MB Sol Nov 2019

mark@m-bsolutions.com www.m-bsolutions.com (414) 405-9066

YOUR PROMOTIONAL PRODUCTS DISTRIBUTOR

Table of Contents

November 2019

12

Loyalty & Relationships Are Still Paramount

16

Promo Jackets Fall Line Up

26

Wellness & Health Promotions

33

Gross Sexism or Just Plain SNAFU WNBA Doesn’t Offer Logoed Merch at Finals

36

Thing Outside Your Business

52

Eco-Friendly Products are No Longer a Fad

56

Your Employees are Your Fans

70

The Cost of the Tariffs

Your Packaging

Should Be As Impressive As What’s In It.

Loyalty & Relationships Are S Using promotional products to foster loyalty and build client relationships has been going on full tilt for over 50 years.

Only now its importance in your marketing plan is bigger than ever before.

There’s a ton of competition out there, even to get your customers to carry your Brand. Everyone is trying to get the highest number of impressions possible.

The question is always, “How?” Here’s an answer you’ll like: We, your Promotional Products Distributor, have the expertise needed to create Loyalty and Relationship Programs.

Our suggestions for building a loyalty program begin by treating your top customers as VIP’s--take time to reward and thank your most loyal customers. Consider hosting VIP events throughout the year to focus on learning about their buying habits. Program satisfaction means much higher sales. And these events do not have to be expensive but they always need a giveaway.

Next, diversify your rewards. Think about what does a good reward structure look like? Ask yourself these questions? Will it offer promotional products to customers based on how much they spend or reward them with events and experiences that are memorialized by promo products? Those are the key elements to a reward structure. Rewards also offer an opportunity to ask your customers for feedback. You

MUST take the pulse of your customers often.

Most businesses assume they know their customers...but why take a chance ? You can use your Loyalty Programs to find out what makes them happy. Create surveys, with promotional products awards which will allow you to get the answer from the source. When you take an active interest in your customer and you are providing really targeted promo items, you are showing your customers how much their opinion matters.

If you haven’t already, invest time in creating a newsletter, blog, or post events related to your program. Remember, the right promo product can leap into millions of hits if you know how to “work it” on the web.

There’s nothing like the rush of winning new business and Loyalty Programs are pretty good at that. 63% of high performing marketers are using Loyalty Programs.

That’s according to the State of Marketing SalesForce Research report.

The benefits of customer loyalty programs include Better Customer Retention; MORE Customer Referrals; and Cost Efficiency.

Its twice as expensive to create a new customer as it is to retain the happy ones.

Last, User Generated Content programs greatly encourage happy customers to publish lovely reviews...and end up being authentic ambassadors for your Brand.

Still Paramount

FEEL THE DISTANCE. FEEL THE CONTROL.

Titleist TruFeel is the softest Titleist golf ball with low spin fo long distance and excellent control into and around the gre

STOCK SHAPES

PROMO JACKETS FALL LINE UP When “Old Mother Nature” makes her turn in September much of the country is headed to a season of leaf changes and cool crisp air. When that happens its time to look for great looking outerwear. And what makes this year’s lineup of promo jackets most special is much of it is as cool as retail. WOW, what a change from even five years ago.

The confidence inspired by a stylish new look. The excitement of new possibiliti And the comfort of knowing we'll help you make it all hap to get thousands of ad impre

Five years ago promo jacket makers were pretty much following the retail trends and they still do, but in 2019 they are setting trends and many of the jackets on this page prove that.

Fabrics, Style & Decoration are the three key elements to check out in this year’s line of promo outerwear.

Fabric choices include water repellency, packability, and providing the right kind of protection for your geo area.

Style, well you can see there are so many colors--from natural soft tones to bright ones. And then Decorations, you can use embroidery, silk screening, a combination of the two or PVC sew-on’s. By the way, PVC logoing is really cool and makes your product just a lot more upscale without the cost.

What does that all ad up to? Lots and lots of choices but you’ve got us to source them for you.

SANMAR

EQUALS RETAIL STYLE

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VANTAGE APPAREL

TRIMARK

Bringing You the Best fo

or Over 25 Years

ENOUGH P STRAWS TO WRAP A THE EARTH’S CIRCU 2.5 TIMES A DAY! US CONSUMPTION =

It’s Time We Start Taking Care of Mother Earth

Promote Your Company or Cause With Logoed Metal Straws

PLASTIC AROUND UMFERENCE

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Wellness & Health Pr It’s Time To Start Capitalizing On Making Your Client’s Feel Good

With the holidays approaching—and the bathroom scales about to tip in the wrong direction—it’s time to reevaluate your Personal and Corporate Wellness Programs. You can start by learning the nutritional basics, but simple exercise at home and while working at your desktop/job can be fulfilling. And, as importantly, when you care corporately, your clients will be highly appreciative.

