MB Sol 0819

August 2019

.PROMO

PROFESSIONAL INSPIRATION FOR PROMOTIONAL PRODUCTS BUYERS

BACK TO SCHOOL

Apparel Promotions Produce

Decorating Your Apparel

Fresh Fabrics

Creativity Counts

Political Branding What We Can Learn From Politicians

The Tariffs Latest Round Increases By 10%

Mark Schmaling 414-405-9066 mark@m-bsolutions.com www.m-bsolutions.com

Home Runs

Cotton is No Longer King

TALK WITH US, YOUR PROMO PRODUCTS DISTRIBUTOR, FOR MORE INF

FO

FRE

NEW T A FRES

Cotton and its for perhaps 7,0 the caves in M to velour, cotto in the fabric w facturers are ďŹ better for wea onal products

One of the bes while--are moi for athletic we the printing ca pattern prints. in virtually any really great loo promo use.

Next stop, eco have options t tainability and tive fabrics use

Bio-synthetic f sources. More husks, wood ch crab or shrimp many of these hypoallergenic

ESH FABRICS

TECHNOLOGIES PRODUCE SH NEW FABRIC FEEL

many derivative products have been around 000 years; scientists found pieces of cotton in Mexico dating back to that time. From denim on has been one of the primary base products world. Its popularity remains strong but manufinding so many other products that work arables applications and their use in promotinis expanding exponentially.

st products--and its been around for a isture-wiking fabrics. They are totally suitable earables and they look really great because of apabilities--both with your logo and the fabric . Additionally they last for a long time, come y color and manufacturers can create some oking garments that are priced right for

Best of all many of these fabrics exhibit qualities of silk or wool but they are not itchy, have a lot of elasticity and are cooler to wear.

However, the fabric research is expanding to include some wild wild concepts...mostly all bio-related. Unless you look at the label you might be wearing products made from recycled water bottles. Pinatex is a fabric made from pineapple leaf fibers. Don’t freak out but a half gallon of SPOILED MILK can produce one t-shirt. (Who thinks of this stuff?)

And one of the weirdest is the hagtag fish which looks a little like eels. They release a slimy substance that can be made into fabric...all you have to do is feed them like you would any other animal.

o-friendly fabrics. Promo products buyers now to meet the need to work for our planet’s susd the reduction of harmful emissions. Alternae synthetic yarn.

Hemp, we believe, will be a serious contender to cotton in the long run. First, hemp uses less water; cotton farming uses an incredibly high amount of water. But then there’s this fact: Hemp produces 200+% MORE fiber than cotton using the same amount of growing space and has some antibacterial properties that will stem the spread of bacteria.

fabric is made from organic AND renewable e than just bamboo, bio fabrics include corn hips, banana tree leaves, soy rayon, and even p shells. Amazing right? What’s even better is e fabrics are mothproof, some may be c, and all are machine washable.

Almost every major manufacturer in the promotional products world has a complete line of wearables that include many of the aforementioned eco-sensitive products. Ask us, your promotional products Distributor, about the latest and greatest ones. We can provide solutions in all price ranges and quality.

Here’s Where The Restauran Experience Begins...

nt

Contents August 2019

Fresh Fabrics

Cotton Is No Longer King

08

Apparel Promotions Produce 16 Home Runs

BACK TO SCHOOL Decorating Your Apparel Creativity Counts

Political Branding What We Can Learn From Politicians

The Tariffs Latest Round Increases By 10%

24 30 38 46

APP

60% OF MAKING

There’s a long h cessful brandin try. Wearables your customers endorsement. people see for j

Better yet, once cool design--pe here’s a little tw world using app going to do to m

That’s our job, a find the right st wanted wearab

There are hund polo-style shirts brand your com that’s connectin social media th

Coordinating yo ter or Instagram while at the sam And if you merg a really fully co you thousandssions.

PAREL PROMOTIONS

F PROMOTIONAL PRODUCTS ARE WEARABLES G THEM A HOME RUN...HERE’S WHY

history behind why apparel is the most sucng device in the promotional products induss, it seems, are the best billboards and when s wear your brand that’s a huge personal They are walking ads that thousands of just the price of the wearable!

e you provide that wearable--and its got a eople will wear it hundreds of times. But wist to the situation...with 60% of the promo parel to promote their brand...what are YOU make your garment stand out from the rest?

as your promotional products Distributor, to tyle that will make your apparel the most ble!

dreds of styles to choose from: Hats, t-shirts, s, athletic, even flexible personal devices can mpany. But another trend is emerging...and ng your apparel promo with as many types of hat you can.

our apparel promo with your Facebook, Twitm accounts can really get you a lot of press me time get your branding message across. ge that with an email campaign you will have onfigured marketing campaign that will get --if not hundreds of thousands--of impres-

According to a Forbes Magazine article: “Branded Giveaways & Other Promotional Products: Do They Still Work?”, if you neglect promoting your business the abandonment of the practice will decrease your brand’s visibility. Wearables, it seems Forbes says, “are more likely to have a favorable impression of the company that gave it to them.” With that being said wearables have an essential branding message.

