IDENTITY EDGE JUN2018 American Solutions

www.americanbus.com

800-862-3690 IDENTITYEDGE.PROMO 1

2 IDENTITYEDGE.PROMO

IDENTITYEDGE.PROMO 3

4 IDENTITYEDGE.PROMO

IDENTITYEDGE.PROMO 5

6 IDENTITYEDGE.PROMO

IDENTITYEDGE.PROMO 7

8 IDENTITYEDGE.PROMO

46

IDENTITYEDGE.PROMO 9

10 IDENTITYEDGE.PROMO

IDENTITYEDGE.PROMO 11

14

Co-Op With a Non-Competing Business in Your Community Get twice the impact for half the price

22

Editor’s Note: Pet Promo

26

Case Study: Bismarck State College, Bismarck, ND

28

Disney Stores will no longer use plastic bags, but theme parks have a way to go

36

Marketing to Different Ages It’s much more complicated than you think especially when it comes to using promotional products.

44

Signage Displaying your logo everywhere you can is the biggest branding impression center

12 IDENTITYEDGE.PROMO

52

Trade Show Wars What promotional products you can use to beat your competition

56

Case Study: Medical Practice Promotes “Being Healthy at Home” with a Unique Solution & Builds Their Business

62

Case Study: Success Stories: Leaping Forward with the Right Promotional Products

64

Case Study: Stay Healthy Month

IDENTITYEDGE.PROMO 13

Co-Op With a Non-Competing Business in Your Community Get twice the impact for half the price

Dating as far back as the early 1980s, marketing co-op programs have played a large role in the promotional marketing industry. It made logical sense in previous decades for businesses to set aside a portion of their budget for co-op marketing with other non-competing companies.

14 IDENTITYEDGE.PROMO

IDENTITYEDGE.PROMO 15

o-op marketing is when two companies create programs that include specific mentions of each company in their promotional campaigns. Then those two companies share in the cost of the total promotion. This kind of marketing enables partners to work together to create long-scale campaigns, ones that have a really big impact. Â This marketing strategy started to make its mark in the early 1980s, and immensely grew in popularity around the end of the decade.

Source databases started publishing marketing co-op directories; so many small to medium business entrepreneurs--lacking in funds-were striving for brand awareness and it only made sense to combine resources.

16 IDENTITYEDGE.PROMO

The ins-and-outs of co-op marketing today Many of the benefits and general processes around cooperative marketing programs today remain the same as they were when these programs were first developed. That goal—to increase brand awareness, locally and otherwise—makes co-op marketing an important tool for you.

To give you an example as to how this kind of marketing might arise, a stone manufacturer might provide funds to a local landscaper business to mention them in advertisements.

In order to make this work, both companies need to make sure that they will have needs and requirements met through this co-op. When you are looking into partnering to help your advertising

needs, you need to know that your business will receive the successful returns you are investing in. So for the stone manufacturer and the landscape company, they would both have to understand that a certain expected portion of advertisements published by the landscape business would include specific mentions of the stone manufacturer, the technicalities of which having been thoroughly adjusted and agreed upon. The stone manufacturer would provide a settled amount of funds toward the cost of the advertisements as would the landscaper.

In the case of our previous example, it would be smart business-management for the stone manufacturer to set aside funds for local businesses like the

Don’t Despair.

You CAN Have Your Cake & Eat It Too...

LG

Your

Busin

ess C

ards

Go H

ere!

LG

LG

With Our Fashionable Binder-Pen COMBO Two Imprints for the Price of ONE! FREE!

IDENTITYEDGE.PROMO 17

landscape company because, if an advertisement includes their local information, a successful reach would mean more local landscape businesses, as well as invested home-owners would find their way to the stone manufacturer. Hence why co-op advertising/marketing isn’t going away anytime soon!

Why aren’t you taking advantage of co-op marketing?

Despite the clear goals and benefits of co-op marketing like brand awareness and financial efficiency, many companies find it difficult to co-market with another company. For many people that we talked with about co-oping, it seems unless there’s a business friendship already in place, making that presentation to an unknown neighboring business can be tough. Don’t be daunted, reach out many times until you find the right partner. Write down your goals and parts of the community you want to reach then look at potential business partners and see if they share anything in common with you. Going in to make your presentation and having a good make sense plan will go a long way to working together.

