Celebrating 25 Years
Mar 08
As the saying goes, time flies when you’re having fun. In 1996, after 19 years of working in the printing and promotions business, I decided it was time to own my own company. I remember pic...
Continue ReadingCharitable Giving Has Actually Increased During Pandemic
Dec 07, 2020
The pandemic has changed the way many people spend their money, but it hasn’t made them any less generous. In the United States, 77 percent of people say they now spend less on going out to ...
Continue ReadingWho Couldn’t Use a Little Motivation About Now?
Oct 13, 2020
With so much of the world working remotely these days, businesses and organizations know that keeping employees motivated is essential to their success. Yes, some are struggling to survive while w...
Continue ReadingHow to Put Together an Onboarding Kit
Oct 03, 2020
Employee engagement starts the second a new employee walks in the door, so it’s important for companies to make a good impression on their first day! The onboarding process shouldn’t just ...
Continue ReadingLanyards: Everything You Need to Know
Sep 19, 2020
When it's time to choose the perfect lanyard for your company or organization, you may not be aware of all the things to consider when purchasing your new supplies. Lanyards come in many different sty...
Continue ReadingHow Promo Products Can Make a Lasting Impression
Sep 11, 2020
How would you describe your company in 30 seconds? This common sales technique is known as an elevator pitch, and the goal is to captivate the attention of your potential clients and explain how you...
Continue Reading5 Invaluable Marketing Books to Help Grow Your Brand
Aug 13, 2020
In the world of business, marketing trends are always evolving and it's easy to be overwhelmed. Sometimes you take one step forward only to be knocked two steps back. Luckily, there are endless resour...
Continue ReadingComfort Apparel is Here to Stay
Aug 11, 2020
Before the coronavirus, casual apparel had become more and more the norm in the business world. Of course, the nebulous standard of “business casual” kept things from getting too slopp...
Continue Reading6 Helpful Tips to Address Unhappy Customers
Jul 08, 2020
It’s the moment you dread. The phone call you don’t want to pick up. The review you’re scared to address. Responding to unhappy customers seems like a chore. It can be overwhelming...
Continue ReadingCorporate Social Responsibility and the Beauty of Giving Back
Jun 23, 2020
Organizing a fundraising event. Donating food to a local animal shelter. Serving at a soup kitchen. No matter what you do to give back, volunteering feels pretty good, doesn’t it? But it doesn&...
Continue ReadingDo’s and Don’ts of Surface Disinfecting
May 12, 2020
We never thought this would be a topic for a printing and promotions company, but here we are, in a very different world than just a couple of months ago. We’ve helped our clients to obtain ...
Continue ReadingFlexibility Check
Apr 14, 2020
If you’re still getting business email in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, then things are still moving along, albeit at a much slower pace. I hope that you are taking care as we are al...
Continue ReadingA Guide to Face Masks: Types, Materials and Best Practices
Apr 08, 2020
A Guide to Face Masks: Types, Materials and Best Practices You’ve probably seen the phrase “universal masking” online or in the ...
Continue Reading6 Things You're Missing Out On by Not Using Promotional Products
Mar 29, 2020
Promotional products aren’t just for niche industry operations. Whether you are a small organization looking to grow your business, or an established company wanting to reach a new market, a pro...
Continue Reading8 Graphic Design Mistakes to Avoid
Feb 07, 2020
From social media graphics and website layouts to creating a cohesive grouping of promotional products, there are plenty of opportunities to flex your creative muscles and grow your business at the sa...
Continue Reading5 Simple Tips to Organize and Run Effective Meetings
Jan 24, 2020
If you work from 9 to 5, chances are you’ve sat in a meeting before. Whether it be a brainstorm session or roundtable discussion, it doesn’t matter the industry you are in, meetings are in...
Continue ReadingElevate Your Marketing
Jan 14, 2020
It’s mind-boggling how many companies, big and small, throw money away by purchasing and giving away promotional products. Now mind you, if you come to us and want to buy 5,000 cheap pens an...
