower right hand corner? There's the supplier guarantee that these kites meet the newest CPSIA guidelines and are safe to hand out to children 12 and under.

The client went along with our rep's recommendation that they switch products, and all ended well. The original supplier understood the situation and agreed not to assess an order cancellation charge (and I assume is now in the process of getting their kite and similar products tested).

But I mention this as just an example of how we at Geiger are trying to stay on top of this and all other current issues affecting the promotional products industry and of course you as our clients.

It's part of what the slogan 'Geiger Gets It' is all about, and part of the added value you receive when you place your business with us.

New Children's Product Safety Regulations Take Effect

2009-08-19T00:31:00.000-04:00

This one has kind of flown under the radar, but some new safety regulations aimed at products for children ages 12 and under took effect this past Friday. While these were adopted to focus upon children's toys sold at retail, they also apply to promotional products aimed primarily at this same age group.

Labeling. As of August 14, the government has begun enforcing specific measures improve product safety as required by the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA). Manufacturers now must include permanent tracking labels (no stickers allowed) on children’s products and their packaging so that the manufacturer, production date, and lot can be determined. Specifically, this applies to items primarily aimed at children 12 and under, toys, and child care articles.

Allowable Lead and Phthalate Content. Coming into effect on the same date were new lower limits for allowable lead content – 300 parts per million in substrate, 90 ppm in paint – in products for children, toys, and child care articles. These limits apply to new production, as well as products already in inventory. There are also limits on phthalates (a chemical used to make in plastics more pliable) and a myriad of other things that must be complied with.

We’ll Make Sure You’re Covered

We’ll Recommend The Right Products, And Give You Documentation. If you're using promotional products that are aimed at the children 12 and under age group, we’ll make sure the products you use are fully in compliance. Geiger and our core production partners are on top of these new regs and are taking them very seriously. Work with us on your promotional aims, and we will recommend products that have been tested to meet these requirements. We will also provide the testing documentation to back up our assurances, if you wish.

One Less Thing To Worry About. These regulations have come about, in part, because of a flood of stories about unsafe and unhealthy toys and children’s products. Indeed, we both want to be sure the products that carry your message are nothing but fun and memorable. Please know we are actively staying on top of the latest product safety regulations. Work with us, and this is one thing you won’t have to worry about.

More Cool Stuff from Galleria

2009-08-13T00:24:00.000-04:00

Here are a few more interesting items that I found at Geiger Galleria.

Dual Color Liquid Timer

I brought one of these back with me and it occupies a prominent place on my desk. If you're on the phone, you can't help but turn this item over and over. Two different color beads cascade down from top to bottom and it takes about
2 minutes to complete the cycle.
I think this is a TERRIFIC desk item. $5.00

3M Countour Series Tape Flag Pen
The 3M Flag Pen has been one of the top selling items in the promotional products industry over the past few years. This version of the item adds ergonomic styling and a comfort grip. It's available in pen, marker and highlighter versions and can be imprinted with up to 4 colors. I think this one is going to a huge seller in its own right. $3.40

Six Color Crayon Wheel -

This item won an award when it was recently introduced to our industry. Functions just like a traditional crayon except that it has a six colors and is both easy to grip and fun to use. Great for little hands plus it has a very generous imprint area. Also available with a yellow casing. $1.94

Cool Stuff From Galleria

2009-08-05T23:38:00.000-04:00

Here are some interesting products that I found at our recent Geiger Galleria trade show. The show itself featured tables from over 200 promotional products suppliers -- pretty impressive to realize that they were all there just for us. Usually you can only find this large a collection of suppliers at the regional trade shows which are open to (and supported by) all industry companies.

That aside, the nice thing about midyear shows is you often see a fair amount of new products and this one was no exception. These items caught my attention:

Vacation Road Trip Mini Activity Book

Great gift item for families taking a long car ride. Pre-printed with Tic Tac Toe and Lines & Dots - 50 sheets worth. $1.99

Car Vent Stick

Fits in air vent of your vehicle as a non-obtrusive Air Freshener. Odor eliminating technology helps neutralize odors while the air freshener releases a pleasantly refreshing scent. $1.99

Medicine Bottle Opener
A great item for seniors. Provides improved leverage to open most medicine bottles. Just push down and twist. No squeezing necessary. $1.72

Samples of any of these items are available upon request. Just email me at sboyages@promoresource.com.

Back from the Geiger Galleria

2009-07-27T23:45:00.000-04:00

What's a Geiger Galleria? It's Geiger's annual education conference for its Sales and Production Partners. It's a four day event, held this year in Phoenix, Arizona.

You don't have much, if any downtime, because the time there is crammed full of presentations, educational seminars, networking, socializing and a massive Trade Show. The time spent there was incredibly worthwhile, both from a practical and motivational standpoint. I picked up a TON of new ideas which I know will help my clients get better returns from their promotional product dollars spent with Geiger and myself.