The best way to ensure you are using the best marketing strategies for your business with regard to co-op marketing is to involve a professional marketing company for your co-op who will be able to help you market 18 IDENTITYEDGE.PROMO

to the appropriate demographics with tools that make sense for your individual business. Kind of like your Promotional Products Distributor… someone who will ensure that all parties win and probably has another client that can co-op with you.

Co-op marketing is indeed powerful and effective Despite some of the major issues associated with today’s marketing systems, co-op programs aren’t going anywhere. But if you plan to set aside a portion of your budget to put toward this kind of marketing-as was popular and profitable the last few decades--you should do so with an approach that is going to make sense for you - one that is relevant to today’s buyer. You want marketing strategists—people like your Promotional Products Distributors--who know

what works and what doesn’t… won’t make you wait for ideas… and will deliver your products to specification and on-time.

Get Your Co-op Going now!

In a quick summary, reach out to non-competing companies that have a similar mindset about their company or a company that has a need to reach the same audience that you need. For example, a tire company wanted to gain new customers…in this case the tire company went to their accountant and shared in the cost of fridge magnets that they both sent to all of their customers. While that seemed like an unlikely match, both increased their customer base. In another co-op a large car dealer went to all the car washes, worked a co-op where both handed out shammy’s with their logo on it. A law firm wanted to get more corporate accounts…so they went to their bank and did a co-op paper shredding day and they handed out USB drives with both the bank and their logo on each side along with a power point presentation on both companies recorded on the USB drives.

As you can see there are hundreds of co-op’s you can create.

Everybody wins…

IDENTITYEDGE.PROMO 19

20 IDENTITYEDGE.PROMO

IDENTITYEDGE.PROMO 21

When we started doing the research on Pet Promos we were entirely taken aback by how many different types of Pet Promos there are. There are so many we couldn’t even count them all. But we were able to put them into observable categories.

Bags Budget Priced Cats Dogs All Other Animals Collars & Leashes Drinkware Events Supplies Waste Wearables Our conclusion: Pets are serious business; so why not use them as a platform to promote your business?

A recent American Pet Products Association report revealed that spending on pets hit a record $70 billion in 2017. Will spending increase? Probably, because today 90% pet owners see their pet as a member of the family. After 20 years of gradually increasing pet ownership, today more than 62 22 IDENTITYEDGE.PROMO

percent of Americans (according to the American Pet Products Association) own pets.

Branding managers like you have begun to take notice. A Toyota ad for the RAV4 put dogs center stage, making the human families little more than a backdrop ( 2013 Super Bowl ad).

Subaru built an entire marketing campaign and website for the Forester wagon around dogs, declaring the car “dogtested.” Subaru then went to social media and the Subaru Dog Tested Facebook page even provided dog driver’s licenses. Remember the Subaru ad with guy and his girlfriend?

The dog scowls at the guy to protect his female owner…and only when the guy puts his jacket around her does the dog act nice to him. Genius moves, don’t you think?

This all creates a big opportunity for branding: Americans deepening identification/affection with their pets is a great way to have them get thousands of impressions of your logo. While most of the money spent on pets today is for food, veterinary care and boarding; there are lots of trends suggesting a willingness to indulge our pets in other ways.

Today’s pets travel and exercise with us, crazily have their own socialmedia accounts, require stimulating day care, eat organic food, doze on luxury fabrics and even have towels that can cool their bodies.

When you think about that the opportunities for branding seem almost limitless. Promotional Products Buyers are realizing that “pet love” can make stronger connections with their customers by offering promotional merchandise.

When you market to people who love pets, here are some guidelines we hope you use.

1. Connect your brand to activities customers do with their pets.

2. Don’t just include a pet in your branding for a quick jolt of cuteness;

IDENTITYEDGE.PROMO 23

just offer pet-friendly rooms.

Offer them a memorable toy or pet wearable that they will keep for a long time.

-- If you’re a retail brand, consider promoting your brand with a free matching collar with a belt you might sell.

make the pet the hero of your story.

3. Create campaigns that elicit interaction from pets.

4. Build partnerships with likeminded brands.

5. For an even deeper connection with pet owners, go beyond branding and consider where your company can find opportunity in serving their needs.

--Sixteen percent of Americans buy cars with their dog in mind… but almost any brand can take advantage of this opportunity to brand their pet with your logo.

--If you run a hotel chain, don’t

-- Every time we go and pick up our dog from the groomer or vet, he gets a bandana, why not make sure your pet shop gives them out with your brand on them? (That’s a lovely co-op promotion.)