Continue ReadingYour Guide to Promotional Shirts
Jan 10, 2020
If you've ever run a 5k or attended a basketball game, chances are you've got a promotional shirt in your drawers somewhere. According to PPAI's 2019 Consumer Study, wearables are the #1 most popular ...
Continue ReadingAlmost Everyone Wants Promotional Products
Oct 08, 2019
We’ve known it for a long time. Promotional products work. But we want to know why. Promotional Products Association International (PPAI) has done several studies over the years. The most re...
Continue ReadingWhat Millennials Want (And How to Work With Them)
Sep 30, 2019
Many people agree that there is a high demand to diversify the workforce with young specialists bearing fresh ideas and new perspectives. Furthermore, we need to prepare this growing generation for le...
Continue ReadingSafety First
Jun 11, 2019
Structured Programs Help Meet Safety Goals Every responsible company understands that workplace safety should be a top priority. However, sometimes ensuring the health and well-being of employees...
Continue Reading7 Ways to Instantly Make Your Website More User-Friendly
May 03, 2019
With more and more people preferring to conduct business exclusively online, a user-friendly website isn’t just desirable, it’s required if you want to be successful. These seven tips will...
Continue ReadingHow to Work Smarter, Not Harder
Mar 28, 2019
Do you ever find that no matter how hard you're working, you're not getting the results you want? You put in the long hours at the office, you answer every email, you skip lunch, and yet you're still ...
Continue ReadingBranding 101: What Makes a Brand Powerful
Feb 20, 2019
A powerful brand is more than just a great logo and a mission statement (although those certainly lay the groundwork for any brand.) We live in a time where competition rises up on every corner, and t...
Continue Reading4 Ways to Improve Communication
Jan 08, 2019
Have you ever had this conversation before? Them: "How are you?" You: "Yes." Or have you ever been in a meeting and realized you zoned out halfway through? Or how about when you’re at the mo...
Continue ReadingWays to Cultivate Customer Excitement
Dec 11, 2018
Making Loyalty Programs Work For You Here’s the good news…Loyalty programs are big business getters. But they can be even bigger when you use really cool promotional products that ar...
Continue Reading16 Ways Color Affects Your Branding and Marketing
Dec 04, 2018
Substantial research shows why color matters in branding and how it plays an important role in how we experience marketing. These 16 facts give you a glimpse into how you can use color to your advanta...
Continue ReadingMeasure Success
Nov 13, 2018
The most successful promotions have these features: Harmonized appearance of marketing materials. Focus on brand recognition and increasing brand loyality. An end goal, one that is achievable...
Continue Reading5 Fail-Proof Ideas for Your Business Instagram
Oct 29, 2018
What generates over 95 million photos and videos each day, 4.2 billion likes daily and has 700 million active users? You guessed it – Instagram. This photo and video sharing social platform have...
Continue Reading25 Surprising Facts About Promotional Products
Oct 08, 2018
You don’t have to work in the field of promotional products to notice the impact they can have on any organization’s marketing efforts. As the most effective medium of advertising across a...
Continue ReadingAdvice for Getting the Most Out of a Business Trip
Sep 23, 2018
Traveling for business can be a hectic experience if you approach your upcoming trip without any preparation. As with everything else in the world, there is an art to getting the most out of business ...
Continue Reading4 Steps to #Winning Social Media
Sep 02, 2018
Social media is one of the fastest growing and ever-changing media platforms in existence. What began as an online community for the younger generations, now encompasses billions of people across the ...
Continue Reading3 Things Every Busy Professional Needs
Aug 05, 2018
If there’s one thing we never have enough of, it’s time. We haven’t quite figured out a way to freeze time yet, but we have found ways to save it. If you’re a busy professional...
Continue Reading9 Useful Apps for Sales & Marketing Professionals
Jul 29, 2018
Your phone’s ringing off the hook. You’ve got three meetings back to back. Emails are piling up in your inbox. And when you have a moment to book your next business trip, you wonder how yo...
Continue ReadingHow Wellness Programs Make Businesses Healthier
Jun 08, 2018
The infographic says it all. Wellness programs work, by improving employee engagement, morale, and of course, health. When properly executed, the company benefits with increased productivity and r...