One terrific presentation that I attended was a talk by Author and Speaker, Tony Rubleski on the subject of Mind Capture, which is the process of rising above the clutter of all the marketing messages that are thrown at us daily. In other words, to reach out and capture the minds of our intended targets -- the prospective and existing customers that we're all trying to reach.

Tony's presentation resonated with me because his concept of Mind Capture, to me is what promotional products are all about. Our everyday useful items like pens and magnets have the ability to carry a sales message into places that most other forms of media have a lot of trouble reaching...like your kitchen or office for example. If there ever was a tool made for Mind Capture, it's promotional products....which is probably why the Geiger folks booked Tony to begin with...but I have to say it was a great call. This guy is good.

My immediate goal is to take some of Tony's ideas and utilize them to help you use promotional products more effectively. Stay tuned......

More on the Galleria in my next post....

Promotional Products Banned in MA

2009-07-14T09:10:00.000-04:00

On July 8, a Massachusetts law took effect that bans pharmaceutical companies and medical-device makers from giving doctors gifts such as vacation trips and tickets to concerts and sporting events. A similar law is taking effect in Vermont and several variations of this legislation are being considered in other states across the US.

The reason is our lawmakers believe that doctors are being unduly influenced to prescribe certain drugs to their patients based not on what's best for them, but what delivers better perks for the doctor's own benefit. Now one can certainly argue the merits of this one. Personally I would hope my doctor, who I very much like and respect, wouldn't stoop to being 'on the take' and prescribe something I don't need because he's eyeing box seats at next week's Sox/Blue Jays game.

But what's interesting about this -- and impacts me directly and you, the reader, in a way that I'm about to explain -- is that this ban also includes promotional products. This means the next time you visit your doctor, you won't be seeing anymore of those pens, post it notes, or pads of paper touting Ritalin or the latest high blood pressure medication lying around the office.

Let's ignore for a moment the fact that this ban will very likely result in job losses for a promotional products industry that like every other industry in this country is struggling with the worst recession of our lifetime. In fact the dollar estimate for projected losses due to this and similar legislation in other states could run as high as $1 billion this year according to one industry source. This is something that the powers that be in our industry are now dealing with.

But lets instead focus on the what this says about the medium of promotional products and what this means to you as a user of this medium.

It's proof that they work!

And all too well, in the opinion of a group of people that's one of our industry's biggest customers -- politicians. Yes, those state reps and senators, most of whom are veteran pols who have come up through the ranks, winning elections at various levels of government to reach their current positions, realize that those imprinted buttons, sponges, bumper stickers and yes, pens that they handed out at 4th of July parades and and Town Days work their magic.... and do it so well that they're afraid that our doctors are going to be influenced to prescribe certain drugs over others to their patients -- the drugs who's brand names have achieved top of mind awareness in the doctor's heads.

Talk about a ringing endorsement.....our pols know all too well that promotional products are an extremely cost effective way to market products and services. They know that they can be easily targeted with little waste, are very functional, and deliver terrific value in terms of cost per impression -- in fact they're so effective that they'll unfairly taint your doctor's judgment to the point where he or she may well be tempted compromise their professional ethics.

Just imagine what they'll do for your organization's sales message....

The Geiger Advantage - Part 2

2009-07-07T00:39:00.000-04:00

On Geiger's website at www.geiger.com, there is a list of Core Geiger Values. Trust me, none of it is BS. Having been a part of this organization for close to 20 years, I can tell you emphatically that Geiger management actively promotes these core values daily in dealings with both Associates (i.e. employees) at the home office in Maine and with its Independent Sales Partners like myself throughout the country.

The first 3 Values are as follows:

1. Quality Customer Service is our goal and our commitment.

2. We focus on solutions.

3. Continuous improvement leads to lasting success.

Here's my take on these one by one:

1. Quality Customer Service -Let's face it, we fully understand that you can buy a Bic pen from any name on those business cards you have piled up in your desk drawer. But how many of the companies named on those cards receive real time order updating from Bic? How many companies will email you the tracking number (a la Amazon.com) when your order ships? If you're working late at night and have a question about the order, you can email me the question and very likely receive an immediate answer as I usually work nights -- one of the reasons I can't tell you much about Jon & Kate or who deserved to win American Idol this year.

Our competitive advantage is our commitment to Customer Service as we operate with the mindset that we're only as good as our client's last buying experience with us.

2. Focusing on Solutions- Company A sells financial services to well heeled clients and the office manager is asked to buy some pens to hand out at some upcoming seminars aimed at finding new clients. She wants to get the task off her To Do list as quickly as possible and emails me an order for 500 Bic Round Stics. Now the Round Stic is a great pen for the price -- quality product, best imprinting capability in the industry from the most reliable supplier in our industry. But you know what? A $.32 cent pen may send the wrong marketing message to a client with a half a million dollars to invest.