-- Airlines should sit up and take notice and create pet frequent flyer program where the points create free pet wearables…or carrying cases.

-- You might think this is funny but there are logical connections between financial services and pet insurance, or a topof-the-line vacuum cleaner…one that can handle pet hair. All of those companies can use promotional products to build their brand.

Look at it this way… the average marriage lasts eight years…

24 IDENTITYEDGE.PROMO

but pets last a lifetime. We recently reflected on the fact of how many people fight over their pets in a divorce. But on the positive side, research has shown pet ownership has health benefits, including lower stress and anxiety. Scientists also believe that our reliance on pets is hardwired into our brains, because our survival and evolution depended on animal companionship.

But whatever the reason, trends show that pets are one of the most meaningful ways to engage consumers. You can build your brand BIG TIME by using Pet Promos. From banks to restaurants, auto retailers to thousands of other types of companies, you can use Pet Promos to create some Pet Love for your brand!

Brian Brown Editor-in-Chief

IDENTITYEDGE.PROMO 25

B

i smarck State organizers of a health fair at the College wanted to attract attendees and encourage them to visit a variety of vendors. To do so, they needed to appeal to college students and give them an incentive

BSC Community.” The bags were transformed into “comfort kits” that included stress-relieving items like the “Keep Calm & Color On: Creative Designs for Relaxation and Fun” Adult Coloring Book, Happy Face Color Changing Stress Ball, and “101 Ways to Manage Stress” Bookmark. The

Messenger Bags were given to attendees who visited five vendor booths and completed a health fair Bingo card. “We received many wonderful comments on the overall look and presentation of the Messenger Bag,” said a member of the organizing committee. “It was appealing to our college population and did provide the draw we were looking for.”

We’re your Promotional Products Distributor—and because we sell hundreds of different marketing programs like these Case Studies noted above—we can positively impact your branding and business like no one else.

to be there.

Remember, we’re targeting Millennials here, a different type of consumer.

They chose several products to achieve their goals.

The organizing committee purchased 175 Messenger Bags imprinted with the committee name, “A Healthy 26 IDENTITYEDGE.PROMO

IDENTITYEDGE.PROMO 27

Disney Stores Will No Longer Use Plastic Bags, But Theme Parks Have a Way to Go D

isney stores will phase out plastic bags by June, offering reusable bags instead. What a great thing for our environment. You can do the same by choosing inexpensive woven or other styles of reusable bags.

ones), Disney Stores will offer guests Disney branded reusable bags for 99 cents. All 215 stores in North America will phase out the plastic bags entirely by the end of May; reusable ones are already on sale.

It’s a good idea if you are giving out plastic bags at trade shows or just in general to promote your business to make the change and go to a woven style reusable bag. The benefits are big…because woven

As part of a company-wide initiative, Disney Stores recently announced they will be phasing out plastic bags at all U.S. stores.

The surprise announcement comes on the heels of Disney World announcing a major new solar farm near the Animal Kingdom that will include a half-million solar panels spread across 270 acres.

The Disney Store initiative follows other leaders in the industry who have phased out plastic bags. But unlike some of them (including Taco Bell, which has replaced the plastic bags with mostly paper 28 IDENTITYEDGE.PROMO

bags last a very long time and they are not as expensive as you’d think.

Yes, they do cost more than a plastic bag by far, but they are not doing damage to the environment if they are discarded.

Woven or most non-plastic bags decay pretty much as they should in landfills whereas plastic ones take years.

Besides, non-plastic bags get many more impressions per bag than plastic ones do.

IDENTITYEDGE.PROMO 29

30 IDENTITYEDGE.PROMO

IDENTITYEDGE.PROMO 31

32 IDENTITYEDGE.PROMO

IDENTITYEDGE.PROMO 33

34 IDENTITYEDGE.PROMO

IDENTITYEDGE.PROMO 35

Marketing to Different Ages It’s much more complicated than you think especially when it comes to using promotional products. oday Promotional Products Buyers have a wide choice of different types of promo products; from watches to pet products, Buyers like you have about 700,000 different choices. So, what types of promotions are most suitable for different age groups?

One size does not fit all With such a variety of promotional products available for you, it’s important to pick the right types of

36 IDENTITYEDGE.PROMO

products for your target audience for maximum benefit. It’s worth it to spend the time—and it can be time-consuming-- so it’s important to know which types of products works best for your target audience.