Each Wellness and Health Promotional product you distribute gets your logo in front of hundreds of people during the year because the exercise products you buy tend to stay around for longer periods of time. From exercise mats to arm straps that hold your phone; squeeze balls; even headphones...

Corporate Wellness Programs will improve your client’s everyday life while reducing the risk for many diseases.

Make a difference…

Our suggestion: Start designing a Wellness program that will run for many months. People are not going to get healthy in a week. Plan to get maximum exposure and choose inexpensive items so you can buy more for a wider distribution. Fitness does not just improve your everyday life, but it

reduces your risk for many diseases. According to the Mayo Clinic The Department of Health and Human Services recommends all healthy adults include aerobic exercise and strength training in their fitness programs. When designing your fitness program, think of physical activities your client’s will enjoy.

By the way, when you implement your Wellness Program there are a host of companies tha you’ll be joining. Many incorporated it into the day-to-day marketing p Well‐known wellness p providers, like Virgin He CIGNA and CVS Carema Wellness because of th benefit it presents, so y good company by reco Wellness Programs to y Their model actively pr

romotions

…

e at y have eir plans. program ealthMiles, ark push he great you’ll be in ommending your boss. rovides

insight into how marketers are looking to utilize the “carrot” (positive incentives) to inspire consumers to stay healthy rather than the “stick” (punishment).

The first place you can look in developing a Wellness Program is to see what your fellow employees are doing. Ask them what they do for Wellness…they will have a lot of ideas and will be willing to contribute.

Then put the plan into place.

Your local promotional products Distributor will have many more ideas...just ask us!

Gross Sexism or Just Plain WN

Virtually No Prom

There were some really awesome over the top things that happened at this year’s WNBA Finals (Women’s National Basketball Association). For one, YouTube TV presented the best of five championship series. It seems the internet grabbed another big score from regular television. Go YouTube!

The next great thing was the Washington Mystics defeated the Connecticut Sun--and notably--this was the Mystics first-time win.

Meesseman was named the Finals MVP. But here’s the pre and post game promo snafu. Nobody seems to know, whether it was lack of planning, an honest oversight or sexism in thinking people won’t buy women’s merch...because little was available at this years WNBA Finals.

Well what a mistake. The finals were a very big “missed opportunity” for the thousands of fans who would have done their very best to Brand their favorite team by wearing team gear.

And fans PAY to do it! Take a look at the people in the stands. You can tell they are die hard fans...there’s not one person sitting.

Photos courtesy Getty Images

Here’s what happens for most “championships” in the promotional products world.

Normally before, during and after a championship our fabric and hardgoods printers are on standby to produce mass promo apparel and other merchandise at the last moment.

At all hours of the day and night, those sporting teams are busy coordinating with their promotional products Distributor to make sure they are covered and don’t miss out on any Branding opportunities by not having enough logoed merchandise.

NBA SNAFU

mo Gear at the Finals

For the full five game series there was little promo stuff to buy...not at area stores...not at the games.

What a travesty and huge missed marketing opportunity.

Fans complained. Don’t let that happen to your Brand. The WNBA lost millions ad impressions by not having people being their Brand Ambassors, which WNBA Fans were more than ready to do.

Sexism or oversight. You decide.

BIG Missed Branding Opportunity

And Fans Complained

Think Outside Your Business We all know that promotional products have become super popular and they really do a great job getting ad impressions, unless the item you choose people think is ugly. So providing virtually any cool and business-related promo product to your customers will always insure that they are wearing your Brand in public.

We are generally much more interested in processing customer orders, while trying our best to make them a happy and satisfied client than observing and doing “people/customer research”.

Think of it this way. Your constant goal is to make your customers your Brand Ambassadors! And if you’re really wanting to win big, use the web to fuel your promo items popularity to a frenzy. That’s the icing on the cake and is a must-have move. Hot looking promo items get amazing exposure on the internet...and a place to get your Brand more impressions without additional cost.

So many of us get bogged down in our day -to-day activities at our company. We barely have time to pick our heads up from our desks...let alone observe what our customers look like...who they are...or what they do. Our days meld together and sometimes they are a blur.

Instead, we’d suggest that you start thinking outside your business when it comes to promotional products and what they can do for you.

One really good promotional program can skyrocket your Brand and sales to the moon. And if mixed with a program combing it with customer research, you will get a better idea of who your customers are...and how to reach them to make sales.

We’ve got ideas. Talk to us.

Stain Imaging

All Over Print

Eco Products are No Longer a It used to be that Eco Products weren’t as good as the regular ones. Eco meant inferior in many cases...and buying them promotionally was doing like someone a favor. But that’s not true anymore. Eco

Products are very well made and look just as good as regular promo products.

Currently available, in really cool looking designs, there are all sorts of wearables.

From shirts to hats, gloves and more...virtually anything you wear can be made Eco-friendly.

There are plant-based type “Vegan” t-shirts...hemp shirts...cotton shirts...and shirts made of recycled water bottles. By the way, the recycled water bottle shirts feel amazing.