We'll run that thought by you before placing the order and ask whether you want to re-think the situation. We focus on the solution first and foremost because we want a long term relationship with you...not a quick pen order.

3. Continuous improvement- Geiger realizes that stagnancy is a sign of an organization that has taken its eye off the ball. We are constantly looking to improve the way we do things whether it's streamlining our order entry process, integrating video into our efforts to update clients on the hottest new products or consistently attending industry education courses in an effort to better serve you.

When you work with Geiger and me, be assured that we adhere to the concept of striving to improve on a daily basis. We're never going to be perfect, but we are always committed to doing the best possible job of delivering value to our clients.

Promotional Products and the New Media

2009-06-19T09:31:00.000-04:00

While I sometimes shudder at the thought that it has been 20+ years since I graduated college as a communications major, the extent to which the media world has changed just amazes me. When I ventured into the real world in the mid 80's, ABC, NBC and CBS ruled the roost, newspapers were still in their heyday and no one had ever heard of the internet.

It's a different world today....and nothing hammers that point home more profoundly than Twitter's impact on the events in Iran these past several days. And a few months ago who knew what a Twitter was?

Someone asked me recently for my opinion on what's next in terms of the how we mass communicate.

Good question...and one I certainly can't answer. But looking at the question from a business standpoint, the one thing that remains as certain now as it was back in the mid 80's is the need for businesses to communicate their sales message to clients and prospective clients.

But, just what the best mediums will be for delivering that message, say one, five or ten years from now, is to me uncertain. Certainly social networking is big right now, but remember My Space? Two years ago it was the place to be. A few days ago they laid off 30% of their workforce with more cuts reportedly coming.

Facebook kind of superseded My Space around the start of 2009, but over the last couple of months, Twitter has exploded on the scene. And given it's key role in delivering news about the chaos in Iran, it doesn't look like Twitter's momentum is going to slow anytime soon. But six months or a year from now, who knows?

Look at what else has been going on in the media world. The days of the newspaper (key phrase being 'paper') getting delivered to your front door...and in fact the days of several big city Daily papers like the Boston Globe... may well be numbered. Direct mail coupons? The US Postal Service is losing money hand over fist and its future could be very cloudy. Radio, the original word of mouth advertising medium, may not exist in its current form for a whole lot longer. (Ever hear of Pandora or Slacker?) And the broadcast networks like ABC/NBC etc are nowhere near as popular as they used to be and who knows what the future will bring for them.

My point is that with this sea of change going on in the way we communicate with each other, there is one medium that remains as strong and reliable as ever and that's Promotional Products.

Tangible, functional, and easily used to target a message at a specific, defined audience, the one thing that remains certain is that promotional products continue to be a valuable part of any marketing mix.

I don't see us weaning off the pen, coffee mug or T-Shirt anytime soon. However, I also don't think we can say for certain which other forms of media will comprise that right mix for businesses over the long and even short term. 20+ years ago, the end of the newspaper as we've known it since colonial times was not on anyone's radar the way it is right now.

But regardless of the which media win out or maybe emerge in coming years, one thing I think we can safely say is that every day useful items that carry a marketing message will definitely NOT go out of style.

Swine Flu & Marketing

2009-06-12T09:24:00.000-04:00

News Item: On June 11, the World Health Organization officially declared that the H1N1 Virus or Swine Flu has officially reached Pandemic status.

The last time a flu pandemic was declared was in 1968 when the so called Hong Kong Flu killed over 1 million people. And it brings to mind thoughts of the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic, which is believed to have infected 1/3 of the world's population and killed over 50 million people. That's the frightening aspect of this story.

However, the better news is that so far, most cases of Swine Flu have been relatively mild and the mortality rate has been a lot lower than the typical seasonal flu's which strike every year. Some have accused the media and the World Health Organization of overreacting. And whether they have or not is certainly up to individuals to decide. However, one thing that seems pretty certain is that the so called Swine Flu isn't disappearing from press coverage anytime soon.

It's on everyone's mind, and for that reason it presents a marketing opportunity...and here's why:

One of the best ways to prevent spread of the Swine or any other flu virus is hand washing...and over the past few years, antibacterial hand gel has become universally accepted as a more effective method of cleansing hands than soap and water. It's something that health care workers have known about for a long time, but now the general public has embraced this as well.

In the Promotional Products industry, hand gel has become a top selling product. It's available in bottles of varying sizes, on a 'leash' that attaches to a zipper or lanyard, and on a carabiner, which attaches to just about anything. Given the popularity and universal acceptance of hand gel, any organization looking to promote itself may be overlooking a terrific marketing vehicle if it doesn't consider utilizing this product.