Continue ReadingPromotional Products Work (23 fun facts)
May 22, 2018
23 fun facts about effective advertising Last week, Promotional Products Association International (PPAI) held a national awareness campaign called Promotional Products Work Week. Activities and me...
Continue ReadingInsurance Costs Are Out of Control
Aug 12, 2017
Last month we wrote about how promotions can actually reduce insurance costs. We learned about the five ways promotional products can help to drive such programs — promoting, maintaining int...
Continue ReadingIsn’t It Time For You To Get in Touch?
Nov 10, 2016
We’re entering the gifting season. Business gifts serve multiple purposes. Of course they are one way to say “thank you” to customers and clients. But they are also a useful bran...
Continue ReadingWhat Made-in-America Really Means
Oct 12, 2016
We hear a lot about “Made in America” these days. Election season has done nothing to slow down the interest in the subject, but honestly, it’s a topic that never goes away. Acco...
Continue ReadingGo Paperless, Save Trees — NOT SO FAST
Sep 15, 2016
We've been hearing about a paperless world for a couple of decades now. Actually, the first predictions for a paperless office were made in 1975. When the personal computer was invented in the 80&...
Continue ReadingA Safety Program Primer
Aug 09, 2016
How much do injuries or illness cost your company? It’s a question worth asking. According to the Occupational Safety & Health Administration’s estimate, employers collectively pay alm...
Continue ReadingA Wellness Program Primer
Jul 12, 2016
Sleeping is all in a days’ work at Aetna. The U.S. health insurance giant recently announced it would pay employees to get at least seven hours of sleep each night. Workers use their own dev...
Continue Reading7 Steps to a Promotional Plan
Jun 12, 2016
Successful promotion campaigns don't happen by chance. To realize goals, promotional products programs must be carefully planned, taking into consideration the audience, budget and, of course, the...
Continue ReadingBusiness Improvement Through Incentive Programs
Oct 10, 2015
What does a business do when they want to reduce accidents in the workplace? Or when they want to reduce health insurance costs? They create an incentive program. Of course, incentive programs are...
Continue Reading10 Steps To Design An Effective Incentive Program
Oct 10, 2015
Establish Objectives: Identify three to five goals or objectives that are a) measurable, b) attainable and c) simple to understand and communicate. Analyze the Audience: The entire workforce i...
Continue ReadingDo You Really Hate Advertising?
Jun 10, 2015
A lot of people say they do. When professions are ranked by public perception of honesty and ethics, the bottom positions are held by stockbrokers and members of Congress, but right next to that n...
Continue ReadingPromotional Products Work
May 18, 2015
This is the week of a nationwide campaign reminding advertisers that promotional products are one of the most effective channels of advertising. What are you waiting for? Make someone's day!
Continue ReadingReducing Insurance Costs Through Promotions
Apr 10, 2015
The annual price tag on occupational injuries and illnesses is a staggering $250 billion, according to a study by the University of California Davis. The National Safety Council states that the av...
Continue ReadingScreen Printing - Not Just For T-shirts
Feb 21, 2015
Whether in an industrial art class in high school or when ordering custom t-shirts, screen printing is often a person’s first contact with printing other than desktop computer printing. S...
Continue ReadingLessons from Product Placement
Feb 10, 2015
Anybody watch the Super Bowl commercials? Anyone NOT watch them? Some were pretty entertaining, others were duds, and at least one backfired. Meanwhile, there was a football game in between all of...
Continue ReadingDimensional Mailing Gets Big Results
Jan 10, 2015
With the proliferation of email for marketing (yes, including this very newsletter), old fashioned physical mail can have a bigger impact than ever. That is, if it gets attention. Here's an exampl...
Continue ReadingCreative Thinking 101
Nov 12, 2014
This month we bring you a guest column from our friend Michael Crooks. APTCO's approach to promotional marketing has been influenced by Michael's brand of thinking. Forget about the “outside...
Continue ReadingOh No! Not Another Top 10 list!
