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Past Issues

December 2006

Hand Sanitizer Use Exploding

As the winter cold and flu season arrives, more and more businesses are including antibacterial hand sanitizers in their promotional programs. It makes good sense. Sales of these products in the retail environment are exploding, and savvy marketers try to stay up with the latest trends.

Marketing is all about keeping the brand name in front of the consumer, so promotional products that get repeated usage are winners due to the constant exposure they bring. When people are in close contact at shopping malls and holiday parties, and hand-washing is often inconvenient, a small bottle of sanitizer can save the day. A recent NY Times article tells us the popularity of the stuff during the just-ended campaign season. The article mentions familiar names George Bush, Dick Cheney, Barack Obama, and Al Gore as regular users, especially following marathon hand-shaking sessions at political appearances.

You may be surprised to see the many new formats available for sanitizers. The 3 oz. bottle shaped like a hand certainly caught our eye. There are also small bottles attached to a key chain or caribiners, pocket sprayers, and executive pens which are actually sprayers in disguise. Antibacterial products come in liquid, foam, or gel form. They can be seen clipped to badge holders at trade shows, another place where there's an abundance of hand shaking. And every time someone uses a promotional sanitizer, somebody else's brand name gets another exposure.

Budgeting Tips For A Tradeshow

On average, tradeshows account for 5% to 20% of an annual marketing budget. To help you get a clear picture of where your marketing dollars are going so you can make wise spending decisions, here's a simple budgetary guide:

• Surprising statistic: Only 20% of exhibitors do pre-show promotion. Those who do experience a 33% improvement in booth traffic.

If tradeshows are in your plans, let APTCO help you increase the return on your investment.

Did You Know?

If you missed our recent company overview issue, it's archived here.

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Favorite Quotations

“Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one. . .”

Just For Grins

A stack of college applications contained these statements from nervous high school seniors:

• "If there is a single word to describe me, that word would have to be 'profectionist'"
• "I was abducted into the National Honor Society."
• "I function well as an individual and a group"
• "Mathematics has hung like a stork around my neck."