There are many styles and colors of Eco Friendly writing instruments...along with seed kits, notebooks, sprial notebooks, totebags, insulated bags, key rings, coasters, business card holders, pencil cups, stainless steel coffee mugs, drinking straws (are really big), mittens, winter skull caps, laundry bags...& cell phone holders.

Fad

At this point we’re sure you’re getting the idea. We count over 1,000 really great products you can use to promote your company. We strongly encourage you to use as many as you can.

Promote Your Company With Eco-Friendly Gifts

Do Your Part to Keep the Planet Blue

Your Employees Are Your Fans Walk any trade show and you’ll see that almost everyone is wearing their company’s logo on their shirts. Almost every autoparts stores we know of use promotional shirts to showcase their Brand. So from baseball teams to insurance inspectors or repairmen, companies are outfitting their employees with logoed apparel.

And why not! Your employees are your fans and love to wear their corporate logo.

Months ago we wrote an article on Tesla’s Factory Store and how their employees were grabbing up all their gear. Believe it, their items are NOT cheap, but just the same Tesla’s employees were lined up at their company store when they announced the sale. Notably the items flew off the shelves. It’s pretty cool carrying Tesla logoed products...and the same can be said of your corporate gear. All you have to do is be creative and find really cool products that will do the job.

As we’ve mentioned in IdentityEdge.Promo many times before, our job--as your Promotional Products Distributor--is to get as many people that your company comes in contact with to be your Brand Ambassadors. Your employees are the most willing Brand Ambassadors so it will serve you well to find and employ really attractive, well-made long-lasting products. From apparel to electronics, you’ve got hundreds of thousands of choices. And that will bring you hundreds of thousands of ad impressions.

s

Corporate Apparel Makes A Huge Number of Ad Impressions

creative packaging beautifully designed

available through your promotional products distributor

THE

We completed our re round of tariffs just a tariffs--combined wit iatory ones--threaten goods annually. But ize why there is a tar

China has been steal property for decades silently helping its co That’s one of the ma the tariff negotiation

However, according found the latest roun could increase nation by $160+ billion annu nations have levied r $104 billion in export tariffs. It all adds up ing out of control on

Reality: None of it is businesses use impo in the USA. So these new--are increasing c to US citizens.

Here’s a simple truth by the country they a rather, they are paid country that levies th penny Americans spe where tariffs have be paying for those tariff goes into the US Trea

E COST OF THE TARIFFS

esearch on the latest a few days ago. The th corresponding retaln $660 billion of traded t it’s important to realriff war.

ling US intellectual s and Bejing has been ompanies do just that. any sticking point for ns.

to the research we nd of tariff increases nwide consumer costs ually. Add to that six retaliatory tariffs on ts PLUS the Chinese p to a big mess, spiraln a world-wide basis.

s good when 66% of US orts to produce goods e tariffs--both old and costs across the board

h. Tariffs are NOT paid are levied against, d by residents in the he tariffs. So for every end on imported goods een imposed, we are ffs and that money asury.

TO THE PROMOTIONAL PRODUCTS INDUSTRY

And that includes many of the goods produced in the promotional products industry.

Based on our calculations about 65% of the goods used in the promotional products industry are imported; mostly from China. Data to write this overview was taken from the US Census Bureau and the International Trade Commission plus dozens of other articles written on the subject, including Bloomberg.

The problem remains that neither the US nor Bejing is willing to back down and its clearly anticipated that this will result in a full blown trade war that could hurt both countries tremendously. Remember, when the price of imported and exported goods go up, people/companies look to other countries for those goods. When that happens new business relationships start and people/companies are less willing to go back to their old business contacts.

So here we are on November 1st, 2019, where both the USA and China are at a major stalemate. The US has applied over $660 billion in tariffs and China has $185 billion in tariffs.

That brings up another issue--the lack of a trade balance between China and the US. The US imports two to three times the amount of goods China imports from USA

companies. That’s not because USA companies can’t be competitive, its because China inhibits the sales of USA-made products.

There have been few talks scheduled recently and the talks that have been held have produced relatively few results.

What’s the bottom line with regard to how this all plays out and affects the promotional products world? We believe that these tariffs will be in place for as long as the current administration is in the White House. Tariffs are already in many cases at an all time high.

But, let’s talk about the positive. The tariffs don’t add as much money to product costs as you’d initially think. A 25% tariff is on the COST of the goods as they exit China NOT what you pay here in the USA. This is called “first cost” in the importing world. What you pay is calculated on the “landed costs” and that should not be 25% higher.

Here’s an idea of how this will effect you.

If a deluxe writing instrument has a first cost of $10 and the tariff is 25%, the first cost with tariffs will be $12.50. Then you add in freight from China to the USA (say that’s $.50 each) the landed cost is $13.00.

After the importer marks up that price, say to $17.50, that’s the price you’d pay.

CONTACT YOUR PROMOTIONAL PRODUCTS DISTRIBUTOR FOR QUOTES