Oct 10, 2014
It's that time of year. Once the 4th quarter hits, businesses start thinking about all they have to get done before the year ends. There are client gifts, employee gifts and awards, a couple more ...
Continue ReadingHow and Why Do You Use Promotional Products?
Aug 10, 2014
Promotional products are everywhere. From screen printed T-shirts to pens to mugs to key tags, company logos are viewed thousands of times per day. But so what? Branded promotional items are a nea...
Continue ReadingHow To Make Your Trade Show Investment Pay Off
Jun 12, 2014
We work with a lot of companies as they prepare to exhibit at a trade show. In addition to the long-time clients that we know well, there are lots of requests that come because Google led someone ...
Continue ReadingAmerican-made Promotional Products Make Sense
May 14, 2014
For most of the past decade, the majority of the most popular promotional products have been coming from China. When you are looking at the big categories, including writing instruments, drinkware, ba...
Continue ReadingBusting some myths about paper
Apr 02, 2014
We hear a lot about the wastefulness of print. Everything seems to be moving to electronic media. But how much of what we hear is true? The facts indicate that paper is taking a bad rap.
Continue ReadingThe Truth About Promotional Products
Jan 10, 2014
Let's face it - we're in a new world of marketing. The traditional channels of the Mad Men era have been supplemented by multiple new digital channels. We're bombarded with marketing messages ever...
Continue ReadingIs Everybody Happy?
Dec 10, 2013
Motivation Done Right and Wrong ’Tis the season to be jolly, but for some, it can be difficult when there are so many things to get done in such a short time. Our schedules get packed with ...
Continue ReadingCalifornia fails to pass single-use bag ban
Jun 07, 2013
California could be considered the epicenter of the fight to ban single-use bags from grocery stores and other retailers. More than 75 cities and counties in California, including Malibu, San F...
Continue Reading5 Ways To Promote Fitness
May 27, 2013
by Larry Triplett Did you know that May was Fitness Month? Human Resource Directors probably do. A healthy staff is an important objective for any company. It reduces absenteeism and keeps in...
Continue ReadingPPAI celebrates Promotional Products Work! Week
Mar 10, 2013
The week just completed - Feb. 25 - Mar 1, 2013, marks the first observance of Promotional Products Work! Week. The global awareness event, sponsored by Promotional Products Association Internatio...
Continue ReadingHow Are You Going To Print That
Mar 07, 2013
What are we talking about? There are many different ways to print promotional products. The size, shape, and type of product, as well as the number of colors in the imprint, will suggest the best m...
Continue ReadingHow Green Is The Internet?
Nov 10, 2012
In the twenty-first century we've seen immense diversification of marketing channels. While direct mail and many other traditional channels continue (see part one of this series), we see more and ...
Continue ReadingHow Green Is Your Marketing?
Oct 10, 2012
The twenty-first century has brought increased awareness across all marketing channels of the importance of environmentally responsible practices. In a two-part series, we'll take a look at areas ...
Continue ReadingHow to Work With Awareness Campaigns
Sep 11, 2012
Even in a challenging economy, Americans are a generous lot. People organize and rally to help a neighbor, the school systems, or anything needing assistance. Charitable organizations throughout t...
Continue ReadingThe True Function of Promotional Products
Aug 14, 2012
As part of a well-planned marketing campaign, nothing can be as effective as the right promotional product, with the right message, distributed in the right manner to the right audience. They have...
Continue ReadingHR Managers Use Promotional Products For Results
Jul 10, 2012
How do human resource professionals motivate employees, boost productivity, and improve customer service? These were some of the questions asked by Promotional Products Association International (...
Continue ReadingViral marketing wasn't invented by social media
Jun 22, 2012
A lot of people want you to think so, but viral marketing actually has a much longer history, going way back before web 2.0. Before web 1.0, once know simply as "the internet". Let's start with the...
Continue ReadingHow to boost participation in your wellness program
May 29, 2012
Smart businesses are introducing wellness programs for their employees. The benefits go both directions! Healthier employees result in reduced health insurance premiums, due to fewer claims ...