While your target audience could be segmented in a number of ways depending on your product or services, such as job title, location and age, we want to have a look at what types of product can appeal to

different age groups.

For our discussion, we’re going to focus on the four major generations businesses need to attract. The Baby Boomers, Generation-X, Millenials or Generation-Y, and Generation-Z or iGeneration (iGen for short). At the bottom of this page you can see the major generations as well as some of their more prominent traits that should be considered when crossgeneration promoting.

IDENTITYEDGE.PROMO 37

What Promotional Products are most valued?

Before looking at the type of products, we need to understand these age groups and their association with promotional products.

The next big buying population is Generation Z. Born during or after 1994 they will constitute 40% of U.S. consumers by 2020. In just two short years a group that’s only recently out of high school are about to be our customers and employees and we need to start reaching them with promotional products.

Early research indicates that promotional products are uniquely suited to brand your business with Gen-Z consumers. For one Promotional Products last longer and more importantly they break through Gen-Z’ers “ad blindness”.

Forbes wrote: “…modern consumers are so used to seeing messages on their smartphone and television, that they become highly skilled at ignoring ads on their screens. Promotional products, which are tangible and useful, will 38 IDENTITYEDGE.PROMO

be vital for amplifying messages in ways that Gen-Z’ers are not used to.

Remember, these are individuals who only know a world with the Internet.”

First of all Gen-Z’ers prefer cool products. But remember that GenZ’ers are very selective and any product you recommend better pass a quality test or your branding efforts will be in trouble. When you give Gen-Z’ers a cheap crappy product, don’t expect them to be converted soon…in fact you may turn them off. When they associate your brand with a cheap crappy product, they will think your brand is cheap and could steer away from it.

Hint: Smartphone use is big with Gen-Z’ers so using promotional products in and around their phones to gain impressions is wise.

First Gen-Z consumers use their phones all the time. But interestingly, Gen-Z’ers take selfies, a TON of selfies.

Between the ages of 18 and 24 one poll found that every third photo taken is a selfie. Then they post those selfies all over social media. IF you’re a savvy marketer you’ll take advantage of the trend and use a lot of event driven programs that get cool and interesting promotional products in their hands. If your product is in those selfies think about all the impressions you’ll get WORLD WIDE. Gen-Z’ers are looking for exciting

things they can show off to the rest world. Get ready!!! Gen-Z’ers are soon to be a driving force in your branding target marketing.

Ready for this? Twenty five percent of the US population are millennials.

Wow. If you are not focusing your promotional marketing efforts on millennials you are missing out on almost $600 BILLION in spending power. This is the highest amount of any generation in history!

What do millennials rank as their preferred type of advertising?

Promotional Products. Need some proof, here it comes. Millennials are composed of tech-savvy young adults. They don’t watch TV like Baby Boomers…most of their communication is done over smart phones. Like Gen-Z’ers, ads are not easily digested or influence them. So, reaching millennials with something they can carry with them does highly influence them, and when they do that you get a ton of impressions to their friends.

Millennials are 2.5 times more likely to be an adapter of technology.

Providing them USB drives, phone holders or other tech-related 3

IDENTITYEDGE.PROMO 39

products works very well. If you can find a new technology related product, millennials are 56% more likely to want to try it than any other generation. They want to say, I found it first…

But here’s some more concrete proof. Splash surveyed 785 millennials around the world and a striking 47% said the main reason they chose to attend a brand event is for free stuff or swag as they call it (translated, that’s promotional products). So…think events…free stuff…not cheap items…promo products that have value.

Here’s another interesting fact about millennials. If they don’t like or need the products they re-gift them!

This spreads your brand even further than you originally thought.

Who are Gen-X’ers? For

some they are referred to as the “middle child”. They are the smallest generation and often bridge between millennials and baby boomers. Think about their life for a moment, they are juggling child care, homeownership and coming close to a peak in their careers.

Gen-X’ers love participating in promotions where they can win something, and email marketing is still one of the best ways to reach them with your promotions.

Remember to use Call to Action 40 IDENTITYEDGE.PROMO 22

Limited Time Offers to get their attention when emailing. They are really plugged into their Outlook constantly for work, play and family.

It’s natural that they will react positively to promotional email campaigns. Offering a promotional product in these email campaigns significantly increases connecting with Gen-X’ers.