The value of promotional products vs other forms of media is that they're tangible and functional -- and usually appreciated by whoever receives them. In the case of sanitizing hand gel, many people will be using the product regularly -- and buying them via retail. If given a container for free -- it's virtually guaranteed that the item will be used -- and each time it is, think of the multiple ad impressions your logo or sales message is going to receive. I'm talking about when it's removed from a purse, a pocket, used in a bathroom, a car, at work...virtually anywhere.

If you're looking to get a marketing message out to a targeted audience....there aren't a whole lot more effective vehicles out there right now than on the outside of a container of hand gel.

I just checked my product database and counted over 300 different hand gel products currently available via Geiger. You'll find all of those on my website at www.promoresource.com. And here's a little insiders tip....hand gel promises to be a red hot product as we head toward the 2nd half of 2009. Our suppliers are going to recognize this and will be fighting each other to grab a share of this explosive promotional market. That means price deals....and great value for the advertiser when you consider the number of ad impressions per marketing dollar spent.

How can you maximize your opportunities with this product? We can certainly help you with that. For more information drop me an email at sboyages@promoresource.com.

The Geiger Advantage – Part 1

2009-06-10T00:56:00.000-04:00

For the past 19 years, Scott Boyages Promotions has chosen to affiliate with Geiger as an Independent Sales Partner. Geiger is the largest privately held promotional products company in the nation and the only company that has consistently remained in the Industry’s Top 10 largest distributors for each of the past 30 years.

We’re a 4^th generation family owned business that began as a print shop in Newark, New Jersey back in 1878. That’s 131 years of successfully delivering value to our clients.

Geiger, then known as Geiger Brothers, made its mark producing custom imprinted calendars - one of the oldest promotional products in existence. Calendar manufacturing is still a big part of Geiger’s business, with our proprietary By Geiger line of dated products (http://www.bygeiger.com) and our diverse PlannerStore line (www.plannerstore.com).

Geiger also publishes the grand daddy of promotional products, the Farmer’s Almanac (www.farmersalmanac.com ), which has been enjoyed by millions of loyal readers throughout its 189 year existence.

With Geiger, I have behind me an organization of over 400 experienced and talented sales partners, 15 field offices and an excellent back end support staff.

Size, fiscal strength, longevity, and consistency are important only as they enable us to offer one-to-one solutions to our clients. We don’t take a cookie cutter approach as we realize each client is unique and has its own set of goals and challenges.

Know that we take particular pride from building lasting relationships that evolve from delivering value to our clients with an integrity that for us has never gone out of style. Both Geiger and Scott Boyages Promotions are in it for the long haul, which means we'll stand by our commitment to you and continually work to earn both your trust and your business.

BPA and Water Bottles

2009-05-24T22:23:00.000-04:00

What actually spurred me to get off my behind and start doing this blog was a story I saw in the Boston Globe this past week on BPA...a chemical used in polycarbonate water bottles -- which, at one time, were among the hottest promotional products in our industry.

The other day, this story appeared about a Harvard University study that confirms what some have long suspected: http://tinyurl.com/o3eqh4 .

While personally, I think this whole issue has been blown a little out of proportion, marketers cannot afford to think that way. Polycarbonate bottles were one of the hottest products in our industry, but that's no longer the case. However water bottles in general remain as popular as ever -- and people still like the hard plastic bottles both for their look and their functionality.

So if not polycarbonate, what are your options?

As follows:

1. Bottles made from PETE plastic: They look just like polycarb bottles, have many of the same properties and price wise, they're about the same. PETE is the same plastic used in the soda bottles you buy in the supermarkets. But they have one downside. You cannot wash these in dishwashers because the heated drying in some models will break the bottles down and deform them. Hand wash only. And if someone decides to wash them in their dishwasher and the bottle warps, chances are it gets tossed and with it goes your ad message.

2. Stainless Steel bottles: No chemicals, the same stain and odor resistant qualities as polycarb bottles and a truly desired promotional product. Only negative -- cost. Most of these are in the $8-$10 range.

3. Aluminum bottles: These have become very popular of late -- especially green color ones which are often used in Green/Eco Friendly programs. Cost is generally in the $3-$5 range, very high perceived value because they look like steel bottles. Note that like soda and beer cans, these are treated with chemicals, but so far, no health issues. One of the top selling products in our industry right now.

4. Traditional plastic water bottles: Made from HDPE (high-density polyethylene, these are popular in Green programs because many are made from recycled plastic. They're also the lowest cost bottles available. This is an old standby in the promo products industry that will likely continue to be purchased, used and appreciated for many years to come.

If you're at all confused by this issue, we're here to help. Feel free to contact me and I would be happy to discuss water bottles and BPA with you.