Continue ReadingIt Pays To Promote Safety In The Workplace
Mar 13, 2012
If you have any employees, even just one, then chances are, you have to carry Worker's Compensation insurance. If you carry Worker's Comp., you have to pay insurance premiums. The amount you have ...
Continue ReadingWellness Programs That Really Work
Feb 14, 2012
Rising health-care costs have made wellness programs a good deal for companies that invest in them, and now Uncle Sam has stepped in to make it easier to create and fund them. The new Health Care ...
Continue ReadingSurvey Proves Effectiveness of Promotional Products
Nov 15, 2011
How do recipients feel about receiving a promotional product? What purpose do they think the item serves? What actions do they take? These are crucial questions every advertiser should know and un...
Continue ReadingMentorship Program a Promotional Success
Nov 08, 2011
The State Bar of South Dakota had a problem. The supply of lawyers in rural areas of the state had been dwindling over a period of several years. Law school graduates were more attracted to joinin...
Continue Reading10 Ways to Boost Booth Traffic
Sep 13, 2011
1. Get your own prospects If you want lots of qualified attendees, it’s essential to create your own audience. You can do this by utilizing house files, prospect lists, direct mail and ele...
Continue ReadingAvoid Random Acts of Marketing
Aug 09, 2011
Avoiding Random Acts of Marketing is a key recommendation of the latest “State of Marketing” report from the Chief Marketing Officer Council, a 6,000 member global association. CMO's p...
Continue ReadingDo You Treat Direct Mail This Way?
Jul 12, 2011
Let's face it. In this age of internet marketing, postal mail suffers from the Rodney Dangerfield complex - it just can't get any respect. When you bring in the daily mail, if you're like most peo...
Continue ReadingBenefits and Pitfalls of Custom Flash Drives
Jun 14, 2011
USB Flash Drives are continuing to grow as a popular medium that is, in many cases, actually replacing print. Many a conference handout has moved from paper booklets to CD's and now, to thumb driv...
Continue ReadingPromotional Products Still Leading Other Media
May 17, 2011
As the economy slowly continues its recovery, marketers are making careful decisions about the best use of marketing budgets. A recent study from the Advertising Specialty Institute compared the e...
Continue Reading10 Marketing Clichés We Don't Need To Hear Again
Apr 19, 2011
You have to wonder sometimes about what advertisers were thinking! We've compiled a list of some of the most overused and empty phrases from the world of advertising. The way some of these words a...
Continue ReadingTop 5 Tag Lines of All Time
Apr 01, 2011
A good tag line adds focus and purpose to a brand. It should be short enough to be easy to remember and repeat. It should avoid industry-specific jargon so it's easily understood by everyone. It sh...
Continue ReadingMarketers Optimism Highest in Two Years
Mar 15, 2011
The results of the February 2011 CMO Survey are in and the news is unequivocally positive. Top marketing executives at U.S. firms are more optimistic about the U.S. economy and their own companies...
Continue Reading18 Creative Ways to Recognize Employees
Feb 08, 2011
According to a Maritz Research study, employees who participate in creative recognition programs at work are five times more likely to feel valued, 11 times more likely to feel committed and seven...
Continue ReadingFive Secrets of Direct Marketing Nobody Tells You
Jan 11, 2011
1. Data is king The quality of your list will directly correlate to the results of your campaign. First, it is important to make sure the data is “clean”, ensuring that your pieces ...
Continue ReadingNo Need To Panic Over Lead In Grocery Bags
Nov 26, 2010
Recently, several grocery store chains, including Publix, Sweetbay, Winn-Dixie, Walmart and Target, reported the existence of varying levels of lead in some reusable grocery bags. A firestor...
Continue ReadingIt's Hand Sanitizer Season, but did you know…?
Nov 09, 2010
Hand sanitizers have been an effective and popular promotional product for a few years. Our customers have used them to put their names in front of their customers in all kinds of different situat...
Continue ReadingFTC To Regulate Greenwashing
Sep 21, 2010
We're glad to hear this news. As “green” has evolved to mean so much more than a color, a majority of consumers and businesses have taken an interest in environmental responsibility. E...