They like “do-gooders”, dealing with companies that support socially responsible activities. We talk about this all the time in IdentityEdge… how co-oping promotional programs with the American Red Cross or other charitable organization benefits your marketing programs.

Lifestyle products also influence them and there are a ton of them to choose from in promotional products. From really nice leather suitcases/briefcases to a nice Polo style shirt with your logo, Gen-X’ers are a little easier to serve than younger gens. By the way, these people make money. About 2/3’s of Gen-X’ers make $250,000 a year and plan on taking a vacation within the year. That should be a big shout out to all hotels and vacation spots to market to this group with really enticing promotional products programs. Banks could also benefit here because financially, most use credit cards for these trips and it usually is thousands of dollars in transactions.

Pursue this group Promotional Products Buyers, they are good for your business.

We love baby boomers but apparently many new businesses and startups are ignoring them.

With that, more than 76 million

baby booming consumers are being ignored. We surmise that the reason is baby boomers equate to a visual of grandma or grandpa living in retirement loving moments with their grandkids and safely giving them back after a hectic weekend. But, that’s actually quite the opposite.

According to studies quite a few baby boomers are starting up companies instead of retiring. Why? Because many don’t have a solid retirement package and working for yourself at that age is the only real job you can get.

If you don’t already have a marketing plan for baby boomers, we have a few tips that will help you get started.

1. Content, Design and Quality When marketing to Baby Boomers you need to pay special attention to content. Baby Boomers like promotional products that have substance and will last. So, buying a bunch of fidget spinners might seem like a good idea because they reduce stress but think again about influencing them with a

IDENTITYEDGE.PROMO 41

highly styled hat. That takes us to design. Boomers love things that are designed well and look good.

So even something like leatherette portfolio with a nice debossed logo will work in this case much better.

Quality…if you’re marketing to Baby Boomers using a cheap item will turn them away. Unlike millennials who will re-gift products, Boomers tend to throw stuff they don’t think away.

Other tips…font size is the first thing that you need to focus on when creating your promotional products programs. Using small print in any promotional program can lead to Boomers not “getting your message.”

The majority of baby boomers now prefer smartphones and tablets over laptops. According to an AARP study, 73 percent of people age 50-59 and 54 percent of people age 60-69 own a smartphone. Getting and using promotional products that work in concert with those devices is key to winning impressions and keeping your brand in front of them.

2. Catchy Products Work Think about it…by the time you are a Baby Boomer you’ll have seen just about every product there is and that includes promotional products.

Don’t despair, you can still brand to them. But, “unique” is the word of the day. Finding unique products are very important. So, in think outside of the box but keep reminding yourself: Content, Design, & Quality are highly important.

3. Baby Boomers Use Facebook over Instagram.

42 IDENTITYEDGE.PROMO

According to a survey conducted

by Olapic, 90 percent of baby boomers prefer Facebook over Instagram. Facebook is where they do have all their pictures of their kids/families/friends. So, keep in mind that the items you pick for your promotional programs should avoid using hashtags because 50 percent of boomers admit to never using hashtags. We state this because we want to create a mindset of who Baby Boomers really are, stay on track and find promotional products that address them. As your promotional products Distributor, we can recommend literally hundreds of products that will fit Boomers!

4. Don’t make Boomers feel old.

We don’t have to say much more here. If you talk down to your audience, you will only end up offending them. Don’t assume they know nothing about the latest technologies or trends because they probably do.

5. Make your messages to Boomers clear.

Things can get tricky if you’re running a promotion and the content of it is not clearly understood. Baby Boomers can often misunderstand the promises you make.

So, make promises…but make your promotional programs clear enough to understand. If you’re going to use a promotional product to promote your business that helps boomers, explain the necessary steps required to achieve that.

6. Conclusion but not the last word.

Remember, baby boomers are a well-educated and experienced audience. Your promotional products program should reflect that all the time.

What Promo Products work best?

Ask us, your Promotional Products Distributors. We will take the time to carefully submit ideas, programs and products. After all we have over 700,000 products available to you.

IDENTITYEDGE.PROMO 43

SIGNAGE

Displaying your logo everywhere you can is the biggest branding impression center

y Definition: Signage is the design or use of signs and symbols to communicate a message to a specific group, usually for the purpose of marketing or a kind of advocacy. Signs are any kind of visual graphics created to display information to a particular audience.

This is typically manifested in the form of wayfinding information in places such as streets or on the inside and outside buildings.

