Charge It!

I'm not sure whether its that the big iPhone update earlier this year did a tune on batteries or just an indication of how much we've come to rely on mobile, but the hottest promotional item around right now the portable charger for mobile devices. The demand for these is so big at
present that the suppliers are struggling to keep them in stock.

If you're a would-be buyer of chargers for branding purposes, the amount of of choices can be confusing. And inevitably, when any promo item gains popularity - the 'we have the cheapest ones' companies will be out on the internet doing what they do.

One important thing to keep in mind however is that appearances can be deceiving. Not all chargers are alike - in fact there are significant differences in performance and quality that are easy to miss unless you read the fine print (i.e. the specs).

Among the key figures to look at:

Milli amp Hour (mAh) 

This is How you assess battery capacity. Think of it as the gas tank in a car. Not only do chargers have different capacities, so do the devices that they charge, The iPhone 5S for example has a 1560 mAh internal battery while the Samsung Galaxy S4's is 2600 mAh. 

With tablets the differences are even greater. The iPad 1's battery is 6600 mAh for example. The iPad 3's meanwhile is 11,560! 

Other Factors-

Input Current- How quickly a charger charges itself.  The lower the number, the longer it takes.

Output Current-  How quickly a charger charges a connected device.  A charger with a 1 Amp output will charge an iPhone at the same rate as the phone's wall charger.  But it won't come close to charging an iPad which requires a 2.1 Amp output.

UL/ETL Certification- Last year there were reports of people being shocked and fires even being caused by some low-end generic chargers.  UL/ETL certification comes from independent laboratories that ensure that the chargers are safe to use. Pay particular attention to this certification when buying from anyone stating 'we have the cheapest chargers'. If it's not there, you're putting your brand needlessly at risk.

Here are 3 solid choices in the 3 main price categories:

Jolt

Slim and easy to carry, this charger also packs a punch -the 2,200 mAh internal battery can fully charge an iPhone and its 1A output means it charges at the same rate as the iPhone's wall charger. Price range: $13.00+

Zoom Mini

Another diminutive charger that really packs a wallop.  It fits in a pocket, but the 2800 mAH battery will fully charge all smart phones and at the same time its 2.1 Amp output speed ensures that it will put a decent (though not full) charge on a tablet.  It charges itself in 2-3 hours and will hold a charge for 900 hours - over a month,of standby time.  Also takes a full color imprint.  Price Range: $38.00+

Zoom Energy

Small and compact but this 8,400 mAh Li-Ion battery device is powerful enough to charge all generations of iPad, Kindle and other Tablet/eReader Devices. It can also charge 2 Smartphones at once because it has two USB outputs.  Plus it's "Zoom" charging technology allows you to charge at an output speed up to 2.1 Amps, so you can quickly keep all of your mobile devices operational. It fully charges in 4.5 hours and will hold its charge for 900 hours. Price Range: $95.00

Bottled Up Thoughts

There has been a lot in the news over the past year or so about efforts by municipalities to ban single use plastic bags - the kind that supermarkets and drug stores have given their customers for as long as anyone can remember.  Now a similar movement is taking hold to ban single use plastic water bottles.

Concord Massachusetts made national headlines a while back when it banned the sale of bottled water within the town.  Now San Francisco has been in the news as last month they banned the sale of bottled water in 21 ounce or less containers at all events held in public places. This is an offshoot of the green movement, and like the plastic bag ban, I would expect the efforts to gain momentum in the coming weeks and months. Against this backdrop, the attractiveness of reuseable water bottles as a promotional item only figures to increase.

Some great options beyond the typical sport bottle include:

Pismo Aluminum Water Bottle

25 oz single walled water bottle with a great looking black matte finish. Bold color silcone center band accent.

Pricing starts at $4.99.

Contigo Madison Hydration Bottle

24 Oz Contigo branded Autoseal hydration bottle with carrying loop and push button opening.

Pricing starts at $11.99.  Order as few as 48 pcs.

Bobble Sport

New edition of the popular Bobble bottle with a carbon filter which removes the impurities out of tap water - This one is made for an active lifestyle with a soft touch cap and easy-carry handle.  Provides the equivalent of 300 single use bottles of water.  

Pricing starts at $9.98

What's Hot in Promotional Products? Impressions from Vegas

I recently traveled to west for the largest trade show in the promotional products industry - the Promotional Products Association International (PPAI) show in Las Vegas.  The show is huge - and that's putting it mildly. But if you're serious about promotional products, this is where you need to be.

Here are some items that stood out for me:

Bright Colors- Bright neon colors are definitely in this year - a trend fueled, I think, by the athletic shoe industry.  Look at retailers like Zappos, Nike.  Its all about neon and trims and accents -- and this trend as found its way into promotional products for 2014.  

Examples

Performance Shirts from Zorrel- This is a great line of performance shirts and this year there's lots of color, like the 'Boston' and 'Vegas 2' shirts below. These shirts will all wick away perspiration and stand up to lots and lots of wear. This company has supplied Nike for years - so you get top brand name quality for a lot less.

                     

Fluorescent Ceramic Mug 11 oz fluorescent ceramic mug with matte finish. Available in fluorescent yellow, green, pink and orange. How cool are these? There is no better way to make a mug stand out. These are a product of the Numo line.

Speaking of mugs- how about one as big a as a cookie jar? This 'Really Big Mug' from supplier, Sabina, is a prototype for one that's currently in development. Should be available relatively soon.

Also take a look at the Mix N Match Tumblers to the upper right. Many tumbler and lid colors to choose from. But again, bright colors.

I also really liked these:

It's the Ceramic Bling Glimmer Cafe Mug - Made in the USA and sure to get anyone's attention. And Bling is not limited to ceramic mugs. I also found some Bling Travel Mugs!

If you live in the eastern half of the United States this is probably the last thing you want to see given the weather we've had, but think ahead to summer. How about this Freezer Gel Tumbler to keep you cool when it really heats up. Toss this in the freezer overnight, pour your drink in the morning and you're ready to go.

Wine remains trendy (one of my favorite trends lol). This item I think is going to be a big seller - The Vino2Go Wine Tumbler. Keeps your wine at the temp you want it when you're out this summer - whether its chilled or at room temp. The double walled insulation will keep it at the temp you want it!

For more information on these and other promotional items visit our web site at www.sboyagespromos.com.

Promotional Products as Entry Level Advertising

If you're a business person with a limited marketing budget, promotional products may very well be your most cost effective advertising option.

Think about it. All of the other available vehicles - online, direct mail, radio, newspaper, cable TV (do I dare still mention yellow pages?) require a significant financial investment. Promotional products, on the other hand, do not.

Say you give a prospect something as basic as a business card size magnet. For a $100 investment you can buy 500 of these promoting your brand and marketing message. You go to a networking event, meet someone you want to connect with, hand them a magnet, and that magnet goes up on your contact's refrigerator or office file cabinet shortly thereafter.

That magnet then gets viewed 4 times a day, 5 to 7 days a week, 12 months a year...think about the cost per ad impression that this 20-cent magnet delivers!

And you can apply the same concept to a pen, can coolie, jar grip and lots of other promotional items that cost little and deliver lots and lots of 'views' in return. And consider this, unlike other forms of advertising, there's very little waste because you decide who gets the promo item and who does not.

No other advertising medium can do this period, let alone do it for the low cost of a basic promotional product campaign built around one of these items.

That's why I often refer to promotional products as 'Entry Level Advertising' for the small business owner. If you're in business, you need to market and no medium allows you to effectively do it for as little up front cost as promotional products

Some Trade Show Marketing Tips

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

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

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.