Continue Reading7 Answers To Get You Started On Direct Mail
Aug 15, 2010
Q: How do you get a mail list? A: List brokers are generally considered the most effective sources for vetted mail lists. "Vetted" is a key operative word. There are lots of garbage lists out t...
Continue ReadingFive Steps to Success with Cause Marketing
Aug 10, 2010
Cause Marketing is becoming increasingly popular as a means for businesses to build a positive reputation while helping out a worthwhile charity. If a company's products and market align well with...
Continue ReadingThree Ways to Improve Your Recognition Program
Jul 13, 2010
If you're evaluating your company's recognition program, the first place to start is by thinking about the goals of the program. It needs to be closely aligned with the company's overall goals. At...
Continue ReadingWhat's In A Name
Jun 08, 2010
Do you ever wonder where company names come from? Sometimes multi-million dollar consulting contracts are involved, but sometimes it's just a whim! Regardless, they can have a major impact on publ...
Continue ReadingWhat's up with cotton?
Jun 06, 2010
Two things are up with cotton - sales and prices! Organic cotton emerged as a leader within the cotton segment when a green image is important. Sales of organic cotton increased 35% last year, in keep...
Continue ReadingSix Steps to Developing a Promotional Plan
May 29, 2010
Successful promotional campaigns don't happen by chance. To realize goals, promotional products programs must be carefully planned, taking into consideration the audience, budget and, of cou...
Continue ReadingADVERTISING - Why is it?
Mar 16, 2010
A man wakes up after sleeping under an ADVERTISED blanket, on an ADVERTISED mattress, and pulls off ADVERTISED pajamas, bathes in an ADVERTISED shower, shaves with an ADVERTISED razor, br...
Continue ReadingThe Three Stages of Trade Show Marketing
Feb 09, 2010
Trade show season has begun again, so many of our clients are looking at their calendars and making plans for an effective approach to this most important component of their annual marketing. That...
Continue Reading$440 Million in Wasted Printing
Nov 17, 2009
A study by Lexmark and O'Keeffe & Company says that of the nearly $1.3 billion the federal government spends on printing every year, almost one-third--$440 million--is waste. The “2009 Gover...
Continue ReadingGreen Printing Options Grow Even In A Recession
Oct 20, 2009
A recent survey in Print Solutions magazine and Appleton Papers shows surprising growth in eco-friendly printing over the past year. Among the unexpected materials used is chipboard to make presen...
Continue ReadingSeven Best Practices of Recognition Programs
Oct 13, 2009
Developing a comprehensive recognition program is an in-depth process that can have a direct positive effect on employee satisfaction, customer satisfaction, and company profitability. Far from se...
Continue ReadingOh, No! Don't Say Giveaway!
Jul 14, 2009
We get lots of phone calls from companies looking for products to give to customers, prospects, or even employees in an effort to market themselves. Many of them already have an idea what they wan...
Continue ReadingReduced Advertising During Recession Negatively Impacts Consumer Perception
Jun 16, 2009
More than 48% of U.S. adults believe that a lack of advertising by a retail store, bank or auto dealership during a recession indicates the business must be struggling. Likewise, a vast majority per...
Continue ReadingTen Things You May Not Know About Gift Cards
Jun 09, 2009
When is the last time someone gave you a paper gift certificate? Probably a very long time ago! There are lots of good reasons for this. Gift cards are increasing in popularity because they have l...
Continue ReadingThe Opportunities a Recession Brings
May 12, 2009
It seems like common sense, if you advertise when everyone else stops marketing… Your message is more likely to be noticed due to fewer ads in the market Your business is more likely to...
Continue ReadingLessons From A Cherry
Apr 14, 2009
Guest Article by Jim Blasingame ©2009 Small Business Network, Inc. It's difficult to imagine a more succulent image than a bowl of cherries. Indeed, if you had to choose one flavor that all...
Continue ReadingHow To Make a Great Year!
Jan 13, 2009
The news is in. No, I'm not referring to the dismal economic news that has everyone holding their breath to find out the next steps to be taken by a governmental rescue plan. I mean the news about...