Signs vary in form and size based on location and intent, from more expansive banners, billboards, and murals, to smaller street signs, street name signs, sandwich boards and lawn signs.

Newer signs may also use digital or electronic displays.

The main purpose of signs is to 44 IDENTITYEDGE.PROMO

communicate, to convey information designed to assist the receiver with decision-making based on the information provided. Alternatively, promotional signage may be designed to persuade receivers of the merits of a given product or service.

When thinking about business marketing, the standard means of promotion such as newspaper ads and postcard mailings most often come to mind. While these “tried and true” methods can be effective, they are not the most cost efficient for marketing your brand.

Local newspaper ads don’t draw very much attention for the size and it is difficult to stand out. Filming a television ad can be very costly, and a poorly made one can make your

business appear unprofessional.

Businesses need to immediately gain visibility and build brand recognition in the minds of consumers, but how? This can be achieved in an easy and rapid way: through the use of effective signage.

By putting a company name, logo, and contact information on things like window decals, car door magnets, and lawn signs customers are quickly introduced to your business for a very small investment.

But how and where you use these various products is paramount to success.

Location, Location, Location Being in a high traffic area almost guarantees that people will be

IDENTITYEDGE.PROMO 45

drawn to your business and at the very least aware of the products or services you provide. Of course, these locations come with a price which often excludes a small business.

This doesn’t mean however that a business is out of luck if it is in a lesstraveled area.

Building your brand in a target market is as simple as displaying your company’s name, logo and message near a busy road. A professional and durable way to do this is to use one of the

customizable lawn signs that are now on the market, and very cost effective.

Your Distributor can provide these easily, and inexpensively.

Make sure to keep the sign simple so people can understand what you are advertising as they are passing.

46 IDENTITYEDGE.PROMO

ALWAYS use your logo on the sign to build your brand—keep your message brief and try to have some “call to action or limited time offer” in the message.

What does signage do? Someone may not be in need of your service now, but they will be more likely to remember you in the future if they are continuously exposed to your services. Promote your business by holding specials or sales on a regular

basis give you another great reason to draw people to your business but with a promotional products giveaway. Displaying bright signs advertising the sale at the nearest busy road grabs people’s attention and alerts them of the event.

For service-based businesses who are often at different locations around town, a lawn sign is a must have. Displaying your sign at a job site advertises your business to your target market. Oftentimes you can enter into an agreement with a customer to display your lawn sign in exchange for discounts on products or services. If one person needs a housekeeping company more often than not their neighbors

will as well. The lawn sign will give an idea of what service you provide and hopefully encourage a customer to contact you. For a landscaping business or painter, these signs allow potential clients to see firsthand the level of service you provide, which is extremely valuable. Always be sure

IDENTITYEDGE.PROMO 47

to include a phone number and/or website on the signs so customers can contact you or find out more information.

Moving Advertisement Think about the amount of time you spend in the car and all the people and places you encounter even while just running errands on a Saturday.

Now imagine if you could tell each one of those people about your business and give them your contact information. The truth is a car can actually be a moving billboard for your company. Car door magnets can be personalized for your business and placed on either the door or back of your car. This allows everyone you are driving by to be exposed to your company and contact information for a minimal cost. As your Distributor we have access to thousands of signs…

48 IDENTITYEDGE.PROMO

It is also a good idea to invest in smaller window decals. These can be placed in your own car windows, as well as your shop’s window. They can inform people walking or drivi ng by of unique sales, discounts, or specials you are running. They can be used as a moving or stationary advertisement, and another way to increase awareness about what your business is offering. These small and simple marketing materials can turn into big visibility for your company.

Again, be sure to keep messaging simple so potential customers can easily tell what your business is, the service you provide and how they can contact you. Having a good logo is also essential, especially when using it on signs. Your logo is the image of your business, so keep it professional

and make sure it reflects what you company does. Using the logo on all forms of signage will strengthen your brand and help people to remember the service you provide.

Think Outside the Box Digital signage is on the way up… especially as the price for flat TV’s comes down. And a lot of the programming can be done inexpensively by your web designer.

You don’t need an expensive video anymore. And your promotional products Distributor can help you with all phases of this.

IDENTITYEDGE.PROMO 49

50 IDENTITYEDGE.PROMO

IDENTITYEDGE.PROMO 51

Trade Show Wars What Promotional Products You Can Use To Beat Your Competition

Custom Trade Show Giveaways Your booth needs something extra special to get the crowd’s attention.