Promotional products allow the world to see your brand, associate with your brand, and recognize your brand. All of these things are important and Forbes continued to state that the more people become aware of your brand through promotional products the better results you will see in sales and business.

Promotional products are tangible. Consumers today have learned to ignore most forms of advertising...think about how many times you “tune out” TV commericals by hitting the mute button. However, the recall rate for promotional products--especially wearables--is an outstanding 85% for some products...there is something unique about receiving a promo product that you can touch, feel, and actually use that far exceeds the impact of a TV commerical or google search ad. But the impact of receiving a really great wearable goes even further. There’s great sentimental value behind promo giveaways. That goes a long way...creating good will for your company.

Do promo products work? According to Forbes, your business can’t live without them.

Express-A-Button

STOCK SHAPES

BAC

IDEA SH TO HIG

School for man most of the hig dreds of thous day away from

This is prime ti increase your c that can be do dise to commu This along with ing will get you

Students are lo love they will w

Let’s take a qu stuff baby boo iGen and GenZ 24 and they wa to sell them ba weeks isn’t goi with your bran that’s cool but

Looking for a N is always a gre we’d recomme industry staple

CK TO SCHOOL

HOWCASE: PROMOTING YOUR BRAND GH SCHOOL THRU COLLEGE STUDENTS

ny starts in just a few weeks. By mid-August gh schools will be back in full swing...and hunsands of college students will begin their first m their parents at the same time. Hoorah.

ime to get your promo programs running and company’s market share. For the most part one by providing really cool useful merchanunities where your local school or university is. h some well-coordinated social media marketur brand seen over and over again.

oyalists. If they stumble on something they wear it again and again...until it wears out!

Our first back to school mantra is to use promo products that help them with school.

Notebooks don’t cost a lot but are carried by almost every student--from high school thru college. No, they aren’t techy, but they have a huge imprint area and they are “a needed item” on the school supplies list. Pencils and pens--but cool ones--also are on the school supplies list. For an unusal pen or pencil try the Bentcil Company. The twists and turns of their writing instruments always get attention.

In the end we’d recommend ANY product that helps students save money on their “school supply” list and so will their parents.

uick drive down memory lane. The promo omers liked won’t work for iGen or GenZ’ers.

Z’ers are the kids who are age seven through ant quality merchandise that works. So trying ased on a product that dies within a few ing to go well. In fact they associate quality nd so giving away an inexpensive product t doesn’t last will turn them off.

Sweatshirts, hoodies and like garments are also big promo winners for students. EVERYBODY wears a hoodie...but finding a cool one that “not everyone else has” can be tough. Clear bags of any sort are big too. Many schools are mandating clear bags for security reasons. And backpacks will always be a staple promo product for students. By the way we see fanny packs making a comeback. They are not styled like the were, design changes have made them more functionally hip.

NEW HOT product to promote your company eat way to win new business but just the same end some pretty ordinary products that are es and really do the job.

Multifunctional keyrings that are sturdy can last for years.

Water bottles, both steel and plastic, are long lasting promo products that will get your brand thousands of ad impressions.

A LIT GOE

DECORAT TO MIRRO

More and more we s retail products. We always cost more; ev the unbranded clean chandise always has non-branded merch can make an ordina one. When you do t nificantly.

And its pretty easy t on the front of a t-sh ple, screen print one the left chest. Talk a

What’s the benefit? look “retailish” on a it more. Even on an look...the more reta advertise your brand

But this goes one ste styled to begin with, placed logo on it wil ren’s retail line.

TTLE CREATIVITY ES A LONG WAY

TE PROMO APPAREL & MERCHANDISE OR RETAIL BRANDS

see that promo products are mirroring all know that branded merchandise ven low end products like Comet versus nser. With that being said branded mers a higher perceived value than h. And that’s where just a little creativity ary promo product look like a branded that you increase YOUR brand level, sig-

to do. Instead of just slapping your logo hirt, put a little style into it. For exame logo on the sleeve and then embroider about “styling”...that’s a great retail look.

There are big ones. Making your logo product will make your customers wear n ordinary t-shirt. The cooler the ail the look...the more people will want to d on their bodies.

ep further. If your garment is really , like a polo shirt, adding your cleverly ll make it more of an equal to Ralph Lau-

This also rings true with accessories like tote bags which have great billboard capability. Choose a shiny fabric and you can look like Gucci with the right step and repeat logo.

For duffle bags, add embroidery in the most visible spots to reap the highest perceived value.

But don’t forget the almight hat. Hats have so many different printing options...from puff printing to embroidery...even holograms. Approaching your promo programs from a style aspect can really elevate your programs. Remember the goal is to get your clients wearing your brand/logo. The more they wear it, the more you’ve done your job.