Continue ReadingThinking Green Is Here To Stay
Apr 15, 2008
The U.S. Organic Industry continues to expand, reaching $17.8 billion in consumer sales in 2006 - an increase of 21.8% over 2005. Industry experts expect that once the tally is complete, 2007's gr...
Continue ReadingSix Steps To Develop a Promotional Plan
Sep 11, 2007
Successful promotional campaigns don't happen by chance. To realize goals, promotional products programs must be carefully planned, taking into consideration the audience, budget and, of course, t...
Continue ReadingThe Most Annoying Buzzwords
Jun 19, 2007
We're halfway through 2007, but we haven't made much progress following the recommendations of the Creative Group. At the end of 2006 they polled 250 marketing and advertising executives to create...
Continue ReadingAre ALL employers out of touch?
May 08, 2007
We hope not! But you have to wonder, after reading a recent study. People are all different, being motivated by different things. Some enjoy non-monetary incentives, such as award merchandise, gif...
Continue ReadingGo Green
Feb 20, 2007
With 70 percent of the Earth covered in water, it's a wonder we don't say “go blue.” But “go green” is how the environmental movement was branded. So take a cue from earth lo...
Continue Reading8 Tips for More Successful Trade Shows
Feb 13, 2007
Walk around any trade show and you will be able to collect a bag full of trade show promotional items all designed to promote business. Everyone enjoys receiving a gift. Gift giving creates a favo...
Continue ReadingNew Study Shows Role of Promo Products
Jan 09, 2007
A new study, just released by the Promotional Products Association International (PPAI), empirically proves that promotional products are an effective ad medium and key to integrated marketing cam...
Continue ReadingBudgeting Tips For A Tradeshow
Dec 19, 2006
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'...
Continue ReadingThe Six Rules of Corporate Gift Giving
Sep 19, 2006
Knowing a person's dietary restrictions can make all the difference between an appreciated food gift and one that goes to waste. Andrea Nirenberg, president of The Nierenberg Group, a communicatio...
Continue ReadingPromotional Products Help Recovery
Sep 12, 2006
On the weekend of last summer's Formula I U.S. Grand Prix in Indianapolis, tire supplier Michelin North America found that their tires were dangerously incompatible with the newly resurfaced track...
Continue ReadingCasual Dress Forever? Not so fast…
Feb 21, 2006
The dot.com era brought with it a lot of change, including over-priced stocks, get-rich-quick schemes and the end of the corporate tie culture. Remember those first images out of Silicon Valley co...
Continue Reading7½ Bits of Wisdom for Your Practice of Leadership
Jan 10, 2006
To start off the new year, we depart from our usual format of promotional marketing success stories to bring you a guest column on leadership by Tom Stevens. 7½ Bits of Wisdom for Your Pra...
Continue ReadingI Am The Calendar
Oct 18, 2005
I have two missions: one of utility, one of sentiment. I am the symbol of time, combining the past, present and future. As the clock records the seconds, minutes and hours, I record the days,...
Continue ReadingPinpoint or shotgun?
Sep 15, 2005
In a recent case study, a business owner sent personalized pizza cutters in custom-made boxes to a dozen key decision-makers that he wanted to get appointments with. The boxes, which contained the...
Continue ReadingHelp for Holiday gift giving
Sep 13, 2005
Choosing that perfect holiday gift for an employee or client is a difficult task. Here are several points to remember when going through your holiday list. Build a relationship! The holidays pr...
Continue ReadingLesson in Motivation
Aug 23, 2005
It’s no secret that online training can increase employees’ sales power and effectiveness. However, getting them to participate isn’t always easy. Microsoft discovered incentives...
Continue ReadingDo Tradeshow Promotional Gifts Work?
Aug 09, 2005
You're about to invest a big chunk of your marketing budget on a big tradeshow exhibition. Should you spend even more money on promotional items? Georgia Southern University conducted a study at f...
Continue ReadingGraphic Design Terms Everyone Should Know
Jun 15, 2019
It can be hard to communicate with a design team on a project when the designers speak their very own language. That’s why we have a rundown of words you may come across frequently that can sav...
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