Read on for the best trade show promotional items at affordable prices!

Here’s your marketing scenario.

You’re about to spend big because this is your biggest trade show of the year. You really want to have a promotional product that will brand your company while at the same time wear, carry or use for months to

come. You want maximum impact with long term exposure!

is probably when it’s emptied on your consumer’s desk after the show.

Dig deep…because there are an overwhelming number of trade show giveaways. We—your Distributor-can help you decide, just give us a call. But while you’re reading we’d like to provide a lot of suggestions… some new some old…but all great items.

We highly recommend USB drives… loaded with your data/info on them! Here’s where you can score so big. Think about the usefulness of a USB drive. People use them every day. But now think of them as a messenger that will “play” your message to a captive audience (your client) when they insert the USB drive into their computer or lap top. A much more detailed message…than you can deliver in any other case… with a captive audience.

One of the oldest and most used trade show items are tote bags of any sort. Reusable ones are much better than very inexpensive plastic ones because the life span of a plastic bag

Sure, the client could turn it off or even erase the content on the USB drive but most of the time they don’t. They watch it at least once and frequently if the message is good, they will forward it on to another person. MAKE SURE YOU INCLUDE A CALL TO ACTION, LIMITED TIME OFFER on the drive. Otherwise, it’s just another advertisement.

Sponsoring the lanyards and badges for a show is another great way to get your brand out there.

But it can be expensive. Most trade shows require a fee for this on top of the cost of the lanyards.

52 IDENTITYEDGE.PROMO

IDENTITYEDGE.PROMO 53

USB Car Charger with Detachable Strap

Pop Sockets They are trendy and attach to almost any smartphone. People use their phones constantly at tradeshows‌and when they do your logo is being advertised in the aisles.

Another Phone Related Device—Smart Wallets They are inexpensive, made of long lasting silicone that also protects your phone. Keeps credit cards and all similar items stored properly.

54 IDENTITYEDGE.PROMO

MicroFiber Clothes Great ad space, millions of uses.

From cleaning your smartphone to eyeglasses or the rear view mirror in your car, microfiber clothes are a fabulous trade show giveaway.

Very cool product allows you never to be without a car charger.

Other products we highly recommend: Sport Bottles & Water Bottles, Notebooks & Padfolios, Tote Bags, Ear Buds, Keychains, Candy & Chocolate.

IDENTITYEDGE.PROMO 55

“Being Healthy at Home” with a Unique Solution that Builds Their Business

A

doctors group wanted to accomplish two things: Simultaneously educate their community about common home ailments and how to treat them while at the same time promote their medical group. This medical group had recently formed and wanted to use ad specialty items in order to build brand recognition.

What’s important to note here is the medical group had specific ideas with achievable results.

First this group hosted a table at a community gathering and chose the theme “Be Healthy at Home”. At the event they offered free check-ups for children under 10 with an appointment. When the appointment was made a promotional product was given out with the medical groups branding on it.

Spending around $20, the medical group wanted a high priced promotional product. Using a high-priced

56 IDENTITYEDGE.PROMO

item represented to recipients and potential clients that they were both serious and professional.

Working with their Promotional Products Distributor, the group created a specialty miniature doctor’s bag filled with various health and safety merchandise. These useful promotional items included a thermometer, bandages, antibacterial ointment, lip balm, sunscreen, a medical dropper, and a reflex hammer. The bag was designed in the style of a classic black leather doctor’s bag, but was about an eighth of the standard size.

The doctor’s bag was embossed with the group’s logo and tagline on each side.

Inside the bag, each item was printed with the name of the group, their phone number, and

website. The entire package created a unique item that was sure to stand apart from any other promotional merchandise, and the high number of custom products inside the bag made the product very utile. The black leather and simple imprint created a professional appearance, and the many logoed products inside led to frequent and highquality advertisement for the group.

Through the community event, the doctors group filled two months of appointments for the free child’s check-up. The group ordered 100 bags and all of them were distributed at the event. Throughout the next year, 62% of families who partook in the child’s check-up scheduled an appointment for another family member. The doctors group opened with an impressive number of clients and continued to maintain a high number of appointments. They credit the promotional giveaways at the community event as an important factor in their impressive start.

IDENTITYEDGE.PROMO 57

58 IDENTITYEDGE.PROMO

IDENTITYEDGE.PROMO 59

W

hat is an effective use of branded promotional products? What makes a promo giveaway stand out?