Let’s just say this...there’s only but so much you can do with a $2 promo item. Quality counts. But you don’t have to spend a lot either. Find the item that will look the best with your logo...not the other way around. Don’t let the product drive your choice, use your brand to make the biggest statement.

Other hints we have: Use woven patches because they really can be beautifully created, along with PVC plastics and other products that can be sewn on your promo product.

Stain Imaging

All Over Print

POL

POLITI

Let’s start off w lar political par can learn from

So what can we they are maste The most succe and that includ selves...and the can brand your lessons.

First, politicians cast their plans and more. With again--how they the issues effec their branding m

As a promotion thing. Having a Don’t shoot fro motional produ brand. Instead messages are c

Let’s take a mo tion. So how di political brandi slogan (which b campaign). He really good at d products was a inexpensive ha

LITICAL BRANDING

ICIANS REVEAL BRANDING LESSONS

with this. This article is NOT about a particurty nor is it about politics...its about how we how politicians brand themselves.

e learn from politicians? For the most part er promoters and branders of themselves. essful candidates have a difinitive playbook des a step-by-step plan of how to brand themeir message to the American public. You too r company using these really tried and true

s have a clear plan. Many politicians broads for immigration, social justice, the economy hin those plans they state--over and over y care for their district, that they understand cting their territory and more. That becomes message.

nal products buyer you have to do the same a clear branding plan/message is critical. om the hip because you find a really cool prouct you think will work to promote your d, stay on point. Make sure your promotional consistent and follow your plan.

oment to look at the past presidential elecid Trump win? Trump won because of his ing...he used the Make America Great Again by the way came from Ronald Regan’s 1980 had a plan, he had a message and he was delivering it. Trump’s use of promotional also “part of the plan” and he used a really at that extensively buildt his brand.

How many millions of times have you seen the, “Make American Great Again” slogan on that red hat? This slogan is a patriotic “call to action”, a sure fired way to fire up his base--and it did. Millions of people still wear that promo hat. (Don’t you wish you could hit a home run with a promo hat like that?) After all is said and done can anyone remember another promo product Trump used? Probably not. Just think about that...an inexpensive baseball hat was the primary promo product used by Trump that millions now wear.

Now, let’s come full circle and make a connection for all of this: Use what we’ve mentioned about politicians for your own branding purposes. Here are some thoughts.

Politicians have a very long assent to get elected. Your business faces much the same issue to gaining market share from your competitors or even building a new brand. Your job is getting your brand to the top.

Use promotional products to market just like Trump did with his MAGA hat. He knew that promo products have a longer advertising life than an ad on TV, radio, etc. As a result, promotional products branding value goes a lot further and can be a top comtributor for your battle to be the top brand. Politicians know how to do that, let’s all learn from them.

It’s hard to fathom but in about 500 days the 2020 election will be upon us. Politicians have to be “ON IT” 24/7 (who would really want that job?) But politicians love the process and we can’t think of one person who has run for office that hasn’t had a vast trove of promo products. Keep working and trust in the process. Promo products are a major part of getting your brand to the top.

TAR

ANOTH HOPEF

IdentityEdge ha these pages fo be a good time

In August 2017 China’s laws or tory to US intel stealing US tec determined tha President state tariffs on $60 b would ratchet

Naturally China tune of 25%. S China and the is China’s theft

At the same tim around the USA promotional pr one way or ano motional produ costs not on la

First costs are t goods before t placed on--NOT these costs do which have not

RIFFS INCREASE

HER 10% TARIFF ADDED IN AUGUST 2019 FULLY THIS WILL BE THE LAST TIME

as been following the tariffs and reporting on or over three years now. We thought it might e to talk about how we got here.

7 the USA began investigating whether or not r policies were unreasonable or discriminallectual property rights and that they were chnology. That following March 2018 it was at they were...in a big way. A month later the ed that “Its easy to win a trade war” and put billion of Chinese goods and stated that he it up an $50 billion to 25%.

As a result, the ultimate--or final cost--isn’t as bad as you’d think. Paying the tariffs on first costs and not the final price keeps things from skyrocketing. So while the costs have gone up we can still offer very competitive prices insuring that your promotional budget won’t be strained.

a retaliated and tariffed our products to the Since then its been spiraling down as both USA throw salvos at each other. But at stake t of USA technology/property rights.

me the trade war is taking a toll on businesses A. From farmers to auto makers to even the roducts business, we are all being effected other. But, here’s the good news for the proucts industry...the tariffs are placed on first anded costs. What does that mean?

the price the US-based company pays for the they leave China--THAT’S what the tariffs are T on the selling price you pay. Furthermore, not include freight from China and other fees t gone up.

Diverse Segments in the US Economy Effected by the Tariffs