How can quality customer service make or break a deal?

John O’Neil, President and CEO of FroggerJobs.com, reveals his success story.

What promotional products are you currently using? We are using the full color logoed coffee mug.

Where and how have you been using them? We attend (and are planning to attend more) trade shows, job fairs, fundraisers, and county fairs. We will be visiting our customers and mailing them promotional items as well.

In June of 2017, we launched FroggerJobs.com and today we have over 2,000,000 jobs posted on our website, being viewed by tens of thousands of people on a weekly basis.

What sets FroggerJobs.com apart from other job searching websites?

FroggerJobs.com is a national jobs board created by recruiters that have 20+ years of experience and with the input of thousands of

60 IDENTITYEDGE.PROMO

human resources personnel across the country. We know first-hand the frustrations that recruiters and human resources personnel experience on a daily basis and our job is to make it easier for them to locate qualified candidates.

What caused you to choose your distinctive frog logo? A member of our staff loves frogs!

One day, we were kidding around and so I typed in froggerjobs. com and to our surprise the company name was available, so we grabbed it. We are considering using eBay to promote our coffee mug as a fundraiser for a non-profit that’s near and dear to our hearts- savethefrogs.com.

What effect has the use of promotional products had on your business? Are logoed promotional items a part of your long-term marketing plan?

We love the coffee mugs! They’re a big hit with our customers. The FroggerJobs.com coffee mug is easily picked out amongst other mugs. It has that certain ‘look about it’. There’s no mistaking where you got it and who gave it to you! The

coffee mug is definitely part of our long-term marketing plan. Hundreds of HR personnel loved the design and the way the colors jumped out at them. You keep promotional items that have a quality look and feel, and others get tossed. If you keep our mug, you are more likely to remember our company name and that is what marketing is all about.

Cheaply made promotional products get stuck in a drawer never to be seen again. If it is useful, people use it and keep it around.

Do you have any advice for new businesses? Invest your money in a promotional product that people will keep long term. Anything less is a waste of your advertising dollars.

Take it from a satisfied customer- with the right promotional product for your business, you’re sure to make a splash!

IDENTITYEDGE.PROMO 61

A

mining company was hosting their annual Stay Healthy Month in order to promote a company-wide commitment to safety. They used ad specialties for employees to reinforce their campaign.

The company wanted to provide a small promotional item to each of their 400 staff members. They desired a custom-printed product that simultaneously acted as a promo gift, but also contributed to their message of staying safe and healthy. They had a price point of $4.00 or less per item.

First Aid Kits seemed to be a natural fit.

They were the perfect

promotional item to fit the company’s objectives and price point.

The kits were screenprinted with the company’s name, logo, and “Stay Healthy Month”.

Inside the zippered pouch, employees found a number of health and safety items including Band-Aids, bandages, and antibiotic ointment.

The customized promotional first aid kits were handed out to all employees on the first day of Stay Healthy Month. Throughout the month employee accidents were decreased by 75% and employees cited an increased awareness of health and safety issues to be a major factor in the decrease. The company considered Stay Healthy Month a success, and the First Aid kits an influential piece of that success.

62 IDENTITYEDGE.PROMO

IDENTITYEDGE.PROMO 63

64 IDENTITYEDGE.PROMO

IDENTITYEDGE.PROMO 65

66 IDENTITYEDGE.PROMO 32

IDENTITYEDGE.PROMO 67

68 IDENTITYEDGE.PROMO

IDENTITYEDGE.PROMO 69

70 IDENTITYEDGE.PROMO

IDENTITYEDGE.PROMO 71

72 IDENTITYEDGE.PROMO

6 Do’s & Don’ts for Employing Coke Reverses a Ten Year Decline by Labeling Promotional Product Campaigns What’s in a Name?

Bottled Soda’s with Customer’s Names

Why Promotional Products Still Matter

THE TOP TEN ALL TIME Promotional Product Categories Imprinting the Products You Purchase with Your Logo -- The Right Technique

Growing Your Brand -Differentiate Your Brand with Promotional Products

Can Make or Break Your Promotion

The Surprising Power of Promotional Products

Case Studies Politics Affect Promotions -- How The Trade War Might Effect Your Programs

85% of People Will Remember Your Name While 87% Keep Promotional Products for a Year

IDENTITYEDGE.PROMO 73